PAIN BREEDERCHAPTER 1: "The First Scream"
FADE IN:
The rain was hammering the rooftop.
Relentless. Merciless. Endless.
Ren sat on the edge.
His legs dangled over the void.
His black hoodie was soaked through. Wet hair stuck to his pale face. Raindrops slid from his nose down to his chin.
He held an unopened can of cheap beer in his hand.
He wasn't drinking it.
He was just holding it.
As if letting go would make everything truly end.
From his pocket, he pulled out a crumpled, rain-soaked photograph.
The rain was slowly dissolving the paper.
But he gripped it even tighter.
In the photo, his mother was smiling.
Beside her was a small boy — little Ren.
Ren's lips trembled.
REN(whispering to himself) Three years…
He swallowed. His throat burned.
REN I still see you in the same dream every night.
A single tear mixed with the rain.
REN But this time…
He stopped.
He closed his eyes.
REN …I don't want to wake up.
He set the photo down beside him.
He stood up.
The wind grew stronger. Rain stung his face like needles.
He took one step.
Then stopped.
Something changed.
The rain… slowed.
Then—
it stopped.
The air grew heavy.
As if the world itself was collapsing inward.
SYSTEM VOICE(cold, flat, emotionless female voice) [Pain Breeder System – Activated]
Ren didn't move.
He didn't even breathe.
REN(whispering) …right now…?
SYSTEM VOICE [Host: Ren] [Mental Stability: Critical] [First Gift Granted]
Reality warped.
The air thickened.
And—
something fell.
Thud.
Ren slowly turned his head.
Someone was lying on the ground.
At first, he didn't look.
He didn't want to look.
His heart pounded violently.
But he looked.
And he saw.
His breath caught.
His mother.
Semi-transparent.
Pale.
Her wet hair stuck to the concrete.
But it was her.
She was real.
Ren dropped to his knees.
Slowly.
As if moving too fast would make her disappear.
His hand trembled as he reached out.
He touched her cheek.
It was cold.
But she didn't vanish.
Her lips quivered.
ELARA(extremely weak, barely audible) …Ren…?
Ren's chest shattered.
REN(hoarse, broken voice) Mom…?
Her eyes opened slightly.
They were empty.
But they were searching for him.
ELARA(even weaker) …so cold…
Ren pulled back.
As if someone had stabbed him in the gut.
REN(panicking, voice shaking) You can't be here… I buried you… I buried you three years ago… in that hospital room…
SYSTEM VOICE [Echo Identified: Elara] [Death Cause: Prolonged Internal Decay (Cancer)] [Emotional Residue: EXTREMELY HIGH]
Ren's face froze.
REN …what?
SYSTEM VOICE [Breeding Process Initiated] [Pain Input Required]
Ren froze.
REN No…
SYSTEM VOICE [Echo Stability: 9% → Decreasing]
Her body began to tremble.
As if she was slowly dissolving.
ELARA(very weak) …Ren… why… is it so cold…?
Tears fell from Ren's eyes.
REN(whispering, pleading) I… I can't do this to you…
SYSTEM VOICE [Without Pain Input → Echo Will Collapse]
Ren's breath stopped.
REN …so…
He swallowed. His throat burned.
REN …I'm going to lose you again.
Silence.
The rain was still paused.
Ren closed his eyes.
Just for a moment.
Then he opened them.
Something inside him had broken.
Slowly, he reached out.
He grabbed her arm.
She looked at him.
ELARA(very weak) …Ren…?
Ren trembled.
REN(whispering, eyes full of tears) …I'm sorry.
And he squeezed.
Her body convulsed.
The first scream tore out then.
Thin.
Broken.
Real.
ELARA REN—!
Ren's face shattered.
But he didn't let go.
The scream grew louder.
Her body began to become more solid.
Ren fell to his knees.
REN(broken voice, tears streaming) To live…
His breath shook.
REN …I have to break you.
The scream suddenly stopped.
Silence.
Then—
the rain returned.
She was still breathing.
But now…
heavier.
More real.
SYSTEM VOICE [Fragment Loss Initiated] [Empathy: -4%]
Ren lowered his head.
He didn't move for a long time.
Then he slowly exhaled.
And he realized.
Something was missing.
A small void had opened inside him.
Real.
Ren slowly stood up.
His mother's echo lay on the ground.
She was more solid now.
Her wet hair stuck to the concrete.
Her eyes were closed.
But she was breathing.
Ren looked at her.
For a long time.
Then he whispered.
REN …what are we going to do now, Mom?
There was no answer.
Only the rain fell.
Ren looked at the photograph.
In it, his mother was still smiling.
But now… that smile looked different.
He put the photo back in his pocket.
Then he looked at his mother's echo.
REN(in a low voice) To save you… I have to break you.
The rain poured down harder.
There were no more tears on Ren's face.
Only rain.
The rain never stopped.
But Ren could no longer hear it.
All sound felt distant. Muffled. Suppressed.
He was still standing, but it felt like no one was inside his body anymore.
His eyes were fixed on his mother's form.
She was more real now. Heavier. More… alive. But in the wrong way.
Silence.
Then—
a breath.
Elara's chest rose slightly.
Ren's fingers twitched involuntarily.
REN(barely a whisper) …she's alive.
SYSTEM VOICE [Echo Stabilized: 21%]
Ren stared at the number.
21%.
It didn't feel like a number. It felt like a price.
Her fingers moved. Slow. Uncontrolled.
Then—
her eyes opened.
Different this time.
Not empty.
Deep.
Too deep.
And inside them—
pain.
ELARA(weak, but clearer now) …Ren…
Ren froze.
He didn't step back. But he didn't move closer either.
He just… watched.
ELARA …why… does it hurt…?
Ren couldn't answer.
A sharp pain suddenly exploded in his own chest.
REN —!
He dropped to his knees.
At the exact same moment, Elara's body convulsed.
ELARA Ah—!
Same timing. Same pain. Same rhythm.
Ren's eyes widened, breath ragged.
REN …what is this…?
SYSTEM VOICE Host and Echo are now linked. The pain you inflict… returns to you.
Ren froze.
That meant—
whatever he did to her… he would feel it too.
Elara trembled.
But this time, there was something else in her eyes.
Not just pain.
Fear.
REN(breathing hard) …you feel it.
ELARA(weakly) …so do you.
A long, heavy silence fell between them.
Ren slowly stood up.
His steps were heavy.
But he didn't stop.
He walked toward her.
This time — on purpose.
REN(quiet, steady voice) You need to grow stronger.
ELARA …Ren…
REN Or you'll die again.
Her eyes trembled.
No tears came this time.
Maybe she had none left.
REN …me too.
He paused.
REN I want to live.
For the first time, those words sounded real.
SYSTEM VOICE [Welcome to Elyria] [A broken world where strength is born from suffering.] [Pain Breeders raise monsters through agony.] [Hunters grow stronger by killing them.] [Two paths. One hatred.]
Ren frowned.
REN Elyria…?
SYSTEM VOICE The world you were born into. A land where the strong prey on the weak. Pain Breeders are feared and hunted. You are no longer human in their eyes.
Ren looked down at his mother.
She was breathing.
Real.
REN(quietly) So… I raise monsters.
SYSTEM VOICE Correct. And your first monster… is your mother.
Ren closed his eyes for a second.
When he opened them, something was missing inside him.
Not pain.
Something worse.
REN(low voice) Then… let's continue.
Elara looked at him.
Fear.
And something worse — acceptance.
ELARA(barely a whisper) …this time… you won't stop, will you?
Ren didn't answer.
He raised his hand.
No hesitation this time.
His fingers tightened.
As if he had already made the choice.
CUT TO BLACK.
[END OF CHAPTER 1]