In a school within a city.
The students of class 11D were gathered in their classroom, decorating the class, corridors, and preparing other things for the festival that would be held in two days.
"Reg, what contest are you joining?" asked Ryan, patting his friend's shoulder while the latter was writing something in his notebook.
"Poetry," Regy replied indifferently, still focused on writing.
"You wrote it yourself?" Ryan asked again.
Regy nodded.
Regy was an 11th grader. He came from a faraway city and lived alone in a house owned by a friend of his parents–rent-free, since no one occupied it. He studied in this city to seek broader experiences and knowledge. He was grateful to be accepted into this school.
He wasn't too tall, nor too short, Ryan is slightly taller than him. Black haired, dark brown eyes. Those common traits.
Regy liked writing poems and stories, which some he posted on various websites.
Regy stopped writing. "Haaa…" He sighed and leaned back on his chair.
"My ideas flew away." Regy thought.
Seeing this, Ryan nodded towards the door. "Let's go look around."
"Sure."
Regy and Ryan walked out to see the decorations being put up all around the school for the upcoming big festival. Though no one seems to know why there is a festival coming since there's nothing to be celebrated or to be reminded of.
The students worked on the preparations until sunset, with permission from teachers and parents, of course — but mostly, they were only just having fun. Regy and Ryan were no exception.
Looking at the dark sky, Regy took his bag containing stationery and his laptop.
At the school gate, Regy parted ways with Ryan since they lived in opposite directions.
Regy walked alone through the quiet residential street, accompanied only by the faint sound of bats flying overhead and the light of a waxing moon.
*Tap tap tap* Regy's footsteps.
*Hh…* Regy's breathing.
*Krsk krsk* Regy's bag.
*Khhh* not Regy's sound.
Regy stopped mid-step. His whole body stiffened.
…
Silence.
He didn't move at all, trying to hear that sound again. His heart pounded; his eyes widened.
"Khhh… Khaa…"
Rian looked around in every direction frantically.
"Khhh…"
Under the yellow streetlight at the intersection ahead — the direction to his house — stood a figure wearing a black suit and a red top-hat..
It turned its head toward Rian.
Its face came into view — no eyes, no nose. Only a row of sharp teeth and hollow, deep eye sockets.
Seeing this, Regy didn't waste a second. He ran with all his strength, back towards where he walked from.
*Dundundundundundun* — Regy's heartbeat.
*Tratratratratra* — Regy's footsteps.
*Khhh.* — not Regy.
Somehow, the suited figure stood under another streetlamp ahead of Regy.
It sprinted toward Regy with a speed that made a mildly audible sound of the air being torn.
Regy tried to dodge, but he wasn't fast enough. He was hit and thrown, hitting a utility pole hard.
"Gha—" Everything went black.
...
When he woke up, Regy found himself in a hospital, daylight pouring in. His parents and relatives surrounded him.
That night, Regy had lost consciousness. His family and the police assumed it was because of a mugging.
Regy wanted to tell them what really happened, but he simply nodded along — knowing it's too ridiculous of an encounter.
His laptop and phone were smashed — the same impact that knocked him out and left him badly injured. His legs and arms have cut wounds which he doesn't have any recollection of how he got those.
Regy kept wondering what that figure really was, what it wanted, and how he survived considering he was attacked by something with abnormal speed.
But those questions remained buried in his mind.
...
At midnight, a cool breeze from the open hospital window woke Regy up.
"Good evening. Pardon the intrusion."
A soft female voice reached his ears.
A cloaked figure, covered in feathers resembling those of a raven, sat on the window frame beside Rian's bed.
The thin crescent moonlight cast a faint purple hue on her black cloak.
"Who…" Rian asked weakly.
"I am… hm." She paused. "I'm one of the many figures who work behind the scenes of the public's daily life," the cloaked figure replied.
She paused for a moment, then continued. "We wish to apologize for our delay in handling the creature that attacked you last night."
"Hm." Regy scoffed. The words she said were ridiculous, but after what happened he can only accept it.
"Once again, we offer our deepest apologies. Please rest well, and we hope you recover soon."
The cloaked figure gently closed the window, then leapt away.
"Heh… haha…" Regy chuckles. "So those kinds of people do exist. Cool, i guess. But I'm worried about what actually happens daily outside of the public's awareness. Well, like it's not how it usually is."
Because of what happened, Regy couldn't attend the school festival — which also meant he couldn't join the poetry contest he had planned to enter.
He spent a week in the hospital, enduring his friends' visits. Which he appreciates, but he wants some space alone.
...
Three weeks after the attack — on a Sunday morning.
Regy lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He sighed, thinking about his broken laptop and phone, and about the festival he missed.
But well, what could he do?
"It is what it is?" Regy quoted in his mind.
He was also curious — someone had paid all his hospital bills, but no one knew who.
Regy's parents are still accompanying him, helping him with his recovery. They're both teachers and have the responsibility of teaching their students, but Regy is more important.
*Tak tak tak* — "Delivery."
The voice of a courier came from the front door. But neither Regy nor his parents remember ordering anything.
Regy's father comes out to talk to the courier.
There's two packages — a big one and a small one. Both are addressed to Regy, but no other information.
After receiving the packages, Regy's father cautiously unboxes them.
Inside the big one, is a laptop. Inside the small one, is a smartphone. Regy recognizes both having far better specs than his crushed ones.