"Mom, who's that old man?" a young boy asked, tugging gently on his mother's dress.
His mother froze, her blood running cold. She quickly pulled her son close and pressed his face against her gown.
"Don't look at him," she whispered sharply.
The boy's voice was muffled against the fabric. "Mommy… why?"
"Don't worry," she said softly, forcing calm into her voice. "We're just playing a game."
But she wasn't calm. She was terrified every muscle in her body screaming to run. Still, she tried to hide her fear for her son's sake.
The old man the boy had pointed at slowly turned his head toward her. His neck twisted unnaturally, bones creaking until his face faced her completely. Their eyes met for a single heartbeat and she immediately looked down.
The world around them fell silent. Everyone nearby saw what was happening, but no one moved. No one dared to speak. It was as if their voices had been stolen or forbidden.
Then, as she stared at the ground, a face appeared right beneath her his face smiling up at her.
Her breath caught. She jerked her head upward toward the sky, but in less than a second, his face appeared there too.
Panic crawled through her veins. She snapped her head to the right and there he was again.
"Mommy, how long is this game?" her son asked innocently.
"Just… a little bit more," she whispered.
She looked forward again and suddenly the face was right in front of hers, smiling wider. She gasped and turned left, only to see it again.
She finally froze, staring straight ahead. The old man let out a screech a horrible, dying-beast sound that tore through the air.
A blast of wind and debris followed as his body shot backward and vanished into the distance.
She stood trembling, gasping for breath. Her son tugged on her gown. "Is the game over?"
"Yes," she said quietly, tears streaming down her face.
"Mommy, what's wrong?"
Before she could answer, people rushed toward her. A young man put a hand on her shoulder. "It's gone now. You're safe."
Others nodded in agreement. Her son looked around, confused. "Mommy, what's wrong?"
She pulled him into her arms. "Nothing's wrong, Kai. We're okay now."
She stood shakily, wiping her face. "Thank you… everyone."
Two men offered to escort her home. She tried to refuse her voice unsteady but they insisted until she finally agreed.
She took Kai's hand and began walking toward the outskirts of the town.
Their home stood near the edge a modest place, with a man outside fixing some equipment. He was broad-shouldered, rugged, his beard untrimmed but his posture strong a man built for battle.
"Dad!" Kai yelled.
The man turned, smiling but his expression hardened when he saw the two men behind his wife and the look on her face. He dropped his tools and sprinted toward her.
He didn't need to ask what happened. He could see it in her trembling eyes that something terrible had come close.
He wrapped his arms around her. She didn't speak, only clung to him, still shaking. The will that had kept her standing had been pure maternal instinct the need to protect her child stronger than her own fear. Even if death had reached out to claim her, she wouldn't have run.
Her son was her life.
The man guided her inside, Kai following behind, still confused. Children couldn't sense the corrupted energy of those beings they couldn't feel the fear adults did. That was why most of the victims were children; adults were too terrified to face them.
After calming his wife as best as he could, the man stepped outside to speak with the two escorts. They explained what had happened. His jaw tightened, eyes darkening. He thanked them, and they left quietly.
Back inside, he made hot soup for his wife, but she wouldn't eat.
"Dad, is Mommy okay?" Kai asked, his small voice trembling.
"Yes," his father said gently. "She's just tired and needs rest."
He helped her to bed. She slept for twelve straight hours. When she finally woke, she said nothing only stared blankly, refusing food or comfort.
Kai tried to talk to her, but she gave no response.
After a while, his father sighed and went back to work, trying to act normal. But Kai approached him again.
"Dad, what happened to Mom?"
The man paused. He wasn't sure if Kai was ready to understand… but he also knew that silence could be just as dangerous. If his wife hadn't been there, Kai might not have survived.
He put his tools down. "Kai, do you know anything about the Corrupted?"
Kai frowned, thinking hard. "Umm… no. I don't think so."
"That's fine," his father said. "Then let me tell you a story. A story about a man who chased power."
He sat down beside his son.
"A long time ago, before your mother or I were born, there was a man named Simon Franks. He was the king of a small but powerful kingdom in the northern continent. He was strong… but it wasn't enough for him. His hunger for power drove him farther and farther, until one day, he discovered an ancient temple.
"No one among his soldiers could enter, only him. So he went inside alone."
Kai listened wide-eyed.
"He didn't return for a whole week. And when he finally did, he was barely recognizable torn, bloodied, like he'd fought an endless war. His generals rushed to help him, asking if he was alright. But when he looked at them…"
His father's eyes darkened.
"…his gaze was empty. Lifeless. And yet… he smiled."
There was a pause.
"Then he screamed, a roar of pure rage and slaughtered his own men. Two thousand soldiers fell before they could even raise their weapons. When he returned to his kingdom, he killed everyone. Every man, woman, and child except a few. Those few were spared only because they had no ties to the soldiers he'd murdered."