It was approximately 7 PM when Kyle was still en route to his home. He moved slowly, fatigued and aching from the earlier beating he had received from Chris and his associates.
He had about 15 minutes remaining before he would arrive home on foot, but due to his high stress and exhaustion, he doubted that those 15 minutes would suffice.
"What a drag, I'm running really late," Kyle murmured to himself as he trudged along the path leading home.
Suddenly, a loud sound of barking erupted from the nearby woods.
"Why is there a dog barking at this hour?" Kyle pondered, pausing briefly to listen intently to the ruckus.
"It must be with its owner—that's the only reason," he concluded silently once more.
Turning back toward his route, he tried to resume his journey. However, after taking a few steps, the barking transitioned into a heart-wrenching yelp before abruptly falling silent.
This pause made Kyle freeze in place as he questioned what could have caused such a noise, as if the dog were in distress.
"Maybe its owner scolded it for making such a racket for a prolonged time," Kyle thought as he resumed his walk home.
By 7:24 PM, Kyle arrived at the orphanage, a grand mansion on the outskirts of the city, nestled in a still-developing suburban area, serving as a home for around 100 children.
*Sigh*
"Time to face another round of misery and extreme misfortune," he said to himself as he stepped through the large gate of the estate, with the main building positioned at the far end.
"Huh, where's the gatekeeper?" he remarked as he walked down the path toward the main building.
As he walked, Kyle began to notice something unusual. The entire area was eerily quiet, with no sounds coming from either inside or outside the mansion. There was not a single person to be found—not the gatekeeper nor any other staff members were visible.
"What's happening? Where is everyone? Where'd they go"
Kyle questioned quietly to himself as he approached the mansion's main entrance.
Upon reaching the door, he pushed it open and stepped inside casually, only to be shocked by the absence of people. There wasn't a single soul in sight.
"Hello?" Kyle called out loudly, his voice bouncing off the walls of the mansion as he wandered around in search of anyone.
"Nobody's here; where could they all have gone?" he said, turning to head directly toward the medical clinic.
"Is this another one of those awful pranks they're always playing on me just to make me look bad in front of everyone"
Kyle said within himself in a worried tone.
On his way there, he came across a fellow orphan curled up on the floor in a corner. Kyle could hear her softly murmuring to herself as he approached her.
"Hello," Kyle greeted, gently placing his hand on her shoulder.
Startled, she let out a scream, leaping to her feet and shouting at him.
"Please, don't touch me! I'm begging you!" she yelled, tears brimming in her eyes as she backed away from Kyle, all while keeping him in her line of sight.
Kyle felt bewildered by her reaction, but his desire to understand the situation compelled him to step closer.
"I apologize if I frightened you," he said. "Can you please explain what's happening? Where is everyone?"
In response, she screamed and began hurling objects at him.
"Stay away from me! Just leave me alone!" she shouted.
Protectively, Kyle raised his arms to shield himself from any potential injury to his face. Confusion swirled in his mind as he pondered her sudden outburst and the absence of others in the orphanage.
Despite the things being thrown at him, his resolve to find out where everyone had gone remained steadfast.
"I swear I won't bother you, but could you at least tell me where the others are?" Kyle implored, shielding his face from the flying debris.
"I told you to leave me a—" she began, but abruptly halted mid-sentence.
As Kyle continued to guard his face, he felt puzzled by her silence and the sudden cessation of projectiles hitting him, prompting him to cautiously lower his arms.
An overwhelming dread engulfed him as he beheld the scene before him.
A large object had impaled her abdomen, her insides protruding from her body.
"There you are," a low, crackling male voice echoed from the shadow behind her.
Before him stood a tall, slender creature whose mouth served as its eyes and whose eyes functioned as its mouth, accompanied by a massive opening on its stomach. It had long limbs and human-like noses on its shoulders, which oozed slime onto its grotesque form.
"You did well to stay hidden for so long, but now you will receive your reward," the creature announced, seizing her arms and violently tearing her in two.
Frozen in place, Kyle was paralyzed by fear, unable to flee. All he could do was stand there in extreme horror as the being lifted the lifeless body and began to consume it through the gaping maw on its stomach.
Noticing Kyle's presence while feeding, the creature paused.
"Looks like there are still a few of you remaining," it said as it turned to face him.
Summoning every ounce of strength, Kyle ran for his life, completely gripped by fear.
"Absolutely not, what on earth is that monster? It took her life!"
Kyle exclaimed while dashing toward the front door in a desperate bid to flee the building.
**Whoosh**
Suddenly, another beast of the same species emerged in front of him, positioning itself between Kyle and the exit.
"You cannot evade us; surrender your life to us,"
the creature commanded as it advanced toward him.
With the main entrance thoroughly obstructed, Kyle had no alternative but to make his way to the emergency bunker located beneath the structure.
"Your attempt to escape is futile, human,"
the creatures chanted in unison, watching Kyle attempt to flee from their vicinity.