The three knocks echoed through the abandoned station.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Nobody moved.
Marcus stared toward the tunnel.
His face had gone completely still.
Elias watched him.
“Marcus.”
No response.
“Marcus.”
He finally blinked.
“I’m fine.”
Elias didn’t believe him.
Neither did Noah.
The dead survivor lay several meters away.
Everyone had backed away from the body.
Mara crouched beside him.
“He’s dead.”
Subject Nine shook her head.
“No.”
Mara looked at her.
“He isn’t breathing.”
“That’s not what I mean.”
Subject Nine pointed toward the corpse.
“Look at his hands.”
The fingers were twitching.
Once.
Twice.
Then they stopped.
Mara leaned closer.
“Post-mortem movement.”
Subject Nine shook her head.
“No.”
The body suddenly sat upright.
Everyone screamed.
Mara fell backward.
The corpse’s head lifted.
Its black eyes stared directly at Elias.
Then it spoke.
In Elias’s voice.
“Thirty-seven.”
The body collapsed again.
Silence.
Nobody moved.
Noah whispered:
“What the hell was that?”
Subject Nine stared at the corpse.
“Counting.”
Elias frowned.
“Counting what?”
She didn’t answer.
Marcus ordered everyone away from the body.
“Nobody touches it.”
Mara stood.
“We need to examine it.”
“No.”
“Marcus—”
“I said no.”
His voice was harsher than before.
Mara stared at him.
“You can’t keep making decisions based on fear.”
Marcus looked at her.
“I’m not afraid.”
A voice whispered from behind him.
“Yes, you are.”
Marcus spun around.
Nothing.
Elias saw his hands tremble.
Marcus lowered his weapon.
“Everyone stay together.”
The survivors gathered.
Elias counted.
Thirty-seven.
His stomach tightened.
He counted again.
Thirty-seven.
Noah looked at him.
“What?”
Elias shook his head.
“Nothing.”
But something was wrong.
There had been thirty-two people.
Then thirty-three.
Then thirty-four.
Then the creature had said thirty-six.
Now…
Thirty-seven.
Elias looked around the platform.
Someone was missing.
He couldn’t remember who.
Mara started calling names.
One by one.
Everyone answered.
Until she reached the end.
“Lena?”
Silence.
A woman looked around.
“She’s not here.”
Marcus immediately turned.
“Who is Lena?”
The woman frowned.
“Our medic.”
Mara looked confused.
“I’m the medic.”
“No.”
The woman pointed toward the empty space beside her.
“Lena was helping you.”
Mara stared.
“I don’t know anyone named Lena.”
The woman became pale.
“She was standing beside you.”
Everyone looked at each other.
Elias felt cold.
“How long ago?”
The woman shook her head.
“I…”
She couldn’t remember.
Marcus stepped closer.
“Did anyone else see her?”
Several survivors raised their hands.
Then slowly lowered them.
One by one.
Their expressions changed.
They remembered seeing someone.
But they couldn’t remember her face.
Or her voice.
Or when she disappeared.
Elias looked toward Subject Nine.
She whispered:
“That’s what the number means.”
“What?”
“Someone has been added.”
Noah frowned.
“Added?”
Subject Nine nodded.
“Not physically.”
She pointed toward the survivors.
“Psychologically.”
Marcus walked toward the wall.
The numbers were still there.
32
33
34
35
36
Now…
A new mark had appeared.
37
Marcus stared.
“No.”
He rubbed the number away.
The dust fell.
The concrete underneath was clean.
Then the number slowly appeared again.
37
Marcus stepped backward.
“This isn’t happening.”
Elias approached.
“Marcus.”
“No.”
Marcus shook his head.
“I’ve seen this before.”
Everyone became silent.
Elias looked at him.
“What?”
Marcus stared at the number.
“The facility.”
Subject Nine’s expression changed.
“You remember?”
Marcus nodded slowly.
“I remember the room.”
Elias’s pulse quickened.
“What room?”
Marcus closed his eyes.
“There were people in cages.”
Noah looked horrified.
“Human?”
Marcus nodded.
“Some of them.”
Elias stepped closer.
“What does that mean?”
Marcus opened his eyes.
“They weren’t all human anymore.”
A sudden noise came from the platform behind them.
A suitcase falling.
Everyone turned.
A man stood beside it.
Elias didn’t recognize him.
Neither did Noah.
The stranger looked confused.
He was wearing an old security uniform.
His face was covered in dirt.
He raised his hands.
“Don’t shoot.”
Marcus immediately aimed at him.
“Who are you?”
The man looked around.
“I don’t know.”
Marcus frowned.
“What’s your name?”
The man opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
He touched his chest.
“I…”
He looked terrified.
“I can’t remember.”
Mara stepped forward.
“Are you injured?”
The man shook his head.
“I don’t think so.”
Subject Nine stared at him.
Her face became pale.
“Where did you come from?”
The man pointed toward the tunnel.
“I was walking.”
“From where?”
“I don’t know.”
“How long?”
“I don’t know.”
Subject Nine moved closer.
“Do you remember a laboratory?”
The man nodded.
“Yes.”
Elias felt the marks on his body burn.
“Do you remember Project Chimera?”
The man’s eyes widened.
“Yes.”
Marcus lowered his weapon slightly.
“Who are you?”
The man looked at him.
Then smiled.
“I was security.”
Marcus frowned.
“For Chimera?”
The stranger nodded.
“Yes.”
“What’s your name?”
The man stared blankly.
“I don’t remember.”
Marcus looked at Elias.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
The stranger suddenly pointed at Elias.
“You.”
Elias raised his weapon.
“What?”
“I know you.”
Elias froze.
“Where?”
The man’s face tightened.
“You were there.”
“Where?”
“The observation room.”
Subject Nine stepped closer.
“What did you see?”
The man looked at her.
“You were there too.”
Subject Nine went pale.
The stranger continued.
“He was on the table.”
Elias’s heart pounded.
“What was happening to me?”
The man swallowed.
“They were trying to wake you.”
“Wake me?”
“You weren’t asleep.”
Elias frowned.
“What do you mean?”
The man whispered:
“You were dead.”
Silence.
Noah stared at him.
“What?”
The stranger looked at Elias.
“You had no heartbeat.”
Elias couldn’t breathe.
“They restarted you.”
Subject Nine immediately stepped forward.
“Stop.”
The man looked at her.
“You remember.”
She shook her head.
“No.”
“You were watching.”
“No.”
“You asked them to stop.”
Subject Nine covered her ears.
“No.”
Elias looked at her.
“Nine.”
She backed away.
“I don’t remember.”
The stranger whispered:
“You will.”
The lights flickered.
The stranger suddenly looked toward the tunnel.
His expression changed.
“It’s coming.”
Marcus raised his weapon.
“What?”
The man backed away.
“The thing.”
“What thing?”
He looked at Elias.
“The one that follows the dead.”
The lights went out.
Everyone froze.
A voice whispered through the darkness.
“Elias.”
He recognized it.
His own voice.
Then another.
Noah.
“Help me.”
Then Mara.
“Please.”
Then Marcus’s brother.
“Marcus.”
The voices began overlapping.
Dozens of them.
All speaking at once.
All calling names.
The survivors panicked.
Marcus shouted:
“Stay together!”
A gunshot exploded.
Someone screamed.
Elias grabbed Noah.
“Don’t move!”
Something brushed past his shoulder.
Fast.
He swung his weapon.
Nothing.
Then a hand grabbed his wrist.
Elias nearly fired.
Subject Nine was holding him.
“Don’t.”
He looked at her.
She was terrified.
Not of the creature.
Of him.
“What?”
She whispered:
“Your eyes.”
Elias froze.
“What about them?”
Subject Nine slowly stepped backward.
“They changed.”
Elias touched his face.
His fingers felt normal.
Then he noticed the reaction of everyone around him.
They were staring.
Noah whispered:
“Elias…”
“What?”
Noah shook his head.
“I don’t know.”
The lights returned.
Elias looked at the broken mirror beside the platform.
His reflection stared back.
For one second…
His eyes looked completely black.
Then they returned to normal.
Elias stepped backward.
“No.”
Subject Nine whispered:
“It’s beginning.”
Marcus suddenly shouted.
“Everyone to the exit!”
The survivors began moving.
The mysterious security guard grabbed Elias’s arm.
“Wait.”
Elias turned.
“What?”
The man whispered:
“You can’t leave.”
“Why?”
“Because the station isn’t empty.”
Elias looked around.
“What do you mean?”
The man pointed toward the survivors.
“Look at them.”
Elias did.
Thirty-seven people.
But something was wrong.
One woman was standing completely still.
Her back was toward them.
Elias didn’t recognize her.
Noah whispered:
“Who is that?”
Nobody answered.
The woman slowly turned around.
Her face was blank.
Her eyes were black.
Then she smiled.
And spoke in Elias’s voice.
“Thirty-eight.”
The lights went out again.
The station erupted into screams.
And Elias finally understood the truth.
The creature wasn’t trying to kill them.
It was adding itself to them.