My flashlight flickered wildly as I swung it toward the sound of his voice, catching brief glimpses of him stalking toward me. His eyes gleamed, black and empty, and his grin was a jagged line that seemed to stretch too wide, too inhuman. He moved with a predator’s grace, his body coiled and ready to strike.
“Where is she?” I shouted, my voice raw, desperate.
Bentley didn’t answer. Instead, he lunged at me, fast and brutal. I barely had time to react, throwing up my arms to block the blow. His fist connected with my forearm, the impact sending a jolt of pain shooting through me. I stumbled back, gritting my teeth as I swung my flashlight at him. It connected with his side, but he didn’t even flinch.
He laughed, a sound so deep and menacing it sent shivers down my spine. “You think you can hurt me?” he sneered, hisvoice dripping with mockery. “You’re nothing, Riley. Just another pretender.”
I didn’t give him the satisfaction of a response. Instead, I lunged at him, driving my shoulder into his chest and shoving him back. He staggered, his boots scraping against the floor as he slammed into a rusted metal table. Tools clattered to the ground, the sharp clang of metal against tile reverberating through the room.
Bentley recovered quickly, faster than I expected. He grabbed a scalpel from the ground and brandished it like a weapon, his grin widening. “Let’s see what’s underneath all that bravado,” he said, his voice low and menacing.
The blade glinted in the faint light as he swung it toward me. I dodged, narrowly avoiding the edge as it sliced through the air. My movements were fueled by adrenaline, my body reacting on instinct as I grabbed a broken pipe from the floor and swung it at him. It connected with his arm, and he snarled, the sound more animal than human.
“You’re wasting time,” he hissed, his eyes gleaming with malice. “Every second you spend fighting me is a second she suffers.”
His words hit me like a blow, a fresh wave of rage and fear surging through me. I swung the pipe again, this time aiming for his head. He ducked, the pipe missing him by inches, and lashed out with the scalpel. The blade grazed my arm, slicing through my jacket and drawing blood.
I hissed in pain, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop. I drove my knee into his stomach, the force of the blow making him double over. He coughed, the sound wet and guttural, but when he looked up at me, his grin was still there, his eyes wild.
“Good,” he said, his voice a rasp. “I like it when they fight back.”
He lunged at me again, the scalpel slashing through the air.I dodged, grabbing his wrist and twisting it until the blade clattered to the ground. He snarled, his free hand clawing at my face, but I shoved him back, my grip like a vice around his wrist.
“You’re not walking out of here,” I growled, my voice low and filled with venom. “Not after what you’ve done.”
Bentley laughed, the sound echoing in the suffocating darkness. “You think you’re the hero?” he spat, his voice filled with disdain. “You’re just like me, Riley. A monster pretending to be a man.”
I tightened my grip on his wrist, my rage boiling over. “Where is she?” I demanded, my voice shaking with anger.
Bentley’s grin widened, his teeth bared in a twisted mockery of a smile. “Closer than you think.”
Before I could react, he head butted me, the force of the blow sending me stumbling back. Pain exploded in my skull, my vision swimming as I tried to regain my balance. Bentley was on me in an instant, his hands wrapping around my throat as he slammed me against the wall.
The air left my lungs in a rush, my vision blurring as his grip tightened. His face was inches from mine, his eyes burning with madness. “You’ll never save her,” he snarled, his voice low and guttural. “She’s already mine.”
The words sent a surge of adrenaline through me, my body reacting on instinct. I brought my knee up, slamming it into his ribs with all the force I could muster. He grunted, his grip loosening just enough for me to shove him off.
I stumbled forward, gasping for air, and grabbed the pipe from the floor. Bentley lunged at me again, but this time, I was ready. I swung the pipe with all my strength, the metal connecting with his jaw in a sickening crack. He crumpled to the ground, his body twitching as he let out a low, guttural laugh.
“You think this is over?” he rasped, his voice filled with venom. “It’s only just beginning.”
I didn’t wait for him to get up. I turned and ran, my heart pounding in my chest as I searched for Dove. Her name was a mantra in my head, a lifeline I clung to as I moved through the suffocating darkness.
I had to find her. Before, it was too late.
The corridor stretched endlessly ahead;the darkness swallowing the faint beam of my flashlight. My breathing was labored, each inhale rattling in my chest as if the walls themselves were pressing in. The air was colder now, damp and thick, carrying a metallic tang that made my stomach churn. Blood. I pushed forward, gripping the flashlight tighter, the distant echoes of Bentley’s mocking laughter ringing in my ears.
I didn’t look back. I couldn’t. Every second counted, every heartbeat brought me closer—or farther—from Dove. The thought of her, broken and terrified, was enough to fuel my legs even as exhaustion gnawed at my bones.
Her scream pierced the silence.
It was faint, distant, but unmistakable. A raw, guttural cry of terror that ripped through me like a blade. My blood turned to ice, my muscles coiling with a mix of dread and determination. She was alive. And she was in pain.
I broke into a run, my boots pounding against the cracked tiles as I followed the sound. The hallway twisted and turned, each corner revealing more of the hospital’s grotesque secrets. Chains dangled from the ceilings, their rusted links swaying inan unseen breeze. Graffiti and scratch marks covered the walls, the remnants of the madness that had once thrived here.
Her scream came again, louder this time, closer. My heart slammed against my ribs as I reached a door at the end of the hall. The wood was warped and splintered, the paint peeling away to reveal dark stains beneath. Blood.
I hesitated for only a second, my hand trembling as I reached for the handle. The cold metal burned against my skin, and I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what lay beyond.
