Savvi braced herself and took a step into the inky black of the main room. Tess followed, hesitating, scanning the surroundings for any signs of the afflicted. Nothing. The quiet was suffocating and the air was stale. Dust particles hung undisturbed in the air like little ghosts dancing in the dim light. Finally, Savvi brought out her torch, the sickly, pale green light casted monstrous shadows on the walls and illuminated a new passageway they hadn't seen the last time they were here. How could they have missed such a strange door? It looked like a piece of the wall had come off. A secret door. It laid against the doorway, off of its hinges nearly concealing the open passageway and the air inside smelled of chemicals and rot. They looked to each other for a moment before savvi gathered her strength and pulled it to the side. It hit the ground with a massive humph, sending a whirlwind of stagnant dust into the air once again and letting the full strength of the stench that lay beyond hit them. Their eyes watered and their stomachs turned and wretched and for a moment they questioned if they should push on but a sudden shuffle of movement ahead caused them to snap to attention and draw their weapons. Savvi held her torch out into the room, the light revealing the 5 floor to ceiling tubes filled with strange, murky fluids. Occasionally a limb or body part would bob aimlessly close to the glass and then disappear again. It was clear that the tanks were the cause of the fetid malodor and they covered their scent organs with their clothes as best they could. The final tank was empty with smashed glass littering the floor, a trail of slime and blood leading to a small alcove containing a desk with various lab equipment and scattered papers. Savvi warily approached with careful, quiet steps and waved the torch in front of her, letting loose a loud gasp. Under the desk was what seemed to be a small child looking back up to her with black scleras and pale gold eyes, their worried expression twisted with pain.
