"Iris, I'm entering."

The door creaked open with a drawn-out sound, and a young woman stepped inside. She was tall and seemed to be around 25 or 26 years old, with warm brown eyes and soft, shoulder-length waves that framed her face.

In a fitted sweater and jeans, she looked beautiful. Her lively, mature presence warmed the room.

Iris, a young man of 27 or 28, turned to her. He remained composed, unperturbed by the intruder. He had deep hazel eyes and dark brown hair that fell in loose, tousled waves above his ears.

His sharp yet approachable features and relaxed posture exuded mature confidence. A simple, well-fitted shirt and jeans enhanced it.

"What is it, Lira? How many times have I told you not to disturb me while I'm working?"

Iris spoke, with no hint of anger. He had grown accustomed to Lira's habit of 'breaking' into his room.

"I went to check my height, and I've grown about ten centimeters since last year. Iris, I felt..."

Lira paused, as though hesitating to speak the word.

"It's alright, Lira! I checked my height too, and I've grown about fifteen centimeters this year. Even Mom's grown about five centimeters... not to mention Dad. So stop sulking over something we can't control."

Iris said, turning back to his laptop, ignoring her. Frustrated, Lira stomped her foot in annoyance. Then, she walked out, moving like an old woman on crutches, careful not to bump the doorway.

Iris heard the door close behind him and tried to focus on his work again. His large fingers hovered over the keyboard for a moment. Then he shut the laptop and leaned back in his chair with a sigh.

"It will be four years in a week..."

Iris muttered to himself, his voice tinged with helplessness over their situation.

Four years ago, something magical happened, though no one seemed to notice it at first. But a month later, some researchers discovered the Earth was growing in size.

At first, people weren't too concerned. They didn't grasp what the Earth's growth meant. Yet, within a year, the house next to Iris's, which had been only two meters away, now stood four meters apart. It's been almost four years.

The researchers say Earth is now 16 times its original size.It's not only the Earth that has grown; every living being on it has increased in size as well. But the growth varies among different species.

The largest domestic cat is now around two meters tall. The biggest dogs have reached an astounding four and a half meters. Also, there are the wild animals. They are dangerous and much larger than before. And there are towering trees that seem to touch the sky.

This rapid growth has occurred over the past four years. Naturally, humans, as a species of Earth, have also changed.

Consider Iris; he was 180 cm tall before all this began, but his growth stopped a few years ago. He grew about six centimeters in the first year. In the second year, it was eight centimeters. In the third year, he grew ten centimeters.

This year, he grew a staggering fifteen centimeters. He is now an impressive 2 meters and 19 centimeters tall.

His younger sister is also over two meters tall now, and his mom stands at about 1.9 meters. But the most staggering growth is in his father. He now stands an astounding 2.4 meters tall.

Official reports from the government say some people are over three meters tall.

"Hope Dad is doing well."

After a moment, Iris picked up his phone. He opened his contacts and hovered his finger over the contact labeled "Dad."

In the end, Iris decided not to call. He didn't want to disturb his father, since he might not get a response.

For four years, panic spread among the people. The threat of wild animals grew each passing year.

But, thanks to the government's support, life was stable for the people. There were only some death reports because of people traveling to dangerous forests and warnings to avoid the forests.

Unlike most people, Iris's family knows some secrets that others don't. It's not because they have any special influence; it's all because of Iris's father.

About a year after the magical 'growth' period began, his father fell ill. A deadly fever turned his skin yellowish and bed ridden. Doctors couldn't pinpoint the cause and told the family to prepare for his death.

However, just before his death, some military officials took him. These soldiers are in every small town and large village now, and took his father somewhere unknown.

His father returned home healthy after a week and shared some news with the family.

The deadly fever was some kind of mutation that granted him enormous strength compared to others. The military officials who accompanied him signed a NDA. Now, his father works for the government.

However, even his family doesn't know the specifics of his work.Bedwyn is a small village in Wiltshire County, located in southwest England. It has about one thousand people. It's a modest, well-protected village. About twenty soldiers defend it against wild animal attacks.

"Iris... Uncle John said that Claire is suffering from yellow fever."

Lira burst through the door, her voice tinged with exasperation. Iris's muscles tensed, and his expression darkened at the news.

Claire was his childhood sweetheart and John's only daughter. They had shared a sweet relationship long before these strange events began. They had grown up together and attended the same school and college.

But right before graduation, Claire broke up with him. She then started dating a wealthy, handsome, and brilliant classmate.

Despite the long awkwardness between them, they never turned on each other. After all, they were childhood friends and lived in the same village.

"There's nothing we can do, right? Tell Uncle John to inform the soldiers as soon as possible, at least to give her some hope. But don't disclose anything, or else we will be in trouble."

Iris, taking a deep breath, turned to Lira and suggested. His father had been the first case of this 'disease.' Since then, around ten similar incidents had occurred in the village. Despite the soldiers' efforts to take the affected to an 'Unknown place' for treatment, only two people had returned, that including his father.

Lira rushed out of the room as soon as he finished speaking. Like Iris, she had grown up with Claire, but unlike him, her relationship with Claire was still strong. She couldn't bear the thought of her friend dying.

Iris hesitated for a moment before standing up from his chair and slowly making his way out of the room.

He reached the entrance of their home and saw Lira running toward John's house, which had once been just two meters away but was now thirty meters from theirs.

Destruction and rebuilding of much of the construction took place during this 'Growth' period. This included Iris's house, which they repaired every year.

Thump Thump

Suddenly, Iris's heart began to pound erratically, as if something had triggered it. He couldn't help but clutch his chest, feeling the rapid beats.

This wasn't the first time it had happened, nor the second. This strange phenomenon began as early as the onset of the world's peculiar changes.

Over time, it had become a frequent occurrence. At first, he feared it might be a serious heart condition, but after multiple check-ups, doctors couldn't find a cause.

Yet, a gut feeling persisted. His condition felt like a premonition, a warning from his heart.

Oddly, these sensations grew stronger as the four-year mark approached. They drew all of Iris's thoughts toward it.

He felt that something big would happen to the world after four years or even before. Whether it would be good or bad, he couldn't say, but he felt certain that everyone's lives would change.

This was why he wanted to call his father and ask him to come back.