Somewhere in the world, a lone figure ran frantically along a desolate road, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The abandoned village around him stood in eerie silence, its crumbling buildings watching like silent sentinels.
"Where are you running?" A ghostly voice echoed through the empty streets, cold and taunting. "Don't you want to meet them?"
The man didn't dare look back. He knew something was chasing him—something he didn't want to see. His feet pounded against the cracked pavement as he pushed forward, his lungs burning, his mind screaming for escape.
At last, he reached a giant overhead "Welcome" board at the village's entrance. Gasping for air, he finally stopped, allowing himself a moment of relief. He turned, glancing back with an assuring sigh—he had made it out. He was safe.
Or so he thought.
As he took a few steps forward, a sudden wave of exhaustion washed over him. His vision blurred, his knees buckled, and before he could comprehend what was happening, he collapsed. Darkness took over.
When he opened his eyes, dread settled in his gut. He was back in the village.
Nothing had changed. The same dilapidated houses stood around him, their broken windows staring at him like hollow eyes. He sat up quickly, panic settling in. How? He had escaped—he was sure of it!
Then, without warning, a dense fog rolled in, engulfing the entire village. It was thick—so thick that he could barely see a few feet ahead. The silence grew heavier, pressing down on him like a living force.
He had to leave.
Moving forward blindly, he walked with uncertainty. The village had changed. The streets stretched endlessly, with no turns, no intersections—just a single road leading deeper into the unknown.
Then he saw it.
A dark red liquid pooled across the road ahead. Blood.
His breath hitched, but he didn't stop. He had to get out.
But after walking a few more minutes, the road beneath him changed. The hard pavement disappeared, replaced by something brittle, something that cracked beneath his feet. He hesitated, heart hammering, before looking down.
The road was made of crushed bones.
Terror clawed at his throat, and without thinking, he turned back, running in the direction he had come from. But nothing changed. The road stretched endlessly, leading him to the same place again and again.
And then he saw it—the "Welcome" board.
But this time, the road beneath it was not just bones. It was soaked in fresh blood.
A bright light flickered ahead.
Through the fog, he saw a figure walking on the road, holding a lantern. Relief surged through his chest. A person—someone who could help!
Without hesitation, he ran after them, calling out, "Please! Help me! I can't leave this place!"
The person didn't stop.
Desperate, he ran faster, reaching out and grabbing their shoulder. "Hey! Please—"
The figure finally turned.
A pale face, hollow eyes, a sinister grin. "Got you."
A chilling sensation wrapped around his body, and before he could react, darkness swallowed him whole.
When he regained consciousness, he found himself tied to the ground. Candles flickered around him, casting eerie shadows. Hooded figures stood in a circle, chanting in a language he couldn't understand.
He tried to move, but his body refused to obey. He couldn't scream.
"Tonight, the awaited sacrifice has come willingly," one of them spoke in a raspy voice. "It has been long since the last sacrifice tried to run."
The glint of a blade shone in the candlelight.
Tears streamed down his face as one of the figures lifted the knife. He tried to beg, tried to move, but his body was frozen in place.
The blade plunged into his chest.
A searing pain erupted through his body, unbearable, suffocating. Blood spilled freely, his life draining away.
Through the haze of pain, he heard their final words—
"With this last sacrifice..."
And then, he faded into nothingness.
In the real world, his body dissolved into dust, as if he had never existed.
Somewhere else, far from the village.
"Wake up, Ashu! It's time for school!"
Ashu groaned, pulling his blanket over his head. "Five more minutes, Mom..."
"You'll be late! Your sister is already dressed."
With a sigh, he forced himself up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He had overslept again. Rushing through his morning routine, he barely had time to grab a piece of toast before running out the door.
"Bye, Mom!"
The school bus ride was normal, filled with chatter and laughter. He met his friends, joked around, and soon arrived at school.
Everything was normal.
Until it wasn't.
During class, Ashu glanced out the window. The school athletes were practicing for an upcoming inter-school event. The sky was bright and clear—until it wasn't.
Slowly, the sunlight faded as dark clouds swallowed the sky. The shift was unnatural, the air turning heavy, oppressive.
Then, a sound shattered the silence.
Not the rumbling of thunder—something else.
A deep, guttural boom.
The school's boundary wall trembled before a massive section collapsed.
From the broken wall, a bull emerged. But this was no ordinary animal. Its eyes burned red, and its massive frame moved with terrifying speed.
And then it attacked.
Students screamed as the bull gored them with its horns, impaling bodies and tossing them aside. Others tried to run, only to be trampled beneath its monstrous hooves.
Chaos erupted.
Inside the classroom, students were frozen in horror. Some vomited, others sobbed. The teacher tried to calm everyone, but before they could react, the bull charged into the building.
Panic took over.
Some students tried to run, but they were the first to die. The teacher ran to get help but was killed before making it outside.
Ashurag hid inside a cupboard, heart hammering in his chest.
Then, another horror appeared.
A man entered the classroom, his skin pale, his mouth dripping with blood. He moved slowly, eerily, before grabbing a boy.
The student screamed as the creature bit into his neck, sucking the life out of him. His body grew pale, lifeless, empty.
As all these happens, he remembers about his sister, "is she alive?"
Outside, more screams rang through the school.
The sirens blared.
The blood-drinking creature turned and left.
Ashurag slowly stepped out. Bodies were piled in the center of the classroom. His classmates—lifeless, drained.
He had to find his sister.
Running through the deathly silent halls, he heard distant gunshots outside.
Then, by sheer luck, he saw her—his sister, unharmed, descending the stairs.
Without hesitation, he grabbed her hand and ran.
Outside, the world was dead.
No living souls. Only corpses and silence.
Stealing a car key from a lifeless hand, Ashurag drove home.
His sister, confused, asked, "Brother, why is everyone sleeping?"
He didn't answer.
He turned on the radio.
A static-filled broadcast crackled—
"A strange phenomenon has engulfed the world. Darkness has spread across the Earth. Reports of unnatural creatures attacking civilians are increasing. The military has been deployed, but no successful resistance has been reported. We urge citizens to stay insi—"
The transmission cut off.
Ashurag's grip tightened on the wheel.
Something had changed in the world.
And there was no turning back.