"I'm going out to buy some groceries, Mom!" Derrick shouted as he hurried down the stairs, skateboard in hand, keys jingling in his pocket. His curly hair bounced with every step, and his bright blue eyes were full of anticipation.
"Don't forget the whipped cream for the cupcakes!" his mom called from the kitchen, her voice slightly muffled over the sound of a mixing bowl.
"Okay, Mom!" he yelled back, already halfway out the door.
Sunlight hit his face as he rolled onto the pavement, his skateboard gliding with smooth precision. He shot down the street, weaving between sidewalk cracks and low curbs like second nature. Pulling out his phone, he dialed a familiar number and tucked the device between his ear and shoulder.
"Hey, Ashley," he said as she picked up. "I saw your message about the concert. I'm on my way now."
"About time," she replied with a breathy exhale. "I've been waiting for over an hour. I'm literally standing in front of the tunnel entrance. The band's starting soon."
"I know, I'm sorry," he said, skating around a corner. "My mom kept trying to talk me out of going. She's still convinced demons are going to swoop down and snatch me off the street. I mean, seriously? There's a military dome around the city. Drones, missile systems, thermal sensors… You'd think she'd trust the defense grid by now."
"I get it," Ashley said, her voice softening a little. "But hurry up. This is MidNight Owls. We can't miss this."
Derrick arrived ten minutes later, skating up the sloped entrance to the abandoned subway tunnel now converted into an underground venue. The old concrete mouth of the tunnel had been dressed with LED lights and black drapes, and the faint pulse of bass thumped from deep within.
"Ashley!" he called, spotting her near a rusted support beam.
"Finally!" she said, running up and giving him a quick kiss.
"Yo, man, we're all here," said Benjamin, fist-bumping Derrick with a grin.
Tyrone nodded and clapped him on the back. "This party's gonna be crazy, bro."
Jayda, already dancing to the distant beat, twirled on the spot. "We're literally going underground for this concert. Who even does that? This is going to be legendary!"
"Let's go, then!" Derrick said, his grin growing wide.
They followed the lights and the sound down into the tunnel, where the air grew cooler and the vibrations of the music thickened with every step.
Inside, the tunnel had been transformed into a makeshift concert arena. Wires snaked along the floor and up the walls, feeding into lighting rigs and sound systems. Smoke machines hissed, casting a misty haze across the room. Above them, crisscrossing lasers painted neon webs in every color imaginable.
The MidNight Owls had already taken the stage—dressed in their signature all-black armor-like outfits, lit from behind by towering LED screens flashing glitchy visuals. The music was loud, pulsing, almost spiritual. The crowd of teens and twenty-somethings moved like a single living body, bouncing and dancing in chaotic harmony.
"THIS is what I'm talking about!" Derrick shouted over the music, grabbing Ashley's hands and pulling her into the dance.
Ashley twirled, her long dark hair catching the light. "I told you! It's worth sneaking out for!"
"I had to lie to my mom," Derrick laughed. "She gave me the whole 'you're my only child' speech and everything."
"She worries too much. You're eighteen now," Ashley said, still moving to the rhythm. "You're allowed to live a little."
A fresh drop in the beat sent the crowd into a frenzy. Bright strobes flashed as digital fire erupted on the screen behind the band. The music built to a screaming crescendo, and the air was electric.
Ben danced up beside them, a beer sloshing in his cup. "Yooo! This is peak life right here!"
"I haven't felt this alive in months," Derrick shouted back. "School, work, lockdowns—it's all just… noise compared to this!"
Jayda jumped in front of them. "You guys see this? You can't tell me MidNight Owls isn't the greatest band of all time!"
They all laughed and shouted in agreement, caught in the moment.
The band slowed things down for a haunting ballad, the lead singer's distorted vocals echoing across the chamber like a spell. People swayed, lifted phone lights, and sang along. Ashley leaned into Derrick's shoulder, her head resting against him.
For a moment, it felt like everything in the world was fine.
But in the shadows beyond the flickering lights, something stirred.
Unseen by the crowd, a dozen demons slithered along the tunnel's ceiling, their skin slick with decay, their fangs glistening. The vibrations of the music had drawn them like blood in the water.
And now, they were here.
From the entrance came the first scream—sharp, panicked, cut short.
Then another.
Someone shouted over the music.
Then another scream.
The band paused. Confused murmurs swept through the crowd like a current. Then the bass speakers crackled violently—feedback shrieking through the tunnel.
And then… they came.
A dozen snarling, feral demons burst into the crowd, tearing into flesh with claws and teeth. The music was drowned by screams. Blood sprayed. People shoved and ran, tripping over each other in desperation.
"RUN!" Derrick screamed, grabbing Ashley's wrist.
Panic exploded.
Bodies slammed into one another. Strobe lights flashed. A boy near them was yanked off his feet, his scream cutting short as a demon sank its jaws into his chest.
"Stick together!" Benjamin shouted as he shoved a metal crate into one demon's path.
"Head for the bathrooms!" Tyrone yelled. "Go, go, go!"
They sprinted, dodging the chaos, and bolted into the men's restroom. A few others had the same idea. Someone slammed the door shut and locked it behind them.
"Hold the door!" someone yelled. Several people piled against it, breathing hard, eyes wild.
Outside, screams rang out.
Then fists.
Pounding.
Scratching.
Begging.
A girl screamed for someone to open up. A man pounded with both fists, pleading for his life.
But no one moved.
"I… I can't believe this," Derrick whispered, staring at the tiled floor, his face pale. "My mom was right. She warned me…"
Ashley was trembling, clutching his arm. "It's happening. This is actually happening."
Ben leaned against the wall, catching his breath. "We need to stay calm. Panicking won't help. We just have to hold on—someone will come."
But then—
Silence.
The hallway went eerily still.
The only sound was the heavy breathing of those inside.
Then, after a long moment, a guttural roar.
The door exploded inward.
The bodies bracing it were thrown like rag dolls. A horde of demons surged inside—but these weren't the ones from earlier. These were people—freshly turned—twisted by demonic infection into monstrous, snarling mockeries of their former selves.
Three of them lunged at Ben, Tyrone, and Jayda.
Their screams filled the restroom… and then fell silent.
"Noooo!!!" Ashley shrieked.
"GUYS!!!" Derrick cried, frozen in place.
A demon lunged for them.
With adrenaline firing through his veins, Derrick grabbed a mop from the corner and rammed the wooden pole into the demon's eye. It shrieked in pain and reared back. He snapped the handle across the sink and drove the jagged edge into the demon's chest.
It hissed.
Shuddered.
Collapsed into ash.
"Come on!" he shouted to Ashley, yanking her into a toilet stall. He slammed the door shut behind them and braced it with his body as the monsters pounded against it.
Ashley was sobbing, shaking uncontrollably. "They're dead. They're all dead. They died right in front of us…"
"I know." Derrick's voice cracked as tears slipped down his face. "I know."
"We're next," she whimpered. "We're going to die in here."
"No. No, we're not. Just… stay with me. We'll get out of this. Somehow."
As if in response to his words, a sudden explosion rang out from deeper in the tunnel. The air shook. Demons howled in surprise. Blades clashed. Something—or someone—was fighting them.
Silence fell.
Then, footsteps.
The stall door opened slowly.
Derrick raised the broken mop, ready to strike.
But what stood before them wasn't a monster.
She was tall, cloaked in shadow. A humanoid female demon, her eyes glowing a radiant blue. Her presence was both terrifying and… calm.
"Don't worry, humans," Sindel said. "You're safe now."
And just like that, she vanished.
Derrick and Ashley sat in stunned silence.
Minutes passed.
Then, cautiously, they opened the stall and stepped into the wreckage.
Bodies were everywhere—including Ben, Tyrone, and Jayda. Blood stained the floor. The stench was suffocating.
They mourned in silence, tears slipping down their cheeks as they stumbled toward the exit.
Up top, under the cold city dome, the world was no better. Corpses littered the ground. A few survivors wailed in grief. The scent of death lingered like fog.
Everything had changed.
And for Derrick and Ashley… life would never feel safe again.