Darkness.
Not the kind that simply meant the absence of light—
but something heavier.
Something alive.
The darkness pressed against everything around it, thick and suffocating, as though the world itself were being buried beneath it.
Cold stone stretched endlessly in every direction, swallowing sound whole.
The air was freezing, yet there was no ice.
Only the thick scent of blood and sweat lingering heavily in the atmosphere.
In the distance, a river flowed slowly through the land.
But it wasn't water.
It was blood.
Dark.
Thick.
Endless.
Then—
Clink… clink… clink…
Chains dragged across the stone floor.
Heavy.
Slow.
Tiny sparks flickered each time the metal scraped against the ground.
Far beyond sight, a faint red glow flickered weakly in the darkness, as though even the light itself was afraid to remain there for long.
Lightning cracked violently across the sky.
Sometimes it struck the ground itself, sending debris flying in every direction.
The walls weren't right.
They looked carved—
but not by human hands.
Their surfaces shifted faintly whenever you looked away, like something enormous beneath them was breathing slowly inside the stone.
Near the walls stood mountains of bones.
Skulls stacked endlessly upon one another like discarded trash.
As though flesh had once covered them—
but was no longer needed.
Then a low sound echoed through the darkness.
Not loud.
Not dramatic.
Just pain.
Pure pain.
The sound carried the exhaustion of something that had suffered for so long that screaming had become meaningless.
A figure hung suspended high above the ground, wrists bound tightly by massive chains disappearing into the darkness overhead.
The space surrounding them felt endless.
A vast abyss slowly swallowing everything within it.
Above the blood-red land, skeletal winged creatures glitched silently through the sky.
Their torn shadow-like wings twitched unnaturally as they moved.
Their faces looked disturbingly human—
pale skin stretched tightly over hollow features.
And their empty black eyes glowed deep crimson.
Distorted screams echoed endlessly behind them.
Like broken voices trapped between worlds.
Their head hung low.
Then slowly—
it lifted.
The movement looked painful.
Bruises spread across their face while blood dripped down the side of their temple.
They hung there exhausted, breathing heavily as though even staying conscious required effort.
Blood dripped steadily onto the floor beneath them.
Their breathing was uneven.
Weak.
Terrified.
Standing before them was the blurry outline of a figure.
Tall.
Watching silently.
Its face couldn't be seen clearly.
Almost like reality itself refused to focus on it.
The moment the chained figure saw it—
something inside them refused to give up.
Their trembling eyes widened slightly.
Then suddenly—
their lips began to shake.
A small, broken smile slowly formed on their face.
Hope.
"K—Kai…"
The name came out cracked.
Wrong.
Like saying it caused pain.
The air instantly tightened.
The shadows reacted.
They curled violently across the walls.
Twisting.
Shivering.
Like they were listening.
Like even they feared the name.
Or feared the disaster attached to it.
"KAI!"
The chains snapped violently as the figure struggled against them.
The sound echoed through the darkness like metal screaming against stone.
The red light flickered violently.
Once.
Twice.
Then—
Everything stopped.
Silence fell like a blade.
From somewhere deep within the darkness—
something shifted.
A presence.
Not seen.
Only felt.
Watching.
Waiting patiently.
Something massive slithered across the sky in a brief distorted flash.
The chained figure froze mid-breath, their eyes widening in terror.
Then—
"Kai?"
Noah's voice snapped through the darkness.
Everything vanished.
Kai flinched violently.
The horrifying world shattered apart like broken glass.
Suddenly—
he was back sitting beside Noah on the bench near the basketball court.
Warm sunlight.
Cars passing nearby.
The distant sound of children laughing.
Normal.
It had been a while since the last tragic event in Willow Creak.
The town was still traumatized by what had happened, but little by little, people were beginning to return to their normal lives again.
A life where peace had once felt permanent.
At least—
for now.
Kai stared ahead blankly, breathing harder than he should have been.
Noah frowned beside him.
"Dude… you okay?"
Kai blinked rapidly.
Only then did he realize his hands were shaking slightly.
For a brief second, he could still hear chains rattling faintly in his ears.
"No," Kai answered automatically.
Then he quickly shook his head.
"I mean—yeah. I'm fine."
Noah looked unconvinced.
"You zoned out hard."
Kai forced out a small laugh and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Guess I'm just tired."
"You're always tired," Noah replied. "Are you sure you're okay? This has been happening more often lately."
"Yeah. Sorry."
Kai laughed again, though it sounded weaker this time.
Noah studied him silently for another moment before finally shrugging.
Then, like nothing strange had happened at all—
a smirk appeared on his face.
"So," Noah said casually, "your mom likes Nyx, huh?"
Kai groaned immediately.
"Please don't remind me."
Noah laughed loudly.
"I'm serious. Your stepmom looked ready to adopt her."
"She literally appeared at my door at eight in the morning holding pie."
"And?"
"She somehow knew I was allergic to peaches."
Noah blinked.
"…Okay, yeah. That part is weird."
Kai pointed at him immediately.
"THANK YOU."
"But maybe she overheard it somewhere?"
"She didn't. I haven't told anyone"
"Then coincidence?"
Kai stared at him flatly.
"She guessed my exact allergy?"
Noah shrugged lazily.
"People guess stuff."
Kai scoffed.
"She's insane."
Noah leaned back against the bench with a grin.
"She's cute."
Kai looked genuinely horrified.
"You met her yesterday."
"And?"
"You have issues."
Noah ignored him completely.
"I'd actually do anything to have a girl like that living next door."
"I'm miserable," Kai muttered.
Noah laughed again.
"You're dramatic."
Kai opened his mouth to respond—
Then froze.
Across the street was a crouched figure—
Nyx.
She stood near the sidewalk with her back facing them.
She appeared to be talking angrily to something.
Her hands moved rapidly and animatedly through the air as though she were in the middle of a heated argument.
Fast.
Sharp.
Almost frantic.
Her arms waved dramatically in every direction like she was genuinely upset about whatever she was talking to.
Kai's stomach tightened.
This is it, he thought.
This is the proof I needed that she's weird.
"Noah," Kai called suddenly.
"Hm?" Noah replied absentmindedly, still looking down at his phone while replying to messages.
"Look."
Kai tapped his shoulder repeatedly and pointed across the street toward Nyx.
Noah finally looked up and turned toward the direction Kai was pointing, slipping his phone back into his jacket pocket.
At that exact moment—
Nyx shifted sideways.
Revealing the small stray cat sitting on the sidewalk beside her.
"What about her?" Noah asked sarcastically.
"It's nothing," Kai replied flatly, disappointed that it wasn't what he thought it was. "I thought I saw her talking to nobody."
Noah laughed.
"Seriously?"
The cat meowed loudly as it stretched its body.
Then it hissed.
Nyx crossed her arms immediately.
"Well maybe if you stopped stealing food from smaller animals, people would like you more," she argued seriously.
The cat meowed back aggressively.
"You literally stole bread from a pigeon five minutes ago," Nyx continued. "That's villain behavior."
Noah burst out laughing.
Kai stared at her, both amused and completely dumbfounded by what he was witnessing.
Noah wiped his eyes dramatically.
"You are actually paranoid. And it's okay, I understand."
He raised both hands in surrender like Kai might attack him.
Kai frowned deeply.
"No, I swear she was talking to—"
"The cat?" Noah raised an eyebrow.
Kai looked annoyed.
"You don't get it, do you?"
Nyx suddenly turned in their direction and noticed them staring.
Her entire face brightened instantly like sunlight breaking through clouds.
"Oh! Hi, guys!"
She waved so aggressively Kai genuinely thought her arms might fall off.
Then she scooped the cat into her arms and hurried excitedly toward them.
The black cat looked absolutely miserable about it.
"There you guys are!" Nyx smiled brightly. "I've been looking for you two. And I made a new friend—Mr. Whiskers."
She lifted the cat proudly toward their faces.
Kai stared at it blankly.
"…That is exactly something you would do."
"I was trying to teach him morals," Nyx explained seriously.
The cat meowed loudly.
"See? He disagrees," Noah said, trying not to laugh.
Nyx gasped dramatically.
"Because he's a criminal."
Kai stared at her with a blank expression.
Noah burst out laughing again.
"You're actually insane," Kai muttered.
"Thank you," Nyx replied proudly.
"That wasn't a compliment."
Nyx ignored him completely and hugged the cat closer.
"He stole bread from a pigeon," she explained. "Right in front of me. No shame at all."
The cat hissed angrily.
"You see?" Nyx pointed at it. "Aggressive behavior."
Then suddenly—
the cat stopped squirming.
Slowly, its head turned toward Kai.
Its yellow eyes locked onto him.
Unblinking.
The fur along its back rose sharply.
A low growl rumbled deep in its throat.
Nyx blinked in surprise.
"Hey… what's wrong with you?"
The cat kept staring directly at Kai.
Then suddenly—
HISSSSS—
It violently leaped out of Nyx's arms.
Nyx yelped in shock as the cat hit the ground and sprinted across the street before disappearing between two houses.
Silence.
"Woah," Noah said jokingly before laughing. "What was that?"
"I think he doesn't like Kai," Nyx replied innocently.
"Which animal in its right mind would after seeing his face?" Noah laughed harder, clutching his stomach dramatically.
Kai didn't answer.
His eyes remained fixed on the direction the cat had run.
That feeling again.
That horrible feeling crawling beneath his skin.
Or feared him.
"Kai?"
He blinked and looked back at Noah.
"You're doing the staring thing again," Noah said carefully.
Kai forced a small shrug.
"It's nothing."
But even as he said it—
he knew he was lying.
Because somewhere deep inside him—
Something about that cat's reaction terrified him.