Dust and debris settled in the collapsed tunnel, the silence stretching long enough to make Leon's pulse slow.
Then, a skittering sound.
Leon barely had time to shove Evelyn behind him before something burst through the rubble.
A hulking, sinewy figure, its elongated arms dragging along the ground, claws scraping against the concrete like nails on a chalkboard. Its mouth hung open, a grotesque, unhinged maw with a long, writhing tongue flicking at the air.
Leon barely dodged as the creature landed with a force that cracked the ground.
"Mia, shoot it!" he barked.
Mia didn't hesitate. Her rifle roared, sending three rounds into the creature's chest. It barely flinched.
Evelyn grabbed Leon's arm. "We need to run!"
But the creature was faster.
In a blur of motion, it lashed out, its claws slicing across Leon's shoulder. Pain flared, hot and deep. He stumbled, blood seeping through his torn jacket.
Mia growled, switching to her shotgun. "Try ignoring this, freak."
The blast ripped into the creature's side, sending it sprawling. But instead of screaming, it twisted unnaturally, its limbs contorting as it flipped back onto its feet.
Leon's stomach dropped. This thing wasn't just undead—it was toying with them.
Evelyn yanked at his arm. "We have to move—now!"
The three sprinted down the tunnel, the beast crawling after them on all fours, its claws sparking against the walls.
Mia cursed, spinning around to fire, but the monster was already mid-air, its powerful legs propelling it like a cannonball.
Leon barely shoved Evelyn aside before it slammed into him.
His back hit the wall hard, the breath ripped from his lungs as the creature's salivating maw loomed inches from his face. Its tongue slithered toward his throat.
Then—a flash of silver.
Evelyn plunged a scalpel into its eye.
The creature shrieked, its head snapping toward her.
That was all Mia needed. She stepped forward, shotgun pressed against its temple.
A splatter of black gore. The beast collapsed.
Leon gasped for breath, shoving its twitching body off of him.
But the corpse… moved.
The bullet hole in its skull sealed shut.
Leon's blood ran cold. "No way…"
The creature twisted its neck back into place, its grin returning—wider.
"You… cannot… kill… me."