Beast Evolution Forge

A man ran through the hallways until he entered an empty room with a large floating marble. 'Dammit, this is bad, why is he so strong? I did not sign up for this bullshit.' The man ran towards the marble, its surface smooth and black, perfectly round as it hovered in the air. Small runes pulsed along its surface with a faint blue glow. After touching it, the marble hummed to life, the runes brightening to a brilliant azure.@@novelbin@@

He immediately went to one knee, his body moving on instinct before the communication even began. The air shimmered, and a hologram materialized - a tall figure wrapped in flowing robes that seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it.

Even through the hologram, the man could feel the weight of authority pressing down on him. The figure's face was mostly hidden beneath a deep hood, but his eyes glowed with an overwhelming intelligence that made the kneeling man want to look away.

"He's here," the man reported, his voice shaking despite his best efforts to remain composed.

The hooded figure's posture shifted ever so slightly. Those glowing eyes narrowed. "You don't mean?"

"Yes sir, he has found us and he is very pissed." The man's words tumbled out, fear making him forget proper protocol.

"What did you do?" The question came out soft, but there was steel beneath the words.

".....i simply sent one of our best to show him his place...by killing his family, I didn't think he was worth our time." The man's voice grew smaller with each word.

"YOU WHAT? DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT THING IS?" The hologram's robes billowed as if caught in a storm, the figure's presence filling the room until the air felt thick and heavy. The marble's runes flashed erratically, struggling to maintain the connection under the surge of power.

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More explosions rocked the facility, making dust and small chunks of concrete rain down from the ceiling. The man flinched at each boom, his face growing paler by the second.

Screams echoed through the corridors - desperate, terrified screams that cut off suddenly, making the silence that followed even worse. The temperature in the room seemed to drop with each passing moment.

"Sir, please," the man's voice cracked, his composure completely shattered. "We need reinforcements. He's not stopping. Nothing's stopping him. Our strongest barriers, our best fighters..." He swallowed hard. "They're not even slowing him down."

Another explosion shook the room, closer this time. The marble wobbled in the air, making the hologram flicker and distort. Through the interference, the man could see his superior's face twisted in disgust and... was that fear?

The sound of metal tearing came from somewhere above, followed by more screams and a pulse of that dark, empty power that seemed to devour light itself. The man looked at the ceiling, sweat running down his face as small cracks began to form in the concrete.

In the distance, a cold voice called out: "Where are you hiding?" The words carried through the halls like winter frost, making the man's breath catch in his throat.

He scrambled backward until he hit the wall, forgetting all pretense of dignity. "Sir, he's coming. Please... you have to help us. You have to-"

But the hologram had already flickered out, the marble's runes fading to dull gray, leaving him alone in the room. Another explosion rocked the facility, and through the dust and debris, he could hear footsteps approaching - slow, measured, inevitable.

The man stared at the doorway, his legs refusing to move as that dark presence drew closer and closer.

'It was a mistake to mess with him, I should have stopped with Lucia...what have I done?' He could feel it, Vell was close, very close. 'there has to be a way out of this place.' He paced around the marble, running his hands through his hair. More screams echoed through the hallways, making him jump. His eyes darted between the door and the now-dead communication device.

"This wasn't supposed to happen," he muttered to himself. "He was just another target. Just another job." He kicked the wall in frustration, then winced at the pain. "We've dealt with hundreds like him before. What makes him so different?"

Another explosion rocked the facility. Closer now. He could feel that strange dark energy seeping through the walls like cold fog.

He pulled out a small device from his pocket - an emergency teleporter. His trembling fingers pressed the activation button repeatedly, but nothing happened. "No, no, no..." He slammed it against the wall. "Work, damn you!"

The sounds of fighting grew louder. Metal scraping against metal. The crackle of energy barriers shattering. And underneath it all, that voice - cold and empty, calling out for him.

"I should have listened to the warnings," he whispered, thinking back to the files he barely skimmed. There had been red flags, so many red flags. But was too proud, too sure of himself. "Should have done more research before targeting his family. It's the higher up's damn fault, they never tell us the important stuff."

He pulled out a small photo from his jacket - a woman and child smiling at the camera. His family, safe in another city. At least he hoped they were safe. The way Vell had hunted down everyone connected to the attack...

"I was just following orders," he said to the empty room. "It's how we've always done things. Show them they're not as strong as they think. Show them what happens when they defy us." His laugh was hollow. "Fat lot of good that did."

The marble sat silently in the air, its dark surface reflecting his desperate face back at him. He touched it again, hoping for another connection, but the runes remained dull and lifeless.

"There has to be a way out." He pressed his ear against the wall, listening to the chaos getting closer. "Emergency exits, secret passages, anything..." But he knew it was useless. They designed this facility to keep people in, not let them escape.

The lights flickered, and the temperature dropped even further. He could see his breath now, coming in quick, panicked puffs.

"I didn't even participate in the actual attack," he said to himself, as if rehearsing excuses. "I just gave the order. Just pointed them in the right direction." Even as he said it, he knew it wouldn't matter. He saw the security footage of what happened to the others - the ones who didn't play any part in the attack. 'he is here for all of us.'

A massive crash came from the level above, followed by the sound of something large being dragged across metal. The man backed into the corner, his eyes fixed on the door.

"Please," he whispered, though he wasn't sure who he was talking to anymore. "I have a family too..."

The doorway darkened as a figure appeared, wreathed in that horrible empty energy that seemed to devour light itself. The man's legs gave out, and he slid down the wall.

Vell had found him.

Without a word, he grabbed the man by the throat and slammed him against the wall. His dark energy crackled around them both as he began striking him repeatedly.

"This is for my family," he said, his voice devoid of emotion as his fist connected again and again. The man's face was soon barely recognizable, blood running from his nose and split lip.

Through swollen eyes, the man could barely see Vell's face - those empty, dark eyes that seemed to contain nothing but hatred. "Please..." he managed to choke out.

Vell paused, holding him up by his collar. "The other branches. Where are they?"

Before the man could answer, the marble behind them pulsed with energy. The blue runes suddenly shifted to a deep crimson red, the color spreading across its surface like blood in water. The air around it began to twist and distort.

A portal opened where the marble had been, red energy swirling like a vortex. Through it stepped a young woman who immediately commanded attention. She wore a black leather cropped jacket that revealed a tight-fitting bodysuit underneath, with strategic cuts that showed glimpses of skin.

Chains wrapped around her waist like a belt, clinking softly as she moved. Her thigh-high boots had metal plates along the sides, and her hands were covered in fingerless gloves with reinforced knuckles. Two swords hung loosely at her sides, and her white bangs fell forward, hiding her eyes.

The temperature in the room seemed to drop even further. The dark energy surrounding Vell flickered and wavered, as if responding to her presence. Something about her radiated pure danger - a predator among predators.

Vell's grip on the man loosened slightly. He could feel it - this wasn't just another agent. The power rolling off her in waves made his new dark energy feel small and unstable in comparison. His instincts screamed at him to run.

The beaten man started laughing through his bloody mouth. "You're... you're in trouble now," he wheezed. "They sent... they sent one of them..."

She took a step forward, her boots clicking against the floor. Despite her revealing outfit, there wasn't anything suggestive about her movement - it was pure lethal grace, like a blade cutting through air.

"That's enough," she said, her voice soft but carrying an edge that could cut steel. "You've made quite a mess of this branch, haven't you?"

He dropped the man, who crumpled to the floor. His energy swirled around him defensively, but even he could tell it wouldn't be enough if she decided to act. This woman... she was on a completely different level.

"Who are you?" He demanded, trying to keep his voice steady despite the overwhelming pressure she emitted.

She lifted her head slightly, and her white bangs parted just enough to reveal her eyes. He felt his breath catch - they were mesmerizing and terrifying at the same time. Her pupils were shaped like crosses, set in irises that seemed to shift between deep purple and crimson. They held no emotion, no warmth, just an endless void that made his dark energy feel insignificant in comparison.

The beaten man's face lit up with desperate hope. "Thank goodness... thank goodness you're here!" He stumbled to his feet, blood still dripping from his face as he moved toward her. "I tried to contact the higher-ups when he attacked. I knew they would send-"

It happened in an instant. One moment she was standing still, the next her sword was already returning to its sheath. There was no obvious movement, no tell-tale sign of an attack - just a whisper of steel through air, so quick and smooth that Vell's eyes couldn't follow it.

The man stopped mid-sentence, a look of confusion crossing his battered face. A thin red line appeared across his neck, so clean it took a moment for the blood to begin flowing. His body crumpled to the ground, his last expression one of betrayed disbelief.

Vell took an involuntary step back. The casual efficiency of her kill sent chills down his spine. He was beating the man senseless in rage, but she... she ended him like someone turning off a light switch. No emotion, no hesitation.

"Incompetent fool," she said softly, her cross-shaped pupils fixed on the body. "Starting a war without proper authorization. Targeting a person of interest without clearance." She looked up at Vell, and he felt the weight of those inhuman eyes. "Though I must admit, your response was... interesting."

Her power filled the room like a heavy fog, making it hard to breathe. The dark energy around him writhed uneasily, recognizing something far more dangerous than itself.