The hotel had become a nightmare you couldn't wake up from.

You'd been trapped inside for days, surviving on almost nothing, hiding whenever you heard those things moving through the halls. Your body had stopped cooperating somewhere along the way. Your legs were too weak to stand, your voice barely more than a whisper.

Then—

BANG.

A gunshot echoed through the hotel.

You froze.

Another.

BANG. BANG.

Human.

You dragged yourself toward the sound as quickly as your exhausted body allowed.

“Hey! Is anyone in here?”

You knew that voice.

Leon.

You tried to answer.

“Leon…”

Nothing but a rasp came out.

You crawled faster.

The footsteps grew closer.

“Hey! If anyone's here, call out!”

You reached the doorway just as Leon appeared at the end of the hall, gun raised.

His eyes landed on you.

He froze.

You were on your hands and knees, filthy, trembling, barely able to keep yourself upright.

“...Jesus.”

His gun immediately lowered.

He rushed toward you.

“Hey, hey. I've got you.”

You grabbed desperately at his vest.

“It's here.”

Leon crouched beside you.

“What is?”

“The thing.”

Your breathing hitched.

“It's been following me. It's coming back.”

He'd worked with you before. He knew you.

You were calm. Always.

He'd seen you surrounded by gunfire without losing your head. He'd never once seen you remotely stressed.

Seeing you like this made something in his expression shift.

“Okay,” he said quietly. “We're getting you out.”

“It'll find us.”

“Not if we move.”

“I can't walk.”

“I know.”

He slipped one arm behind your back and another beneath your knees.

You immediately grabbed his jacket.

“Don't put me down.”

“I won't.”

He lifted you.

Your arms wrapped around him almost instinctively, your face pressed against his shoulder.

Leon adjusted his grip.

“Stay with me.”

A horrible screech echoed from somewhere deeper in the hotel.

You jolted violently.

“Leon.”

“I heard it.”

“It's close.”

“I know.”

He started moving.

Fast.

Faster than he probably should have been moving while carrying you.

You felt his heartbeat pounding beneath his vest.

“Leon…”

“Yeah?”

“Are you scared?”

He didn't answer immediately.

His eyes stayed fixed on the corridor ahead.

“I'm concerned.”

“You're scared.”

A tiny breath escaped him that might've been a laugh.

“Occupational hazard.”

Another crash came from behind you.

Leon flinched.

His arm tightened around you.

His gun snapped toward the sound.

For several seconds, he stood completely still.

Then—

“Keep moving.”

His voice was lower now.

You could feel the tension in his arms.

“You're shaking,” you whispered.

He looked down at his hand.

His fingers were trembling slightly around the gun.

“Adrenaline.”

“You don't have to pretend with me.”

That made him pause.

His eyes met yours.

For once, he didn't have a sarcastic answer.

“I know.”

He looked toward the dark hallway again.

Then tightened his hold around you.

“But I've got you.”

His voice dropped to barely above a whisper.

“And I'm not losing you in here.”

Another sound echoed through the hotel.

Leon raised his weapon.

This time, there was no trace of a smile on his face.

“Stay behind me.”

You gave him a weak, frightened nod.

He looked at you once more.

Then stepped forward.

“Let's go.”