Felix moved toward Gaius and motioned for him to follow. Together, they headed for the door, which was the source of the noise, or at least where they thought it was. Ampelius swallowed hard, anxiety mounting as he waited for something to happen.

  Every sound felt sharper in the tunnel. Even the low hum of the train’s engine seemed to fade, replaced by the hiss of lamps and the restless shuffle of boots. Ampelius’s eyes stayed fixed on Felix’s hand, hovering near his rifle, waiting for the signal to switch on the spotlight. They reached the door and shoved aside the crates piled in front of it. With his free hand, Felix counted down silently from three, then gave a short nod. Gaius took a breath, gripped the latch, and pulled.

  With a loud metallic screech, the door swung open, revealing nothing but a wall of darkness inside. They hesitated only for a moment before switching on their own flashlights and made their way inside.

  Time itself felt like it slowed to a crawl for Ampelius. He could hear his own breathing, feel the clammy sweat sliding down his temple. Every second would stretch on like he was experiencing slow motion. His hand still hovered near the spotlight switch, ready to flood the area with light at the first sign of trouble.

  Then came the screaming.

  A sharp burst of gunfire erupted within the room, which was deafening in the confined tunnel. The muzzle flashes lit the doorway for an instant, just long enough for Ampelius to get glimpse of something wet, black, and shifting before the door slammed shut.

  Ampelius felt his breath get caught in his throat. The screams turned into choked gurgles that echoed through the dark. Then suddenly, Felix burst out the door and stumbled into the tunnel.

  Following him were black, slick tentacles which quickly coiled around his legs, glistening under the lamplight as they pulled him backward with horrifying strength. He clawed at the floor, his boots scraping against the concrete, desperate to hold on. His pistol slipped from his grasp, skidding uselessly across the ground.

  “Help him!” someone shouted, but no one moved.

  Felix’s body was slammed hard against the tunnel floor as he was thrown up and down. His head snapped back, striking a metal rail on the ceiling, dazing him just long enough for the tendrils to tighten around his torso, yanking him back.

  His scream broke off mid-breath as he was dragged back through the doorway. The metal slammed shut behind him with a hollow, echoing clang that rolled down the tunnel like a final breath.

  Nothing but silence followed, with only the faint hum of the lamps remained, flickering over the spot where he’d vanished.

  Ampelius didn't move, his heart was hammering while trying to catch his breath which was coming in shallow bursts. He could still hear the echo of Felix’s scream bouncing through the tunnel. Nova and Appius rushed forward, weapons drawn.

  “What the hell just happened?” Appius barked, voice shaking. “We heard gunfire, whats happening?"

  Nova grabbed Ampelius by the shoulders, shaking him. “Ampelius! Talk to me, are we under attack?”

  It took Ampelius a moment to gather himself, but he finally pointed at the door.

  “Something’s in there,” he said, voice barely more than a whisper. “Felix… it pulled him in. Tentacles. I—I don’t know what it was.”

  Nova swore under his breath, believing him. “It's happening, I was afraid of that. We’re not staying here. It’s not human and will kill us without a second thought.”

  Quintus backed away, letting panic overtake his reason. “I didn’t sign up for this! You hear me? I’m not dying down here!” His voice cracked as he fumbled with his rifle, almost dropping it.

  Before anyone could respond, a low, guttural growl echoed from behind the door. The sound was deep enough to vibrate through the floor, primal and hungry. Then came the rattle, the door trembled violently as something heavy struck from the other side. Metal screeched as the hinges began to buckle.

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  “Everyone to the cab!” Nova shouted. “Move! Now!”

  Nobody argued against the order. The group broke into a sprint, their feet pounding the floor as the tunnel filled with the sound of wrenching metal. Ampelius glanced back right as the door was bending outward, seeing cracks spiderwebbing across its surface.

  They stumbled into the train’s cab, slamming the door shut behind them. They all looked at one another before someone said something.

  “Who knows how to drive this thing?” Quintus yelled, his voice shaking.

  All eyes turned to Ampelius.

  He blinked, stunned by the stares. “Don’t look at me, I’m just a paperboy, not a train conductor!”

  “My father was a conductor,” Nova said suddenly, pushing past them. “I think I can get us moving.”

  He slid into the driver’s seat, fumbling with the unfamiliar levers and dials. Sparks spat from a control panel as he twisted one too far.

  “Just make it go!” Appius shouted.

  A thunderous bang echoed from the tunnel. The door exploded outward, a wave of dust and debris rolling through the air. And then it came through.

  The creature was massive, Ampelius was terrified as it was a shifting mass of tangled limbs and twisted corpses. The faces of Felix and Gaius were half-fused to its body. It dragged itself through the breach, tentacles lashing across the floor, pulling chunks of stone loose as it moved. The air stank of rot and metal.

  “Open fire!” Nova screamed.

  They all unleashed everything they had. The flashes of gunfire illuminated the nightmare as bullets tore through flesh that barely bled. Each impact did manage to slow it, but only shredding its outer layer but revealing more writhing mass beneath.

  “It’s working! Keep shooting!” Quintus shouted, though his trembling hands said otherwise.

  The thing roared, like an awful and distorted sound that could break glass with that alone. Its tentacles lashed out, striking the train’s side and denting the armor plating. Nova yanked the throttle, and the engine screamed to life.

  “Come on, come on—”

  The wheels screeched, sparks flying as the train lurched forward. One of the tentacles snapped against the window, cracking it but failing to break through.

  “Faster!” Appius yelled.

  Nova threw his weight on the throttle. The train jolted again, then finally began to move. The creature surged forward, its limbs dragging across the ground as it tried to catch the speeding cars. But soon, the distance widened. It slowed, only roaring as it disappeared into the fog behind them.

  The group fell silent except for their ragged breathing. Ampelius felt a wave of relief and lowered his weapon, hands still shaking. “What the hell was that?” he gasped. “It looked like a pile of corpses stitched together.”

  “Corvinus said there were beasts in the tunnels,” Nova said between breaths. “But nothing like that.”

  “Easy to kill, he said,” Appius muttered bitterly. “Yeah, right.”

  Before they could catch their breath, the train’s headlights illuminated figures ahead—soldiers waving frantically for them to stop.

  “Slow down!” Ampelius shouted.

  “I’m trying!” Nova yelled back, twisting the controls. The train didn’t respond. The speedometer climbed higher, the engine howling. “The controls are jammed!”

  The soldiers dove for cover as the train thundered past. Ahead, the tunnel collapsed into a wall of debris.

  “Oh, shit—brace yourselves!”

  The train slammed into the rubble with a deafening crash. Metal screamed as the front cars buckled, slamming into each other in a violent chain reaction. Ampelius was thrown forward, the rifle wrenched from his grip. His head cracked against the console, stars bursting in his vision.

  Sparks rained from above, lighting the wreckage in flashes of orange. Then silence.

  The world tilted sideways. Ampelius tasted blood, the copper tang mixing with the scent of smoke and burning oil. Nova groaned beside him, half-pinned under a broken panel.

  “Nova…” he croaked, forcing himself up. “You alive?”

  “Barely,” Nova grunted, wincing as Ampelius pulled him free. The two stumbled out of the twisted doorway and into the tunnel. Everything was haze and dust, with sparks and the flicker of broken lights.

  Gunfire echoed through the tunnel. Ampelius assumed it was the assault taking place against the Vandals, but he wasn't sure.

  Ampelius leaned against the wall, catching his breath. “We have to move… before that thing—”

  A low rumble answered him, coming from somewhere deep behind the wreck. The sound wasn’t mechanical. It was organic—a wet, dragging shuffle that set his teeth on edge.

  “Shit,” Nova breathed. “It’s coming.”

  Before they could react, movement flickered ahead, several flashlights cutting through the smoke and dust. Silhouettes emerged, armored and organized, rifles at the ready. Roman soldiers.

  “Welcome, gentlemen,” a voice called out, smooth but cold. “You’ve had quite the night of watching our backs.” The figure stepped forward, weapon trained on them. “Unless you want to get shot, I suggest you keep those hands where I can see them.”

  Ampelius froze, brain struggling to keep up. “Wait—”

  But before he could respond, something hissed through the air. A dart hit him in the shoulder, then another. The sting was immediate, burning through his muscles. He turned, trying to shout something, but a third dart struck him square in the chest.

  Ampelius staggered back, world tilting again. The tunnel lights smeared into streaks of color. His body went heavy, limbs refusing to obey when he collapsed onto the ground.

  “Target secured,” one of the soldiers said through a muffled voice.

  “The orders were clear. Bring them in alive.”

  Ampelius tried to speak, something about the creature, about Felix, but his tongue felt thick and useless. The last thing he saw was Nova collapsing beside him, and the faint red glow of a Roman insignia flashing on an armored chestplate.

  Then darkness swallowed everything.