"It'll be fine." The words left Darklight's mouth, and though they sounded reassuring, Nicholas himself wasn't convinced.
His body trembled. His legs threatened to give way.
He bit the inside of his cheek and scratched his thumb with excessive force. The sting pulled him back to reality.
The monster stood patiently, watching. Its eyes were little more than twin dots, yet intelligence—alien, deliberate—glimmered faintly within them.
Tod, meanwhile, remained paralyzed on the ground. Too afraid to rise. Too afraid to speak.
This was happening.
Nicholas forced himself to focus, to parse the facts.
A monster. There's no mistaking it. Its presence—it's the same as that thing from the circus. It's been waiting here, who knows how long. Waiting for what? A meal, most likely.
Nicholas remembered the Wendigo's words.
In the deepest corners of this Earth, a legion of nightmares stirs—beasts far greater, far more monstrous than I. Even as we speak, thousands of your kind are being torn apart, their screams swallowed by the dark.
The Wendigo had been right. The thing before him was uglier, fouler than even that beast.
Nicholas's thoughts darkened. Every day, hundreds vanish. Suicides written off without proof. Disappearances with no answers. Is this… is this the reason?
The thought sparked something deep inside him. Something raw. Something dangerous. A desire. A desire he wasn't familiar with.
A desire to kill.
He stepped forward.
The creature lowered itself, ready for its opponent's first move.
Nicholas froze. His eyes flicked back to Tod.
The boy was staring at him, petrified.
Should he use his powers? Should he risk it?
Reveal himself to Tod—a blabbermouth who couldn't keep a secret if his life depended on it? Whether by malice or stupidity, the result would be the same.
Nicholas forced the thought away. The dark smoke that had begun seeping from his fingers retreated back into his body.
Like I need powers to kill… whatever the hell this is. Besides, it doesn't even have legs. How fast could it be?
A laugh bubbled in his mind, bitter and half-crazed. He clung to the delusion that this was just another problem. Another day. Another fight.
His eyes scanned the creature. Its arms—thick, powerful, able to bear its bulk. Its body—dense, no weak points obvious. Its head—massive, clearly made for devouring prey. Then he saw it.
The neck.
Thin. Scrunched tissue. Dry. Barely an inch long, if that. Fragile.
The monster caught his gaze and lowered its head, shielding its neck instinctively.
Bingo.
So that's your weak point.
A plan clicked into place. Simple, brutal.
All he had to do was strangle it. Twist. Crush. The head would pop right off.
Who needs powers when you've got hands?
The grin spread across his face—not menacing, not meant to be. Just another lie to keep his nerves steady.
But to the creature, it was something else. Something hideous. Terrifying. Enough to make even an abomination falter.
Nicholas sprinted forward, shoes pounding against the cracked pavement. In one smooth motion, he planted a foot against the side of a building wall, then another. He pushed off, aiming to launch himself down onto the monster's head.
But the creature was faster than he had anticipated. With a sickening snap of its massive arm, it swatted him mid-air and hurled him against the opposite wall. The impact rattled through his bones, and he collapsed to the ground, coughing as his vision swam. His head throbbed violently, each pulse echoing through his skull.
Before he could rise, the monster's looming shadow consumed him. Its jaws opened wide, jagged teeth glinting in the dim light—ready to take his head clean off.
A sudden clang echoed through the alley. A blunt object bounced harmlessly off the creature's thick hide, but it was enough to draw its attention. The monster twisted its head toward Tod, who stood frozen, trembling, yet somehow still defiant.
The beast lowered itself, preparing to charge at its new target.
That hesitation was all Nicholas needed. With a surge of strength, he lunged forward, hauling himself onto the creature's back. His hands clamped tight around its fragile neck, muscles straining as he poured every ounce of force into the choke.
The monster bucked violently, its claws lashing out, but Tod was already moving. He grabbed a rusted pipe from beside a trash heap and swung with all his weight, striking the creature's elbows again and again. The blows made it falter, slowing its thrashing.
Nicholas roared silently through clenched teeth, tightening his grip until at last a sharp crack split the air. The monster's head wrenched unnaturally, snapping clean. Its massive head toppled forward and landed with a sickening thud on Tod, who screamed as he shoved it away in disgust.
The body collapsed backward, Nicholas crushed beneath the weight. For a moment, the air left his lungs. But then, coughing and gasping, he was freed with Tod's assistance.
The monster's corpse twitched once, twice—then began to dissolve. Black smoke leaked from its body, curling upward into the night air.
Both teens huffed, struggling to catch their breath. The silence of the alley was broken only by the sound of their breathing.
"What… what the hell was that..?" Tod asked quietly. His eyes flicked from Darklight to the bloodied pipe in his own hands. "Ueegh—!" He yelped, tossing it away with disgust, as if only now realizing what he'd been holding.
Nicholas didn't look at him. He straightened his back, eyes fixed on the spot where the monster's body had been dissolving.
"You said that was a monster, right? Oh man… What the fuck." Tod's voice cracked, his tone caught somewhere between terror and awe. "Shit, I just helped kill a genuine monster. Monsters are real—holy fuck! Yo, doesn't that make us, like… heroes or somethin'?"
Nicholas thought for a moment, then without warning, sucker punched Tod in the face, knocking him flat.
"Fuck my life…" he muttered, shaking his head. For some reason, that felt like the best course of action.
He didn't have long. A knockout like that would last minutes at best. Seconds at worst.
For what it's worth, Tod… thanks.
Two minutes later, Tod groaned, his eyes fluttering open. He sat up, clutching his head, dizziness and nausea rolling through him.
"You good?" Nicholas offered him a hand. When Tod took it, Nicholas hauled him up—only for Tod to immediately shove him back.
"'Ow'?! What the hell, man?! Why the fuck did you hit me?!"
Nicholas just stared at him, expression flat. "..?"
"What are you talking about?" Nicholas asked, confused.
"What… what about the monster?!" His voice cracked as his eyes darted around. But there was nothing. No corpse. No smoke. No sign that a monster had ever been there.
He looked toward the wall Nicholas had been flung against—no damage. He searched for the pipe—gone.
"Okay, I'm not crazy, man. Tell me what the fuck happened." Tod's voice shook.
Nicholas gave him a strange look. "You slipped and hit your head. Good thing you were only out for a few minutes. Could've broken your neck."
Tod blinked at him. Then laughed, nervous, desperate. "Nah, nah, nah—stop playin' with me, man. I know we killed a monster right here!"
"Monster?" Nicholas's expression showed genuine confusion.
"I-it was hideous! Its body was rotting or something—its head was huge—" Tod cut himself off, second-guessing.
Nicholas sighed. "You do realize how ridiculous you sound right now, right?"
"No, man, no…" Tod's hands dug into his hair. "This… What… what was the last thing that happened?"
Nicholas's eyes softened. "Well, you put your hands on my shoulders, asked if I liked Lillie. I said no. Then you backed off, but slipped on… that." He pointed at a puddle of strange liquid seeping from the trash container.
Tod checked his shoes—sure enough, wet. The smell was foul.
"Listen, I don't know what kind of dream you had—"
"Dream? That shit was a fuckin' nightmare." Tod's voice cracked again.
"See? Even you admit it wasn't real. If this 'monster' was rotting like you said, wouldn't it stink? Can you even remember how it smelled?" Nicholas asked, calm, logical.
Tod froze. He opened his mouth—then shut it. The thing… hadn't smelled like anything.
Nicholas's point dug into him like nails.
"Fuck…" Tod muttered. Was it really just a nightmare?
"You…" His voice shook. "You asked me about my car…"
"Oh, right. I wanted to know if the rumor about you running people over was true." Nicholas tilted his head like it had just come back to him.
"What kind of sick rumor—?! No, I don't even own a car!" Tod swallowed hard. "Wait. Did I… dream of the future?"
"Huh?"
"Get down!" Tod tackled him to the ground, eyes darting through the shadows, searching for glowing dots.
"Can I get up now?" Nicholas's irritated voice snapped him out of it.
"S-sorry." Tod scrambled to help him up.
But even as he tried to brush it off, his thoughts raced. Had it really been a dream?
"Been watching horror films lately?" Nicholas asked casually. "That might explain it."
Tod stared at him. No proof. No smell. No body. Nothing.
And yet—
He could never forget Nicholas's expression in that moment. When he'd strangled the monster, his usually dead eyes had lit up—terrifyingly alive.
More terrifying than the monster itself.
"M-monster…" Tod whispered, staring at those same dead eyes now.
"Hm?"
Tod backed away, then turned and left without another word.
Just before leaving, he called over his shoulder. "Go home. Or stick with a group. Khan's channel's been covering a string of murders in the city. Late at night."
Nicholas smiled faintly. "Thanks."
Tod scurried off to the café.
Nicholas waited a moment before following, but instead of rejoining the table, he paid at the counter and left. His belongings were already with him—no need for goodbyes.
"Sorry, Tod. This is for your sanity… and mine." Nicholas whispered as he stepped out into the night.
"..."
A man with long red hair had been watching. He didn't follow—just lit another cigar, the flame briefly illuminating his face.
***
Nicholas unlocked the door quietly and slipped inside.
For a moment, he debated whether to announce his return, but there was no need. His brother was in the living room, eyes glued to the TV.
"Yo." Nicholas raised a hand in greeting.
Evan's head turned. The boy grinned and waved back. "Yo-yo."
Nicholas smiled faintly and crossed the room, giving his brother a pat on the head before ruffling his hair.
"Ack! Quit it!" Evan swatted at him, pouting as he tried to fix the mess.
Cute. That was Nicholas's first thought. "Dad not home yet?"
Evan shook his head and returned to the screen. Nicholas accepted it with a nod, then tapped his brother's cheek lightly. "Scoot over."
Obediently, Evan shifted, and Nicholas dropped onto the couch with a small groan, leaving his backpack by the side. Bruises still throbbed faintly from yesterday's fight with Riot and today's clash with the monster. Nothing serious—his powers healed fast—but not fast enough to erase it all in a single day.
"What are we watching?" Nicholas asked, stretching across the couch without even glancing at the TV.
He just wanted to sit with his brother for a while.
"Space~." Evan said dreamily, eyes sparkling as he stared at the screen.
Nicholas chuckled. "But what exactly?"
The boy sat up straighter, eager. "It's about the meteor from thirty years ago. Like—where did it come from? What corner of the universe? Why hadn't we seen it before? Stuff like that."
Nicholas nodded. "Good question. Kind of scary, though, don't you think?"
Evan tilted his head, unsure. "Scary… yeah. But it's also really cool."
Nicholas raised a brow, amused. "Cool? How so?"
"I dunno. It just is. The vastness of space… it's cool to think about. Imagine if aliens existed!" Evan leaned close, practically glowing.
Nicholas slowly pushed him back down onto the couch. "Aliens, huh…"
His thoughts darkened for a moment. I wonder if 'the monsters of the fog' are really just aliens.
Then he smirked. "How would you react if I told you your brother was an alien?"
Evan froze, mouth forming a perfect O. "That would be… the coolest thing eva." His wide eyes held something that almost looked like hope.
Nicholas had to fight down a laugh. But, cruel as it was, he crushed the dream. "Sadly, I'm not."
Evan slumped back into the couch, arms crossed. "Lame…" he muttered.
Nicholas chuckled again, though there was a certain pang in his heart.
He hadn't known his brother was this interested in space. He'd never asked. Their talks usually skimmed the surface—"How was your day?" "What did you do?"—some jokes, nothing deeper.
Not just with Evan. With anyone.
Why?
There was no reason.
He did not hate the people around him. Nor was he disinterested in their lives.
So then why?
He did not have an answer.
With a small sigh, he pushed the thought aside and focused on the screen.
They stayed like that until their father came home. Confused at first to see them still awake, he didn't scold them. Instead, he joined them on the couch.
Three figures sat together, bathed in the glow of a screen showing the endless dark of space. A void so empty, yet so full.
Nicholas's gaze lingered, his thoughts heavy.
Will humanity claim the stars someday… or will we lose them before we even reach out our hand?
Nicholas found himself wondering—just briefly—if the reason humanity had never discovered life on other planets had something to do with the meteor that struck their world thirty years ago.
A chilling thought.
So chilling, in fact, that he decided to shove it deep into the back of his mind before it could root itself.
And yet, he grimaced.
Why am I thinking about cosmic horrors and the fate of humanity when I have the school dance… and possibly multiple confessions… to deal with?
With a sigh, he changed out of his clothes and went straight to bed. Falling asleep immediately.