The team's moment of respite ended abruptly as the scent of burning wood and chemical smoke filled the air. Rook was the first to notice, his head snapping toward the corridor leading out of the grand hall.
"Smoke," he barked. "Stay sharp!"
As they moved through the hall, the glow of flames became visible. It was coming from the manor's kitchen. Shadow took point, her sniper rifle slung over her back in favor of her sidearm. The team moved cautiously but quickly, knowing time wasn't on their side.
The kitchen was chaos. Flames licked the walls, climbing up the cabinets and turning them into charred ruins. A fire had engulfed the stove, spreading to a stack of dishes and bottles. Broken glass glittered on the scorched floor, and the room was filled with a symphony of crackling flames and groaning wood.
"Gas lines," Ghost muttered, scanning the scene. "This whole place is a bomb waiting to go off."
"Viper, find the source of the fire and shut it down if you can," Rook ordered. "Bulwark, secure an exit route in case this place collapses. Shadow, keep watch."
Viper moved with urgency, navigating the burning kitchen like a dancer avoiding landmines. She crouched near the stove, wincing as the heat radiated against her armor. The gas line was exposed, a rupture in the pipe fueling the inferno.
"I can't seal this without proper tools," she called out, frustration evident in her voice.
"Then we're out of options," Rook said. "We pull back and find another way through—"
Before he could finish, a figure emerged from the smoke. It was humanoid but clearly not human. Its body appeared to be made of molten metal and ash, its glowing red eyes locked onto the team. The creature emitted a guttural growl, its movements unnervingly smooth as it stepped through the flames unscathed.
"What the hell is that?!" Viper exclaimed, instinctively backing away.
"Hostile!" Rook shouted. "Engage!"
Bulwark opened fire first, his heavy rounds striking the creature's chest. The bullets sizzled and melted on impact, but the force staggered it briefly. Shadow fired next, aiming for its head, but the creature raised a flaming arm to deflect the shots.
"It's resistant to ballistics," Ghost observed, his voice calm despite the chaos. "Aim for its joints or any exposed areas."
The creature lunged forward, swiping at Rook with a clawed hand wreathed in fire. He dodged narrowly, retaliating with a burst from his rifle. The team spread out, encircling the creature in a coordinated assault.
Viper grabbed a fire extinguisher from the corner, using it to create a temporary smokescreen. The creature stumbled, momentarily disoriented.
"Now's our chance!" Rook yelled. "Bulwark, bring it down!"
Bulwark charged, slamming into the creature with his full weight and pinning it against a flaming countertop. The combined force of the impact and the collapsing structure caused the creature to disintegrate into a pile of molten slag.
"We need to move!" Ghost warned as the fire began to spread to the adjacent room.
With the creature defeated but the manor quickly becoming a death trap, the team retreated, their minds racing with questions. Who—or what—had unleashed such a monstrosity, and what other horrors awaited them deeper in the manor?