THE BOYS WHO REFUSE TO GIVE UP
ARC_2 THE DEVOURER
Shadows Begin to Move
After gaining speed, Arin stopped living like a normal boy.
While the city slept…
He ran across rooftops.
Delivered blood to hospitals.
Stopped thieves.
Saved people from accidents.
And when people asked who did it?
They only saw a blur.
A ghost.
A myth.
Some kids called him "Flash Phantom."
Arin laughed when he heard that.
"Heh… sounds cool. Maybe I should charge autographs."
Even when tired… even when lonely…
He joked.
Because if he stopped joking…
He might remember how scared he really was.
The First Villain
One night, the mysterious message returned.
But this time it wasn't from the "Unknown Sender."
The screen glitched.
Black symbols appeared.
Then words:
"FOUND YOU."
Suddenly—
BOOM.
A factory nearby exploded.
Arin rushed there at top speed.
But what he saw…
Was not human.
A tall figure.
Black veins.
Skin like cracked stone.
Mouth too wide.
Eyes glowing red.
It was eating something.
Not food.
Not flesh.
But the light from a man's body.
The man collapsed like an empty shell.
The creature smiled.
"Energy… delicious…"
It looked at Arin.
"You smell stronger…"
The Devourer
The creature called itself:
Nocthar
A being from another dimension.
A predator.
It didn't kill people.
It devoured their life force.
And grew stronger.
It laughed like broken metal.
"Humans are cattle… but you… you are a feast."
Arin scratched his head and grinned.
"Wow. First fan already? I just got powers last week."
Even now.
He joked.
Even when afraid.
The Jungle Trap
Nocthar didn't attack directly.
It lured Arin.
Destroyed small villages.
Left trails of drained animals.
Leading him toward the deep jungle.
Arin followed.
Fast.
Alone.
No backup.
Because he thought:
"If I'm fast enough… I can handle anything."
Big mistake.
The Fight
Deep inside the jungle.
No moonlight.
No sound.
Then—
CRASH.
Trees shattered.
Nocthar appeared.
Ten times bigger.
Muscles swollen with stolen energy.
"Thank you for coming… meal."
Arin dashed forward.
Punch.
Kick.
Hundreds of hits.
Faster than bullets.
But—
Nocthar grabbed him mid-run.
How?
It predicted him.
It adapted.
It slammed him into the ground.
Again.
Again.
Bones cracked.
Blood filled his mouth.
Still…
Arin laughed weakly.
"Heh… you hit like my math teacher…"
Nocthar placed its hand on his chest.
Dark energy spread.
It started absorbing his power.
Arin felt cold.
Like his soul was being pulled out.
His speed fading.
His vision dark.
"So this… is losing…"
For the first time…
He couldn't smile.
The Girl From Nowhere
Then—
SHING.
A silver flash cut through the darkness.
Nocthar screamed.
Its arm was sliced clean off.
A voice, calm and cold:
"Step away from him."
A girl stood there.
Long black hair.
Sharp eyes.
White coat stained with blood.
Beautiful.
But expressionless.
Like ice.
She held a glowing blade.
No fear.
No hesitation.
She moved once.
Nocthar's body split in half.
The monster fled into the shadows.
The Hidden Place
Arin passed out.
When he woke up…
He wasn't in the jungle.
He was somewhere else.
A floating stone platform above clouds.
Strange towers.
People training with fire, lightning, wind.
Like superhumans.
The girl sat beside him, applying medicine.
She spoke coldly:
"Don't move. Your energy pathways are damaged."
Arin blinked.
"Am I dead? If yes… heaven looks expensive."
She didn't laugh.
"You joke too much."
"It's annoying."
He smiled.
"It's my coping skill."
The Truth
She explained.
There were humans called Awakened.
Each person had one element only:
Fire
Wind
Strength
Ice
Lightning
But Arin?
She stared at him seriously.
"You're different."
"You have multiple cores."
"Speed… mental energy… and something else still sleeping."
"A human should never have more than one."
"You are either a miracle… or a disaster."
She looked at the sky.
Dark cracks appeared in the clouds.
Like space breaking.
"Other dimensions are opening."
"Creatures like Nocthar are scouts."
"One day… armies will come."
"Our job is simple."
She tightened her grip on her blade.
"Protect this world. Or die trying."
Arin's Smile
Arin looked at the sky.
At the cracks.
At the future war.
Then he laughed.
Not scared.
Not crying.
Just smiling.
"Heh… so life finally became interesting."
"Guess I'll train harder."
"Can't let ugly monsters eat my planet, right?"
The girl stared at him.
"You're strange."
He grinned.
"Yeah. But I never quit."
Final Line
Far away in the jungle…
Nocthar regenerated.
Whispering:
"Next time… I will devour everything…"
And above the world…
More cracks spread across the sky.
The invasion…
Had already begun.