Early Morning
Thomas and his younger sister, Beth, were preparing for their daily routines. Frustrated, Thomas shouted, "Beth! Stop messing with my alarm clock! Now I'm late!" Beth, brushing her hair, retorted, "Don't blame me! Maybe you should just get up on time." She was dressed in her school uniform, barely phased by her brother's irritation.
Once they were both ready, they made their way to a small room where a picture of their parents rested on an altar. As they knelt to pray, Thomas narrated solemnly, "Our parents died in a car accident years ago. Since then, it's been my duty to take care of Beth." Beth wiped a stray tear from her cheek, glancing lovingly at their parents' picture.
After their prayers, Thomas stood up and said, "Hurry up, Beth. You'll be late for school."
Beth nodded, smiling faintly, and replied, "Alright, but stop treating me like a baby!" Thomas walked her to school and, before leaving, said, "Do well today and come home early. I'll be working late." Beth stuck out her tongue playfully. "You're such a worrywart," she teased, waving as she walked inside.
At Work
Thomas biked quickly to his job as a pizza delivery driver, still regretting his late start. When he arrived, his boss stormed toward him. "Thomas! You're late again!"
"I'm sorry," Thomas began, "I had to drop my sister off—"
"Save it!" the boss snapped. "This is your last strike. Screw up again, and you're fired."
As the boss walked away, a coworker approached Thomas with a sympathetic smile. "What a jerk, huh?"
Thomas sighed heavily. "I don't know if I can keep this up."
The coworker encouraged him, "Come on, if you quit, who am I supposed to talk to?" Her lighthearted remark lifted his spirits slightly.
"Alright, I'll manage," Thomas said as he walked to his station.
The manager handed him an order slip. "Family-sized pizza with three milkshakes. Deliver it to this address." Thomas wrapped up the order and checked the address: 667. He mounted his bike and set off.
As Thomas pedaled, the address led him further and further from familiar streets. He frowned, questioning whether the address even existed. Finally, his GPS confirmed he'd arrived. He looked up at the destination: a decrepit, overgrown hut with crumbling clay walls. Hesitant, he double-checked the address. "667… This can't be right."
Determined to avoid more trouble with his boss, Thomas knocked on the door. The eerie silence unsettled him. He knocked again, harder this time, but the door creaked and fell inward with a thud.
"Uh… hello?" Thomas called out, stepping inside cautiously. "Sorry about the door. I can fix it…"
The house smelled of decay, and cobwebs clung to every corner. In the dim light, Thomas spotted a skeleton seated in a chair. He screamed, jumping back, but quickly composed himself. "This… can't be real." Mustering his courage, he placed the pizza box and milkshakes on the skeleton's lap.
As he turned to leave, his eyes fell on a jar clasped in the skeleton's bony hands. Thinking it might hold money, he hesitated before unscrewing the lid. The moment he did, a rush of cold air erupted from the jar as thousands of glowing, besst souls flew out. One of them mistakenly entered Thomas's body, throwing him to the ground.
Gasping, Thomas woke minutes later, his body trembling. He felt… different. Ignoring his fear, he grabbed his bike and pedaled back to the pizza shop as fast as he could.
Back at work, his coworker noticed his disheveled state. "Where were you? That address was a fake!" she exclaimed. Then her eyes narrowed as she looked at him. "Thomas… Your eyes—they're turning red!"
Thomas touched his face, his breath quickening. "I'm fine. I just… need to rest." She nodded. "Go home. I'll cover for you."
Meanwhile, at Steven's house, he lounged on a couch while his friend Sophie tinkered with a strange device. "What's that thing?" Steven asked, curious.
"Shh!" Sophie replied, focused. Moments later, she cheered triumphantly. "It's done!"
Steven sat up, startled. "What's done?"
"This," Sophie said proudly, holding up the device. "It's a beast detector!"
"A… what?" Steven asked, confused.
"Remember the old story about the beasts that killed humans until the were all sealed in a magical jar? This device can detect them!"
Steven frowned. "Why would you even build something like that?"
"Because if they ever return, I want to be ready," Sophie said, brushing him off.
Suddenly, the machine began to beep. Sophie's face turned serious. "It's detecting a beast. Nearby."
Grabbing the device, Sophie sprinted out the door with Steven trailing behind. "Wait! Are you sure about this?" Steven yelled.
The beeping grew louder as Sophie stopped in front of a figure: Thomas. "Thomas?" she asked, confused. The detector's alarm blared furiously.
"What's up, Sophie?" Thomas greeted her, unaware of the tension.
Steven, panicked, grabbed a stick and struck Thomas on the head. "What are you doing?!" Thomas shouted, holding his head.
"Sorry! Sophie's machine said you're a… beast," Steven explained sheepishly.
Sophie, still staring at the device, murmured, "But how? Why is it detecting you…?"