Steven glanced at Thomas with concern, breaking the uneasy silence. "What are you doing here, Thomas? Aren't you supposed to be at work?"
Thomas sighed, leaning against the wall for support. "I was, but I wasn't feeling well. I thought I'd come here to rest." He paused, looking slightly embarrassed. "I would've gone home, but it's locked. I gave Beth the key since I thought she'd get home before me."
Steven nodded slowly, his gaze drifting to Sophie, who was tinkering with a strange device in her hands. Thomas's curiosity piqued as he stared at it. "What's that?"
Sophie looked up briefly, her expression serious. "It's supposed to detect beasts."
Thomas blinked in confusion. "Beasts? What do you mean by beasts?"
Both Sophie and Steven exchanged shocked glances, their surprise palpable. "You don't know the story?" Sophie asked, almost incredulously.
Thomas shook his head. "No. What story?"
Sophie took a deep breath before launching into the tale. "Years ago, long before our time, a man brought beasts into this world. He claimed they were homeless creatures in need of help. But it was all a trick. The beasts roamed the world, slaughtering innocent people without mercy. The man who let them in... he felt responsible. He vowed to stop them."
Steven jumped in, his tone grave. "He used a magical jar from the Aslaste village to seal the beasts. But the process drained his life force, killing him. His sacrifice saved humanity, and the beasts were locked away"
Thomas's brow furrowed as he processed their words. Suddenly, his face darkened, as if recalling something. "Wait... I think I saw that jar when I went to deliver a pizza."
Sophie's head snapped up, her eyes narrowing. "What do you mean? Where did you see it?"
Thomas hesitated, visibly nervous. "I came across this... hidden hut. Inside, there was a skeleton holding a jar."
"A skeleton with a green necklace?" Sophie pressed urgently.
Thomas nodded, his face pale. "Yeah. That's it. I thought my mind was playing tricks on me." He trailed off, his voice faltering.
Steven's jaw dropped. "Wasn't it that jar? The one used to seal the beasts?"
Thomas's eyes widened. "No way. It can't be. I..." He hesitated again, visibly shaken.
Sophie stepped closer, her voice sharp and accusing. "What did you do, Thomas?"
Thomas swallowed hard. "I... I kind of opened it."
"What?!" Sophie and Steven shouted in unison, their voices echoing in the room.
Thomas ran a shaky hand through his hair. "When I opened it, these... things flew out. I think one of them... collided with me. It felt like something entered me."
Steven stared at him, his face a mixture of horror and disbelief. "You're telling me you might've just released the beasts that caused mass murder years ago?!"
Sophie, calmer but no less serious, examined Thomas carefully. "If one of the beasts entered you, that's why my device detected you as a beast earlier."
Thomas's voice wavered. "What does that mean for me? Am I going to be okay?"
Sophie crossed her arms, deep in thought. "There's a 70% chance you'll die... and a 30% chance you'll lose control of yourself."
Thomas's heart sank. His voice broke as he whispered, "I'm going to die?"
Steven tried to lighten the tension, patting Thomas's shoulder with a smirk. "Don't worry, man. You've been a great friend. We'll never forget you."
Thomas glared at him, swatting his hand away. "This isn't funny, Steven! I refuse to die." He turned to Sophie, desperation in his eyes. "There has to be another way."
Sophie sighed. "I need to analyze your blood first. That's the only way to know for sure."
Thomas nodded determinedly. "Fine, but I need to check on Beth first. I'll bring my blood back after that."
Meanwhile, the beasts' souls, freed from the jar, began to take on their original monstrous forms. They gathered, restless and agitated, searching for their master.
"Where is our master?" one beast growled.
"I saw the master's soul collide with a human during our release," another admitted, causing a wave of murmurs to ripple through the group.
"Silence!" a larger beast commanded, and the others obeyed instantly. "If the master's soul is in a human, then we'll find him. Track his presence, bring him to us."
As they focused their energies, a location became clear: Thomas's house.
Back at home, Thomas walked in to find Beth studying. He ruffled her hair affectionately. "How was school?"
"Fine," Beth replied, smiling up at him.
Thomas changed out of his work clothes and, steeling himself, cut his palm to collect a sample of his blood. Before leaving, he warned Beth, "Don't open the door for anyone."
Minutes after Thomas left, Beth heard a loud knock at the door. Confused, she called out, "Thomas? Is that you?"
The door suddenly burst open, revealing the beasts. Beth froze in terror as they advanced, grabbing her and carrying her away.
Meanwhile, Thomas returned to Sophie and handed her the blood sample. Sophie analyzed it, her face growing grim. "Your cells are reacting violently. I'm 100% sure you'll die in the next 24 hours."
"What?!" Thomas and Steven shouted simultaneously.
Sophie squinted at the monitor. "Oh, wait, my bad. You've got two days."
Thomas glared at her. "That's not much better!"
As he began to feel feverish, Steven asked, "Is there any way to save him?"
Sophie hesitated. "If it were a normal beast, maybe. But this... this looks like the alpha beast."
Steven frowned. "Wait, can't beasts sense their alpha? Shouldn't they already be here by now?"
Thomas froze, realization dawning. "They might've gone to my house. Beth's there!"
The three rushed to Thomas's house, dread pooling in their stomachs. When they arrived, the place was in shambles.
Thomas stood in the wreckage, his voice trembling. "Beth... she's gone."