A flight landed in the sprawling metropolis of City X, its passengers disembarking into the busy terminal. Among them was a teenage boy, his appearance clean-cut, his demeanor cheerful but tired. He carried a small suitcase as he made his way toward a taxi stand.
The journey home was uneventful, but as the cab pulled up to his old neighborhood, a wave of nostalgia washed over him. It had been years since he had seen these streets. He stepped out, paying the driver, and walked up to the front door of his family's home.
When he reached, the clock struck 7:45 PM. The house was eerily quiet, the windows dark. He knocked on the door, but there was no answer. After a moment of hesitation, he fished out his spare key and unlocked it.
"Mom? Little brother? I'm home!" he called out, his voice echoing through the empty house.
No one replied. The furniture was neatly arranged, everything in its place, but there was an unnatural stillness in the air.
"They must've gone out," he muttered to himself. Placing his bag down, he lay on the sofa, exhaustion overtaking him as he drifted into sleep.
When he woke up, the morning sun streamed through the windows. He glanced at his phone. 8:30 AM.
"Still not back?" he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. The unease from the previous night returned, stronger this time.
He stepped out to ask the neighbors if they had seen his family. An elderly woman opened her door, peering at him curiously.
"Yes? Who are you?" she asked, her tone polite but cautious.
"I'm their elder son," he explained. "I just returned yesterday after being away for studies."
Her expression turned to one of pity. "Oh, dear… your family hasn't been here for over a week now."
"What?" His voice cracked, disbelief washing over him.
The boy's mind raced as he rushed to the police station to report his family missing.
At the station, the officer listened to his story, his eyebrows raised in slight amusement. "Let me get this straight," the officer began, "you've been away for 15 years, you came back yesterday, and now your family's been missing for a week? Quite the tale."
"It's not a tale," the boy snapped, desperation evident in his voice. "Please, help me. Here's their photo, and here's my phone number."
The officer sighed and took the photo. "Alright, we'll look into it. But don't get your hopes up."
Leaving the station, the boy wandered the streets, tears streaming down his face as he stared at his phone. His mother and younger brother's smiling faces stared back at him from the photo, a painful reminder of what he'd lost.
Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted by someone shouting, "Please, move aside! Make way!" The voice was frantic, filled with fear.
He turned just in time to see a man sprinting past him, his face pale with terror. Behind him was something that made the boy's blood run cold—a grotesque creature, its twisted form unlike anything he'd ever seen.
The creature lunged, its claws tearing into the fleeing man. Screams filled the air as it began ripping flesh from his body, devouring him piece by piece. The man's cries turned to gurgles as the creature sank its teeth into his chest, pulling out his heart as though it were a delicacy.
The boy stood frozen, his mind struggling to process the horror before him. Around him, a crowd had gathered, their faces masks of fear. But no one moved to help.
Clenching his fists, the boy grabbed a nearby metal rod and charged toward the creature. He struck it with all his strength, and the creature snarled, turning its gaze on him.
Time seemed to stop as he recognized its face—it was his mother.
"M-Mom?" he whispered, his voice shaking. The rod slipped from his hands, clattering to the ground. "Is it… you?"
He took a tentative step forward, tears streaming down his face. But before he could reach her, a group of people emerged from the crowd.
"Step aside, boy!" one of them commanded, their voice firm. "This is not your fight."
"But she's my mom!" the boy cried, his voice breaking.
One of the group members, a stern-looking man, shook his head. "No, she's not. She's a clone. Your real mother died long ago."
"What? No… you're lying!"
Without hesitation, the man lunged at the creature, slashing it with a weapon that glowed faintly. The boy could only watch in horror as the creature—his mother's clone—collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
"You killed her…" the boy whispered, his voice barely audible. He fell to his knees, his vision blurring with tears. "You killed my mom…"
"That wasn't your mother," the man said bluntly.
But the boy wasn't listening and fell down . When he woke up the same group was surrounding him ,So you waked up are u safe ?? He woke up and clenched his fists, his anger boiling over. He grabbed the man by the collar. "How dare you kill her! She was my mom!"
The man didn't flinch, his expression unchanging. "Calm down, boy. We saved your life."
"Saved my life? You took away my only family!"
Another member of the group stepped forward, placing a firm hand on the boy's shoulder. "Listen to us. That wasn't your mother. It was a clone—a creature known as a Soul Devourer. If we hadn't killed it, it would've killed you."
"But… my younger brother?" the boy asked, his voice trembling.
The man's expression darkened. "He's likely gone too. The clone probably killed him."
"No… that can't be true!"
" he was his son ,"She was not your mother. That thing was just a twisted version of her," another member of the group explained solemnly.