Stephen stared blankly at the starry night sky as he sat on the field just outside the camp.
He counted the numerous tiny dots in the sky until he lost track, then he started again.
He did that anytime he needed to clear his head and take his mind off everything that was going on in the world around him.
But just as he was beginning to become engrossed in the sight, a familiar voice called out from behind him.
The calm, feminine voice was coming from the direction of the camp, and Stephen could immediately tell who it belonged to.
He let out a long, deep sigh of frustration as he got to his feet. It was as if no matter how hard he tried, he could never shake off her presence.
"Stephen, I've been looking all over for you. My guess was right that you would be here," the lady said as she drew nearer, stopping when she was only a few feet from him.
Stephen turned around slowly, his gaze shifting just in time to meet the deeply concerned eyes of the lady now standing in front of him.
"You know you shouldn't be out here, especially during late hours like this. It is no news that this is when—"
"The cursed beasts attack, I know!" Stephen fired, cutting her off rudely.
His reaction caught her by surprise, and for a moment, she remained silent. When she finally spoke, her tone had tightened.
"Well then, unless you are ready and willing to die, I suggest you follow me," she said, turning her back on him and walking off in the direction of the camp gate.
As Stephen watched Mona walk away, he could not help but curse under his breath. She always had a way of subduing him and making him succumb to her every wish.
What made it more excruciating was that she did all of that while still maintaining a tender, affectionate charisma. She was the only parent figure he had in his life.
Having lost his parents at quite a tender age to the cursed beasts, Stephen had been left all alone, with no one to care for someone as worthless as he believed himself to be.
He had met Mona a while later when she was transferred to his camp, and it didn't take long before they bonded.
She made it her sole responsibility to look after him, despite the fact that she looked the same age as him.
This had always annoyed Stephen, as he rejected her caring gestures on several occasions, stating that she was no older than he was.
She always countered by saying otherwise but refused to disclose what her real age was.
By the time Mona reached the camp gate, Stephen was already standing right beside her.
She waved her hand at the camera right above them, and in no time, the metal gate slid open. They both stepped into the campgrounds, and moments later, the gate slammed shut again.
The world in which Stephen lived was a hollow shell of what it once was. Apparently, the future of humanity had nothing in store but chaos and destruction.
It all started in the mid-22nd century, when the world suddenly became infested with all sorts of man-eating beasts that appeared out of thin air.
Every form of resistance the world possessed to combat the sudden threat proved useless, and in no time, the human population was drastically reduced.
Just when it seemed like all hope was lost, the surviving humans began to develop all sorts of abilities which, like the beasts, were of unexplainable origin.
With this, the human race once again stood a chance at survival. But by then, a lot of irreversible damage had been done. The world as it once was was gone.
As humanity tried to pick itself up while still battling the never-ending hordes of cursed beasts, survivors began to segregate, forming small settlements known as camps.
As Stephen and Mona continued walking, passing by a dozen camp houses, they were soon met by an angry-looking middle-aged man.
"Where the hell are you coming from? Both of you!" he asked, contempt evident in his voice.
Stephen could only curse under his breath. He had been caught by the camp officer once again, and to make matters worse, he had dragged Mona down with him.
He immediately knew he had to do whatever it took to make sure she did not get punished for his delinquency.
"Mr. Thompson, Mona has nothing to do with this. She was only trying—"
"I don't want to hear another word from you! It's bad enough that both of you are liabilities and contribute nothing to this camp, but putting the camp in danger—" he cut in, his tone rising.
"What are you talking about? All I did was sneak out of the camp, and she was only trying to get me back in!" Stephen retorted, infuriated.
But just as his rage was boiling over, Mona placed her hand on his shoulder to calm him. It worked.
She then gave Mr. Thompson an apologetic look.
"We are very sorry if we caused you any trouble. We promise this will never happen again."
Her words made Stephen's stomach turn. Why was she apologizing when they had clearly done nothing out of the ordinary?
It was no secret that most camp members—especially the camp officer—loathed them because they had no abilities and, on top of that, were both orphans.
Mr. Thompson's gaze softened. Mona's words had been effective after all. But he was not done with them yet.
"I and the other members of camp management have decided that we cannot keep tending to both of you unless you prove your worth to the camp."
His words took both Stephen and Mona by surprise.
By that time, their confrontation had attracted the attention of other camp members, who now stood outside their homes, watching.
"What are you saying?" Stephen asked, confused.
"What I mean is, the camp's population has begun to outgrow its limits, and unless we cut it down, we risk becoming victims of the cursed beasts."
"What does that have to do with us?"
"The only way to effectively reduce the population is by transferring members who have no role in the camp's day-to-day functioning."
"Transfer?" Stephen snapped, stepping closer. "You know very well no other camp will take us in. You just want to get rid of us."
"You don't know that. The decision has been made, and the arrangements are being finalized. Hopefully, soon you'll be headed somewhere you'll be better appreciated," Mr. Thompson concluded as he turned and walked back to his tent.
Stephen could barely contain his rage. He could not just let this man throw them out and get away with it.
However, just as he braced himself to confront the camp officer, a strange noise interrupted him.
Everyone's attention—including Stephen's and Mona's—shifted toward the sound coming from the direction of the camp gate.
It didn't take long for realization to dawn.
They were under siege.
The cursed beasts were trying to breach the camp perimeter.
This came as a shock because the gate walls were built with a material known to repel the beasts.
The only way they stood a chance of breaking through was if they came in large numbers—and that was highly unlikely.
The next few minutes happened very fast.
The first thing Stephen remembered was a woman standing by her tent suddenly being dragged into the darkness, screaming for help before going completely silent.
No one knew how, but it was clear—the beasts had breached the camp.
Panic spread. Women and children screamed while the men rushed into tents, grabbing whatever weapons they could find.
The few with weak abilities—including the camp director—braced themselves, but no one was prepared for what came next.
Screams echoed across the camp as the cursed beasts picked people off one by one, disappearing into the darkness with their prey.
Before Stephen could fully process what was happening, Mona was gone.
He jolted back to reality, shouting her name as he searched blindly in the dark.
His search was cut short when one of the beasts attacked him.
He only survived because another beast appeared and also came after him. The two creatures clashed, giving Stephen just enough time to crawl into a nearby tent.
He remained curled up inside, tormented by the sounds of screams and slaughter.
He was too weak to move—and too afraid to face the chaos outside.
It was one of the longest nights of his life.
After hours of horror, morning light finally crept in, signaling the beasts' retreat.
From inside the tent, Stephen heard them flee.
Minutes later, silence fell.
He stepped outside—and froze.
Blood stained the ground. Beast tracks marked the earth. Bodies lay scattered everywhere—people he once knew.
"Mona."
Her name hit him like a shock.
He had been so focused on surviving that he had forgotten her.
He ran through the camp, calling her name, checking every face, praying she wasn't among the dead.
As survivors slowly gathered, Mr. Thompson among them, one thing became clear—
Mona was nowhere to be found.
Dead or alive… she was gone.