The city wasn't supposed to die today.
Yet it did.
Skyscrapers collapsed like brittle bones beneath monstrous force. Firestorms devoured entire streets, turning avenues into rivers of flame. Sirens screamed until their voices shattered — and then even the sirens went silent.
Only human screams remained.
And the monsters.
Hunters formed a desperate line at the center of the intersection, armored men and women gripping glowing swords and enchanted staves with white-knuckled hands. Magic circles burned through the smoke. Steel rang against claws. Spells tore the air apart.
None of it mattered.
A humanoid demon stepped out of the ruins.
It stood nearly three meters tall.
Its skin resembled dried blood stretched across iron muscle. Two backward-curving horns framed a skull-like face carved into a permanent grin. Rows of needle teeth glimmered between cracked lips, and burning golden eyes shone with intelligence — not rage, not hunger —
But contempt.
It took one step forward.
The hunters died.
Not slowly.
Not heroically.
They were erased.
Bodies tore apart before screams could finish forming. Blood arced across shattered asphalt, steaming where it landed. Weapons clattered uselessly to the ground, still glowing in hands that no longer existed.
Somewhere among the wreckage, a boy lay pinned to the street.
Black-haired. Clothes torn. Skin soaked in blood — some his, most not.
Golden rods pierced through his arms and legs, nailing him to broken concrete like a grotesque crucifix. Every breath came weaker than the last. His vision fractured into smoke, fire, and dying screams.
*…So this is it.*
He wasn't afraid.
Not anymore.
And that frightened him more than death itself.
Standing over him was a tall man with flowing golden hair and eyes glowing like miniature suns — beautiful in the way statues of gods were beautiful. Cold. Untouchable. Cruel without effort.
The man tilted his head, studying the boy the way one might examine a dying insect.
"You endured longer than expected," he said calmly. "Impressive."
The boy tried to laugh.
Only blood spilled from his mouth.
His consciousness slipped.
The world sank.
Darkness swallowed everything.
*…I don't want to disappear.*
Not because he loved life.
But because he hated being weak.
Then—
Something moved inside the darkness.
A massive hand, formed entirely of black mist, reached out and seized him.
Not violently.
Possessively.
—
On the surface, the boy's body convulsed.
Black vapor erupted from his chest, spilling outward like smoke from a ruptured furnace.
The golden-haired man's expression finally shifted.
"…What?"
He stepped back.
"That's impossible. Your soul should already be gone."
The black mist thickened, wrapping around the boy's body like living armor. Gravity itself seemed to reject him — his broken form lifted into the air.
The golden rods exploded outward, tearing free from flesh and launching toward the man like divine spears.
He dodged, golden light carving trenches through ruined buildings behind him.
His eyes widened.
The boy dropped to the ground.
But he wasn't human anymore.
Black vapor fused into his skin. Fingers twisted into talons that scraped against concrete. His jaw elongated slightly, teeth sharpening into predatory blades. Veins of shadow pulsed beneath his flesh, crawling across his face like living fractures.
His eyes opened.
Pitch black.
Bottomless.
Not empty.
*Hungry.*
Dark smoke poured from his body, crushing the air around him. The ground fractured beneath his feet.
Even the demon froze.
Fear entered its eyes.
The boy — no, the **thing wearing his body** — tilted its head.
And smiled.
---
Morning sunlight streamed through thin curtains, painting warm gold across the walls of a modest bedroom.
A boy lay sprawled across his bed, breathing evenly, black hair tangled against the pillow. His face was peaceful — too peaceful — like someone who had never seen blood, never heard screams, never stood at the edge of death.
**Crrrk.**
The door creaked open.
A small girl slipped inside on light feet, dark brown hair tied into bouncing twin ponytails. Her eyes sparkled with mischief — the dangerous kind only a ten-year-old could possess.
She climbed onto the bed.
And jumped.
"**Big brother, wake up!**"
"**AAAAH—!**"
The boy jolted awake as her full weight slammed into his ribs.
"N-Nina! What are you doing?!" he groaned.
Nina sat proudly on his chest, hands on her hips, cheeks puffed as sunlight caught in her bright eyes. She wore an oversized yellow T-shirt covered in cartoon stars and knee-length shorts — a walking explosion of energy.
"Good morning, big brother!"
From downstairs, a woman's voice called warmly,
"Nina! Did you wake up Sam?"
"Yes, Mom!" Nina shouted back.
Sam groaned beneath her. "Wake me up *normally*, Nina…"
She tilted her head innocently. "You never wake up normally."
Then she hopped off the bed and headed for the door — but stopped halfway, turning back with a grin that screamed danger.
"Hurry up! Otherwise, you'll be late for your first day of high school!"
And just like that, she vanished down the hallway.
Sam stared at the ceiling.
"…Right," he muttered. "High school."
He sat up, rubbing his face, black hair sticking out wildly.
"I missed my entrance ceremony because of my part-time job…" He clenched his fist dramatically. "But today — witness my legendary high school debut!"
Suddenly—
**BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!**
His alarm went off.
Sam froze.
"…Oh crap."
His eyes widened.
"I'M LATE!"
He exploded out of bed, yanked on his uniform, accidentally pulled his shirt on backward before fixing it, shoved books into his bag, and sprinted for the door.
**BANG!**
He burst into the hallway.
Downstairs, his mother stood in the kitchen, apron tied around her waist, chopping vegetables with practiced ease. She had gentle eyes, soft features, and long dark hair loosely tied behind her shoulders — the kind of woman whose smile alone made home feel safe.
"Sam! Eat before you leave!" she called.
"I'm already late! I'll buy something on the way!" he shouted, slipping into his shoes.
"This boy…" she muttered, shaking her head with a fond smile. "What am I going to do with him?"
---
Sam took the far corner seat of the classroom, scribbling notes he already understood.
Not because he was smart.
Because he hated standing out.
*Don't talk too much.*
*Don't draw attention.*
*Don't get noticed.*
Not because he wanted to be invisible — but because whenever he spoke, he pointed out mistakes without meaning to, and people didn't like that. Eventually, they stopped talking to him.
So he stayed quiet.
His pen drifted lazily as the teacher wrote equations across the chalkboard.
"Remember," the teacher said, tapping the board, "this formula only applies when acceleration remains constant—"
Chalk dust floated through sunbeams. Around Sam, students whispered, laughed softly, and passed notes beneath desks. Chairs scraped. Bags rustled.
Life felt normal.
Peaceful.
Too peaceful.
The bell rang.
**Drrriiinnnggg!**
Class ended.
Suddenly—
An arm locked around Sam's neck from behind.
"You bastard! Why didn't you come to the entrance ceremony?!"
"Jack—!" Sam choked. "Let go!"
Jack — tall, broad-shouldered, messy brown hair, and a grin that never left his face — tightened his grip just long enough to nearly kill him before laughing and releasing him.
Sam collapsed against his desk, coughing. "Don't do that again!"
"Relax, relax," Jack chuckled. "Everything else alright?"
"Yeah," Sam muttered, rubbing his neck. "What about you? And where's Jerry?"
"Different class," Jack said, then scanned the room theatrically.
Sam squinted. "Dude… what are you doing? Spying on someone?"
"Shut up," Jack whispered dramatically. "I've got great news."
Sam smirked. "Girls."
"What?! How did you know?"
"I've known you since childhood," Sam said. "Everything you talk about is either fantasy girls or real girls."
He stood.
"Hey — where are you going?" Jack asked.
"Didn't bring lunch," Sam replied. "Buying something."
"Wait! I'm coming too!"
They headed into the hallway.
"Where's Jerry's class?" Sam asked.
"That one," Jack pointed. "You wait here — I'll grab him."
He sprinted off.
"Hey! Don't run in the hallway!" Sam called.
Too late.
Sam sighed and continued alone.
---
He was descending the stairs, eyes on his phone, when two girls climbed up beside him, chatting casually.
One had long chestnut hair tied into a loose side ponytail, sharp intelligent eyes, and carried herself with calm confidence — **Alicia**.
The other had short silver-black hair framing her face, softer features, and a nervous gentleness in her movements — **Liya**.
"…I'm telling you, that teacher definitely hates me," Liya sighed.
"Relax," Alicia replied. "You overthink everything."
Sam tried to step aside—
Then—
**BOOOOOM!**
The entire building lurched violently.
"What the—?!" Sam shouted, grabbing the railing.
Lights flickered.
Windows rattled.
Then—
"**AAAahhh!**"
Someone screamed behind him.
**THUD!**
A foot slammed into Sam's face.
The quake threw the girls off balance, and they crashed directly into him.
"Ow—!" Alicia groaned. "Liya, are you okay?"
"I-I think so…" Liya winced. "What about you?"
"I'm fine—"
Sam lay beneath them, dizzy, vision spinning. "Uh… could you two get off me?"
They froze.
"Oh my god—!" Alicia gasped, scrambling up. "Are you okay?!"
Sam stood slowly, rubbing his head. "Yeah. I'm fine."
Then—
**BOOOOOOOOM!**
Another deafening explosion thundered from the direction of the nearby forest.
The stairwell shook.
Dust rained from the ceiling.
All three froze.
Outside the window, a pillar of black smoke spiraled into the sky like a twisted tower.
Sam's chest tightened.
Something about it felt wrong.
Not normal.
Not human.
Without realizing it, he took a step forward—
**CRACK!**
Something slammed into the side of his head.
Pain detonated.
The world tilted.
Sam collapsed.
Darkness swallowed him.
From fractured stone near his body, a thin black smoke-like substance seeped out — alive, writhing — and slid across the floor.
It sank into Sam's chest.
Alicia and Liya didn't notice.
"Sam!" Alicia cried, shaking him. "Hey! Wake up!"
No response.
"What do we do?!" Liya whispered, panic cracking her voice.
"The infirmary," Alicia said instantly. "Now!"
They lifted him and ran — hearts pounding — unaware that something **inhuman** had already begun to wake inside his body.
---
Meanwhile…
Deep inside the forest —
Helicopters circled overhead, blades shredding smoke-filled air. Emergency sirens wailed from every direction. Police barricades sealed roads while news vans crowded the outskirts.
In his living room, an old man stared at the television, hands trembling.
"God…" he whispered. "Please let everyone be okay."
At the edge of a massive crater, cameras rolled.
A reporter spoke into her microphone, voice tight with urgency.
"Right here is the site of the massive explosion that occurred moments ago. As you can see, the blast radius exceeds three hundred meters. Authorities have yet to release an official statement, and emergency teams are still attempting to assess casualties—"
The ground behind her shifted.
"…Wait," the cameraman muttered. "Is the earth—"
The soil split open.
Something rose.
"…What… is that?"
A massive **wolf-like monster** climbed from the crater.
It stood nearly four meters tall, its body coated in jagged black fur like living armor. Crimson veins pulsed beneath its hide, glowing faintly as though molten fire flowed through them. Its spine jutted upward in serrated ridges, and its jaws stretched too wide for any natural creature — rows of uneven, dagger-like teeth dripping thick saliva that hissed when it struck the ground.
Its eyes burned red.
Not animal red.
*Intelligent* red.
The air itself seemed to grow heavier.
The cameraman stumbled backward.
One reporter turned to run—
And in the next instant, half his body vanished.
Blood splashed across the lens.
The camera hit the ground, still rolling.
Screams detonated across the site.
People fled blindly.
Some tripped.
Some froze.
None escaped.
The monster moved like a shadow, ripping through bodies faster than screams could finish forming. Bones shattered. Flesh vanished. Blood soaked the earth.
Then more shapes clawed their way out of the crater.
Fangs.
Claws.
Twisted limbs.
Creatures that should not exist.
Military units barely raised their weapons before being torn apart. Vehicles crushed like toys. Helicopters spiraled from the sky in flames.
And it was all broadcast live.
Across the city, phones vibrated endlessly.
Emergency alerts flooded screens.
Parents dragged children indoors.
Teachers locked doors.
Hospitals overflowed.
Panic swallowed civilization whole.
And the world…
Would never be the same again.
---
# 🏁 **End of Chapter 1**