Christ's scream echoed so loudly through the stairwell that even she felt her own voice shaking inside her chest. The giant monster towering above her didn't move—it only leaned forward slightly, its breath cold enough to turn the air icy.
Its shadow stretched across the steps like long fingers reaching for her.
Christ couldn't run.
Her legs wouldn't move.
She felt glued to the floor by pure terror.
The monster raised one massive arm, claws sharp enough to tear through metal—
and swung—
But just before it could touch her, something flashed through the air.
A silver streak.
So fast she couldn't see where it came from.
SHHHHK—
In a single slice, the monster was cut clean in half.
Black smoke burst out of its body like exploding ink. The monster's torso separated and dissolved instantly, breaking apart into tiny pieces of shadow that floated upward before disappearing into the air completely.
Christ gasped, stumbling back.
Her legs finally unlocked, but only enough for her to collapse against the wall.
Standing where the monster used to be was a boy.
A boy with a sword so big it looked impossible for anyone to lift—yet he held it with one hand. The blade glowed faintly in the moonlight sneaking through the broken window.
He wore a mask that hid most of his face.
But his eyes—
His red eyes burned even through the darkness.
Sharp.
Cold.
Unhuman.
He flicked the sword lightly, shaking off the last trace of black dust.
Then he murmured in a low voice, almost bored:
"100th."
Like he was counting kills.
Like this was normal for him.
Christ stared at him with her mouth half open, mind blank, heart pounding so hard she could barely hear anything else. She wanted to speak, ask him who he was, how he killed that thing, what that monster even was—
But the boy didn't give her a chance.
He turned his head just long enough to look directly into her eyes.
Just one second.
One cold, sharp, piercing second.
Then he suddenly sprinted toward the nearest window.
"W–wait!" Christ shouted weakly.
But he wasn't listening.
He jumped. Cleanly.
Straight through the window and into the night.
Gone.
Just like that.
Christ gasped and looked back at the stairs, expecting the monster's body to still be there, but there was nothing. No blood. No smell. No marks.
Just silence.
And her heartbeat.
Her whole body shaking, Christ bolted upstairs without stopping. She fumbled with her keys, nearly dropped them twice, pushed her door open and locked it behind her with trembling fingers.
She slid down to the floor.
"What… what was that…?"
She forced herself to breathe and grabbed her phone.
Her fingers trembled as she dialed the police.
She expected them to laugh.
Call her crazy.
Tell her she imagined it.
But surprisingly—they believed her.
They said similar reports had been coming for weeks. "Shadow sightings," "moving silhouettes," "creatures on rooftops." She wasn't the first to call.
That scared Christ even more.
She hung up and immediately called her best friend.
"Can you… can you stay with me?" Christ asked softly.
Her best friend didn't even hesitate. "Of course. I'm coming right now."
The next morning, both of them walked to school together. Christ's face was pale. She barely slept. She barely ate. Every sound made her flinch.
And the moment they entered the school grounds, a crowd gathered around her.
"Christ, is it true?"
"You saw something last night?"
"What did the police say?"
"Did you see the killer?"
"Is the monster real?"
"Was it a human or—"
Christ clamped her mouth shut.
She didn't want to talk.
She didn't want to remember.
She just pushed through the group, ignoring the questions, and walked straight to her classroom. She sat in her seat like usual, head on the desk, trying to pretend life was normal.
But today wasn't normal.
Something strange was happening.
Henry was looking at her.
Not casually.
Not accidentally.
But directly.
His eyes followed her every time she moved. He didn't talk to anyone else. He didn't laugh with his friends. He didn't even check his football messages.
He was focused on her. Entirely.
Christ felt her stomach twist.
Why is he staring?
He never even talks to me.
The class went on quietly. Christ didn't pay attention. She just kept replaying the monster, the sword, the red eyes, the word "100th" echoing in her mind.
At lunch, she sat alone under a tree, hoping for just five minutes of peace.
But then someone sat beside her.
She didn't even need to look up. She already knew.
Henry.
Her heart froze.
"Hey… Christ, right?" he said softly.
She nodded, barely breathing.
"I heard what happened last night." His voice was strangely serious, not playful like usual. "Are you okay?"
Christ blinked at him.
Henry… talking to her?
For the very first time?
Worried about her?
It didn't feel real.
"I… I'm fine," she said weakly.
Henry looked at her with something she didn't expect.
Not pity.
Not curiosity.
But something more like… concern.
He leaned a little closer.
"If anything like that happens again," he whispered, "tell me first."
Christ stared at him, confused.
"Why… you?" she asked quietly. "Why do you care?"
Henry didn't answer.
He only gave her a small, strange smile.
A smile that didn't reach his eyes.
A smile that made her feel like he knew something she didn't.
Something about last night.
Something about the monster.
Something about the boy with the red eyes.