Pain came before sound.
A crushing impact slammed into my side, stealing the breath from my lungs as if the air itself had been ripped away. My body lifted off the ground, weightless for a fraction of a second, before reality snapped back and threw me onto the street.
The world spun.
I skidded across the rough asphalt, heat and sparks tearing at my skin until my back struck something hard. A wall. A pole. I couldn't tell.
I tried to inhale.
Nothing came.
My chest burned as I finally sucked in a shallow breath, sharp pain spreading through my ribs.
Above me, a shadow blocked out the sky.
Slow.
Heavy.
Overwhelming.
The monster.
Its form was massive, its presence alone pressing down on my mind like a physical weight. Cracked pavement surrounded its feet, every movement sending vibrations through the street.
I tried to move.
My arms shook as I pushed against the ground, but my strength failed me. My body refused to respond, as if it had already accepted defeat.
Then the fist came down.
I rolled on instinct.
The impact struck where my head had been a moment earlier, exploding the road into shards of stone and dust. The shockwave hurled me away like a discarded toy.
I hit the ground again.
This time, something inside me cracked.
Pain flooded my senses, sharp and absolute, drowning out everything else. My vision blurred, colors bleeding into one another as my ears rang.
Not to me…
The thought echoed weakly in my head.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
The monster turned away.
Just like that, I was no longer worth its attention.
It lumbered forward, chasing the screams that filled the street. People ran in every direction, dropping bags, tripping over one another as panic spread faster than sound.
"Run!"
"Get away from it!"
"Call the Slayers!"
Voices overlapped in chaos.
"They've been informed!" someone shouted. "They're coming!"
I lay there, staring at the sky.
Every breath felt like fire.
My arms trembled uselessly at my sides, my fingers numb and cold. I couldn't feel my legs anymore.
I can't move.
The realization settled heavily in my chest.
This was it.
Then I saw it.
Through the haze clouding my vision, a small figure stood frozen in the middle of the street.
A child.
They couldn't have been older than seven.
Their school bag lay on the ground beside them, straps torn, books scattered across the road. Their knees were locked, eyes wide with fear, unable to run.
The monster noticed.
Its massive head turned slowly.
Then it charged.
Each step shook the ground, the distance between them shrinking with terrifying speed.
"No…"
The word barely escaped my lips.
My throat burned as I tried to shout.
My body screamed at me to stay still, to give up.
But my eyes stayed locked on the child.
I dragged my arm across the ground, skin scraping painfully against the rough surface.
"Hey…!"
The sound came out broken, weak.
For a single second, the monster stopped.
Its head snapped back toward me.
Its eyes met mine.
Cold.
Empty.
Then it turned away again.
And rushed forward.
Something inside me snapped.
The world slowed.
Sound faded until all I could hear was my own heartbeat, loud and uneven.
Thump.
Thump.
The pain disappeared.
Not faded.
Gone.
The air around me warped, stretching like heat over asphalt.
A presence filled the space before me.
I saw it clearly, despite the blur.
An entity stood there, neither human nor monster, its form shifting and undefined, like light trapped behind water.
Its eyes—if they could be called that—were calm.
Ancient.
Its voice didn't reach my ears.
It echoed directly inside my mind.
You have reached your limit.
Your body can no longer move forward.
But your will has not stopped.
A hand extended toward me.
Steady.
Waiting.
You stand at the edge.
Will you step beyond it?
I didn't understand what it meant.
I didn't want power.
I never did.
All I wanted was a normal life.
But the image of the child filled my vision.
So small.
So helpless.
"…Yes."
Our hands touched.
The world shattered.
Power surged through me, violent and overwhelming, yet strangely controlled, like a river finally released from a broken dam.
My heart slammed against my chest as warmth flooded every corner of my body.
The street snapped back into motion.
I moved.
The distance vanished beneath my feet as the world blurred into streaks of color.
I was there.
Between the monster and the child.
Its attack came down.
I caught it.
The impact drove my feet into the ground, cracking the pavement beneath me, but I held on.
Muscles screamed.
Bones protested.
Blood rushed in my ears.
But I didn't let go.
The monster roared, wrenching its arm back and striking again.
I blocked.
Stepped.
Pushed.
Each movement felt impossible, yet my body responded flawlessly.
For the first time, fear flickered in the monster's eyes.
Only for a moment.
A blinding flash cut through the street.
Steel.
Light.
Shouts echoed from every direction.
"Slayers have arrived!"
Blades tore into the monster, forcing it back.
The pressure vanished.
My strength vanished with it.
My legs gave out.
I fell to my knees.
The warmth in my chest faded, leaving behind an unbearable emptiness.
As the world dimmed, I saw the child being pulled to safety.
Alive.
Safe.
That was enough.
Darkness swallowed me whole.
—
Beeping.
Slow.
Steady.
I opened my eyes.
White ceiling.
Hospital lights.
My body ached in places I didn't know existed.
"…Again?"
But deep inside—
Something had changed.
And I knew.
This time, there was no going back.