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Noah didn't move.
He couldn't.
The creature's words echoed inside his head like a broken recording.
You are the reason we exist.
Cold sweat ran down the side of his face.
Around him, dozens of monsters remained kneeling on the cracked asphalt. Their bodies twitched occasionally, like broken machines struggling to stay still. Some had limbs bent at impossible angles. Others looked barely human anymore.
But every single one of them had their heads lowered toward Noah.
Like worshippers.
Or prisoners awaiting orders.
Noah swallowed.
"Th-this isn't possible…"
His voice sounded weak even to himself.
The creature that had spoken crawled a little closer. Its body scraped against the ground, leaving dark streaks behind it. Up close, Noah could see the details more clearly.
Its skin was torn in several places, revealing black veins pulsing underneath. Its jaw was stretched wider than a normal human mouth should allow, rows of jagged teeth glistening with saliva.
But the worst part was its eyes.
Behind the glowing red light…
There was recognition.
Memory.
The creature tilted its head slowly.
"…Noah…"
The way it said his name made Noah's stomach twist.
It wasn't just a monster growl.
It sounded almost… sad.
"How do you know me?" Noah asked, his voice trembling despite his effort to stay calm.
The creature's mouth opened again.
But before it could speak—
A loud screech echoed through the city.
It was sharp.
High-pitched.
And powerful enough to make Noah instinctively cover his ears.
The monsters reacted instantly.
Every single one of them flinched.
Their bodies trembled violently, as if something had just sent a shock through them.
Then they lifted their heads.
And for the first time since Noah had seen them…
They looked afraid.
Noah's heartbeat quickened.
"What… was that?"
The creature closest to him suddenly crawled backward.
Its movements were frantic now.
Panicked.
"…Hunters…" it whispered.
The word barely formed through its twisted mouth.
Noah frowned.
"Hunters?"
Before he could ask anything else—
The monsters around him began moving.
Fast.
Some climbed onto buildings using their claws.
Others disappeared into alleyways.
A few sprinted down the empty street, their long limbs carrying them unnaturally quickly.
Within seconds, the entire street began emptying.
The creature in front of Noah remained kneeling for a moment longer.
Then it looked up at him one last time.
"…Hide…"
And it ran.
Just like that.
Noah was left alone in the middle of the silent street.
His mind struggled to process what had just happened.
Monsters.
Talking monsters.
Monsters that knew his name.
Monsters that… obeyed him.
And now they were running away from something called Hunters.
The screech came again.
Closer this time.
Noah felt it vibrate through the ground beneath his feet.
His instincts screamed at him.
Move.
Without thinking further, Noah ran.
He dashed toward the nearest building—a small convenience store on the corner.
The glass doors were shattered.
Inside, shelves had been knocked over and products scattered across the floor.
But it provided cover.
Noah slipped inside and crouched behind one of the fallen shelves.
His breathing was heavy.
His heart pounded against his ribs like it was trying to escape.
"What the hell is happening…" he whispered to himself.
The silence returned for a few seconds.
Then something landed outside.
BOOM.
The ground shook.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
Noah froze.
Slowly, carefully, he peeked over the edge of the shelf.
Through the broken front window, he saw it.
And his blood ran cold.
The creature standing in the street was nothing like the monsters he had seen earlier.
This one was massive.
At least ten feet tall.
Its body looked like it had been stitched together from multiple creatures. Thick black armor-like skin covered its torso, while long blade-like bones extended from its arms.
Its head had no face.
Just a wide vertical mouth filled with rotating rows of teeth.
The thing sniffed the air slowly.
Then it let out another screech.
Noah immediately ducked back down.
His hands were shaking now.
"That… that thing is hunting them?"
The word the monster had used echoed in his mind.
Hunters.
Which meant…
The creatures outside weren't the top of the food chain.
Something worse existed.
A slow scraping sound came from outside.
Noah held his breath.
Heavy footsteps approached the store entrance.
One step.
Two.
Three.
Each one making the floor vibrate slightly.
Noah's heart felt like it might explode.
The shadow of the giant creature stretched across the floor of the store.
It was standing right outside the entrance now.
Noah pressed himself against the ground, barely daring to breathe.
The creature sniffed the air again.
Its mouth slowly opened.
Then—
It stepped inside.
The sound of its claws scraping against the tile floor echoed through the empty store.
Noah closed his eyes.
Don't move.
Don't breathe.
The creature walked deeper inside.
Its footsteps were slow.
Methodical.
Like it knew something was there.
The smell hit Noah next.
Rotten flesh mixed with something metallic.
His stomach churned.
The footsteps stopped.
Right behind the shelf he was hiding behind.
Noah's entire body tensed.
A low rumbling growl filled the air.
Then the shelf above him suddenly lifted.
Noah's eyes snapped open.
The massive creature had grabbed the shelf with one hand and thrown it aside like it weighed nothing.
Their eyes met.
Or rather—
Noah stared directly into the spinning mouth of teeth.
For a brief moment, the world seemed to stop.
Then the creature lunged.
Noah rolled sideways just in time.
CRASH!
The creature's claws smashed into the floor where he had been lying.
Tiles shattered instantly.
Noah scrambled to his feet and ran.
Adrenaline surged through his body.
He dashed toward the back door of the store.
Behind him, the monster roared.
Its footsteps thundered across the floor as it gave chase.
Noah burst through the back door and into a narrow alley.
The cold air hit his face.
But he didn't stop running.
He could hear the creature crashing through the door behind him.
Its heavy footsteps followed closely.
Noah's lungs burned.
His legs felt like they might give out.
There was no way he could outrun something like that.
Then something strange happened.
The creature suddenly slowed down.
Noah glanced back.
The monster had stopped moving.
It stood at the entrance of the alley, staring at him.
Its mouth opened wider.
But instead of attacking again…
It tilted its head.
Like it was confused.
Noah slowed his steps.
"…What?"
The creature sniffed the air again.
Then it stepped backward.
Another step.
Then it turned around.
And walked away.
Just like that.
Noah stood frozen in the alley.
His chest rose and fell rapidly.
It took a full minute before he realized something.
"That thing… stopped chasing me."
The thought made goosebumps rise across his arms.
Why?
It had clearly seen him.
Clearly attacked him.
But then it suddenly lost interest.
The same way the other monsters had treated him.
Like something about him made them hesitate.
Fear crept into Noah's mind.
"What am I…?"
A distant sound interrupted his thoughts.
Footsteps.
Light ones.
Coming from the far end of the alley.
Noah stiffened again.
Another monster?
He slowly turned toward the sound.
A figure appeared at the end of the alley.
Small.
Human.
A girl.
She looked around Noah's age.
Her clothes were dirty and torn, and her long black hair was tangled like she hadn't washed it in days.
But she was clearly human.
No claws.
No glowing eyes.
No twisted body.
She froze when she saw him.
For a moment, they simply stared at each other.
Shock filled both of their faces.
"…You're human," she whispered.
Her voice cracked slightly.
Noah felt a wave of relief crash over him.
"I was about to say the same thing."
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Then the girl took a cautious step closer.
"How… how are you still normal?" she asked.
"I don't know," Noah admitted.
She studied him carefully.
Her expression slowly changed.
The fear in her eyes grew stronger.
Noah frowned.
"What?"
The girl took a step back.
"No…"
"What?"
"You're the one…"
Noah's stomach dropped.
"The one what?"
The girl pointed at him with a shaking finger.
"I saw them," she whispered.
"Those monsters… earlier."
Noah stayed silent.
"They were kneeling," she continued.
Her voice trembled.
"They were kneeling to you."
The alley suddenly felt colder.
"You saw that?" Noah asked quietly.
The girl nodded.
Then she said something that made Noah's heart sink.
"They only kneel to one thing."
Noah felt a chill run down his spine.
"And what's that?"
The girl's lips trembled.
Her voice came out barely above a whisper.
"…The King."
Noah blinked.
"The… what?"
Before she could answer—
A deep roar shook the entire city.
Both of them looked up at the skyline.
Far in the distance…
Something enormous moved between the buildings.
A shadow far larger than anything Noah had seen yet.
And it was heading toward them.
The girl's face turned pale.
Her voice shook as she whispered—
"…It found you."