Maxx barely had time to breathe before the world lurched under his feet.
A deep metallic thoom rattled the entire corridor. Dust rained from the pipes above as every alarm light switched from red to a violent, panicked purple.
4531 froze mid-step.
"...Oh no."
Maxx's stomach dropped. "WHY DOES NO ONE EVER SAY 'OH YES' IN THIS PLACE?!"
She didn't answer—because the automated voice overhead beat her to it.
"Containment Breach Level ★★★★ — Alpha Predator Awake."
Maxx blinked. "Stars? Did it just rate our danger like a hotel? Why is this four stars?! Where is the ONE star option?!"
4531 grabbed his sleeve.
"We have to move. Now."
"But what IS an Alpha—"
A roar tore through the hallway.
Not the mechanical kind. Oh No.
Not the monster kind he'd heard earlier either.
This one sounded alive.
Alive, angry, and way too close.
Maxx shrieked in a pitch he didn't know he could reach.
"OKAY! FINE! MOVING! I'M MOVING!"
They sprinted, shoes slapping metal. The lights flickered violently, glitching from purple to white to complete darkness—
Then something massive slammed against the far end of the corridor.
The whole wall dented inward.
Maxx skidded. "OH. HOHO. NOPE. ABSOLUTELY NOT. WE ARE NOT DEALING WITH WHATEVER NEEDS A CORRIDOR SERVING SUGGESTION SIZE."
4531 hissed, "Keep running!"
And he did but the footsteps behind them were louder, heavier and were coming fast.
Maxx risked a glance—
Two glowing slits burned in the darkness and then a clawed hand wrapped around the broken metal paneling.
Maxx screamed, "WHY DOES EVERYTHING WANT TO GRAB US?! DO WE HAVE A SIGN ON OUR BACKS?!"
4531 didn't look back.
"Door ahead! Jump through it!"
"WHAT DO YOU—"
She didn't wait for him to agree.
She shoved him.
Maxx went flying through the half-open maintenance door, tumbling across the floor like a dropped bag of laundry.
4531 dove after him—
SLAM.
The massive thing hit the door behind them so hard the hinges screamed.
Maxx scrambled backward on hands and feet.
"WHAT RATING IS THAT THING?! FIVE STARS? SIX?! A WHOLE GALAXY?!"
4531 pressed her hands against the reinforced door, breath shaking.
"That was the Alpha. The only one the system can't simulate."
Maxx blinked. "I'm sorry—the ONLY what?"
She swallowed.
"The only creature here that's… real."
Maxx stared at her.
Then at the buckling door.
Then back at her.
"WHY IS THE REAL ONE CHASING US? WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER FAKE THINGS? SEND THOSE!"
The metal groaned again.
This time, something scraped down it slowly and purposefully.
4531's face turned pale.
Maxx whispered, "Oh no… don't tell me."
She whispered back, voice trembling:
"It knows you're alive."
The scraping stopped at this moment.
Then—
A low voice rumbled from the other side of the door.
A voice too human.
Too aware.
"Found you."
The voice behind the door vibrated through the metal, low and unmistakably sentient.
"Found you."
Maxx's whole soul left his body. His bones left his spirit and with it,his dignity also packed its bags.
4531 whispered, "Stay quiet."
But staying quiet was not an option—
Because Maxx's wristband vibrated.
Once.
Twice.
Then blared a chirpy notification tone that absolutely did not belong in a horror scene.
📢 "STREAM UNIVERSITY ALERT: WEEKLY BROADCAST OVERDUE. BEGIN STREAM OR FACE CREDIT PENALTIES."
Maxx stared at the glowing message.
4531 stared at him.
The Alpha Predator on the other side of the door went silent.
Maxx whispered, through panic-sobbing breaths:
"No… no no nonono NOT NOW. YOU THINK NOW IS A GOOD TIME?! I'M ABOUT TO BE TURNED INTO A HUMAN TOOTHPICK."
The wristband replied in an irritatingly cheerful tone:
🌐 "Streamer Maxx Reeve — missed stream detected. Please begin live broadcast to maintain enrollment and basic survival credits."
4531 blinked. "You're… required to broadcast your life now?"
Maxx hissed, "YES! I go to STREAM UNIVERSITY—where failing a stream means they CUT your food credits! And your dorm access! And your health insurance! I NEED TO STREAM OR I DIE—BUT IF I STREAM RIGHT NOW I ALSO DIE!"
The metal door bent inward another inch.
Something massive exhaled on the other side.
4531 grabbed his shoulders.
"Can this—'stream'—be silent?"
"No! It has to include commentary! Minimum five minutes! Minimum energy level 60%! They measure enthusiasm! THEY GRADE IT Too!"
The Alpha's claws pierced through the panel.
Maxx screamed as the wristband chimed:
🎥 "Auto-starting stream in 3… 2…"
Maxx slapped it frantically.
"No—NO STOP—THIS IS WORST TIMING IN HUMAN HISTORY—"
But it was too late.
A holographic lens unfolded from the wristband with a soft click.
A bright LED spotlight snapped on—
Shining directly onto Maxx's terrified face.
The stream window appeared mid-air:
LIVE — 0 Viewers
Title: 'Weekly Survival Stream #7: Trying Not to Die.'
4531 whispered, "...Are they… watching us?"
"Oh, they WILL BE." Maxx moaned. "They always join late. Apparently Stream University students never join early, it's like a curse—"
The Alpha's voice rumbled through the door:
"Is that… a broadcast?"
The LED spotlight clicked louder.
More viewers trickled in:
LIVE — 14 Viewers
Comments started popping in like confetti.
lol why's it dark??
bro this better not be another 'I'm about to die' bit
WHERE THE JUMPSCARE AT MAXX LOL
do you even prep your streams???
Maxx whispered at the lens, through gritted teeth:
"Hi guys… welcome back to the channel… today's episode is NOT A BIT. I REPEAT. NOT. A. BIT."
The chat exploded.
lmaoooo scripted
ratio
alpha predator reveal LETSGOOO
bro streaming from a storage closet 💀
4531 tried to peek at the floating chat window.
"They think this is entertainment?"
Maxx hissed, "YES! They think EVERYTHING is entertainment! I once streamed myself burning noodles and got 8k likes!"
The door bent inward again.
A massive, gleaming eye peered through the crack.
Chat went feral.
OH THATS A NEW NPC??
WHY IT LOOK REAL THO
maxx drop the filter bro
nice practical effects gg
Maxx shouted, "IT'S NOT A FILTER—THAT IS A REAL ALPHA—"
The Predator growled:
"Stop yelling. The echo hurts."
4531 froze.
Maxx froze at this line too.
The chat did NOT freeze.
AI model so realistic
maxx where'd you hire the voice actor??
bro is cooking
100/10 immersion
Then—
The Alpha spoke again and this time right at the camera.
"Who… are your watchers?"
Chat exploded.
HELLO MR MONSTER
alpha daddy arc??
put him on mic bro
W COLLAAAB
Maxx slapped a hand over the hologram in horror.
"NO—NO COLLABS—NO MONSTER GUEST STARS—PLEASE—"
The Alpha's claws curled around the doorframe.
Metal tore as the creature leaned in.
One golden, intelligent eye focused on Maxx.
His wristband pinged:
"Enthusiasm score low. Please increase excitement for stream engagement."
Maxx's soul left earth orbit.
He forced a trembling smile at the camera.
"Hey guys… today we're doing… uh… a… a… LIVE SURVIVAL CHALLENGE… featuring the—uh—the Alpha Predator… PLEASE HELP."
Chat:
W IRL CONTENT
bout time maxx did something cool
alpha looks hungry 👀
SOMEBODY CLIP THIS
The Alpha tilted its head.
Then—
It spoke one sentence that froze the chat, Maxx, and even 4531.
"I know what you are, Streamer."
Maxx blinked.
"…Excuse me??"
The Alpha leaned closer, eye gleaming.
"And your viewers… smell delicious."
The stream timer hit 5 minutes, automatically locking the broadcast.
Maxx whispered:
"…we're dead."