The town of Riva was once a quiet prosperous town until everything changed.
The once bustling town became a den for monsters, a dinner ground for monsters, and hell on earth for humans who venture there.
It was just a normal day when suddenly bizarre monsters appeared out of nowhere and began to attack the people of that town.
Many lives were lost, some humans turned into monsters, those that survived after being bitten were unexpectedly carried away by some monsters. By the time help finally came, almost the entire had already been wiped out. Only a few remained. Among them was a boy named Kael.
Kael was only six when this happened. He watched as his family was being devoured by the monsters right in his presence. If not for the fact that they had hidden him inside a wooden box, he could have ended up being eaten as well. But though he escaped being eaten, he couldn't escape being bitten by one of the monsters the moment he was trying to escape. He was rescued by their helpers.
The last thing he saw before closing his eyes was his once beautiful town turning into a nightmare.
-----Present Day-----
"Kael, the school has already ended. Let's go home already," a young boy not older than seventeen said to a boy sleeping on his desk.
The sleeping boy grunted from his sleep and raised his head. His large puppy eyes glanced around the class, seeing that they were the only ones in the class, he picked his bag and hung it over his shoulder.
"I didn't know it was just the two of us now," he mumbled as he stood up.
"I've been calling your name for a while now. You didn't answer me," the boy with him said as they both began to leave the classroom.
Kael sighed. There was no way he was going to hear because he was far. Literally far.
"What's with the sigh?" His friend asked, noticing the unsettling gaze in his friend's eyes.
Kael sighed once more. He was inwardly contemplating whether he should share his concerns with his friend or not bother about it.
They had already left the school premises. An old environment with barely enough teaching materials. Just then, someone called from behind.
"Kael! Aaron!"
They both stopped and turned around. A girl was standing some distance away from them, waving her hands.
"Evelyn? What are you doing there?" Aaron asked, walking over to the girl immediately.
Kael shook his head the moment his friend left his side. With a slight shrug, he walked over to them.
Seeing that he was coming her way, Evelyn smiled, seeming happy. She forgot about Aaron who was with her and went over to Kael.
"Hi, Kael," she said in a shy tone.
"Hi," Kael replied, barely staring at her. He turned to Aaron who was staring at them with mixed feelings. "I don't think I can wait for you here. When you're done, meet me at home."
"Kael—" Evelyn didn't have enough time to continue as Kael had already left.
Now that Kael was gone, Aaron took it as a chance to advance. He walked over to Evelyn's side but before he could say anything, she shunned him.
"Aaron, I remember that there is something i must do at home. Bye!"
She didn't even wait for him to say anything, and just like that, she ran off, leaving him standing there like some fool. He could only sigh out loudly and begin to head back.
Meanwhile, Kael had already arrived home. It was not just the regular family apartment. Rather, it was more of a base for children... Parentless children.
"Good evening, Mrs Halen," he greeted as he walked past an older woman.
The woman stopped what she was doing and looked up. Seeing only Kael, she frowned slightly. "Welcome, child. Where is your friend?"
"Chasing goals," Kael replied and continued on his way to avoid more questions.
"Chasing goals?" Mrs Halen repeated, now frowning very well. "What could that mean?" She had wanted to ask further but when she glanced at the spot where Kael was standing initially, he was no longer there. "Hmmm."
Kael went straight to his room — inside the base, rooms were built in a straight line for all the children. Each room was large enough to carry two children.
After the sudden appearance and attack of monsters, those who had resources built bases where they could shelter the orphans left behind. Some were placed in military zones, others in fortified schools, but the one Kael stayed in was small and barely funded. Yet, it was home.
Kael pushed his door open. His half of the room was neat, everything folded and arranged with strange precision. He dropped his bag on the bed and sat down slowly, staring blankly at the worn-out wall.
He rubbed his wrist. The spot where he was bitten as a child… sometimes it burned like fire. Other times it went numb, and today was one of those days.
He raised his hand and stared at it.
"It's getting worse," he muttered under his breath.
Ever since he turned sixteen, the strange changes had intensified. Blurred hearing. Sudden bursts of strength. A sensitivity to scents. And sometimes, a terrifying thing—his vision would distort, and for a moment, everyone around him looked like prey.
He clenched his fist.
"I can't tell Aaron… he'll only panic."
Kael lay back on the bed, exhaling slowly. He had been hiding this for years. Hiding the symptoms of monsterization. Because in their world, anyone who showed signs of mutation was taken away immediately.
And they never returned.
He was drifting off when a knock echoed on the door.
"Kael! Kael!" It was Mrs Halen's voice, hurried and loud.
Kael's eyes snapped open. He sat up.
"What now…" he muttered before standing and opening the door.
Mrs Halen stood there, panting slightly as if she had rushed.
"Kael, come with me," she said.
He blinked. "What happened?"
"It's Aaron," she replied nervously. "He… he came back injured."
Kael's heart dropped. "Injured? How?"
"He didn't say. But he collapsed at the entrance."
Kael didn't wait for another word—he pushed past her and ran.
Down the hallway. Past the kitchen. Through the fairly lit corridor until he reached the front entrance where some of the younger children stood in a circle, whispering anxiously.
Kael forced his way through.
Aaron was lying on the ground, his shirt torn, blood staining his sleeves, his breathing ragged and shallow.
"Aaron!" Kael knelt beside him.
Aaron weakly opened his eyes. "K… Kael…"
"What happened? Talk to me."
Aaron swallowed hard. "On my way home… outside the fence… I… I saw something."
Kael frowned. "What did you see?"
Aaron's hands trembled. "It… it was a monster."
The children around gasped.
Mrs Halen shook her head. "That's impossible. There are no monsters around this region. The military cleared this zone years ago."
Aaron tightened his grip on Kael's hand. His voice cracked.
"No… this one… it wasn't like the monsters from the stories… Kael… it looked like a person."