TWENTY YEARS HAD PASSED SINCE THE FIRST GATE APPEARED.
MONSTERS, HUNTERS, AND GATES HAD BECOME A PART OF EVERYDAY LIFE. PEOPLE HAD LEARNED TO PRETEND EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL—EVEN THOUGH EVERYONE KNEW IT WASN'T.
BUT FOR RYUJIN, IT DIDN'T MATTER.
HE SAT IN HIS SMALL ROOM, THE ONLY LIGHT COMING FROM HIS MONITOR AS HE CLICKED AWAY AT HIS GAME. HEADPHONES CLAMPED OVER HIS EARS, HE WAS LOCKED INTO HIS OWN WORLD—A WORLD WHERE HE WAS SAFE, WHERE MONSTERS DIDN'T EXIST.
NO PARTY INVITES FLASHED ON HIS SCREEN. NO FRIENDS WERE WAITING TO PLAY WITH HIM. HE WAS USED TO IT. HE DIDN'T MIND.
HE WAS AN INTROVERT TO THE CORE.
OUTSIDE, THE WORLD WAS DANGEROUS AND LOUD. INSIDE, IT WAS QUIET. CONTROLLED
DINNER IN FIVE MINUTES!" HIS MOTHER CALLED FROM THE OTHER ROOM.
"OKAY!" HE REPLIED, THOUGH HE DIDN'T REMOVE HIS HEADPHONES.
HE HEARD HIS FATHER'S DEEP VOICE NEXT, TIRED BUT STILL MANAGING TO SOUND WARM.
"DON'T MAKE US CALL YOU TWICE!"
A SMALL SMILE TOUCHED HIS LIPS. HE DIDN'T SAY IT, BUT HE WAS GRATEFUL FOR THEM. BOTH OF HIS PARENTS WORKED HARD EVERY DAY TO PROVIDE FOR HIM, YET THEY STILL MADE TIME FOR THE LITTLE THINGS.
SOMETIMES HE WISHED HE COULD REPAY THEM.
SOMETIMES HE WISHED HE COULD BE STRONGER.
BUT…
"NO," HE MUTTERED TO HIMSELF. "I JUST WANT A NORMAL LIFE."
DINNER WAS SIMPLE—RICE, VEGETABLES, AND HIS MOTHER'S COOKING THAT HE SECRETLY LOVED. THEY TALKED ABOUT WORK, ABOUT HOW MUCH TIME HE SPENT GAMING, ABOUT NOTHING IN PARTICULAR.
THEY LAUGHED.
THEY FELT LIKE A FAMILY.
LATER THAT NIGHT, HE LAY IN BED, STARING AT THE CEILING. THE NEWS PLAYED QUIETLY FROM THE LIVING ROOM. SOMETHING ABOUT A GATE OPENING IN ANOTHER CITY. THE HUNTER DIVISION HAD HANDLED IT. THEY ALWAYS DID.
HE CLOSED HIS EYES, TELLING HIMSELF TOMORROW WOULD BE THE SAME.
SCHOOL.
GAMES.
HIS PARENTS' VOICES WAKING HIM UP FOR DINNER.
HE DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS THE LAST TIME HE WOULD HEAR THEM.
A LOW RUMBLE SHOOK THE BUILDING. HE SAT UP INSTANTLY.
"AN EARTHQUAKE?" HE WHISPERED.
THEN THE ALARMS STARTED.
THE CITY-WIDE SIRENS.
THE ONES EVERYONE FEARED.
HIS MOTHER BURST INTO HIS ROOM, EYES WIDE WITH FEAR. "SHELTER! NOW! THERE'S A GATE—"
A PIERCING SHRIEK CUT THROUGH THE HOUSE.
SOMETHING WAS ALREADY INSIDE.
THAT WAS THE NIGHT EVERYTHING ENDED.
(TO BE CONTINUED…)