Chapter Fourteen: Awakening the Beast

The cold metallic hum of the abandoned military base resonated through the cavernous chamber as Ethan, Aisha, and Jared stood frozen in place. The air was thick with tension, and each second seemed to stretch into eternity. Aisha’s fingers trembled over her data pad as the words “Detected by the System” blinked ominously on the screen.

Ethan’s heart raced. They had stumbled into something far worse than they could have imagined. He felt the walls closing in, as though the ghosts of the old regime were stirring from their long slumber, awakened by their presence.

“We need to move. Now,” Ethan hissed, breaking the silence. His voice was sharp, urgent.

Aisha didn’t need any convincing. She shut off her data pad and moved to the terminal in the center of the room, rapidly typing on the outdated keyboard. “I need to find out what triggered the alert. There has to be something here that explains what we’re dealing with.”

Jared paced nervously by the door, his grip tightening on his weapon.