Trench and Reyes sprinted away from the collapsing station, their breath ragged, boots crunching over shattered asphalt. The air pulsed with residual energy, the kind that made the hair on the back of Trench's neck stand on end. Whatever they were dealing with, it wasn't done with them yet.
They ducked into a nearby hardware store, barricading the door with overturned shelves. The fluorescent lights inside flickered uncertainly, casting eerie shadows along the narrow aisles.
Reyes wiped sweat from her forehead, eyes darting toward the boarded-up windows. "We need to rethink our approach. That thing—it's not just consuming. It's... shifting reality around itself."
Trench didn't argue. The way the sheriff's station had folded inward, collapsing like an old lung, confirmed her theory. He exhaled slowly, scanning their surroundings. Tools, nails, hammers—useful, but not against something like this.
His gaze landed on a rusty generator in the corner. "Power's still running. If we can tap into the grid, maybe we can overload whatever's anchoring it here."
Reyes hesitated. "That's assuming it even has an anchor. What if it just... moves?"
Trench didn't have an answer for that. Instead, he pulled open a cabinet, retrieving a length of insulated wire. "Then we force it to make a move on our terms."
A low groan reverberated through the walls. The shadows lengthened unnaturally, stretching toward them like grasping fingers.
Reyes grabbed his arm. "Trench. We need to go. Now."
The barricade rattled violently. Something pressed against the other side, its weight distorting the door as if the wood itself was warping to accommodate its presence.
Trench and Reyes exchanged a glance. No time for plans. Only action.
With a swift nod, they bolted toward the back exit, shouldering it open just as the front entrance gave way. A wave of darkness surged inward, swallowing the store whole.
The moment they hit the street, the air around them shifted. The town distorted, its buildings twisting and rearranging like pieces on an unseen board.
Reyes gritted her teeth. "It's adapting."
Trench didn't slow down. "So do we."
The hum in the air grew louder. Whatever was hunting them—it was getting closer.