Arin:
Last night was chaos. I barely escaped discovery. The tension in the hot springs nearly exposed everything, but somehow, I slipped through their suspicion—again.
Still, I couldn't shake that dream.
A voice. Calling me. A warning.
"Arin... Arin... the catastrophe is coming."
Was it just remnants of an Emotica's dying memory? Or a vision of something real? I didn't know. But my gut churned with unease.
Today, the sky was clearer. The air felt lighter. Too light. As if nature was holding its breath.
I grabbed breakfast and headed to the field where our next mission began. They said the Emotica on this island were weak. Nothing serious. I thought maybe... just maybe... I wouldn't need to use my powers.
Our unit—me, Walter, and Will—headed into the woods again.
Walter clapped a hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry, Arin. I'll protect you today. You can count on me."
I gave him a tired look. 🫤 "Yeah. Great."
Will pointed north. "What do you guys think? Should we go that way? I've got a good feeling."
"You and your feelings," I muttered, then paused. Actually… I did sense weak pulses of negative energy that way.
"Fine," I said. "Let's go."
We advanced deeper into the northern woods. Minutes passed. Then we found our first Emotica—a thin, twitching creature crawling out from behind a ruined tree.
Without hesitation, I raised my anti-Emotica rifle and fired.
One clean shot. It collapsed, twitching. Silent.
Walter whistled. "Not bad, kid. Not bad."
But then, it began.
Another Emotica emerged. Then another. And another.
Three more slithered out from the fog, their bodies distorted and eyes burning.
Walter and Will froze.
"W-We've never fought this many before," Will stammered.
Walter trembled. "T-this isn't normal."
I stepped in front of them. "Go. Run. I'll handle this."
"Are you insane?! You'll die!"
I turned and glared at them, my voice steady. "I said go."
They looked at each other, then nodded.
"Don't die, okay?" Will said.
"We'll call for backup!" Walter added, before they both sprinted away.
I exhaled slowly.
"Time to eat."
I dropped the heavy military gear. I didn't need it.
From my belt, I drew the Blood Dagger. Crimson light flickered from its edge. My aura pulsed.
I darted forward.
One slash. Another. Then a spin that cut through two at once.
The Emotica fell in clouds of black mist, their negative energy flooding into me like warm poison.
I absorbed it all.
"Not enough," I muttered. "I want more."
I pushed deeper into the forest. I could feel it—ripples of weak negative energy scattered all over. They were swarming.
I reached a clearing… and froze.
Ten Emotica. Towering, mutated things.
And beneath them—
Three students.
Bloodied. Motionless.
I raced forward, sliced one cleanly in half, then charged through the others like a shadow with teeth. My blade sang. Flesh tore. Screams echoed.
When the dust settled, the Emotica lay in heaps.
I knelt beside the students.
Two were breathing. One girl had deep wounds but still clutched her weapon. The others—a boy and another girl—were unconscious.
I carried them to a nearby rock overhang and covered them with my jacket.
"Stay here. You'll be okay."
But the pulses hadn't stopped.
Something was wrong.
I ran.
More Emotica appeared. I tore through them one by one. My body moved on its own—guided by instinct, rage, and hunger.
And then I reached the cliff edge.
Far below, at the beach…
The sky was cracking.
Black rifts, like gashes in the heavens, were opening one after another. From them, Emotica rained.
Dozens. Hundreds.
Screaming.
Falling.
Invading.
I stood there, stunned.
"No… this wasn't supposed to happen."
Then—
BOOM.
A wave of pressure slammed into me.
I dropped to one knee.
Far to the south, a presence had awakened. A storm of energy unlike anything I had ever felt. Thick. Crushing. Ancient.
It wasn't just another Emotica.
This... this was a monster.
I stood slowly.
My fingers tightened on the Blood Dagger. I could barely hold it. The energy in the air burned like fire.
But something else stirred inside me.
A dark hunger.
"If I kill that thing... I'll gain power beyond anything I've known."
I turned, wind ripping past me.
"I have to stop it. Before it reaches the others."
I sprinted toward the source, deeper into the southern jungle. Shadows shifted around me. The leaves trembled. My heart pounded.
And somewhere in the distance… it
waited.
Lina:
From the moment we stepped off the ship, I could tell—this wasn't going to be a vacation. The moment the principal announced the live Emotica exercise, I realized the purpose was something far more serious. This was a test. A hunt.
Fate threw me into a team with Max and Sera. Great. Max wouldn't stop talking, and Sera wouldn't stop glaring.
We took our weapons, some lightweight armor, and entered the jungle.
The first Emotica we encountered was weak. Predictable. I took it down effortlessly with a precision shot to its core.
Sera screamed. Max dropped his rifle.
And yet—when we returned to the base camp—he proudly shouted, "Did you see that?! We totally wrecked that thing!"
You mean I wrecked it, I thought, rolling my eyes.
That's when I saw Arin entering camp with his group.
I ran over. "How was it? Did you run into trouble?"
Before he could answer, one of his teammates laughed and said, "Yeah, we ran into a couple. Arin kinda froze though—I had to save him."
What? My eyes narrowed.
Had I… misjudged him?
Could I really have been wrong about him being Number 0?
But then again… what was that feeling I got every time I stood near him?
My heart raced. My chest tightened. It wasn't fear. Not exactly.
Later that evening, as we girls headed to the changing rooms for the hot springs, I couldn't stop thinking about it.
Arin's going to undress.
If he really is Number 0… that's the moment I'll know.
I whispered, "I wish I was a guy right now."
Vex was with them. He'd know. If anyone could confirm it…
I entered the girls' bath with Sera and the others. Steam filled the room, laughter and gossip echoing off the walls.
They were chatting about nonsense—nails, boys, some drama about who stole whose shampoo.
I interrupted, "Hey… what does it mean when your heart starts racing around someone?"
One girl giggled. "Ohhh~! That's love, silly!"
"Love?"
Was that it? Was I… in love with Arin?
Someone leaned closer. "Who is it?"
I hesitated.
They begged. Pressed. Teased.
Finally, I gave in.
"…It's Arin." 🫣
The room exploded.
Sera stood up, her hair dripping, eyes blazing. "What did you just say?!"
"...It's just a feeling."
She stomped toward me, fists clenched. "Arin is MINE. Got it? I don't care if you think you love him—if you get in my way, I'll end you."
I stared at her. "You're ridiculous."
She practically steamed in rage, but I ignored her.
That night, I returned to bed. I tossed and turned, haunted by the thought.
Is this really love…?
Or is it something else entirely?
---
The next day, we headed to the southern part of the island for our second mission.
Max was being Max, blabbering about how this jungle reminded him of a video game.
Sera was unusually quiet, still bitter.
Then—
The first Emotica appeared.
We fought. I killed it quickly.
But then another came. And another.
Something was wrong.
They were swarming us. This wasn't training. This was an ambush.
More and more appeared. A tide of Emotica surrounded us.
We fought hard. But they just kept coming.
I had no choice.
I unleashed my negative energy. My dagger lit up, coated in dark crimson light.
This was my specialty—coating. My negative energy wrapped around the blade like a flame.
One strike. Another. Then another.
I was dancing between the creatures, faster than breath, my blade a blur.
Max was on the ground, Sera was behind me, barely holding up.
We were losing.
Then—
I felt it.
A pressure so intense it nearly crushed my bones.
From the trees stepped a tall man.
Smiling.
Cold. Cruel. Confident.
"Hello there," he said casually. "You seem strong. Your blood tells me you're not like the others."
My heart stopped.
"Who are you?"
He didn't answer. He just looked at the other team—who had come to help us.
"Too many distractions," he said.
Slice.
They dropped.
All three.
Gone. In less than two seconds.
I screamed.
Max and Sera screamed.
I pulled them both behind me and shouted, "Run!"
The man just stood there, grinning.
They ran.
I turned to face him.
I can't win this, I thought. But I'll hold him off.
He began walking toward me.
I gripped my dagger tighter.
But then—
From the sky—
A blur.
A streak of red and black.
Someone landed between us with an earth-shaking crash.
Dust exploded.
And there he stood.
Arin.
His eyes glowed like molten fire.
His cloak whipped in the wind.
He didn't look at me.
He just said, "Get back."
My knees gave way.
Not from fear.
But from awe.
So… it's true.
He is Number 0.
---
End of Chapter 14
---
🔥 What do YOU think is coming? 🔥
🔹 What is the monstrous presence in the south? 🔹 Will Arin survive the encounter—or unlock something darker? 🔹 Could this be the true beginning of the "catastrophe" from his dream?
💥 If this chapter thrilled you, made you feel the fear, or lit your imagination on fire—drop a Power Stone! Your support is everything.
See you in Chapter 15—where everything may change 😈