Riko knew he had to act fast. To keep people from freaking out, he hauled the glitching monster into the nearest storage room.
Even behind the closed door, the creature's distorted whisper crept through the hallway, sending chills down Riko's spine. User…found… it repeated, the broken syllables making the metal lockers behind him vibrate slightly. Students were right on the other side of those classroom doors, laughing, studying, just living their lives, totally clueless that a nightmare was happening just a few feet away. Riko's heart was pounding so hard he could barely hear anything else. He couldn't risk a fight here. One scream, one wrong move, one flash, and everything would descend into total panic.
And the thing was still coming closer.
Its body just wasn't right. Limbs twisted at impossible angles, joints bending way too far. It moved in jerky steps, each one a struggle. Its head kept snapping back and forth like it was trying to figure out how the world worked.
Riko just reacted—he grabbed it.
His hand shot out, fingers wrapping around the creature's arm. The skin rippled with those weird glitches. A jolt of static stung his palm, but he held on tighter. He couldn't let anyone see this thing— his teacher, his classmate, definitely not--
Not a good time, he muttered, tugging the creature backward.
It fought back, stiff and unnatural, its body jerking like a broken video. But Riko kept pulling, putting his shoulder into its chest and steering it down the hall as fast as he could. He dodged lockers, ducked under a fire extinguisher, and dragged the thing towards the storage room at the end of the hall. Above the door, a sign hung crookedly: SUPPLY MAINTENANCE – STAFF ONLY.
Perfect for Riko
The creature snarled, its voice breaking into distorted fragments. U…ser…fou-
Riko shoved it through the door.
The storage room was dark and cramped, filled with old stuff—desks, broken chairs, cleaning supplies, and cardboard boxes with faded labels. It smelled like dust and chemicals. The flickering fluorescent lights cast long, weird shadows across everything. Riko kicked the door shut just as the creature stumbled forward, its body glitching like crazy.
There was no time to think
The creature's arm shot out, bending backward as it swung at him. Riko ducked, feeling the distorted air as it passed by his head. The arm slammed into a shelf behind him, sending boxes flying in a shower of paper and plastic.
Riko coughed, stumbling back. The screen on his arm buzzed like crazy under his sleeve, the blue light flashing through the bandage.
Not now, he muttered, grabbing a broom handle.
He swung it as hard as he could. The wood cracked against the creature's shoulder, bending the limb even further. It screeched, a sound that was wrong and broken, like messed-up audio files all playing at once.
Riko gritted his teeth and swung again and again.
The creature twisted its torso a full 180 degrees without moving its feet. Then, it charged.
Riko barely jumped out of the way. The creature crashed into a metal cabinet, denting it with a loud bang. Cleaning liquids spilled, mixing together into a nasty smell. The whole shelf wobbled like it was about to fall.
Why do you things always come after me?! Riko yelled.
He grabbed a mop bucket and threw it. It hit the creature's head, splashing water all over its glitching skin. The water sizzled like acid where it landed. The creature shuddered, shaking off the distortions, and then lashed out with both arms.
Riko ducked under one arm but got hit on the shoulder by the other. Pain shot through him, and he fell backward into a pile of cardboard boxes. Dust exploded around him.
The screen on his arm was going wild. He could feel it through the sleeve, like a second heartbeat. Before he could stop it, the bandage lit up.
No, no, no—stay quiet! he hissed, covering it with his hand.
But it was too late.
The creature stopped moving, its head jerking towards the light like it was drawn to it. The messed-up eye on its face widened. It took a step towards him.
Riko scrambled backward, pushing himself through the mess on the floor. His back hit the wall, knocking over an old mop. The creature loomed over him, its limbs twitching, joints buzzing like they were about to break.
Riko's breath was ragged.
Okay, he whispered. Fine. You want me? Come get me.
The creature lunged.
Riko rolled out of the way, grabbing the mop and swinging the metal pole into the creature's side. The sound echoed through the room, bending the pole in half. The creature barely flinched.
Its hand—four long fingers glitching into six and then back to four—reached for him. Riko ducked and shoved the creature into a stack of folding chairs. Metal clanged as the chairs fell.
The creature shrieked, glitching like mad under the pile.
Riko jumped on top of the chairs, trying to hold it down. The chairs shook under his feet. He could feel every unnatural movement, every digital distortion like electricity shocking him.
Then a chair shot up.
The creature's arm burst through the metal, grabbing Riko's leg. He yelled, kicked free, and fell backward onto a stack of dusty schoolbooks. They scattered across the floor, pages fluttering.
The creature rose from the chairs, its body twisted but still moving with purpose. It crawled towards him, limbs snapping, torso breaking into flickering pixels before reforming.
Stay back! Riko shouted, grabbing a fire extinguisher from the wall.
He pulled the pin and squeezed the handle.
A blast of white foam shot out, hitting the creature in the face. It screamed as the foam splattered on its skin. Its body warped, pixels stretching and breaking apart, parts of it fading into static before coming back together.
Riko didn't wait. He charged.
He rammed the creature with the extinguisher, pushing it across the floor. Its limbs scraped against the tile, leaving trails. It screeched, its voice layering into a horrible chorus.
Riko slammed it into a wooden shelf.
The shelf wobbled, then crashed.
Wood broke, supplies fell, and they both tumbled into a mess of falling brooms, buckets, binders, and old sports stuff. Riko rolled out of the way just in time to avoid a heavy box of textbooks.
The creature writhed under the debris, its body twitching, flickering between solid and not. It jittered like a broken file trying to load.
Riko stood, shaking. His shoulder hurt. The screen on his arm flashed again, warning him.
I know! Riko shouted at it. I know it's bad! I can see it!
He grabbed a metal pipe from the wreckage.
The creature broke free.
Riko swung the pipe.
It hit the creature's jaw, snapping its head back at a gross angle. The creature spasmed, pixels flying off it like sparks. Its jaw unhinged, its neck stretched and snapped back into place with a pop.
It lunged.
Riko dodged to the side—but not far enough. The creature's arm grazed his ribs, sending a shock of static pain through him. He shoved a broken desk between them, the metal frame scraping.
The creature slammed into the desk, bending it.
Riko grabbed a folding table and used it as a shield, pushing the creature back. Its limbs clawed at the table, glitching through the metal, making the wood spark.
Why won't you just—stay—DOWN!? Riko yelled, pushing as hard as he could.
The table slammed the creature against the wall.
The drywall cracked.
The creature twitched, pinned but still struggling, its body sparking against the table. Riko pressed harder, sweat running down his face. His muscles shook.
Just a little more.
The doorknob clicked.
Riko froze.
The creature twitched under the table.
The door creaked open.
Light spilled into the messy storage room.
The door opens — Luna stands there, eyes wide.