On a strange evening, I dream. I met a little boy—not in a fight, no monsters, just in a strangely peaceful place. The boy was playing some simple game. But as I stood watching from a distance, I couldn't speak, couldn't interact. I could only observe, like watching a locked memory.
Gradually, the scene began to change. The bright sky turned dark, the sound of childish laughter faded, and the boy started to turn his head. But his face blurred and vanished, as if erased from memory. Then everything shattered. I woke with a start, my heart pounding, cold sweat on my forehead, thinking: "What was that fragment of memory? Why would I dream of a little boy? He looked a lot like me when I was young..."
Suddenly, HighG looked at me and asked curiously, "You alright, friend? Or did you have a nightmare?"
His deep, slightly hoarse voice rang in my ear, making me jump. I turned to see him sitting in the chair next to me, chin resting on his hand, his familiar deer antlers tilting slightly as he watched me intently.
"You look like you just got run over by a truck!" he continued, his tone slightly joking.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. "I just dreamed... about a little boy."
He looked at me and said nothing. I paused for a few seconds and continued. In my mind, the image of the boy playing by the stream was still vivid, and the moment his face disappeared still sent a chill to my core. "The boy looked like me as a kid, but then... it all vanished. Like someone had just disappeared from my memory."
HighG frowned. "That doesn't sound like a normal dream."
I gave a strained laugh. "Yeah, and I can't remember why I'd dream of it... But that feeling, it was so real!"
He was silent for a moment, then crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. "Maybe it's a forgotten piece of memory. Or a reminder from someone. Whatever it is... don't ignore it."
I didn't know how to respond. In the quiet room, his words echoed in my head, heavy as a stone dropped into water, creating ripples that wouldn't fade.
I am Varen. I'm an accountant at Company X. I was just saved by a strange man who led me into a bunker.
Looking around, the dim yellow oil lamp cast shadows on the cold, damp stone walls. I swallowed, trying to catch my breath. The cramped space made my heartbeat echo like a drum.
The robed figure stood a few steps away, his strangely bright eyes fixed on me, making me feel like he was reading my thoughts. He was silent, only raising a hand to pull back his hood... but what I saw wasn't a normal face.
One half was flesh; the other was covered by patches of rusted iron welded to the bone. Thin veins ran from his temple down his neck, glowing with a faint blue light. "You shouldn't be out at this hour," he said. His voice was deep and hoarse, as if echoing from far away.
I flinched but still managed to reply, "Thank you... if it weren't for you, I..."
He smiled slightly, saying only, "No need for thanks. You're not safe yet."
He turned and walked deeper into the bunker. "Follow me!"
I hesitated, then carefully followed. The stone floor beneath my feet was slippery, the smell of mildew mixing with old metal. Further ahead, a very faint sound... like claws scratching lightly on the wall. I whispered, "What's going on here?"
He looked back at me, his voice sending a shiver down my spine. "Not 'what.' 'Who.' And you're about to meet them."
He stopped before an old wooden door. His hand touched a circular lock; immediately, glowing symbols appeared and rotated slowly. The door opened, revealing a surprisingly large room. In the middle, something was sitting, its back to me, white hair hanging down, slender hands touching the ground...
When it turned its head, crimson eyes flashed in the darkness.
"You've arrived."
The air in the room thickened. I just stood frozen at the doorway, my throat dry. The white-haired person remained still, those crimson eyes staring right through me. The robed man said nothing, just walked around to the side and stood motionless, as if this was between us.
I asked, "Who are you?"
The white-haired being tilted its head, a faint smile appearing. "My name doesn't matter. Here, we have all been nameless for a long time."
I felt a chill run down my spine. My voice trembled. "We? You mean there are more people in this bunker?"
It didn't answer directly. Instead, it placed a hand on the stone floor and tapped three times. Immediately, from the shadows along the walls, a rustling of footsteps began. Dozens of figures slowly emerged—gaunt, in tattered clothes, their eyes glowing abnormally. It spoke slowly, "These are the ones who were once like you. Hunted, thinking they would die, but in the end, they chose to stay here."
I took a step back instinctively. "Stay? Then how do you live here?"
The smile on its lips vanished, replaced by a terrifying gaze. "We don't live. We merely exist. And wait."
A cold wind slipped through a crack in the wall, carrying an indescribable stench. I glanced at the robed man, but he remained silent, just watching me with an unreadable expression.
The white-haired being pushed itself up, every movement slow but steady. It approached me. "You have two choices. Go back to where you just fled, and face the monsters out there... or stay here, and become one of us."
My heartbeat thudded in my head. I knew whichever path I chose, there was no turning back. I swallowed hard, my brain twisting to find an answer. But before I could speak, a deafening sound came from the stone door.
CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!
The heavy blows shook the entire bunker. Dust rained from the ceiling, the smell of earth and damp moss filling my nostrils.
The white-haired being frowned slightly, but its eyes showed no panic. "They're here."
The robed man tilted his head. "Do I need to take him to the lower levels?"
"No!" the white-haired one snapped, its gaze returning to me. "He hasn't chosen yet!"
The pounding on the door grew more frantic, mixed with the hideous roars of the monsters. Small cracks began to appear on the stone surface, trembling with each impact.
I looked around. The "people" standing in the shadows hadn't moved, their abnormally bright eyes locked on me like predators watching their prey decide.
My throat tightened. "If I stay, will you protect me?"
The white-haired being chuckled, a sound that chilled my bones. It smiled and said, "We will keep you... forever."
Suddenly—CRACK!—a loud noise from outside. The stone door shattered. A giant arm with hooked claws reached in. A foul stench washed over me like hot fire.
No one gave me time to answer. The robed man lunged, pulling me back violently, while shouting to the crowd in the shadows, "Blockade!"
They all moved as one. The sound of bare feet on stone echoed like a funeral drum. The figures rushed toward the door, forming a human wall... but their eyes were still fixed on me, as if I were the main course here.
The roaring outside intensified. And I knew my choice was about to be taken from me.
I looked at the strange, deformed crowd, then back at the snarling monsters outside. My heart hammered; a primal fear surged. I ran.
Chaotic footsteps echoed behind me—both them and the monsters were chasing me. I glanced back and forth and saw an alley. I didn't know if it was a dead end. I dove into it, panting, cold sweat drenching my back. But by the time I realized it was a dead end... it was too late. The monsters swarmed in, their hisses and roars merging. I panicked, my feet rooted to the spot. Before I could do anything, they tackled me onto the cold cobblestones and tore my body apart in the darkness.
At the main headquarters.
In a pretty chill breakroom, the air was quiet except for the steady whir of the ceiling fan. I—Notug—was sitting back in a chair, eyes fixed on a steaming cup of coffee.
Suddenly, the TV in the headquarters flickered with static, then switched to a strange channel. It looked like the news, with a "Breaking News" banner. The screen glitched for a few seconds then cleared—showing a short video of a chaotic scene. The anchor's voice was steady but tense: "An employee of Company X was just attacked and torn to death by monsters. Authorities state they will proceed with DNA analysis of the creatures to find a weakness and will attempt to eliminate them as quickly as possible."
I frowned slightly, putting my coffee cup down. A bad feeling crept into my mind, but I didn't pay it much attention.
The next day, the sky was still gray, cold winds cutting through the streets. I had just woken up when Lucy suddenly threw the door open. She handed me a piece of paper. Before I could even process it, she left. I had no idea what was going on but opened the letter. It read:
Address: [REDACTED]
Mission: Terminate the entire shelter at this location.
And it only listed this location! No explanation included. I frowned. Terminate a shelter? I'd never received an order like this in my mission files. But where to find it? I rummaged through map files. Suddenly, I spilled a glass of water on the letter. It turned out there was a Morse code message hidden in the ink. I stared at the code. I pulled out my phone to translate it. The paper said:
"Behind the base. The area is about 2km away."
I found it strange. I didn't understand why I had to destroy this shelter. Since yesterday, I'd only been on patrol; I'd never been sent on a termination mission. Maybe there was something in there that... wasn't supposed to exist?
I went with Hachi (a swordsman; he was the third person the Chairman saved after HighG, and he's a bit weaker than HighG). After entering the area specified by the commander, I saw an old concrete wall covered in moss and dried, spattered blood. Not a sound except the wind whistling through the rusty iron gate. Hachi placed a small explosive charge right in front of the gate and signaled:
"Get ready!"
He ran back, and then a loud explosion: BOOM!!!
The gate blew open, smoke and dust pouring out. I immediately raised my weapon and stepped inside.
It was dark, the only light coming from a flickering bulb overhead. In the middle of a large room, I saw a man sitting on a wooden chair, chin on his hand, his cold gaze suggesting he had been waiting for us.
As the smoke cleared, he tilted his head, a smirk playing on his lips. His deep voice echoed in the room: "You arrived faster than I thought! Notug... Hachi."
I froze. He knew our names? I had never met this man, but his calmness and his eyes made me realize one thing: this was no ordinary person.
Hachi gripped his sword hilt tightly. I kept my sword at the ready, but a thousand questions flooded my mind: "Who is this guy?"
The room was dim, lit by yellow light, but it had an extremely strange feeling. I stood in front of him. The air was so quiet I could hear the ticking of a wall clock. He suddenly spoke:
"Who I am doesn't matter, because we don't have names!" His voice suddenly dropped.
"Do you know how mundane and boring that trash's missions are? And why do you listen to him? You guys are so naive... Do you know your 'trash' organization means nothing? Do you know how many people he has killed?"
Hachi gritted his teeth, his voice bitter. "That's enough! Don't you dare look down on others!"
He rushed forward, slashing with a brilliant blade. His eyes were full of anger, as if wanting to eradicate him. Suddenly, a horde of skinny, addict-like people rushed out, shielding their leader. Hachi gritted his teeth in frustration. Suddenly, they rushed Hachi and started beating him, taking me by surprise.
They rushed me too. I had no choice but to curse at them:
"You pieces of trash! You've never been properly cared for! I see you're not even human anymore, just a bunch of junkies!"
When insulted, they backed off me. I tried to run and contact HighG. By the time I finished the call, I'd spat out one last self-defeating taunt:
"All you do all day is hiss and scream! You look just like kids abandoned by your parents! Hahaha!"
The "monsters" froze for a moment, then, enraged, they charged at me! I couldn't do anything. I tried to resist and block them.
As I was struggling, a familiar shadow suddenly crashed down: CRASH!
A massive figure landed from above. The ground shook. A voice roared, "Let my brothers go!!"
It was HighG. He charged in like a storm, unleashing powerful swings of his mace, sending a dozen of them flying. He rushed out to save Hachi and me. I tried to run but wasn't fast enough. Suddenly, one of them grabbed my shirt. Because of me, all three of us were dragged down.
Me, Hachi, and HighG were pulled down. Beaten and punched. I was beaten half to death; I couldn't even make a sound. As I was thinking, "Is a second miracle going to happen? Probably not..."
Suddenly, I saw a bright light flash in my vision. We were all surprised! I wondered what that light was, and then: THUD!
When I woke up, I found myself kneeling in a cold main hall. In front of me was the Chairman, holding a black whip, his eyes cold as ice.
"Congratulations, you have failed the mission! I will reward you with one hundred lashes... or torture." He laughed loudly.
Hachi and HighG looked at me, their eyes burning with the desire to kill me. But the Chairman continued: "Choose! Or I'll kill all three of you!"
The three of us were terrified. I'd heard the water torture was horrifying, so I kept quiet... We all sat there contemplating, saying nothing. Lucy walked out and said, "A hundred lashes is the lighter option!" She was trying to hold back a laugh as she ran off.
While the three of us were still stunned, he started beating us. The whip tore through the air, landing on our backs. It was agonizing. One, two, ten... By the 100th lash, all three of us were collapsed on the floor, breathing in ragged gasps, our flesh torn.
The Chairman looked down, his voice gravelly. "You! I will give you one last chance."
The three of us looked up, our eyes filled with both hatred and helplessness. He sat down, picked up a cup of tea, and took a sip. He threw 6 bombs at us. Six bombs! What for? He turned his head, not bothering to look at us.
"This will be the last time you exist here if you fail the mission again!"
The space fell silent. I got serious and went with them again.
–––
A while later.
The night sky was heavy, the wind howling like an omen. The rock that had blocked the entrance, the one we tried to blow up before, was gone. Only a dark void led deep inside. I, HighG, and Hachi looked at each other. No one spoke, but our eyes all said the same thing: "What's waiting inside is worse than that stone door."
We stepped in.
The large room appeared, lit by the flickering, ghostly torches on the walls, casting long, twisting shadows. In the very center, he was still sitting there, as if he knew we'd be back.
He looked up, his crimson eyes reflecting the fire, a smirk on his lips. "You're still alive? That's a miracle!"
Immediately, the deformed crowd poured out from the shadows.
Without thinking, I raised the AK-47 I'd brought from the base. My finger squeezed the trigger, the barrel spitting lead frantically.
"Ratatatatatatata!!!"
Blood splattered everywhere, deformed bodies dropping left and right. They shrieked, charging forward, but one by one, they fell under the hail of bullets. HighG charged in to support, Hachi's sword blocking the path.
But then—Click!
Out of ammo.
I said nothing, tossed the gun aside, drew the sword from my back, and charged in, cutting them down. Looking around, the crowd of deformed was almost all dead. Only he remained, sitting calmly, watching us.
Hachi roared, charging straight at him. But at that exact moment, a giant hand made of shadows erupted from the ground, trying to grab Hachi.
Smack!
Somehow, Hachi managed to twist away, escaping by a hair's breadth.
HighG and I immediately rushed in, our weapons swinging relentlessly. But he was impossibly fast.
"Too slow!" he whispered, his voice full of contempt.
Every swing of HighG's mace was dodged lightly, like a feather. I coordinated my attacks, but the more we fought, the faster he dodged, as if he knew our every move.
The three of us fought for a solid hour, drenched in sweat, breathing heavily. The bombs had all been used, but they only managed to take one of his arms. He suddenly laughed. "Hmm... you guys are interesting."
As time went on, the three of us grew more and more exhausted. After another hour, we were drained, with no strength left to fight. Our attacks were slow. Suddenly, a loud voice shouted:
"You guys are so useless!"
I turned and saw Lucy. She was standing there, holding a strange device in her hand, like a bright red button.
"Let me finish this."
Before the three of us could even react, suddenly—
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!
A horrific explosion roared, the ground split open, and flames engulfed the entire room. The terrifying pressure wave threw all three of us backward like ragdolls.
I didn't even have time to scream before I was sent flying, my head spinning. In that second, I just wanted to yell, "Are you trying to kill us too?!"
But I couldn't get the words out; the pressure was too intense.
I hit the ground, rolled several times, and blacked out.
When I opened my eyes, the surroundings were frighteningly silent. My body was shattered, my breathing heavy.
And in front of me, a figure stood, silently staring. That person's eyes were turquoise. They were beautiful, but I didn't pay much attention. I was too tired. My eyes slowly closed, and I passed out.