Lover of Monsters

A few steps ahead lay a fork in the corridor; the walls, cast in flickering light, seemed veiled in a layer of moss. The faint, elusive scent of dampness spread with it. From the right passage surged a thick, metallic stench, the long hallway swallowed by the darkness at its end. The unstable power supply made the lights flicker erratically—a common occurrence.

Xue Ning closed her eyes, heavy with exhaustion. In truth, she’d always slept well, but the recent deluge of tasks left her sorely lacking in rest.

As the dying bulb trembled back to life, she turned without hesitation into the corridor on her left. This passageway smelled faintly odd, but the air was much cleaner, and the floor was spotless. Stifling a yawn behind her sleeve, Xue Ning planned to finish her errand quickly, then find a quiet corner for a nap.

Yet, the deeper she ventured, the more a strange familiarity crept over her—like a splash of cold water to the face, banishing the last vestiges of sleep. The walls were coated thickly with slick moss, and the clammy, fishy odor assaulted her nose unbidden. Xue Ning sighed inwardly, realizing she must have taken a wrong turn.

Then, with a brittle pop, the cheap bulb overhead burned out, surrendering the corridor to darkness.

…No matter, she thought. Bolstering her resolve, she steadied her grip on the tray, trying to orient herself to retrace her steps. She knew this route well; only a few days before, she had come often to care for the test subject in Room 01 at the corridor’s end. But once a new subject had been developed, she’d