I. PASCO'S SECRET
"We will be safe here," Pasco said as he invited everyone into his home. He saw the wounds on his grandmother getting deeper and deeper. He bandaged her waist and applied ointment to the injury.
On the other side of the room, Elias was being treated by Gracia. His legs and half of his body were covered in bandages. Tears flowed from his eyes, mixing with blood as he looked at Gracia. "Thanks for protecting me from Antany in class." Gracia smiled and asked how he was feeling; Elias replied and then drifted off to sleep.
Though Elias slept, his mouth still blabbered the same words: "I'm hungry... I'm hungry."
Hearing Elias' need, Pasco decided to prepare a meal. "I'll make food," he said, entering the kitchen. Gracia wanted to help him. Pasco remained very calm, creating a temporary illusion of safety for Gracia and the others.
Gracia had seen the blue arrows that came from Pasco's bow earlier and was amazed. "You have powers?" she asked curiously. Her eyes were wide and glittering. Pasco replied that he did. "I'm not a hero, but a protector," he said, and Gracia was visibly impressed.
She asked many questions about what she had seen during the monster fight, and Pasco answered every single one without hesitation. Finally, Pasco revealed that he was a HUNTER and had been training since childhood. "I'm an experienced hunter. I have practiced well enough that I'm not afraid of blood or monsters," he explained. He was one of the very few hunters left in the world.
He showed her his bow and arrow, which looked very normal. Gracia asked why they didn't glow. "It has its own side effects," Pasco explained. The bow and arrow actually used energy and stamina as fuel. They drained energy from the user to produce a powerful blow as an output. Gracia's surprise knew no limits; she had seen a stone, a monster, and a hunter, and knew there was more to come.
"What about your parents?" Gracia asked. He said they were medical scientists working on the "VILLAGE OF SOPRANOS."
"Village of Sopranos! I have heard that before!" Gracia exclaimed. She then asked if his grandmother was also a hunter. Near them, the grandmother was trying to stand up, making low noises of pain. Pasco looked at her and replied to Gracia, "That is a long story, and now is not the time for it."
Gracia was so curious that she asked about the Stones of the Savior. Pasco confirmed their existence and began to explain them to her. Granny overheard most of their conversation. Pasco continued, explaining that there were twelve stones in total, each with its own power, and these powers could only be activated by a wielder.
As Pasco was explaining, a loud voice came from behind: "STOP!"
Granny shut down their conversation and scolded Pasco for explaining everything to everyone. She knew Gracia was innocent and a good soul, but she felt these things were not necessary for her to know. The atmosphere became tense, and Gracia's expression shifted from happy to sad.
Granny noticed her and simply said, "Some knowledge doesn't save lives. It ends them." After that, Gracia became quiet.
Elias woke up during their conversation and felt terrible. He was ashamed and embarrassed. He tried to stand, but his swollen leg throbbed with pain. He felt weak, remembering how he was beaten and nearly killed by Antany. Pasco heard Elias moving and realized he was awake. He saw him struggling to stand and went to help him. The air felt heavy, and the sound of thunder rolled outside.
"Hungry... hungry... hungry..." Elias whispered into Pasco's ear as he stood up. Food was almost ready. "Time to serve!"
II. THE INVESTIGATION
The police arrived at the school entrance just as Antany jumped over the back wall at the exit. Officers entered the classroom and saw blood spills everywhere. They drew their guns for protection and self-defense, but the teacher stepped forward, his bleeding arm wrapped in a bandage, and told them that Antany had escaped. The officer immediately informed his subordinates over the walkie-talkie to search the surrounding area.
The officers stood with their hands on their heads, looking disappointed by the escape. They began their investigation. First, the teacher explained that Antany had suddenly entered the room with a knife and threatened everyone, specifically a student named Elias. The teacher recounted his "heroic" attempt to protect his students, which resulted in his arm being stabbed.
When the police questioned the bully gang, they reported that Antany was the one who had killed their best friend, Ram. The police had been searching for Ram's killer for a week, but the investigation had been difficult due to a lack of surveillance cameras or witnesses. When asked for proof, the boys told the police that Antany himself had confessed to the murder.
The police immediately filed a case against Antany for these serious crimes. When the officers asked what had triggered his anger, some students mentioned Clara. The officers had already been informed of Clara's death, which was a serious matter because it didn't look like a normal murder at all.
The police speculated that Antany had a secret affair with Clara and her death caused his rage. However, other students suggested that Antany might have killed Clara himself because she had an affair with Elias, which Antany hated. Confused by the conflicting stories, the police decided their priority was to find Antany and arrest him to get the truth directly.
III. CLARA'S BODY
Antany jumped the wall and headed toward Elias' house. He hid from view because his shirt was covered in Clara's blood. Seeing police officers waiting at the school gates, he took a different route.
As he passed a bridge, he saw the location where Clara had been killed, only twenty meters away. People were standing there taking photos. His heart melted like ice at the sight of the crowd, and he ran toward it. The crowd was so large that he couldn't see her face from the back, but he saw a corpse covered in a cloth with blood stains on it.
The crowd was murmuring as an ambulance and more police arrived to take the body away. "CLARA! CLARA! LOOK AT ME, OR LET ME SEE YOUR FACE ONE LAST TIME!" Antany screamed, but the roar of the crowd drowned him out.
He walked away with a numb heart, his ears ringing. As the body was loaded and the rain began to fall, the crowd dispersed. Antany didn't cry; instead, he whispered to himself, "Elias... Elias... Elias..." He believed that all of this had happened because of someone, and in his mind, that someone was Elias.
IV. THE HUNGER
"Hungry... hungry... hungry..." Elias whispered in Pasco's ear. Food was ready. "Time to serve!"
As Pasco was serving the meal, a plate fell from the table and shattered. A broken piece scratched Gracia's leg, and blood began to flow. Pasco joked, "Why is everyone getting wounded?" as Gracia wrapped a piece of cloth around her leg.
At first, everything seemed fine, but then Elias' whispering changed. "Hungry... hungry... hungry!" His voice became deeper and bolder. As he inhaled the scent of Gracia's blood, he collapsed to the sound of thunder, his stomach twisting violently. His eyeballs turned completely black, and his vision darkened. "Help me!"
Gracia asked Pasco to use his skills to help him. Granny was shocked to see a human transforming into a monster for the first time in many years. Elias' veins bulged with a thick, dark color, and his teeth became brown and jagged. His fingernails began to grow until they were the size of a human palm.
"HELP ME! HELP ME!"
Pasco drew his bow and channeled his energy into the arrow. Gracia tried to stop him, fearing the arrow would kill Elias. But Elias didn't stop. He began breaking things and throwing furniture. His nails itched, so he started scratching everything nearby.
The transformation was accelerating. He saw Gracia's bleeding leg and lunged toward her with his sharp nails. Pasco didn't hesitate and struck Elias with his arrow. The arrow penetrated Elias' body, and the transformation stopped instantly. Elias was thrown into a void, just like before.
Floating in the void, Elias saw that his wounds had vanished. Ahead, he saw the same man with the glowing aura, holding a sparking green light, his body shrouded in shadows. Elias shouted, "Hey! I know you're the reason for all of this! Are you trying to help me or kill me?"
"YOU WILL KNOW SOON," a bold voice responded. Many small creatures rushed forward in a rage. Elias started running in fear, screaming for help, while the man—the SAVIOR—stood still and watched him.
Back in the house, the monster was also screaming for help. His body was not under his control as it crashed around the room. Pasco told Gracia, "Hide! If he loses control and attacks, I may have to kill him to stop him." Gracia refused and realized the Blue Stone in her pocket might be the solution.
She pulled the stone out. It started to glow, and Granny's eyes went wide. She had seen this years before and couldn't believe it was happening again. She asked Gracia about Elias' parents, but Gracia didn't know. However, when Gracia mentioned that Elias' grandmother's name was ROMIA, Pasco's grandmother was stunned. Her name was SOMIA—they were sisters.
Somia collapsed onto the sofa, overwhelmed by the past. Gracia rushed forward with the stone while Pasco protected her with a readied arrow. The monster was terrified of the arrow as they approached. In the void, the small creatures caught Elias' leg, and he fell. As they began to attack him there, the monster's body in the house froze, his head tilted back.
Gracia seized the chance and successfully placed the stone on him. The monster's form began to break down. "HAA HAA! LEAVE ME!" Elias shouted.
Pasco laughed and said, "You're back home!" Gracia ran and hugged Elias. Elias was confused but felt relieved seeing the happiness in their eyes. Gracia was amazed to see that all of Elias' wounds had completely healed.
However, Pasco's grandmother remained silent. As thunder roared, she spoke: "I sense great danger for my sister."