Refuge

I frantically mixed the last of the chemicals, my heart racing with every passing second. We were running out of time, and I knew it. The creature was closing in on us, and we still hadn't perfected the potion.

"Is it ready?" one of my team members asked, their voice trembling with fear.

I nodded, my hands shaking as I poured the liquid into a vial. "It's ready, but we have to test it now."

We had planned to use a test subject, a volunteer who had agreed to help us. But as we turned to inject them with the potion, the creature burst into the lab.

"No!" I screamed, but it was too late. The creature attacked, its claws swiping through the air and killing our test subject instantly.

I felt a wave of despair wash over me. We had failed. The creature was too powerful, and we didn't have enough time.

But then, I saw it. A small vial of the potion, still clutched in my hand. It was our only hope.