Night came too fast.
Kael noticed it the moment the sky shifted.
There was no sunset.
No slow fade of light.
One moment it was evening—
The next—
Darkness swallowed everything.
"…That's not normal."
He stopped walking.
The street behind him was still filled with people, but something felt… off.
Quieter.
Heavier.
No.
Not quieter.
Muted.
The sounds were there—
But distant.
Like he was hearing them through water.
Kael's eyes scanned the surroundings.
The same buildings.
The same road.
The same people.
But their movements…
Were slightly delayed.
A man lifted his arm—
Then a fraction of a second later, it actually moved.
"…Yeah."
Kael exhaled slowly.
"It's getting worse.
The air shifted.
A sudden chill spread through the street.
Not cold like wind.
Not natural.
It felt like something had entered the world.
Kael's body tensed instantly.
His instincts screamed.
"Move."
He stepped back—
Just as something fell from above.
—CRACK.
The ground shattered where he had been standing.
People screamed.
"What was that?!"
"Did something fall?!"
Kael didn't answer.
He was staring at it.
At the thing now crouched in the center of the street.
It looked… human.
At first.
Then it moved.
Its limbs bent the wrong way.
Too many joints.
Too many angles.
Its skin flickered—
Like it couldn't decide what it was supposed to be.
A face tried to form—
And failed.
"…What the hell is that…"
The creature twitched.
Then slowly—
It turned its head toward Kael.
Not toward the crowd.
Not toward the noise.
Toward him.
Its "face" stretched.
Like it was trying to smile.
"…you… can see…"
Kael's eyes widened.
"…It's talking?"
The creature took a step forward.
Its body lagged behind itself for a split second—
Then snapped into place.
Reality couldn't keep up with it.
People around them panicked.
Some ran.
Some froze.
Some didn't even realize what they were looking at.
"MONSTER!"
The creature ignored them.
Still staring at Kael.
"…error… detected…"
Kael's heart pounded.
"…Error?"
The creature tilted its head
"…you… shouldn't… be aware…"
The ground beneath it cracked again.
Not from force—
From instability.
Like its existence was breaking the world around it.
Kael took a step back.
"…Alright."
His voice was low now.
Focused.
"…So this is what happens."
The creature lunged.
Fast.
Too fast.
Kael barely reacted—
He moved to the side—
But not enough—
—SLASH
Pain exploded across his arm.
He stumbled back, gripping his shoulder as blood seeped through his fingers.
"…Tch—!"
The creature didn't stop.
Didn't hesitate.
It attacked again.
Kael's vision sharpened.
His breathing slowed.
Everything around him—
Started to feel…
Strange.
Like the world had layers.
Like something was just slightly out of place.
And then—
He saw it.
A crack.
Not in the ground.
Not in the air.
In reality itself.
A thin, almost invisible line—
Floating just beside him.
"…What is that…"
The creature charged again.
No time to think.
Kael moved.
Not away.
Toward the line.
His body passed through it—
And for a split second—
He wasn't there.
The attack missed.
The creature's arm sliced through empty space.
Kael reappeared a step away—
Breathing hard.
Eyes wide.
"…I…"
He looked at his hands.
"…I disappeared."
The creature froze.
"…impossible…"
Kael looked back at it.
Something in his eyes had changed.
"…No."
He straightened slowly.
"…I just stepped where I wasn't supposed to be."
The air around him shimmered faintly.
The cracks—
The lines—
They were everywhere now.
Faint.
Hidden.
But visible.
And only he could see them.
The creature twitched violently.
"…correction required…"
Its body began to distort even more—
Breaking.
Stretching.
Like something was forcing it to exist.
Kael clenched his fist.
"…You're not supposed to be here either, are you?"
The creature screamed—
Not a normal scream—
A sound like tearing pages.
And lunged again.
This time—
Kael didn't panic.
He stepped.
Into another crack.
And vanished.
The creature's attack hit nothing.
Then—
Kael reappeared behind it.
His eyes glowing faintly violet.
But
"…I can see it now."
The world.
Wasn't stable.
And whatever this thing was—
It was part of the problem.
End of Chapter