I didn't know what made my body move on its own. It was instinct… no, more like an inner calling pulling me forward. I felt something deep within me responding to the presence of those creatures I would later call "Emotica"—beings that fed on negative emotions and were born from them.
Without conscious thought, I found myself running, fighting, bleeding... And every time I defeated one of them, my body absorbed its energy, and I felt my strength gradually return.
But I wasn't ready. My hand throbbed in pain after the first fight, and my weakened body turned every motion into agony. I realized then—I needed to train... to grow stronger.
Before I could catch my breath, the police arrived at the scene. I had no time to explain. I fled with all the strength I had left, racing back to Liana's house.
She greeted me as usual, with her calm smile, preparing dinner. We sat down to eat, but I couldn't contain my curiosity.
"Liana… why do you live alone? Don't you have any family?"
She smiled softly, but I could see the pain in her eyes.
"I had a younger brother. When the Great Explosion happened in Novalis five years ago, he was there. I haven't been able to reach him since. He was all I had left. He should be around your age now… Trapped inside the city after the barrier sealed it off. I don't even know if he's still alive."
I froze.
The Great Explosion? A barrier? Flashes raced through my mind… A man's face above the barrier—hazy, dreamlike. I told her, confidently:
"Don't worry… I'm sure your brother is still alive. From today on, I'll be your brother."
She looked at me, moved, and whispered, "Thank you, Arin."
In that moment, a resolve stirred within me. I had to uncover the truth. Who am I? Who was that man? Why did the explosion happen? Who erected the barrier—and why?
But then, Liana asked a question I wasn't ready for.
"And you? Don't you have a family? Why were you lying in the street like that?"
I froze again.
Everything I had tried to forget came rushing back like a storm… Children screaming in the lab. Blood. Corpses. Experiments. Shackles. The number carved into my neck: No.0. I couldn't respond. I simply retreated to my room.
There, I stood before the mirror. My eyes glowed crimson. I stared at the number etched into my skin and said:
"No more fear. It's time, Arin. I'll reclaim myself… I'll uncover the truth… and I'll have my revenge on Hayden… that rotten old man."
From that night on, I began training my body every day. I'd exercise in an abandoned lot near the neighborhood each morning. At night, I'd sneak out, driven by that strange feeling that guided me toward the Emotica. Whenever one was near, my eyes would flare—and I would hunt.
I fought. I bled. I nearly died.
Then… I killed.
Each time, their energy surged into me, healing my wounds and boosting my strength. It started to feel like these creatures… were my nourishment.
But that wasn't all.
After each battle, I saw glimpses of their memories—brief flashes of their lives before they transformed. I learned they were once humans—most of them citizens of Novalis who had escaped before the barrier rose, only to turn into Emotica due to their overwhelming negative emotions.
That's when I realized something terrifying:
These monsters weren't a new threat… They were remnants of a dark past.
Despite everything, Liana treated me like a real brother. She cooked, cleaned, and smiled even though her eyes always held sorrow. One day, she looked at me with admiration and said:
"You've improved so much. You heal fast and seem more mature. How old are you now?"
I hesitated, then said, "I think… sixteen."
She laughed. "Well then, time to go back to school."
I froze.
"School?"
She smirked mischievously. "Yes, Arin. I won't let you just laze around here all day. I'll take care of your enrollment."
And just like that… a new chapter of my life began—one I never saw coming. A chapter that would open doors I wasn't yet prepared for.
But I was determined.