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Three months had passed since the tragic deaths of his mother and father. It had been three months of suffocating despair—an unrelenting nightmare that no child should ever endure. First, his mother's sudden passing, then the shocking news of his father's assassination. The motive behind the murder remained an unsolved riddle, but Chase knew deep in his bones that it wasn't for money. His father hadn't been wealthy, but it seemed those who had killed him wanted to silence him, to erase the truth he had been uncovering.
As Chase stared at the moon, the cool, calming light that touched his skin contrasted sharply with the icy emptiness within. His heart was a hollow cavern, filled with remorse, guilt, and unanswered questions. It was as if the night itself understood his pain, and the dawn, which arrived quietly like an uninvited guest, brought no comfort.
Chase hadn't left his house in three months. He had avoided his parents' graves, afraid his presence would disturb their spirits. He remained locked in his grief, a prisoner of his own sorrow. But today, something shifted within him. For the first time in months, he picked up his bag and left the house.
He didn't even bother to lock the door behind him, the house suddenly feeling empty, even more so without his father in it. As he walked, the once-familiar streets now felt alien to him, as though he were a ghost moving among the living.
A car engine hummed in the distance, and Chase barely took notice as Hampton's car slowly pulled up alongside him. At the sight of Chase, Hampton's face went pale, his eyes widening in disbelief. "S-See, it's Chase," Hampton stammered, his voice laced with shock. The car slowed, and those inside turned to look, but none dared to say a word. Chase's cold, hollow gaze met theirs briefly before he continued walking, unaffected. Even Carter, who had once mocked him mercilessly, couldn't bring himself to speak.
Hampton, unnerved, quickly accelerated away, leaving Chase to continue his path in solitude.
When he reached the school, the atmosphere shifted. The usual chatter of students fell silent as Chase limped into the schoolyard. His once confident stride had been replaced by a dragging gait, his legs heavy, but it was the emptiness in his eyes that made people step aside instinctively. Three months ago, Chase would have been an easy target for bullies, but now, he was a specter—too broken, too indifferent to provoke.
The whispers started as soon as he entered the classroom, the murmur of shock rippling through the students. "It's Chase," one voice whispered. "Is he okay?" another voice followed. Kayla gasped, eyes wide in disbelief.
Kellie, sitting in her usual spot, looked up at the door, her surprise evident. She had never seen him like this—his eyes devoid of warmth, his presence an eerie calm that unsettled everyone around him.
As Chase moved toward the back of the room, Carter sat frozen in his seat. His eyes widened as Chase stopped by him, and in a voice stripped of all emotion, Chase spoke: "Stand up."
The words were simple, but the way they were said, so detached, so lifeless, sent a chill down Carter's spine. There was no malice in Chase's voice, only a cold command that brooked no argument.
Carter scrambled to his feet, his hands shaking. He had no choice but to obey. Chase placed his bag next to him and sat down, his head lowering to the desk. Whether he was asleep or awake was anyone's guess, but it didn't matter. It was clear he wasn't the same boy who had once been full of life.
Minutes passed in an uncomfortable silence until a teacher entered. He looked toward the back of the room, preparing to reprimand Carter for being inattentive, but when he saw who was sitting there, his words faltered.
It was Chase.
Before the lesson could continue, a deafening roar erupted from outside. The windows rattled as a monstrous sound filled the air. The students' screams of terror echoed in unison as they rushed to the windows, their eyes wide with horror.
"Monster! AHHHH!" they shouted, pointing toward the ocean. A three-headed, dragon-like creature emerged from the water, its massive wings flapping with a power that seemed to shake the very foundations of the earth. The sky darkened as if the heavens themselves feared this beast.
Chase stood from his seat, his eyes empty as he stared at the destruction unfolding outside. He didn't flinch, didn't run. His lips parted, but only one phrase escaped his mouth.
"It has begun."
And in that moment, Chase knew that whatever had been set into motion all those months ago—whatever his father had been investigating—was now at the precipice of awakening. The world was changing, and he was no longer a passive observer. The reckoning had come.
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