Just then, Alicia’s door opened at the far end of the hallway. Neither Casey nor Kyrie had realized she had come upstairs to change as well; and now she stood only a few feet from the window.

Casey reacted instantly. She shifted direction in two quick steps, raising the bat defensively as she moved toward Alicia. “Alicia, come on! Get away from the window!” Casey shouted, abandoning any attempt at quiet as urgency took over.

Alicia blinked in confusion, still half-focused on tying her sleeve, but she started toward Casey instinctively at the tone of her voice.

The window exploded inward before she could fully process what was happening. The shutter slammed open against the wall with a loud crack.

Alicia’s eyes lifted, and she saw it. Her scream tore down the hallway, high and panicked, as the thing outside hissed loudly in response, a wet, guttural sound that seemed to vibrate in the air.

Kyrie stood frozen for half a second, watching as Casey stepped forward, placing herself directly between Alicia and the dark shape now forcing its way through the window.

Boots pounded on the stairs below. Their screams had clearly alerted the soldiers. Alicia didn’t wait. She ran. Tears filled her eyes as she rushed down the hallway, passing behind Kyrie in a blur, her breath hitching as she fled toward the stairs.

Casey raised the bat, holding her ground, though she took a cautious step backward, unwilling to turn her back on the thing now entering the room.

It moved with a wet, heavy sound. Like something soaked dragging across stone. A thick, slapping noise accompanied each movement as it pulled itself further inside. The red eyes locked onto Casey.

The creature leaned through the window, its weight knocking over the clay pot and sending dried herbs scattering across the floor. The unlit candle toppled and rolled, coming to rest near the wall.

A smell followed it. Swampy. Rotten. Like stagnant water and decaying vegetation left too long in the heat. The breeze carried it down the hallway, making Kyrie recoil slightly, her stomach twisting at the stench.

Then the creature opened its mouth. Two full rows of sharp, yellowed teeth glistened in the dim light, jagged and uneven. Its dark, slick-looking skin seemed almost wet, reflecting faint candlelight in patches. A long tongue slid forward, lashing slowly. Barbs lined its length, catching the light as it flicked the air, tasting. The creature hissed again. And began to pull itself fully into the room.

Kyrie heard boots pounding up the stairs behind her just as the creature began forcing itself further through the window. She didn’t dare turn fully, but she caught movement in her peripheral vision as one of the soldiers and Captain Nikolaus reached the top of the steps.

The soldier froze as he saw the creature. He barked something sharp in a language Kyrie didn’t understand; the tone unmistakably startled, and likely profane.

Casey didn’t wait. She stepped forward, feet planting firmly, and reared back with the bat like she was about to swing for the fences. There was no hesitation, no second guessing. She swung.

The metal bat connected with the creature’s head with a sickening crushing thump. The sound echoed down the hallway.

The creature’s head snapped violently to the side, its body jerking with the force. For a split second it seemed to hang there, then the entire thing lost its grip and dropped backward out the window.

Gone. Just like that.

A thick, black fluid clung to the end of Casey’s bat, dripping slowly onto the carpet with soft, viscous plops. The smell intensified, foul and rotting, making Kyrie wrinkle her nose instinctively.

Casey stared at the open window, her expression momentarily blank, as if her mind was struggling to catch up with what had just happened.

Kyrie felt much the same. Her heart hammered in her chest, adrenaline making her hands tremble slightly. She jumped slightly as the soldier moved past her, heading cautiously toward the window.

Casey retreated a step, still facing it, refusing to turn her back until the soldier moved in front of her. Only then did she lower the bat slightly, wrinkling her nose as she tried to wipe some of the black fluid onto the carpet.

The soldier reached into a pouch and pulled out a small polished metal mirror. Carefully, he extended it out through the open window, angling it to check along the exterior wall.

He watched for a few seconds. Then, apparently satisfied, he leaned out just enough to grab the shutters and pull them closed. The wooden panels thudded softly into place, followed by the window itself. He tested the latch twice, ensuring it was secure.

He called something down the hallway.

Nikolaus responded in the same unfamiliar language, calm but firm, then made a motion with his hands: gesturing back and forth along the hallway, pointing toward the doors.

The soldier nodded. He turned and opened the nearest door.

Kyrie realized what he was doing almost immediately. Checking the windows. One by one.

Her stomach tightened slightly as she glanced down the hallway, suddenly very aware of how many rooms, and how many windows, there were.