"I swear, there was nothing wrong with him when he came in..." Kyle muttered, his voice shaking.
His eyes widened as he stumbled backward, taking several steps in rapid retreat. A small piece of furniture toppled over with a crash.
"So... why?" Kyle's voice quivered in disbelief.
Tat!
The sound of something heavy hitting the floor was crystal clear in the eerie silence of the room.
It felt distorted, unnatural—like something dangerous was lurking.
In the narrow hallway, something stood.
Humanoid in shape, but wrong in every way.
There were two bulbous, grotesque bumps where its eyes should have been, its flesh twisting and squirming, as if something was burrowing beneath it.
It wore a torn, rugged uniform, the fabric barely hanging on under the strain.
In the dim light, a distorted face could be seen, half-hidden in shadows. Its mouth barely opened, but the jagged teeth inside were sharp, piercing its own flesh.
"H-help... Urg... K-kyleLan... a-e... Help me!!"
Dim, dull blue blood oozed from the wound, dripping down in a stream. Through the cascade of liquid, the outline of eyeglasses could be seen, merging with the flesh.
As the plea reached his ears, Kyle's heart sank. He understood, though it was too late. This classmate of his was no longer the person he had known—something had infected him.
Looking at the twisted figure, Kyle couldn't help but feel a strange pang of sympathy, like a fox mourning the death of a monkey.
They weren't close, but they'd shared classes. Maybe acquaintances. And now this... This horrible, twisted thing was standing before him.
"But you're beyond help now," Kyle muttered.
"So shut the hell up!!"
Kyle's expression hardened, his features turning fierce. A faint, dull glow emanated from his hand. With a swift motion, he hurled his strength forward.
Whoosh!
A strange orb of swirling energy erupted from his palm, crackling through the air.
"No matter what, I have to put myself first!" he shouted inwardly, his voice a roar in his mind.
"Die!"
His instincts kicked in. He didn't need to think twice. His classmate was in the middle of a transformation—weak and vulnerable.
W-why!! the creature cried in desperation.
The energy ball collided with the monster mid-scream. The two bulbous bumps on its head cracked open, revealing bloodshot eyes filled with raw hatred. It spun around, its gaze locking onto Kyle, who was still in the act of throwing.
"K-kyl!!!" the creature screeched.
With violent force, the creature was flung several feet into the air and slammed hard against the wall.
Boom!
The force of the collision made its flesh dent and blood burst out.
The creature seemed to be in pain as it wriggled disturbingly on the ground, letting out a distorted, agonizing scream.
"W...why!...pop!!"
A blurred blue streak passed by.
An arrow or spear made up of energy pierced its head and slammed it against the wall.
Thud!
Surprisingly, the wall was intact. But the creature stopped moving.
"Is he dead?"
Kyle breathed a sigh of relief seeing this. He turned behind him and thanked her for the timely follow up.
She was the one who fired that spear like energy attack.
She slowly lowered her hand. There was still shock in her eyes. She didn't expect him to be infected and turned into a monster.
"W...what happened!?"
Suddenly, a surprised voice rang out.