"Holy shit, no joke, that thing actually came out of the wall!"
The inmate's scream erupted as he sprinted alongside Jasper. The stone corridors echoed with desperate footsteps. In seconds, the entire group had scattered, breaking formation without a second thought.
"Wait!" Jasper shouted, panting. "Running without a plan isn't going to help!"
But his voice vanished in the chaos. As he passed inmates 17, 22, and 33, a memory flashed uninvited through his mind.
(This is just like school... when that thing appeared... and I could only watch...)
A wave of helplessness hit him—but this time, he refused to freeze.
"What are you saying? Screw the plan! All we need is for that thing to stick its hand out again, and we'll snap it in two!" yelled the sword-wielding inmate, his voice full of adrenaline and rage.
Jasper frowned. It wasn't fear—it was frustration. Around him, the others were running through tunnels, disappearing into shadow. Only the four of them remained.
Inmate 33 eyed Jasper, wary.
"You screamed before it took that guy. You noticed something, didn't you?"
Jasper nodded.
"Yeah… the walls. They stopped breathing for a second. Like everything went still. Then I felt a vibration—like a low, dull pulse."
"So that shit's connected to the whole cave?" 33 asked, backing away, tense.
"Then let's just shoot the wall!" shouted Inmate 17, pulling out his pistol and aiming at the rock ahead.
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
The shots struck the rock—nothing. No cracks. No splinters. The bullets simply vanished like water evaporating on dry land.
"What the fuck?!" 17 snarled, backing away, wide-eyed. "It's like there's nothing wrong with it!"
Jasper felt it again—a change in the air. Like the cave took a breath… and then stopped.
"Move! It's coming from that side!"
"Copy that!" 17 shouted, darting back just as a set of blood-soaked claws burst from the wall.
Jasper didn't hesitate. He shoved 22 out of the way with force.
"Look out!"
The claw scraped across the ground where they'd stood seconds earlier.
Chest heaving, Jasper turned to the others.
"We need to regroup! We can't beat it alone—we have to find the others!"
But even as he spoke, another vibration pulsed through the cave—stronger now. As if that thing knew.
"Screw that!" Inmate 33 shouted, sweat streaming down his face. "That thing controls the whole damn cave! What's the point in looking for anyone else?!"
"We don't have a better plan." Jasper gripped his sword tightly. "They're dangerous, yeah… but not invincible."
(Back in school… William and V8 defeated it. If they could… then this thing can die too.)
The others followed his lead, weapons ready, eyes locked on the throbbing walls.
"We just need to follow the pattern," said 17, eyes scanning the surroundings like a cornered animal. "When the walls stop breathing, it's nearby. We cover each other."
"Hey! There's people over there!" 22 shouted, running toward the back of the cave.
They followed—and froze.
Bodies. At least ten inmates, scattered like broken dolls. Perfect holes pierced through their torsos. Blood painted the floor in raw, chaotic strokes.
Jasper staggered, teeth clenched, placing a hand against the strange wall.
(What the fuck is this…? V8 sent me here to die… I forgot. I thought she was joking…)
"What's wrong, old man? First time seeing something like this?" 17 asked mockingly, grabbing his shoulder.
For them—career criminals—it was just another scene. For Jasper, it felt… unreal.
"I'm fine… just the smell," he lied, moving back into a fighting stance, though his legs trembled.
"Thank God!" gasped a new inmate, arm drenched in blood. It was Number 7, barely on his feet.
"What happened?" demanded 33.
"You serious, asshole?" 7 snapped. "That thing hunted us like rats! Hands came out of the walls and snatched us one by one!"
"One by one…?" 17 muttered. "Then it can't attack groups. It's not everywhere. It has to move."
"Exactly," Jasper said. "It's hiding… waiting."
7 nodded. "The others are up ahead. We learned to spot it. When everything goes still… it's close."
They moved quickly, alert. The creature attacked several times, but now they were ready. Claws burst out—gunfire and blades met them. The group held.
Finally, they found the others. Only 14 remained.
"Looks like you brought company," said Inmate 10 with a smile, helmet off.
"Yeah, found them with a few corpses. We figured something out. The creature doesn't cover the whole cave—it attacks from a fixed point," explained the wounded 7.
"Same conclusion here," 10 replied, nodding toward the back. "Every time we approach that area—it strikes. That's where it's hiding."
"Then let's just kill it," said 17, spinning his pistol with a manic grin.
"We go as a group," 10 ordered. "No heroes. No idiots."
They moved in. Jasper felt something strange—familiar.(It's like when I copy a skill… but I can't explain it.)
"Get ready!" 10 shouted. "It's coming!"
The walls fell silent. Then they thrummed like guitar strings.
And then, it attacked.
Deformed hands burst from everywhere. Gunshots. Steel. Screams. Sweat. Blood.
"Come on, is that all you got?!" 17 shouted, firing at the claws.
22 slashed cleanly, slicing off limbs without hesitation.
(God, they really are lunatics.)
Meanwhile, Jasper stayed toward the back, defending himself however he could. He wasn't a combat expert—not like them.
Slowly, they advanced through the living walls. At the far end, even with night vision, They could no longer see anything
"Ha ha ha! Twenty years of freedom, bitch!" one of them roared.
"Almost there!" 22 yelled, cutting another claw.
"Yeah, I bet he's hiding… but who knows what he'll do when we get close," muttered Inmate 10, approaching Jasper.
Then, without warning, he grabbed him by the collar.
"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!" Jasper yelled, struggling—but he was stronger.
The others didn't react. They stayed silent. It was like all the criminals understood the plan without speaking.
"I saw you. Hanging back, just trying to survive. Too bad… but we need a sacrifice."
With a soulless grin, 10 hurled him into the abyss.
"Let's see you earn your keep."
His body hit the floor with a painful thud.
"Shit… shit…" Jasper gasped. "I need to get out of here or—"
He tried to move—but something heavy pinned his left leg.
He turned—and saw it.
A creature fused to the wall. No head. Just a torso with a dozen blinking eyes, studying him. Its arms were embedded in the cave itself. Every part of it looked like flesh mixed with stone.
All those eyes… were staring straight at him.
There was no escape.