I can definitely say I shot three block up when I heard these piercing, ear bleeding, alarms screech omnipotent in the gym. Only to land back on the treadmill and fly backwards to collide into the ground.

"IT'S A CODE RED!" The mad scientist with me quickly scurries away as I hesitantly bring myself back to my feet. Besides the thunderous alarms, I quickly scan the room. Seeing all the scientists hurriedly funnel out. Even the collector demons are rushing out.

One pauses, looking up for some weird reason and somehow screaming over the crushingly loud sirens. "CAPTAIN! PROTECT THE SUBJECTS! YOU ARE ALL THE BRIGHT FUTURE!"

My face crinkles at that one. 'Bright future?' I would sure like to bust out of here and get a bright future if that's what he meant. Besides, just leaving us to  our own free will? Well, my free will is telling me to get free right now.

Then something catches my eye, that faint scent I picked up from the ceiling stronger as I spot some huge black brownish bat fly down to the ground. And I gasp quickly as I spot the human face, but narrow my eyes at the black uniform they're wearing.

She, definitely a she, circles above us and then flies to the arena. I glance around, and all of the other subjects follow without so much as a longing gaze to the door or an excited 'I can be free again' face.

I however, take that longing glance back at the door, wondering if I should just take this chance. The blaring alarms encouraging me to get out. Then I spot Olivia gesturing to the other subjects, and I know what she's thinking. They've been in here too long, they're scared of defying, we have to help them. We have to get them out too.

So with a soft growl rumbling out of my chest, I drag myself over to the arena. Thoughts zipping wildly and prickles of fear behind them. I would be much more happy with an uncontrollable mob rushing out the doors, that's something I was expecting. But this deadness? Is it fear? Is it just that they don't know anymore?

Or is this really terrible gut feeling I have warning me about a far more sinter reason?

Most of the subjects have already gathered in the arena, so diligent and obedient. Not good, that's making my gut feeling worse. Aren't we all part animal? They should be crazy about escape.

Before we get too close though, I make sure we all group up together. Just in case if my gut feeling is right and we'll need to get out of here as fast as possible the moment we can. Hopefully it won't come to that, hopefully they'll be running with us for escape.

The bat-girl, who must be a Tier 3 with her huge bat ears covering her entire head and arms replaced with long wings, is simply standing in the ring. Her vile black clothes glaring at me as all the other subjects stare at her intensely, looks of nerves on their faces. But not fear, not hope, not any longing to be free again.

And my gut twists painfully, as if it already knows what terribleness will happen in just a few seconds.

"Listen!" Her strict tough voice, somehow carries through the alarm which I think will make me go deaf soon. "I know none of you have experienced this before, but remain calm."

A few subjects sigh in relief next to me, and the most shocked and disgusted look springs from my face. 'Calm?' Freedom is within our grasp! We could be escaping! Now is the time for energy! Panic! Hope! Every single emotion that screams to be let out!

"Excuse me!" Petra gets a whole lot of those same disgusted stares I just gave, but she needs to speak up. "I think what you meant is ESCAPE! This is our chance to be FREE! So let's get a move on RIGHT NOW!"

Those disgusted glares instantly snap into repulse, a twinge of worry crawling into my stomach. I glance at Olivia, wishing I could whisper something but the shrieking alarms make that impossible. But guessing by the trail of blood running from her bottom lip as her fang cuts into it, she's panicking as well.

The bat lady doesn't appear to have an reaction. "I know you are all new, so you haven't quite understood the truth that we all know is right in our hearts."

Dramatically, seeping her wings out wide, making them look much bigger than what I first saw, she continues. "Others will reject us! They will shun us and mock us and attack us! We are not safe out there! Only here can we be what we are meant to be!"

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I'm meant to be a slave!" Petra's face is tight, furiously thinking or just furious I can't tell. But this really is worse than I thought, so very much so worse than my worst nightmare about it.

Various animal eyes narrow in anger, that's what happens when someone completely attacks another's belief. Even that bunny girl's bares her teeth at us, rage burning in her eyes. Have I said this is bad yet? Like, really really bad?

"Petra!" I hiss, I doubt they can completely hear me with the alarms singing horrendously loud over us. "You can argue with them in your dreams! I want my dream of escaping to become reality!"

I turn and begin to run out towards the door, peeking just to make sure my friends are following me. They are, but to my horror, I see the bat demon snap to the air. Her formal composure transformed into bitter anger.

"No subjects are allowed to leave!" I turn my head and sprint faster, hearing her swoop down closer. "We are all necessary for the glorious leader's plan!"

Axel lets out an iron golem roar, and I peep to see him swing a huge iron fist right at the bat lady as she was trying to get Olivia. I face forward again, dread turning my heart to stone at the fact we're not getting out of here without shedding some blood.

"Ahh!" Axel's scream jolts all instincts, and I whip around with claws fully out. Jumping towards him and slashing at the bunny eared person on his back, shoving her off and pushing Axel back into a run as my mind takes into account all the subjects chasing us.

Petra tries to throw open the doors, but of course, they don't budge. With cry, Axel slams his fist into it, the iron doors buckling. I quickly turn and hiss at all the subject closing in on us, a few of them slowing, especially with Olivia and Petra joining in, but don't stop.

The door snaps apart right as I pounce to meet a subject mid-air, beady pure black eyes and gray fins revealing a silverfish subject. A subject who I slash across the face before I dart out the door, before any other subject can jump me.

My friends are already booking it down the other side of the hallway, the one we don't know where it leads. I make my legs go numb as I catch up to them. But we can't stop. Stopping means giving up freedom. Stopping means never seeing the sun and instead getting trapped in whatever cultist belief is in here.

We come to a fork and Petra, who has taken front, points to left. We go left, not that we know it's the right way to go, but just out of fear. This is worse than Ivor's maze, so much worse. We're underground though, we have to find some way to go up.

My memory decides to be helpful finally, showing me the door that leads to a stairwell before front of my eyes. My eyes flicker feverishly for that dark gray door, my legs slowly bringing me up to the lead.

Then I spot one, hundred meters away and getting closer. I spur on ahead of Petra, gesturing madly to the door. Once I get to it, I throw it open for them. All of them rushing in when I spot the subjects still following us.

So I slam the door shut and race up the stairs after my friends again. That bat lady look like serious business, but I really don't want to hurt any of them. I know they're trying to stop us but it still makes my heart ache knowing they're just pawns of the demons too.

My legs quickly burn as we go up flights and flights of stairs. I ignore it, adrenaline soon taking care of it. This is freedom, up is escape. I won't stop even if my leg breaks, I am running up these stairs until it kills me.

Axel stumbles ahead of me, and without thinking I help push him up and push him back to speed again. Faster, faster, faster. We gotta go faster. This is what? Fifth flight of stairs? Who knows how deep we are and we got to get up to the top, nothing else matters.

Suddenly the all encompassing siren dims, and it's like all I can hear are my rushed pants and rapid heartbeat. I'm probably going deaf, oh well, just another reason why I'm going to be seeing a therapist.

"Sulfur!" I briefly glance at Petra, before my focus returns on climbing stairs as fast as humanly possible. "I smell sulfur!"

"And why..." I silently thank Olivia answering for the rest of us. "...is that... important?"

"TNT sulfur! We gotta go to it!" I wish I had a hand to rub my ears, the words fuzzy in my head.

"Mr'ow!" I curse, I can't speak anymore. But I can't focus on that right now. Escape is the most important thing right now.

"Again..." Olivia continues to wheeze, and I help push her up the stairs. "Why?"

"TNT means either..." Petra bursts through a door into another identical white hallway. "...Jesse being attacked or... someone else that will help us."

I say nothing, since even if I could my lungs are dying for more air. But nevertheless Petra leads us onward, following a scent I can't detect. Maybe under normal circumstances, but I'm using my mouth to breathe. Bigger hole to suck in oxygen.

Glancing behind me, the fear starting to fade from exhaustion, leaps right back up as I see the subjects come out of the stairwell door. The crazy bat lady jumping up and using her wings, gaining on us quite quickly.

Even with that fear, I just cannot go in faster. Maybe if I've been fed correctly, I'd have more energy to do this. But I'm already burnt out as it is. If we do make it out I'm going to have such stiff legs and sore body parts.

Not knowing where Jesse is almost completely ruins my hope at all. But we knowing nothing of where he is and if we can even help him. Nothing nothing. Only running. Just have to keep running until we can truly escape.

I stumble, balance swaying as remorse tries to rise in a brain that has no ability to support it. We can come back for Jesse, we're not going to leave him. Besides he's probably the reason this alarm set off in the first place. An alarm that has faded completely into my background.

Faint noises of conflict waft under the din of the alarms, shouts and glass shattering, I think. But I can't hear well, but I'll trust Petra when she points to the direction it's coming from. That we'll just have to outrun something else if it turns out to not be friendly.

I quickly snap around the corner, and slam to a halt as my brain registers what I'm seeing. Right there, not a hallucination, is Ivor fighting some demons. And Ellegaard, Gabriel, Soren, and Harper, all of them fighting and haven't even see us. Fighting against the demons.

Axel gives another one of his iron golem roars, charging up his fists as he aims at some demon. I screech, right behind him with my claws itching for their blood. I glance to see Olivia and Petra crying out as well, this won't take long at all.

"What?" I ignore Harper's gasp and launch myself onto her demon, going straight for the neck. It dodges, but I'm faster than it, quickly snapping my neck forward and sink my teeth into its throat. Yanking back and then spitting out the vile meat.

"Nighissss!" I shake my head vigorously, trying to force myself to speak. "Nighisss meow rye...."

That was a fail and it was incredibly strained, all Harper gives me is a stare back. Maybe she couldn't even hear me over the alarms. And I quickly launch myself back into the fray, not wanting to look at her wide eyes and pale face.

Right as I help Olivia kill the last demons, a sudden screech snaps my attention. The bat lady and other mindless subjects pounce on us. I spring into action, hissing as my claws try to extend even further. My vision fading black and red at the edges.

The bunny eared girl goes for Gabriel, who's kinda stuck in a slight state of shock. I rip her off, but before I can do anything else, someone slams into me. My body crashing and tumbling against the ground, as my vision completely flickers black when my head explodes against the hard ground.

Screams and cries ring underneath the constant wail of the alarms, as there's now almost a great wall blocking my brain and my limbs. I drag my head up, my arms helping me haul the rest of my heavy body up.

A fuzzy Ivor and twin Petras attack some subject, too blurry for me to see. The world tilts as I glance over to the side, Olivia and Axel slowly moving as they work together to bring down the bat lady. Harper and Ellegaard going up and down but not really moving like the others. Others fighting others in a blurred background painting.

Trying to take a deep breath, I haul my body up. My balance swaying and nausea coils around my stomach as if it were a snake with cool slimy scales. I force my claws back out, yet all that comes from my mouth is a gurgle like groan instead of a hiss.

Then I hear the scream, a sharp agonizing scream of pure pain. The world rapidly comes into focus as I stare at Petra's body fall to the ground, Ivor being choked in the air as some subject holds him there unmercifully.

Time slams into me and blazes forward as a true yowl of rage bursts from my lips, ignoring the heaviness everywhere. I fly to the subject, a wave of adrenaline numbing everything expect what I absolutely need to fight. I bit down on the arm holding Ivor, mouth clamped in place even as he screams and drops Ivor. My tail quickly snapping up to strangle the life from him.

His other hand tries to pry my tail off, but that one animal limb is stronger than him. Although pain streaks through the limb for a fast second, making my head rear back in pain. Taking most of the flesh in my mouth with me.

His screams jolt panic and anger, and before I know it, my claws are embedded in his neck. His screams gargling and choking out whatever's left of them before he falls limp to the ground. 

Right as I'm about to check on Petra, the ground vibrates, the small shakes traveling up my feet and flickering in my head. As if the air is mud, I turn my head. Only a sigh parting my lips as I stare at the mass of demons turning into our hallway.

That sigh staggers into a gasp when they aren't coming after us, they're trying to get away from whatever's behind them. The demons scrambling in a mad rush to go faster.

"She's not dead Lukas." I glance down at Ivor, who's voice is numb in shock. "Not dead but we have to get out of here."

"Agreed." Is what I meant to say. It came out like this. "Rrr'ow."

I turn to look at the others, all of them still in vicious battles and am about to try again, when I spot what the demons are scared of.

Even the alarm dims in my ears as I stare at the black... black thing sprint after them, reaching up at its mouth and throwing something. The shudder that went down my heart when all the demons collapsed, out like a light by whatever horrid monster radiating a dark aura.

I guess the bat lady sees it too, as she quickly flaps her wings and turns tail. Shrieking, "FALL BACK! RETREAT! WE MUST FLEE!"

"Huh?" My feet are rooted as I stare at the monstrosity swiftly kill every one of the limb demons, vaguely aware of the subjects retreating or Axel's words. "Why are they... oh."

"What more mad science could this evil place produce?" Gabriel seems to be having a similar response, one that should be getting me to move. But I just can't... something's holding me here, maybe it's a concussion or something or... something.

"Who cares!" Ellegaard's voice barely registers in my ears. "We need to get out of here before it sets its sights on us!"

Ivor's sudden whip up, draws my attention off of the black thing for just a moment. "No! We came to free all of them! We're not leaving until we get Jesse back too!"

"Rraah!" Everything, all the puzzle pieces, slam violently into each other as the thing glacnces back at me before killing the other demons. The glowing white eyes pushing all the pieces coming together in my head.

The Black Subject.

"Rraah!" I curse mentally, my limbs shaking madly as I know I'm starring at my best friend and nobody else even knows it and I can't speak! "RRAAH!"

"That's great Lukas." Olivia grabs me arm, yanking me backwards. "But you can figure out how to talk again after we run away."

Running away? If Jesse's, well, Jesse, then he's going to come after us because we're his friends. If Jesse's really more Wither right now, then running away makes us seem like prey. All in all, DO NOT run away from the really scary black creature that happens to be the leader of the Order of the Stone.

"Jisss!" I jerk my arm out of her grasp, wildly gesturing to Jesse while desperately trying to get my tongue to work! "Jisss!"

Soren's face crinkles in impatience and fear. "Oh dear, something's really wrong with that one."

"Nawh! Rye... am..." I shake my head, priorities have to get straightened. "Thr-hat Jesse!"

Before they could properly react to that, Jesse lets out a shrill wail. All my instincts screaming at me to run away very fast and very far right now. My eyes wide to see the deadly black monster sprinting at us, my every fiber not caring about anything except the drive to protect myself.

"What have they done do him...?" Olivia voice is almost lost to me, Jesse isn't slowing his sprint. My heart beats louder than the wailing alarms, my feet rooted as Jesse blurs closer and closer to me. Instincts and morals waging war against each other, leaving me frozen.

Jesse, in the span of just a few seconds, is in front of me, his fingers, that have been transformed into razor sharp claws, hover inches away from my neck. Nothing moves, it feels almost as if my heart stops as I stare at Jesse's pure white eyes. Only his brown hair remains human.

And I thought being a Tier 3 was bad enough.

His claws tremble, white eyes narrowing at me. Only now do my thoughts waver, doubt leaking in about whether or not Jesse is really standing here before me. Although I have to hope he is, since everyone else is just as frozen as me.

"Jissse...?" My hushed whisper barely makes it out of my mouth, and I'm too paralyzed to be concerned about how I sound.

The claws whip backward so fast, I had to blink to comprehend it. Jesse staggers back, falling on the ground and scooting away from me. White eyes shinning fear as if I was the one about to choke him only moments ago.

"Jesse?" I take a step towards him, offering my hand, but he wails. Wailing in desperation, wailing in pain, in confliction, in panic and fear. A wail rising up into a shriek of madness.

Jesse makes several strange high pitched screeches, resembling words but I can't make anything out. All the while backing up, body convulsing as if it was at war.

With a roar that makes me recoil on instinct, my stomach whimpering that it's too weak to do this for so long, he staggers to his feet and sprints off. Stumbling every few strides and grieving like moans echoing louder than the alarms.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, my tail automatically wrapping around me, as I turn around and glance at the others. Petra's still mostly on the ground, frozen in a position to get up as she stares at Jesse getting farther away until he turns the hallway.

The Old Order have their jaws almost touching the ground, Harper shaking her head in... some emotion. I can't really tell with her. Olivia and Axel look in grief, to which I don't blame them, and Ivor as if he just saw he child die.

Me? I'm sure I look like I'm numb or in shock, both apply to me right now. But we found Jesse, whether we like the outcome or not, we did. And since it's pretty clear he's not going to be escaping with us, it's time to go.

"Okay guys..." Petra's voice shatters the numb state, wavering and crackling. "Let's get out of this hellhole."

****

Whelp, Jesse's screwed.

Once his human consciousness takes control, oh body, he is gonna have nightmares about this. If he somehow doesn't have PTSD from everything he's done at this point, there's no escaping it in this book.

(Future apology as it will be my first time writing it)

Anyways, you have to wait a little while longer, exactly 5 days, to learn how this escape completely unfolds. Which I grantee will lead to battles greater than just man and animal duking it out in someone's head.

So, I hope you're going to be ready for the next chapter 5 days from now! See you then!