The crimson-red, sharp-tipped fur quivered in the air as the beast shifted, its silver claws scraping slowly across the ground.
An ominous dark aura radiated from its muscular frame, exuding a vitality that was twisted and malevolent.
The creature's eyelids twitched, then opened, revealing sharp, vertical-slit pupils that glinted with an otherworldly glow.
Through those monstrous eyes, a new world unfolded—a blurry vision of a young woman, trembling as she sat against her bedroom wall.
Luna's face was pale, frozen in fear. Her wide, unblinking eyes locked onto the beast before her, a shadow of the pet she once loved.
The ferocious creature—once Kuro, her playful puppy—stood still, trembling with an internal conflict. Its body heaved with the weight of a command booming in its mind:
"Kill them all. Kill the humans."
Kuro shook his head violently, as if trying to resist, but his vision focused on Luna with chilling intensity. He crouched low, muscles coiling as he prepared to pounce.
Luna's heart raced, tears streaming down her face.
Her mind was a blur of terror and sorrow, but one thought burned clear: "Kuro… my poor Kuro…"
Her sobs broke the suffocating silence—a desperate, hopeless sound.
The beast growled, a guttural rumble that sent chills down her spine.
The bed beneath it groaned, then collapsed under the creature's immense weight.
The sound echoed, a death knell—loud and final.
In the room next door, Mari stirred in bed, anxiety gnawing at her.
Jin hadn't contacted her, and the unease that had settled over her refused to be shaken.
A sudden crash startled her—a loud, jarring noise that set her heart pounding.
Her breath hitched.
Moments later, blood-curdling screams tore through the quiet night.
Mari shot up from her bed, adrenaline surging through her veins.
She rushed to the window and peeked out. Her blood ran cold.
The scene outside was chaos.
Windows were shattered, debris scattered across the street, and the screams of her neighbors filled the air.
"No… no…" Mari whispered, her breath hitching.
She watched in horror as the silhouette of a monstrous, red-furred beast loomed in the neighbor's window.
It stood on four powerful legs, its crimson glow casting grotesque shadows across the room.
In its jaws, it held a lifeless body, the mangled corpse swaying as the creature moved.
A sickening crunch reached Mari's ears—the sound of flesh torn apart and bones snapping under immense pressure.
She covered her mouth with her hands to stifle a scream, her eyes wide with terror.
The world outside had turned into a nightmare.
Then, Mari's thoughts snapped to her sister, Luna.
Before she could look away, she slammed the curtains shut, her mind racing.
A loud crash came from inside the house—a heavy object hitting the floor, followed by the splintering sound of wood cracking.
Her chest tightened. "Luna!?" she screamed, bolting for the door.
Before she could reach the hallway, Luna's frantic voice echoed through the house.
"Mari, don't come! Hide—aakk!"
Luna's voice was abruptly cut off with a sickening thud.
The silence that followed was suffocating.
Mari froze, her entire body trembling.
Her mind reeled as the realization sank in.
Whatever horrors she had just witnessed outside… they were now inside her home.
Her sister had fallen victim to it.
The sickening sound of bones snapping echoed through the walls—loud, relentless, and unyielding.
Mari froze, her blood turning to ice.
Her mind conjured the horrific image of her sister enduring that nightmare—her body being torn apart piece by piece.
Tears welled in Mari's eyes, but no sound escaped her lips.
She clamped her trembling hands over her mouth, desperate to suppress even the faintest noise.
Her chest heaved with silent sobs, terror consuming her.
Through the thin wall, faint, wet noises could be heard—flesh being ripped apart, guttural snarls, and the occasional sickening crunch of bones being chewed.
Whatever those creatures were, they were next door, and they were feasting on her sister.
Her heart screamed at her to run, to get as far away as possible, but her legs refused to move. Instead, she pressed herself tightly against the wall, her body shaking uncontrollably as her mind raced.
Please don't come here. Please don't hear me. She prayed.
The house felt suffocatingly quiet.
The distant carnage amplified the oppressive silence in her room.
Each second felt like an eternity, the faint sounds of her sister's demise echoing endlessly in Mari's mind.
An instinct buried deep within every living creature jolted Mari into motion—a desperate, primal will to survive, no matter how futile it seemed.
With trembling hands, she reached for her bedroom door, closing it as quietly as possible.
Her fingers lingered on the handle, her body trembling as she pulled it shut without a sound.
Despite the emotional wreckage consuming her—the horrifying reality of her sister's brutal death just a room away—she forced herself to act.
She clenched her jaw, trying to block out the grotesque noises seeping through the walls, threatening to paralyze her.
That thing heard me. It's coming next.
Her mind raced.
Then a single thought cut through the chaos like a knife: Jin.
Panic rose in her chest again, a fresh wave of fear.
Did something happen to him too? Is he… gone?
The weight of that possibility crushed her.
Shaking, she grabbed her phone and hurriedly typed out a message, her trembling fingers struggling to hit the right keys.
"Jin, please help me. My sister is dead!"
Her heart pounded as she hit send, her gaze glued to the screen.
Seconds ticked by like hours. Nothing.
Suddenly, her phone buzzed in her hands.
A new message appeared from Jin:
"What do you mean dead? What happened? Are you okay?!"
Relief surged through her, but it was fleeting. Before she could even reply, her phone rang.
The sharp, shrill sound cut through the quiet like a gunshot.
"Oh f—!" Mari's breath hitched, her hands fumbling as she quickly silenced the call.
Her heart pounded in her chest as she clutched the phone, praying the noise hadn't drawn the creature's attention.
She stayed perfectly still, straining her ears for any sound from the other side of the door.
Her hands shook as she quickly typed a reply:
"Where are you? I thought you were gone too! There are monsters all around. Don't call, or they'll hear me. I'm hiding in my room. Please come, I'm scared!"
Seconds after sending the message, another text from Jin arrived.
"What do you mean, what monsters?"
Her vision blurred with tears as she typed back as quickly as she could:
"I think it's my sister's pet, he transformed into a monster! It attacked my sister, she's dead! I'm hiding from it now."
Jin instantly replied, "I'm coming. Hang in there."
Her hands trembled as she read the words.
For a brief moment, hope flickered in the depths of her fear.
Mari felt a momentary glimmer of hope at Jin's reply, but it was quickly extinguished by a chilling realization.
The creatures!
Her fingers hovered over her phone's screen as dread sank in.
She remembered what she had seen from her window—the monstrous red figure, the bloodied remains of her neighbors.
If Jin came, if he tried to get to her, he'd be walking into certain death.
Her hands moved frantically as she typed another message:
"Jin, don't come. It's too dangerous. These things… they're everywhere. Please stay safe instead. I'll find a way to survive. Don't risk your life for me."
Her thumb hovered over the send button when her phone screen flashed an error message.
Message sending failed!
"What?" she whispered, her voice trembling as she stared at the screen in disbelief.
Her thumb tapped the send button again and again, but the result was the same.
"Message sending failed. No network coverage."
Horror surged back into her chest, clawing its way into her mind.
The realization hit her like a sledgehammer: she was completely cut off.
Jin wouldn't get her warning.
He wouldn't know what he was walking into.
Her breathing quickened, panic threatening to overwhelm her.
She looked down at her phone, her hands trembling so violently she almost dropped it.
She quickly opened her message inbox to reread his last text:
"I'm coming. Hang in there."
He's coming.
Tears filled her eyes as she clutched the phone to her chest.
He doesn't know… he doesn't know what's waiting out there.
He might not make it.
Her heart raced, a storm of fear and helplessness consuming her.
For a moment, she froze, paralyzed by the weight of it all.
Then, through the terror, a single thought pierced the haze: I have to survive.
I have to make sure Jin doesn't risk his life for nothing.
She gritted her teeth, wiping away the tears that blurred her vision.
With a shaky breath, she moved toward the closet, her legs unsteady but driven by a primal need to survive. Her hands trembled as she opened the door just wide enough to slip inside.
The darkness swallowed her whole, and for a moment, all she could hear was the frantic pounding of her own heart.
If I stay silent, if I stay hidden… maybe—just maybe—there's still a chance.
The weight of her isolation pressed in around her, but she forced herself to focus.
She had to remain still. She had to survive.