Riko narrowed her eyes at Nakayama. "What are you looking at?"
Nakayama and Mio turned toward her in unison. For a moment, the only sound was the low hum of the engine.
Riko rolled her eyes so hard it looked painful. "Fine," she muttered. "I'll be the distraction."
6:31 p.m. — Six days after the disappearance
The police station smelled of death.
Harsh fluorescent lights flickered overhead with a sickly buzz, casting stuttering shadows across the blood-smeared walls. The metallic tang of fresh corpses hung thick in the air, mixing with the sour stench of fear-sweat and urine. Somewhere deeper in the building, something wet dripped steadily onto concrete.
Kaiya's fingers trembled as he worked the makeshift lockpick into the cell door. The metal was cold, slick with condensation.
"Uh… I know you told me to be quiet," her cellmate whispered, voice cracking, "but can you *hurry up*? I really don't want to die hereeee."
"Quiet," Kaiya hissed through gritted teeth, sweat stinging her eyes. "I'm trying to pick the damn lock."
The cellmate shifted nervously. "Move over. I thought you had a key or something."
Kaiya scooted aside without argument. A second later, a soft, satisfying *click* echoed through the corridor.
The gate swung open.
"Impressive," Kaiya breathed, glancing up—only to find the cell empty. Her former roommate was already halfway down the hall, bare feet slapping against the bloody floor.
"Oh, bye!" the man called back without slowing. "Hope you live through this. I'm out of here!"
Kaiya stared after him for half a second, then clenched her jaw. Determination hardened in her chest like steel.
"I have to find Yui and Matthew," she whispered to the darkness. "And get the hell out of here."
6:58 p.m. — Six days after the disappearance
Yui woke to the crushing weight of a body on top of her.
Her lungs burned. Every breath tasted of copper and dust. The hallway lights flickered weakly, and the sharp echo of approaching footsteps sent ice racing down her spine.
Flashback — 6:13 p.m.
"Wait. Hold up," the female officer had said, unlocking Yui's handcuffs outside the station bathroom.
The moment the cuffs fell away, Yui slipped inside and twisted the taps on full blast. The rush of water masked the metallic screech as she pried open the old ventilation grate. Dust and grime cascaded over her as she hauled herself up into the narrow shaft.
"Dusty," she muttered, wrinkling her nose. "I expected less. Maybe filled with rats. Lousy cops…"
She crawled forward on elbows and knees, the aluminum cold and gritty beneath her palms. The vent was tighter than she'd imagined—claustrophobic, the air stale and metallic.
Soon, voices drifted up through the grates. She froze.
Officer Yuji's voice boomed below, followed by the violent slam of a fist on metal. "Answer me!"
Matthew remained eerily calm, his posture stiff even as coffee splashed across the table. A single drop of Yui's sweat fell through the grate and landed on his cheek. He looked up sharply.
Yui jerked back, heart hammering.
She started moving again—until a chorus of high-pitched squeaks froze her blood.
"No… no, no, *rats!*"
The swarm came like a living tide. Tiny claws scraped over her arms, her back, her neck. She screamed, thrashing wildly, and scrambled backward toward the bathroom vent. The moment she dropped out, she found the female officer staring up at her, gun half-drawn.
"You're in a lot of trouble, lady."
Before Yui could respond, chaos erupted.
Screams tore through the station. Bulbs exploded in showers of sparks. The female officer shoved Yui behind her and advanced, weapon raised.
"Who's there? Come out with your hands up!"
A low, guttural snarl answered.
The creature stepped into the flickering light—massive, wrong, all sinew and shadow. The officer's gun clattered to the floor.
"What the hell—"
"Run!" Yui shouted.
Too late.
The beast's claws punched through the officer's chest with a sickening wet crunch. Her body was hurled backward like a ragdoll, slamming into Yui and driving her violently against the wall. Pain exploded behind her eyes. Then everything went black.
7:00 p.m.
Yui gasped awake, chest heaving. Footsteps approached again—slower this time.
A familiar face emerged from the gloom.
"Matthew?" Relief flooded her voice.
"You survived," he said, eyes wide with genuine shock. He pulled her to her feet, his grip firm but gentle.
"We have to get to Kaiya," Yui panted, pointing down the corridor.
"Don't go that way," Matthew warned, voice low and urgent. "You'll get killed. Head for the emergency exit. I'll distract the beast. It's not here for you."
"What do you mean it's not here for *us*?" Yui demanded.
A savage snarl ripped through the hallway before he could answer. Matthew shoved her hard in the opposite direction.
"Run! Head straight for the emergency exit—now!"
Yui hesitated for a heartbeat, then turned and sprinted. Behind her, the creature's growls grew louder, hungrier.
She was almost at the exit when she collided violently with another body. Both of them crashed to the floor, heads knocking together with a painful *thud*.
"Ow!" they groaned in unison.
"You're alive!" Yui cried, throwing her arms around Kaiya.
"Yeah—now would be a great time to run!" Kaiya shot back, already dragging her up.
"We have to go back for Matthew!"
But the snarls were closing in fast—too fast. Kaiya grabbed Yui's wrist and yanked her through the emergency door. They burst out into the empty, rain-slicked street, lungs burning.
Another creature waited for them—smaller, but no less terrifying, crouched low under the flickering streetlights.
"You've got to be kidding me," Kaiya breathed.
Headlights suddenly flooded the scene. A car roared forward and slammed into the beast with a sickening crunch of bone and metal. Nakayama was behind the wheel. Riko and Mio stared wide-eyed from the backseat.
"Get in!" they all screamed at once.
Kaiya and Yui bolted for the open door. Behind them, the larger monster exploded out of the station, claws scraping concrete as it charged.
"Run!" Kaiya shouted.
He scooped Yui up in one desperate motion and hurled her toward the car. The girls screamed as Yui tumbled inside. The creature reared back, claws raised to impale Kaiya—
A rocket launcher roared.
The explosion lit up the night in a blinding orange bloom. The beast disintegrated in a shower of gore and shrapnel. The force hurled Kaiya forward, slamming him into the backseat beside Yui.
"Ahhhhh!"
Nakayama slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a screeching halt. They all whipped around.
Matthew stood in the middle of the street, smoking rocket launcher still resting on his shoulder, a grim smile on his face.
"Yeah!" Nakayama whooped, slamming his palm against the steering wheel in triumph.
Chapter ends