Chapter 17: The Hospital Siege

  The air inside Mandaue District Hospital felt heavier, as though the walls themselves were suffocating under the weight of the infections spreading through the lower levels. Adrian led the team through the grim corridors, moving cautiously but with purpose. Eva was recovering from the strain of purging the first wave of infected, but Adrian knew their time was running out. The longer they stayed in the hospital, the greater the risk that the plague would spread to other parts of the city.

  "We need to get to the power grid," Adrian said, his voice steady but filled with urgency. "If we don’t cut off the infected's access to the energy grid, this place is going to keep producing these mutations."

  Sarah, who had been monitoring the local energy signature on her device, looked up at him. "I’ve located the main grid in the sub-levels. It’s where the infection is strongest. That’s probably where they’re feeding off the energy."

  Mike’s eyes narrowed as he adjusted his grip on his weapon. "And we can’t just walk in there. The place is crawling with Aswangs and infected. We need a plan."

  Adrian’s gaze hardened. "We don’t have time for a perfect plan. We move in, secure the grid, and get out before it spreads further. If we don’t stop this here, the System will be next. And that’s something none of us can afford."

  Eva, though still visibly exhausted, nodded in agreement. "I can do another sweep, but I won’t be able to handle this many at once. You’ll have to protect me while I purify them."

  Adrian’s eyes softened, a brief moment of understanding passing between them. “We’ll keep them off you. Just get us to that power grid. That’s our top priority.”

  With renewed resolve, the team continued down the sterile, eerily quiet halls of the hospital. The stark fluorescent lights above flickered intermittently, casting strange shadows across the walls. The further they descended, the more the smell of decay and infection grew pungent. It was as if the very building itself was falling apart at the seams.

  As they reached the lower levels, they passed rooms filled with stricken survivors—some still struggling with the early stages of infection, while others had already transformed, their bodies twisted and deformed by the spores. The horrifying sight made Adrian’s stomach turn, but he forced the feeling down. They couldn’t afford distractions. They had to keep moving forward.

  "Keep it tight," Adrian ordered. "We stick together, no matter what happens. Eva, how are you holding up?"

  Eva didn’t answer immediately, her focus on the path ahead. The strain from using her radiation abilities was evident, but she kept going. "I’m okay. Just... keep the pressure off me."

  They reached a large, fortified door at the end of the hallway. The energy readings from Sarah’s device were spiking, indicating they were close to the core of the hospital’s power grid. Adrian could feel the tension in the air; this was it—the heart of the infection.

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  Adrian reached for the door, but before he could make contact, the faint sound of movement echoed from the other side. He motioned for the team to stop.

  Mike raised his weapon, eyes scanning the shadows. "They’re waiting for us," he said, his voice tight with anticipation.

  Adrian looked back at Eva, who was already preparing herself. "Stay close," he said, before pushing the door open with a sharp motion.

  The room on the other side was massive, a cavernous space filled with rows of equipment and electrical conduits that powered the hospital’s entire energy grid. The hum of machinery was deafening, but Adrian’s attention was immediately drawn to the center of the room—dozens of Spore-Spitters, their grotesque forms lurking among the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

  The moment the door opened, the creatures screeched, their mouths gaping wide as they began spewing spores into the air. The thick, black mist filled the space like a living fog, and Adrian felt his pulse quicken. This was the turning point. They had to act quickly.

  “Eva, now!” Adrian shouted.

  Without hesitation, Eva raised her hands, channeling radiant energy that bathed the room in a warm, blinding light. The spores in the air seemed to disintegrate on contact with her Pure Radiation, but the Spore-Spitters weren’t going down without a fight.

  Adrian dove into the fray, using the Genesis Ring to manipulate the gravity around the nearest Spore-Spitter, sending it crashing to the ground. Mike was already at his side, cutting down the mutated Aswangs with brutal precision.

  “Focus on the spore clouds!” Sarah yelled, her eyes glued to her device. "We need to clear the air to keep the infection from spreading further!"

  Adrian nodded, his gaze shifting to the ceiling. He could feel the shift in the air—the weight of the spores was suffocating, but they were in the process of purging them. They had to hold the line until the power grid was secured.

  Eva, despite her exhaustion, was relentless, her hands glowing with radiant light as she swept across the room, each pulse of energy burning away the mutations. The Spore-Spitters screeched in agony, their bodies disintegrating under the force of Eva’s light. But there were too many of them, and the room was vast.

  “Eva, get to the power grid!” Adrian shouted as he sent another wave of gravity at a group of advancing Spore-Spitters. “We can’t hold them off forever!”

  Eva nodded, her face strained, but determination set in her eyes. She pushed forward, using her light to clear the path, her hands shaking slightly as she directed her power toward the central control panel. The moment she reached it, she pressed her hand to the interface.

  "I need a minute to override the system," she said between labored breaths.

  Adrian looked around, his eyes scanning for any threats. The Spore-Spitters were weakening, but more kept appearing, pouring from the vents and the shadows. Time was running out.

  “Keep them off her!” Adrian ordered, his voice sharp.

  Mike moved to Adrian’s side, his weapon raised, ready to fight off anything that came near. Sarah, meanwhile, continued to track the energy readings, her eyes flicking back and forth as she analyzed the flow of power.

  “We’re almost there,” Sarah muttered under her breath. “Just a little longer.”

  Adrian nodded, turning back to Eva, who was struggling to bypass the final security locks on the grid. The Spore-Spitters were getting more aggressive, but the combination of Adrian’s gravity manipulation and Mike’s sheer power was keeping them at bay.

  Finally, with a hiss of static, Eva pulled her hand away from the panel, and the entire room’s energy grid flickered to life. The machines hummed louder, and the dark energy in the air began to dissipate. The last of the Spore-Spitters crumpled to the ground as the energy fields coursed through the room, purging the remaining spores in the air.

  “It’s done,” Eva said, collapsing to her knees from the exertion. “The infection’s contained.”

  Adrian let out a slow breath of relief, his heart still racing from the battle. “Good work, Eva.”

  But the victory felt hollow. They had won this battle, but the war was far from over. The infection had been stopped here, but the blackened energy of the System was still spreading, still destabilizing the world around them. The fight for control wasn’t just a matter of power—it was a battle for survival in a world that had already been torn apart.

  Adrian turned to his team, his expression hardening. “We’ve stopped the infection here, but this is only one faction. The System is recalibrating, and there are more like the Spore-Spitters out there. We need to keep moving forward.”

  Mike grinned, his usual cocky demeanor returning. “After all that? I’m with you.”

  Eva stood slowly, wiping sweat from her brow. “Where to next?”

  Adrian looked out over the hospital’s ruins, knowing they had made a difference today, but the war was far from won. “We’ve got more work to do. Let’s go.”

  And with that, they left the hospital behind, ready for whatever came next. The System had thrown a new plague at them—but they had survived. And they would keep surviving. For now.

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