I let out a nervous laugh.
"Ha… haha…"
"What was that, bro? Why did your frien—"
Ji suddenly froze.
"Ahh! A monster is walking toward us!"
I turned my gaze to the creature.
It was slowly moving closer, its red eyes locked onto us.
There must be a way…
Dad once told me that as long as I'm confident, I can do anything.
Think, Jae. There's no shelter around… the safest place is the house.
Mom and Dad are still inside. I need to get Ji in first.
That's it.
I looked at Ji and smirked slightly, my blue eyes reflecting the strange green light from the sky.
"W-What…?" she asked, trembling.
I gently patted her head.
"Sis, don't be scared. I have a plan. You run inside the house while I distract that thing. I'll follow you once I lose it.
"No!" Ji shouted. "That's too dangerous! We don't even know what that monster is!"
"Trust me," I said calmly.
"You know how tough your big bro is. And if we don't do this now, we'll just get surrounded by the other monsters."
"B-But—"
"No buts."
I pointed to the left.
"On the count of three, I'll run that way and lure it away. Once it's far enough, go inside."
"1…"
"2…"
"3!"
"MONSTERRR!! COME GET ME!!"
I ran with everything I had.
"Shriekk!!"
The monster reacted instantly and charged after me.
But then I realized something.
It's fast.
No— it's insanely fast.
It felt like I was racing a living missile. If a cheetah and this thing competed, the monster wouldn't just win—
it would leave the cheetah behind like it was standing still.
Before I could react—
A massive impact hit my body.
The monster's lance-like leg struck me and sent me flying through the air like a broken doll.
My back slammed into the ground.
I couldn't breathe.
My vision blurred.
Every movement felt like my body was tearing apart from the inside.
No… I can't die yet…
Ji… is still outside…
I saw a blurry figure in front of me—Ji.
Her lips were moving, but I couldn't hear her anymore.
I smiled weakly.
Don't worry… I'll save you…
Your big bro… is tough after all…
My thoughts began to fade.
Even staying conscious felt impossible.
The world slowly turned dark.
I was dead.
The monster stepped closer to my body.
Suddenly—
Thud!
A rock hit its head.
"DON'T COME CLOSER TO MY BROTHER, YOU MONSTER!!!"
Ji stood there, shaking, tears streaming down her face—but her eyes were burning with fury.
"Shriekkkk!!"
The monster charged at her.
But before it could reach—
Something slammed into it from the side, sending it crashing through a wall.
A new figure appeared.
An azure-colored monster stood between Ji and the creature.
Its body looked like shining armor, glowing blue under the broken sky.
Its fingers and toes were deep red, while its arms and legs were pitch black.
Black, majestic wings spread behind its back, and a single horn curved from the left side of its head.
Its eyes looked like living diamonds.
Not empty.
Not mindless.
They were intelligent.
The lance-feet monster roared and dashed forward, aiming its deadly leg at the azure creature.
But the azure monster moved calmly.
With one swift motion, it sliced the metal leg off.
"Krieekkk!!"
The monster tried again.
Another dash.
Another strike.
The azure creature waited—and countered.
Its sharp, spiked hand sliced the second leg clean off.
The monster collapsed, screeching in fear.
Desperate, it tried to crawl away.
But its arms were cut down next.
Now it was just a trembling torso on the ground.
The azure monster stepped forward.
And crushed its head.
Silence.
The thing that killed me…
was erased in seconds.
Then—
The azure monster turned.
And looked at Ji.
Ji's legs gave out.
She fell to her knees, unable to move.
This creature had just destroyed the
monster that killed her brother.
There was no hope.
"N-No… please…" she whispered.
"I don't want to die…"
The azure monster slowly walked toward
her.
It raised its arm.
But then—
Crack.
Thin cracks spread across its body.
The glowing armor shattered like glass.
And from inside…
A human figure emerged.
"Big bro…?"
Ji whispered.
Her voice shaking.
Her eyes wide with disbelief.
It was me.