Chapter 82: The Hunt Begins

The bloodhound lunged with terrifying speed. Evelyn barely had time to react before Lucian shoved her aside, raising his rifle. A deafening shot echoed through the tunnel as the bullet struck the beast mid-air, sending it crashing to the ground with a sickening thud.

But there were more.

Two more bloodhounds emerged from the shadows, their sleek, black bodies rippling with unnatural muscle. Their glowing red eyes locked onto Evelyn and Nathan, their snarls reverberating through the confined space.

Lucian fired again, dropping the second beast before it could pounce. But the third one was too fast. It darted to the side, evading the gunfire, and lunged straight at Nathan.

Evelyn acted on instinct. She surged forward, drawing the knife from her belt and slashing upward. The blade sliced through the bloodhound’s flank, but it barely slowed the beast. It snarled, claws raking across her arm as it tried to bring her down.

Nathan fired his pistol at point-blank range. The shot echoed through the tunnel as the bullet tore through the bloodhound’s skull. The creature collapsed, twitching once before going still.

Evelyn staggered back, clutching her bleeding arm. Lucian was already at the hatch, yanking at the handle with renewed urgency. “Come on, damn it!” he growled.

Nathan, breathing heavily, threw his weight against the hatch as well. The rusted metal groaned, then finally gave way, swinging open with a harsh screech.

Evelyn didn’t hesitate. She climbed through first, ignoring the burning pain in her arm. Nathan followed, wincing as he dragged himself up. Lucian was the last to go, covering their escape with his rifle.

As soon as they were through, he slammed the hatch shut and jammed a metal rod through the handles to lock it.

Silence fell over them, save for their ragged breathing. Then came the scratching.

The bloodhounds were on the other side, clawing at the hatch, their growls vibrating through the metal. But they were safe—for now.

Evelyn sank to the ground, pressing a hand to her wound. Lucian knelt beside her, pulling out a roll of bandages from his pack. His touch was rough but careful as he wrapped the fabric tightly around her arm.

“We have to keep moving,” he murmured.

Nathan leaned against the damp wall, his face pale. “Where does this tunnel lead?”

Evelyn exhaled, forcing herself to focus. “If the map was right… it leads to the old train station. From there

Evelyn exhaled, forcing herself to focus. “If the map was right… it leads to the old train station. From there, we can reach the river.”

Lucian tightened the bandage around her arm. “Then we move. We don’t have time to rest.”

Nathan nodded, though his face was still pale. “What about the bloodhounds? They won’t stop.”

“They won’t,” Lucian confirmed, checking his rifle. “But if we keep ahead of them, we might just make it out before they find another way in.”

The tunnel stretched ahead, dark and damp, lined with rusting pipes and decayed concrete. Every sound echoed unnaturally, making it impossible to tell if they were alone. The bloodhounds were still scratching at the hatch behind them, but it wouldn’t hold forever.

Evelyn forced herself to stand, ignoring the pain. “Let’s go.”

They moved quickly, keeping to the shadows, their footsteps muffled by the thick layer of grime covering the tunnel floor. The air smelled of rust and decay, and every breath felt heavy.

Minutes stretched into eternity as they pressed forward. Then, a sound ahead made them all freeze. A low, guttural growl.

Lucian signaled for silence, raising his rifle. Evelyn’s heart pounded as she strained to see through the darkness. A pair of glowing red eyes blinked open ahead, followed by another.

More bloodhounds.

“Run,” Lucian ordered.

They didn’t hesitate.

Nathan took off first, sprinting down the tunnel. Evelyn followed, her legs burning as she pushed forward. Lucian fired behind them, the shots deafening in the enclosed space. One bloodhound yelped, collapsing, but the others gave chase, their claws scraping against the concrete.

The tunnel curved sharply, and suddenly, light—dim and flickering, but enough to show the outline of an old, rusted door.

“There!” Evelyn shouted.

Nathan reached it first, shoving it open. They spilled into a massive underground station—dusty, abandoned, with broken tracks leading into the darkness. Rusted train cars sat motionless, their windows shattered.

Lucian was the last to make it through, slamming the door behind him. But this time, there was no way to lock it.

A heavy thud hit the other side. Then another.

“They’re coming through,” Nathan gasped.

Lucian scanned the station. “We need a plan.”

Evelyn’s mind raced. They had seconds before the bloodhounds broke through. Then, her eyes locked onto something—an old control panel, covered in dust but still intact.

“If we can power that up…” she started, her voice urgent.

Lucian caught on immediately. “We might be able to trigger the security doors.”

Nathan was already moving, scrambling toward the panel. Evelyn followed, her fingers flying over the rusted buttons. The ancient system flickered to life, a single, flickering red light blinking on the console.

Behind them, the door groaned as the bloodhounds slammed into it again.

“Hurry,” Lucian urged, rifle aimed.

Evelyn found the right switch and flipped it.

A loud grinding noise echoed through the station as metal security gates began to descend from the ceiling.

The door burst open.

Three bloodhounds lunged inside.

Lucian fired. Nathan grabbed a wrench from the floor and swung at the nearest one. Evelyn dove aside as claws slashed through the air where she had just been.

The gate was still coming down—too slow.

They had seconds.

Evelyn grabbed Nathan and pulled him toward the closing gap beneath the gate. “Go!”

Nathan slid under first, barely making it through. Lucian fired one last shot before diving after him. Evelyn was right behind—just as the bloodhounds lunged.

She hit the ground hard on the other side, rolling onto her back just in time to see the gate slam shut—trapping the bloodhounds inside.

For a moment, they all just lay there, gasping for breath.

Then Nathan let out a short, breathless laugh. “We’re alive.”

Lucian stood, shaking his head. “For now.”

Evelyn pushed herself up, looking around. The station stretched ahead, leading toward the surface.

“The hunt isn’t over,” she murmured. “It’s just beginning.”