Han Juho rushed out of the apartment lobby, knowing it wouldn't be safe to stay there much longer. Around him, buildings were already crumbling, some on the verge of collapse.
His mind was spinning with questions—Are there really monsters, like in the novel? If that's the case, that's insane.
His thoughts scattered as he was stopped by a sudden scream. He turned toward the sound and spotted a woman frozen in fear, clinging to an elderly woman who seemed to be her grandmother. And behind them... a monster in the distance?!
The monster loomed large, its strange appearance twisting in a way that sent a chill to the pit of his stomach.
"Crazy..." Juho cursed under his breath. He scanned the crowd to see if anyone would help, but no one even turned their attention to them.
He gritted his teeth, conflicted between the instinct to flee and the desire to help. Juho picked up a rock on the ground and threw it at the monster to distract it. Then, without a word, he fled from the scene. It doesn't matter; all that matters is that he needs to run away first!
As he ran, he shouted into the chaos around him, telling everyone to get away as quickly as possible. He felt a little embarrassed but quickly pushed the thought aside.
He didn't know where he was running now. This was, without a doubt, the craziest thing that had ever happened to him.
His heart pounded so hard it felt like it might burst, and his legs wobbled as he pushed them to keep moving. A decade ago, he'd been a track star in high school, and his body somehow still remembered the rhythm of sprinting, the instinct to escape. But even with that old training kicking in, he was on the verge of collapse. Does this monster have a crush on him?!
Please, please, please, stop chasing me—!
After what felt like an eternity, the sound of heavy footsteps finally disappeared. Juho's breath was shallow and rapid. He tried to steady himself, forcing in a deep breath to calm down. Has the monster gone?
He hadn't had time to look around to see where he was now. But suddenly, a wave of dizziness hit, and he collapsed to the ground—along with everyone around him. His vision blurred as his eyes caught a glimpse of something strange in the sky, as if someone were flying.
Was it a bird? No. A plane...? No. It was... a person? Just then, a voice echoed through the sky, snapping him back to his senses.
He sat up, groaning as others around him did the same. They were looking around in confusion and fear.
"What the heck is happening right now?!" Suddenly, a man shouted, his eyes darting around in panic.
A friend beside him tried to calm him down, reaching out a steadying hand, but he stubbornly shoved his friend's hand away.
Juho was transfixed, watching the chaos. It was clear that the man was too overwhelmed to accept help, and honestly, who would blame him?
The sun shone down, and Juho shielded his eyes against the midday glare, his breath still catching from the chaos around him. But for some reason, he felt the air grow heavier.
Just then, Juho's attention was pulled away by a commotion around him. People were shouting, pointing nervously at something above.
A strange shadow loomed over the street, stretching wider and darker by the second. Squinting, Juho adjusted his glasses, looking up, and his heart skipped a beat.
High above, hovering like an impossible vision, was a figure resembling a human, floating in the sky without wings, wires, or machines. They looked almost divine.
A shrill laugh echoed, sharp and piercing, demanding attention as it sliced through the chaotic air. All eyes, both friend and foe, snapped toward the source.
There, suspended midair above the ruined cityscape, a figure cloaked in rich, dark silk seemed untouched by the hustle below.
A haunting smile lingered on their lips as they surveyed the broken world like a twisted stage set just for them.
Their skin was as pale as moonlight, a stark contrast to the deep, shadowy hues of their hair, which framed a face both unsettlingly beautiful and sharp as cut glass.
The figure clapped their hands and spread their arms wide, as if embracing the turmoil. "Welcome, my cherished guests," they purred, each word oozing a sinister warmth. "Before I begin today's... festivities, it would be rather rude of me not to introduce myself."
They paused, letting silence hang like a heavy curtain, eyes glinting with amusement. "Lucian Caelum," he finally announced, each syllable pronounced with elegance. "A pleasure to be your host in this delightful pandemonium."
With that, he chuckled—low, rich, and dangerous. A lazy smile curled at his lips as his gaze swept over the crowd. "I trust the journey has been... thrilling."
"But this..." He pointed to the confusion all around him. "Is only the beginning. Shall we dive deeper into this beautiful nightmare together?"
His laughter, soft and low, lingered in the air, hinting at horror yet to come. The air grew heavier, as if the fabric of reality trembled in response to his words, leaving the audience to wonder what unspeakable terror lay ahead.
Juho frowned, a chill creeping down his spine as that unsettling laughter echoed around him. He felt his skin prickle, a strange pressure settling on his chest as if something dark had just taken root.
But he stayed put, narrowing his eyes. "And here I thought today couldn't get any weirder," he muttered, barely masking his anxiety with sarcasm.
Hold on a second—he looked up at the man once more. This moment felt familiar. He recalled the host's arrival in the novel and the dramatic flair that had captivated the characters and readers alike. He certainly remembered him.
That ominous presence, the grand entrance, the chilling laughter that resonated with the madness he had read about, it all felt eerily similar.
A sense of dread churned in his stomach as he realized he was now part of a narrative he had only observed from a distance.
With every heartbeat, the line between fiction and reality blurred further, leaving him struggling with the absurdity of his situation. If only he could escape from this terrible nightmare.
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To be continued...