《S.C.O.R.P.I.O》 Midnight Drift Chapter 1: The Last Race The neon glow of Kuala Lumpur¡¯s skyline blurred past as Zayn Malik Rahman tightened his grip on the steering wheel. The roar of engines filled the underground tunnel, echoing like thunder in a metal storm. The midnight street race had begun. His Proton Saga, an old-school beast modified to its limits, weaved through the traffic with the grace of a shadow. The other racers were close behind¡ªAdib in his turbocharged Civic, Farah in her sleek Nissan Silvia, and a handful of others hungry for victory. But Zayn had one rule: *Winning is the only option.* The final stretch was ahead¡ªa straight road leading to the finish line¡ªbut Zayn had no intention of taking the normal route. Instead, he jerked the wheel, veering off into a construction site where an unfinished highway ramp loomed ahead. The others hesitated. He didn¡¯t. The moment his tires hit the edge, his car flew through the air, landing hard on the other side with a violent screech. Dust and sparks trailed behind as he skidded back onto the main road. The other racers, forced to take the longer path, had no chance. By the time they caught up, Zayn was already waiting at the finish line, leaning against his car with a grin. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Too slow,¡± he taunted, collecting his prize money. That night, his victory came back to haunt him. Rain poured heavily, drumming against the rooftops and flooding the streets of Kuala Lumpur. A loud banging on his apartment door jolted him awake. Before he could react, Adib and two other racers barged in, dragging him outside. They didn¡¯t waste time¡ªwithin minutes, he was shoved into a dark alley behind a mamak stall, the rain soaking through his clothes. ¡°You think that was funny?¡± Adib growled, his voice barely audible over the downpour. ¡°You nearly got us killed with that stunt.¡± Before Zayn could answer, a fist slammed into his gut. He doubled over, coughing. Another hit landed on his face, sending him to the wet pavement. Cold water splashed against his skin as he gasped for breath. ¡°Next time, race fair,¡± Farah muttered before they walked away, their figures disappearing into the rain. Zayn groaned, forcing himself up. He wiped the blood from his lip and turned to leave when a strange noise echoed from a nearby abandoned building. A deep, unnatural hum¡ªlike metal scraping against time itself. Then, a gunshot rang out, followed by the sharp clang of metal clashing against metal. Zayn froze. His instincts told him to walk away, but his curiosity had other plans. Gritting his teeth, he took a cautious step toward the building, peering into the darkness. Something was happening in there. Something everyone wasn¡¯t supposed to see. Are you Okay Inwater dripped from Zayn¡¯s soaked clothes as he stepped into the closed building. The air inside was thick with dust. The dim corridor stretched ahead, flickering lights casting eerie shadows on the cracked walls. His heartbeat quickened. Another gunshot fired from above. Zayn¡¯s instincts screamed at him to leave, but he rush to it. He found a rusted staircase at the end of the hallway and took it two steps at a time. Each creak beneath his weight felt deafening in the silence. As he reached the upper floor, an explosion erupted just a few meters ahead. The force sent him flying backward, his body crashing against the wall before he slumped to the ground. His vision blurred. A sharp ringing filled his ears. His limbs felt heavy, his thoughts sluggish. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Through the haze, he barely registered a figure approaching. A girl skidded to a stop in front of him, her voice urgent. ¡°Wait! This is a normal human!¡± Zayn tried to focus. More figures emerged from the shadows¡ªthree people, all clad in tactical gear, their weapons lowered as they cautiously stepped closer. The girl crouched beside him. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Zayn opened his mouth, but his mind was still spinning from the blast. His vision swam, and the words came out distorted, his hearing muffled by the lingering shock. Then, another voice cut through the haze. Urgent. Sharp. ¡°Predator! At three o¡¯clock!¡± The team instantly snapped to attention, raising their weapons. Zayn, still struggling to process what was happening, could barely turn his head before a low, inhuman growl rumbled from the shadows. Something was coming. Chapter 3: All units, Fire! The squad quickly moved into position, their rifles aimed at the darkened corridor ahead. Fingers rested on triggers, eyes scanning for movement. The tension in the air was thick, every second stretching longer as they awaited the unseen threat. Zayn, still struggling to keep himself upright, felt his vision flicker. His body was heavy, his mind fogged from the explosion¡¯s aftereffects. He could barely make sense of what was happening. Then¡ª A sharp screech tore through the silence. One of the squad members fired first, their gunshot echoing through the building. The door at the end of the hallway burst open, and something lunged forward. A grotesque creature stepped into the flickering light¡ªa towering, twisted being with three insect-like legs and a body that pulsed with an unnatural glow. Its elongated head snapped toward them, rows of jagged teeth visible beneath shifting tendrils. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°All units, fire!¡± someone shouted. A hail of bullets erupted, lighting up the dim space with rapid muzzle flashes. The creature shrieked, but instead of falling, it charged forward undeterred. ¡°Our weapons aren¡¯t even scratching it!¡± one of the squad members yelled over the gunfire. Another soldier reached for something at her belt. ¡°I have a grenade!¡± The man beside her shot a glance. ¡°Why are you still holding it?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m timing it,¡± she replied calmly, watching the monster close in. The man¡¯s voice rose. ¡°It¡¯s almost been seven seconds!¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I didn¡¯t know that,¡± she admitted. ¡°Okay, here I go.¡± With a casual flick, she hurled the grenade forward. It detonated mid-air, right in front of the creature, engulfing it in fire and smoke. Zayn barely managed to stay conscious as the shockwave rattled the entire floor. As the dust settled, a deep, guttural growl rumbled from within the smoke. The monster struggled to get up, its limbs twitching, but it couldn¡¯t move properly. It let out a weak, distorted screech. The squad leader stepped forward, equipping a special glove that hummed with energy. Without hesitation, he raised his hand and delivered a powerful slap across the monster¡¯s face. The impact sent a shockwave through its body, causing deep cracks to form along its glowing exoskeleton. The creature convulsed before collapsing. The squad stood in silence for a moment. ¡°Well,¡± the leader hand is shaking. ¡°That worked.¡± The girl turn to check on Zayn but he is unconscious. Chapter 4: Oh, You鈥檙e Awake Zayn¡¯s eyes flickered open to the soft hum of medical equipment. A dull, sterile light bathed the small infirmary room, and the sharp scent of antiseptic filled the air. His entire body felt like it had been run over by a truck. He groaned and tried to sit up¡ªonly to sneeze loudly. ¡°Bless you,¡± a voice mumbled. Zayn blinked, his vision still blurry. A girl was sitting nearby, leaning back in her chair with a gaming console in her hands. Her legs were casually propped up on the side of the bed, eyes glued to the screen. ¡°Oh¡­ so that¡¯s how grenades work,¡± she muttered to herself before sighing in satisfaction. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Zayn furrowed his brows, trying to place her face. Then it hit him¡ªthe bomber girl. The one who had thrown the grenade back in that ruined building. ¡°Where am I?¡± he croaked. The girl paused her game and looked up. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake. Welcome to S.K.O.R.P.I.O. Safehouse Infirmary.¡± She stretched her arms lazily. ¡°You¡¯re here because you saw something ordinary people shouldn¡¯t.¡± Zayn exhaled and rubbed his temple. His head was still pounding, but memories were slowly resurfacing¡ªthe strange creatures, the weird creature and the explosion. The girl continued, shutting off her console. ¡°We ran into something nasty back there. And that thing? Wasn¡¯t alone. We detected another one closing in fast, so we had to retreat. You were out cold the whole time.¡± She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. ¡°Lucky for you, Captain syafiq decided to bring you in. Said you looked young and might be useful.¡± Zayn scoffed weakly. ¡°I¡¯m only 18.¡± The girl raised an eyebrow, smirking. ¡°18? Huh. Thought you were, like, 20.¡± Zayn rolled his eyes and exhaled. His mind was still foggy, but one word kept repeating in his head. Something he had heard before blacking out. ¡°¡­I think I heard you say something called SCORPIO?¡± Chapter 5: It鈥檚 SKORPIO The girl smirked. ¡°Almost correct. It¡¯s SKORPIO.¡± Zayn frowned. ¡°That¡¯s the same thing.¡± She ignored his complaint and continued. ¡°S.K.O.R.P.I.O. stands for Secret Object Control & Paranormal Intelligence Operative Section(Seksyen Kawalan Objek Rahsia & Paranormal Intelijen Operatif). It¡¯s a covert agency operating in the shadows under the Malaysian government. Our job? Prevent catastrophic events by jumping between different timelines to fix¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. A deep male voice cut her off. Zayn turned his head toward the doorway, where a tall man stood with his arms crossed. His presence alone carried an air of authority. ¡°Let¡¯s not overwhelm our patient with too much information,¡± the man said. The girl pouted. ¡°Aww, come on, Captain. I was just getting to the fun part.¡± She shot Zayn a wink. The man stepped closer, standing beside the bed. ¡°First, introductions. I am Captain syafiq. And congratulations¡ªyou¡¯ve been unconscious for two days.¡± Zayn¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°T-two days!?¡± ¡°Yes. T-W-O,¡± the captain confirmed. The girl raised a finger. ¡°Technically, it was twelve¡ª¡± ¡°Twelve days!?¡± Zayn bolted upright, only to feel his body protest in pain. ¡°¡ªMinutes,¡± the girl finished with a grin. Zayn groaned and collapsed back onto the pillow. ¡°Can you not give me a heart attack?¡± The girl giggled, and even the captain smirked slightly. But the moment of levity didn¡¯t last long. The captain¡¯s face turned serious. ¡°Now, let¡¯s begin your interrogation.¡± Zayn gulped. ¡°Uh¡­ can I go home first?¡± A chill ran down his spine. Chapter 6: Whats your name? Captain Syafiq leaned back in his chair, arms crossed as he studied the figure sitting across from him. The dim light of the interrogation room cast sharp shadows across the walls, making the atmosphere feel even heavier. He exhaled slowly before starting with a simple, neutral question. "Let''s start with something easy. What''s your name?" The suspect hesitated for a moment before answering. "Zayn." Captain Syafiq nodded, jotting something down in his notebook. "Alright, Zayn. Where are you from?" Zayn shifted in his seat. "Kuala Lumpur." "Good. Now, let¡¯s get to the real questions." The captain¡¯s gaze sharpened. "What were you doing there?" The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Sweet Zayn stayed silent for a moment, his fingers tapping against the metal table. He knew he had to be careful with his words. "Just passing through. Wrong place, wrong time." Captain Syafiq didn¡¯t buy it. "You expect me to believe that? People don¡¯t just ¡®pass through¡¯ an abandoned building in the middle of the night¡ªespecially when gunfire and metal clashes are involved. So, why were you really there?" Zayn clenched his jaw. He could feel the tension rising, but he couldn¡¯t afford to reveal too much. "Like I said, wrong place, wrong time." The captain leaned forward, his voice lowering. "Zayn, I don¡¯t think you understand what¡¯s at stake here. You¡¯re tied to something bigger than you realize. And if you don¡¯t start talking, things are only going to get worse." Zayn met his gaze, unflinching. "I think things are already worse, Captain." Captain Syafiq sighed, rubbing his temples. He had dealt with difficult suspects before, but something about this kid was different. He wasn¡¯t just reckless¡ªhe was hiding something. "Fine. Let¡¯s try this another way. Who else was there with you?" Zayn hesitated again. If he said too much, he could put others at risk. If he said too little, he¡¯d only dig himself deeper into trouble. "Just me." The captain studied him carefully. "I don¡¯t believe that. But we have time. And trust me, Zayn¡ªI will get my answers." The room fell into silence, the weight of the conversation pressing down on both of them. This was just the beginning.