Kael's eyes shook in their sockets, and his heart palpitated as he stared at the unmoving body in the distance under the golden glow of the bulb, finding it hard to believe what had just happened.
"No... No... He can't be dead. I only hit him by the neck with the club... Man, I'm in so much trouble!" he muttered, panic setting in as he realized the gravity of the situation.
Murder in this world came with brutal consequences—ones he wasn't ready for. He might be executed or, worse, tortured by whoever backed Aldric. What if Aldric was part of one of the great families Alistair had mentioned?
He didn't know for certain, but one thing was clear: he had to hide the body. If not, his life would be in serious danger.
But he wasn't out of danger yet.
[You have gained 10 EXP for your first murder.]
[You have leveled up.]
[Level 2: 8/20 EXP gained.]
As these notifications flashed before his eyes, Kael suddenly felt a sharp pain surge through his chest, as though something inside him was trying to tear free.
"Ahhhh!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, staggering backward and clutching his chest.
The pain didn't stop there—it spread from his chest to every part of his body, leaving him barely able to stand.
It lasted for a moment before the agony subsided, and Kael found himself able to breathe again.
"Ugh... What was that, System?" he asked, his voice shaky.
[You have begun your evolution.]
'Evo—' Kael's thought was cut off by a sudden grumble from his stomach. He clutched it, his face pale with worry. A hunger unlike anything he'd ever felt before gnawed at him, a pang he couldn't ignore.
"What's happening to me now?"
[Your hunger has begun. Please eat something.]
"The cafeteria is too far away! I feel like I'm gonna die at any moment!" Kael cried out, falling to his knees and gritting his teeth to endure the pain.
Unbeknownst to him, his eyes had turned a deep crimson, and his teeth had sharpened into jagged points, though they weren't visible from a distance.
As he struggled, his nose picked up a scent—something intoxicatingly delicious. It reminded him of the smell of freshly baked cake or sizzling meat.
He crawled forward, following the scent until he stopped at Aldric's corpse.
Realization dawned on him. The alluring aroma was coming from the very body he had just killed.
'Why am I sniffing a corpse? Why does it smell so... appetizing? I can't resist!' His fingers twitched as he fought against the primal urge to take a bite.
[You have no choice. You must consume human flesh to survive.]
[This is not optional. Consume now or die.]
[Time till death: 00:10.]
[00:09.]
[00:08.]
The countdown on the notification left Kael with one clear truth: it was either him or the already-dead Aldric.
His human instincts screamed in protest, but his primal urge to survive silenced them. Without another thought, Kael buried his face into Aldric's still-warm body.
As he tore away the first bite of flesh with his sharp teeth, the taste overwhelmed him. It was the sweetest thing he had ever tasted in his life.
The initial disgust of consuming a human vanished, replaced by a ravenous hunger. He tore through Aldric's body like it was a perfectly cooked meal. Even the bones felt tender and satisfying.
By the time he was done, only a mangled clump of flesh and bone remained of Aldric. Kael stepped back, his stomach full, and the hunger finally subsiding.
But as he stared at the remains, the reality of what he'd done hit him like a freight train. He stumbled backward, falling onto his bottom, panic surging through him.
"What the hell is happening to me?!" Kael shouted, his voice trembling with fear and guilt.
Despite his shock, he knew he had no time to waste. He pushed several large boxes around the storage room to cover Aldric's remains as best he could.
He knew this wouldn't stop anyone from discovering the body eventually, but it would buy him some time.
The real problem was the blood-soaked clothes he was still wearing. If classes ended and students flooded the halls, someone would undoubtedly notice.
Kael sprinted out of the storage room, slamming the door behind him. He retraced his steps with careful precision, making sure to check every hallway before moving forward.
He even picked up his shoe from where the fight had initially started.
By the time he reached his hostel, his heart was pounding in his chest. He hurried into the bathroom, stripping off his bloodied clothes and tossing them into the washing machine.
While waiting for the machine to finish, Kael jumped into the shower, scrubbing himself clean of every trace of blood.
The school's cheap dryer was his next challenge. It took longer than he liked and was prone to breaking, but he managed to get his uniform dry.
He stacked the freshly cleaned uniform at the bottom of the pile of academy-issued clothes in his closet and quickly changed into a new set.
The academy provided students with several uniforms, knowing that fights often broke out. However, once a student ran out, they had to pay for replacements out of pocket.
Kael had just finished changing when the door opened, and two familiar faces walked in: Eric and Jeremy.
"Hey, new guy! We didn't see you in class today! Kyle, was it?" Eric called out.
Kael growled under his breath, not wanting to interact with anyone. His mind was still reeling from what had happened.
Just a few hours ago, he had been a normal student, minding his own business. Now, he was a murderer—worse, a cannibal.
And the most terrifying part?
'Killing him felt good... Fulfilling,' Kael thought, swallowing hard as a shiver ran down his spine.