As Noah returned to his room, he noticed something strange: the door wouldn’t open. Before he could react, the central zone speakers crackled to life, followed by the unmistakable voice of Xavier Musk—calm yet relentless.

  —Subject 87 and Subject 5, both of you must face the consequences of breaking the rules. Proceed to the end of the hallway. There, you will find your punishment.

  A shiver ran down Noah’s spine. He didn’t like the idea of sharing a punishment with Tirso, much less without knowing what it entailed. He walked cautiously to the end of the hallway, where his "companion" was already waiting. Tirso didn’t even bother to look at him, which only fueled his discomfort. But what unsettled him the most was the metallic wall in front of them. There was no visible door, no sign that anything was there… until the metal slid apart in two halves with a mechanical hiss.

  Both stepped in at the same time, as if by instinct. The door smmed shut behind them with a metallic cng that echoed through their bones.

  At first, the room didn’t seem particurly special—walls of aged steel, rusted metal doors, a cold and dry atmosphere, like a forgotten space. But then they saw it.

  A figure curled up in the darkest corner of the room. A rancid stench, a mix of rotten flesh and rust, filled the air. The thing looked like a corpse abandoned for years, with pale, almost grayish skin stretched over angur bones. Its right arm and both legs were metallic—dirty and corroded by time. It seemed dead.

  Then, Xavier's voice echoed one st time:

  —Inside this room is someone who made a mistake. A mistake you might make if you don’t learn from this punishment. Be careful… or you’ll end up like him.

  The sound cut off abruptly, plunging them into an oppressive silence. Noah felt the air grow heavier. He swallowed hard and tried to steady his breathing, but every second spent in that room made his skin crawl more.

  —What the hell is this? —he muttered.

  Normally, Tirso would have already blurted out some stupid or sarcastic remark, but there was nothing. Noah frowned and turned his head. Tirso was no longer by his side.

  Fear froze his blood.

  —Tirso? —he whispered, his throat dry.

  A faint whisper of air brushed against his cheek. Noah turned sharply, but all he saw was darkness. His breathing quickened. A step. Then another. A stifled gasp. The stench grew stronger.

  And then—a sharp noise, followed by a gut-wrenching cry, shattered the silence.

  He looked up just in time to see the scene. Tirso was on the ceiling, that monster clinging to his shoulder, pinning him against the metal as its teeth sank into his flesh.

  Tirso’s scream was pure agony.

  —Are you going to do something, Ryker, or just stand there like a damn mannequin?! —he roared, struggling to break free.

  Noah froze. His mind raced at a thousand miles per hour, but his body refused to respond. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t think clearly. All he could do was watch as Tirso’s blood dripped onto the floor with a sickening sptter. His mind was flooded with jumbled memories—shouts in the operating room, the screams of other patients, the pain in his skull. The operation. His number. 87.

  Tirso managed to nd a punch that forced the creature to let go. It crashed to the ground with a dull thud, writhing like a rabid beast. Noah felt his stomach clench. That thing wasn’t just hungry. It didn’t just want to kill them. It wanted to devour them.

  —Ryker, if you’re not going to help, at least don’t get in my way! —Tirso bellowed, struggling to stay on his feet.

  Noah clenched his teeth. His heart pounded furiously in his chest. Something inside him twisted with rage and frustration. Always the same. He was always the weakest. Always the one left behind. Always the one who failed.

  He was tired.

  With a roar of fury, he lunged at the creature, throwing a punch with everything he had. His fist connected with a sickening crunch, and the monster was sent flying against the wall with brutal force. The impact thundered through the entire room and he felt strong for the first time but.

  The EVO-Link granted superhuman strength, but it didn’t change the fragility of the human body. He had broken Newton’s second w: his fist had struck with more force than his own structure could handle. He wasn’t invulnerable. He was just a human with a power his body wasn’t prepared to endure.

  Pain crashed over him in a dizzying wave, but he had no time to process it. The creature wouldn’t give him a break. With a guttural growl, it lunged at him, its mouth gaping wide, revealing jagged, razor-sharp teeth. Its jaws cmped down on his shattered fist.

  Ryker screamed. He felt his flesh being torn apart, the pressure mounting. Tirso reacted quickly. With a furious shout, he delivered a sidekick that knocked the creature off Ryker, who colpsed to his knees, gasping for air.

  Then, he realized something terrifying.

  As much as he hated Tirso, if they didn’t work together, they were going to die in here.

  —Ryker, go for its skull. I’ll keep it busy —Tirso ordered between ragged breaths.

  Something in Ryker stirred at the commanding tone. It made his blood boil to be spoken to like some damn subordinate. But now wasn’t the time to argue. He gritted his teeth and nodded.

  Despite his injuries, Tirso unched himself at the creature. His speed was impressive. His fists rained down upon its chest and ribs in a flurry of fast, precise strikes. Ryker watched for a moment, hating to admit it, but Tirso’s more athletic physique gave him a clear advantage in combat. He moved with controlled aggression, whereas Ryker’s crude style relied on heavy, slow blows.

  He forced himself into action. Tirso was targeting the torso, so he aimed higher. He focused on the monster’s head, striking the frontal skull with everything he had. He adjusted his strength to avoid wrecking his hand again, but every punch still hurt like hell. His knuckles burned, his arm trembled, but he couldn’t stop.

  —Ryker, to your right! —Tirso suddenly shouted.

  The warning came just in time. Ryker turned his head and saw the creature’s robotic arm swinging down at him in a deadly arc. If it hit his skull, it would split it in two. He had no time to react.

  Tirso shoved him aside.

  The creature’s arm impaled his hand instead.

  Tirso’s scream was inhuman. His hand was skewered on the metallic limb, blood spttering onto the floor. But he didn’t let go. Gritting his teeth, he grabbed the creature’s other arm with his free hand.

  —Ryker! It’s now or never! —he roared, his eyes bloodshot.

  Noah saw the opening. Tirso had immobilized the creature, leaving it completely exposed. If he failed now, they were dead.

  Without thinking, with more strength than before, he threw his fist with everything he had.

  The impact was devastating.

  His punch didn’t just crack the creature’s skull—it tore through the pale flesh and shredded its brain matter, his forearm sinking halfway into the monster’s head. A violent shudder ran through his body as he felt the hot, slimy tissue around his arm. His legs wobbled.

  The pain came an instant ter.

  Ryker’s scream echoed through the room. His entire arm was ruined. Broken bones, torn muscles, burst veins. He colpsed to his knees, trembling, his vision darkening.

  His st sight before losing consciousness was his own hand, still buried inside the creature’s skull.

  Tirso stood there, panting, his body covered in wounds, blood dripping from his torn shoulder and impaled hand. He looked at Ryker, unconscious beside him, then at the creature’s lifeless corpse.

  —Shit… —he whispered, before colpsing onto the floor