Rain hammered against the temporary field tent, drumming on the metal roof like a thousand dull heartbeats. Team Delta huddled around the comms table, faces pale under the cold blue glow of the monitor.
After several failed attempts, a connection finally crackled to life — the company line.
A distorted voice answered, filtered through layers of encryption.
> "Team Delta, this is Control. We've received your transmission regarding the loss of Squads Alpha and Bravo."
Lieutenant Vega leaned in. "Yes, sir. Whatever killed them isn't local wildlife. It's spreading, sir — the jungle's changing. We need evac."
A pause. Then the voice replied, calm, almost detached:
> "Evac denied. You have new orders."
The team exchanged uneasy glances. Vega's jaw tightened. "With all due respect—"
> "You will proceed toward Sector C. High thermal readings have been detected from the island's center. The source is likely Subject-07, codename Jack."
"Subject?" murmured the medic. "Sir, what kind of subject are we talking about?"
The voice hesitated for a fraction of a second — just long enough to feel intentional.
> "Information classified. Your objective is containment only. Do not engage unless necessary. Lethal force is not authorized."
Rook — the squad's heavy — barked out a laugh. "Containment? That sounds like a damn experiment, not a person."
> "That's correct," Control replied flatly. "He's an asset. Bring him in alive. Nothing else matters. Failure to comply will be treated as treason under Article 47."
The line went dead. The hum of the generators was all that remained.
Vega rubbed his temples. "Containment only. No kill shots. Great."
The tech nearby spoke up, pointing to the drone feed. "Sir, we've got heat spikes. Center of the island. Big ones — too consistent for fire. Something's alive down there."
Vega turned toward the jungle, its endless green stretching into the storm.
> "Mount up," he said. "If our target's there, we're going to find him."
Thunder rolled. The drone feed glitched for a moment — a red flicker across the screen. For an instant, it almost looked like a pair of glowing eyes.
The wolves' howls ripped through the jungle like a funeral song. Rain mixed with blood, dripping from the leaves as Team Delta fell apart.
"Fall back! Move, move!" Vega shouted, pulling the medic by the vest.
Then — a blur behind them.
One of the wolves burst from the brush, faster than a bullet. Its claws raked across Vega's neck before anyone could aim. His head hit the ground with a dull, wet thud — his body collapsing a second later, still twitching.
The medic screamed, slipping in the mud, trying to raise his rifle but his hands were shaking too much. The wolves circled. For a moment, he thought he was next.
But then… they stopped.
Four eyeless heads turned toward him. Their ears twitched — once, twice — then they turned away. One gave a low growl that sounded almost like disappointment.
They went back to feeding on the others.
The medic didn't wait. He ran.
Branches whipped his face as he sprinted through the jungle. His boots slid on wet ground, lungs burning, heart pounding like gunfire in his chest. He didn't stop until the trees broke open to the small forward camp — a handful of tents, a humming generator, and the faint blue light of the communications table.
He slammed the transmitter on.
> "This is Delta medic, serial 405! All squads are dead! Repeat, Alpha, Bravo, and Delta are KIA! I need backup, I need evac, I—"
Static hissed. Then a calm voice answered.
> "Message received. Thank you for the information."
He froze. "What? No, you don't understand—send evac!"
> "Negative," the voice interrupted. "Team Turtle is being deployed to contain Subject-07, codename Jack. Your transmission is concluded."
The medic's breath quickened. "Who's Team Turtle?! Please—just send someone! We're all dead down here!"
The radio began to buzz, heat building under his hand. The voice returned one last time, now distorted, robotic, stripped of emotion.
> "No human outside Company Rank 4 is permitted to know about our power experiments."
> "What power—?" he started, stepping back.
The radio exploded, sparks cutting through the rain. The blast threw him backward, tearing open the side of the tent.
He crawled out, ears ringing, eyes wide. The jungle had gone silent again. No rain. No wolves. Only the hum of distant breathing — something enormous, steady, coming from the heart of the island.
He looked up. In the far distance, through the storm and mist, a faint red glow shimmered between the trees.
Jack was awake.
then he saw him.
Jack was walking toward him. Human… but wrong. His body jerked as something inside fought to break free. Veins pulsed red beneath his skin, muscles twitching unnaturally.
Before the medic could react, Jack's arm split open with a sickening rip. A huge, worm-like parasite burst free and landed directly on the medic's chest. The medic screamed, trying to grab it, but it was slick, fast, teeth slicing through his gloves.
It burrowed deep into his torso. He collapsed, body twitching, hollowing from the inside out, organs shredded. Limbs went slack.
Jack didn't pause. The parasite slithered from the medic and climbed back onto his back, disappearing into him as if it had always been part of Jack. His posture straightened, movements calm, almost human—but now unstoppable.
The medic's body lay empty, shell-like, discarded in the mud.
Jack continued walking through the mist. The faint red glow pulsed with each step, and the hum of life—alien, monstrous—rose from him. He was awake, protected, and complete.