The town of Silver Ridge was small, quiet, and almost forgotten by time. A few kilometers to the south stretched the perimeter of the fog, but no one in the town thought much about it. It was something distant, something that belonged to the news and rumors, not their daily lives. For most of the residents, the fog was just a curious anomaly, something that happened "out there." No one imagined that one day it would cross that invisible line.
In a small farmhouse on the outskirts of the town, Niel, a 10-year-old boy, was living one of the happiest days of his life. He had arrived with his adoptive parents, Margaret and Thomas, to spend a peaceful vacation. Although Niel had been adopted when he was just a few months old, he never felt different. Margaret and Thomas loved him as if he were their own child, and he adored them in return.
"Do you like the pie, sweetheart?" asked Margaret, placing a slice of apple pie in front of him on the dining table. Her voice was warm, full of tenderness.
"It's the best pie I've ever tasted," replied Niel with a wide, exaggerated smile, making Thomas laugh.
Thomas, a tall and sturdy man with premature gray hair, sat next to them and ruffled Niel's hair affectionately.
"If you keep eating like that, you'll turn into a walking pie," he joked, provoking another laugh from Niel.
Margaret shook her head, pretending to be serious.
"Don't listen to him, Niel. You can eat as much pie as you want. Just make sure to leave some for your old dad."
Niel nodded enthusiastically, though he had already finished his second slice. He was an ordinary child in almost every way: curious, cheerful, and full of energy. But there was something about him that stood out, though no one could quite name it. His eyes, a pale metallic gray, seemed to see beyond what others could perceive. Sometimes, when he was quiet, it felt as if he were listening to something no one else could hear.
"Tomorrow we're going to the forest, right?" asked Niel, excited. He had seen pictures of the tall trees and winding trails in the town's tourist brochures.
"Of course," replied Thomas. "But don't wander too far. We don't want you getting lost."
Margaret added with a smile:
"And no climbing trees like last time. Remember what happened with that oak tree at the park."
Niel laughed, remembering how he had gotten stuck high up on a branch while his parents watched from below, trying not to laugh as they helped him down.
Everything seemed perfect. Too perfect.
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Hours later, the tranquility of Silver Ridge was shattered by screams.
At first, they were faint murmurs coming from the center of the town. Then, chaos erupted.
On television, the news began broadcasting chaotic images. A reporter, her face pale and trembling, spoke directly into the camera while grotesque figures moved behind her among the buildings.
"We're… we're seeing something that has never been recorded before," said the reporter, her voice breaking. "Creatures… creatures that seem to have emerged from the fog. They're attacking people, without any apparent reason. Please, if you're watching this, stay away from the streets!"
On another channel, a male journalist tried to remain calm as he described what was happening.
"The authorities are baffled. We've never seen anything like this before. The creatures… their bodies are twisted, deformed. Some have limbs that are too long, others appear to be made of human parts stitched together poorly. And their voices… it's impossible to describe them. It's as if they're speaking directly inside your mind."
On social media, videos began flooding in. People filming with their phones as they ran through the streets, screaming, crying. In one video, a creature with sharp claws dragged a woman into the darkness, her screams echoing until the screen went black.
In another video, a group of soldiers attempted to stop one of the creatures, firing repeatedly. But the bullets seemed to have no effect. The creature advanced relentlessly, its multiple arms reaching toward the men, until it finally reached them. The video ended with blood-curdling screams.
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Back at the farmhouse, Margaret and Thomas heard the first screams from a distance.
"What's happening?" asked Margaret, worried, as she looked out the window. Outside, the town's lights flickered intermittently.
Thomas turned on the TV, and his face paled as he saw the images.
"My God…" he murmured, quickly turning off the television. He turned to Margaret. "We need to leave. Now."
But before they could move, the sound of breaking glass made them turn toward the front door. A creature had entered. Its body was elongated and twisted, with limbs too long that creaked as it moved. Its face, if it could even be called that, was covered in eyes that spun at impossible angles. It emitted a guttural sound, like a whisper mixed with a scream, that resonated directly in their minds.
"Run!" shouted Thomas, pushing Margaret and Niel toward the back door.
They ran out into the backyard, but the creatures were already there too. There were three of them, slowly surrounding them. Margaret grabbed Niel in her arms, shielding him with her body.
"Don't move, Niel!" shouted Thomas, confronting one of the creatures with a shovel he found on the ground. He struck the creature, but it barely seemed to notice. With a quick movement, the creature threw Thomas to the ground, its sharp claws tearing into his chest.
Margaret screamed, but before she could do anything, another creature grabbed her from behind, pulling her away from Niel. He fell to the ground, screaming, as he watched the creatures tear his parents apart in front of his eyes.
The world went black.
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When Niel woke up hours later, he was alone. The backyard was silent, illuminated by the moonlight. Around him, the bodies of the creatures lay mutilated, their remains scattered across the ground. It looked as if they had been torn apart by something unimaginably powerful. But Niel didn't remember anything. He only knew that his parents were gone.
"Hello?" he called weakly, his voice trembling. No one responded.
It was then that he heard footsteps. A group of soldiers, dressed in black uniforms and heavily armed, appeared in the yard. One of them, a general with golden insignias on his chest, approached him.
"Are you alright, kid?" asked the general, his tone firm but controlled.
Niel looked at him with empty eyes, unable to respond.
A younger soldier, his face hidden behind a helmet, spoke into his radio.
"General, we've found the survivor. The bodies of the creatures are here, but there are no signs of other civilian survivors."
The general nodded, observing Niel closely.
"Take him to the base. We need to study him. This isn't normal."
As the soldiers lifted Niel off the ground, another one muttered:
"Do you think he did this?"
The general shot him a stern glare.
"Don't speculate. Just do your job."
Niel didn't say a word as they carried him away. His mind was blank, but somewhere deep inside him, something began to stir.During the ride in an armored military vehicle, Niel remained silent, wrapped in a blanket that barely managed to calm the cold he felt within. The soldiers spoke in hushed tones, believing he couldn't hear them.
"Are you sure this is legal?" asked one of the younger soldiers, nervously glancing back at where Niel was sitting.
"Legal doesn't mean anything when Umbra Division is involved," replied another soldier, an older man with scars on his face. "We get paid well to deliver subjects like this one. Don't ask questions."
The general, seated at the front, intervened with a stern tone:
"Silence. I don't want to hear any more about this. The boy is going straight to the research facility. Our job ends there."
The younger soldier swallowed hard but couldn't help muttering:
"Though this seems big, it's not the first time something like this has happened, right?"
The older soldier snorted, adjusting his helmet.
"No, idiot. This has been happening for years, just always in small doses. Small towns near the perimeter, people disappearing, creatures emerging and then retreating. The only thing new here is the scale. This time, someone made a mistake and let things spiral out of control. The news outlets are already all over it. If the higher-ups don't step in soon to silence the reports, the whole world will know what's going on. And trust me, that will bring consequences far worse than a few deaths in some forgotten town."
The younger soldier turned even paler.
"What do you mean by 'far worse'?"
The older soldier leaned forward, lowering his voice even though he knew Niel couldn't hear him clearly.
"Imagine the panic. People running, governments collapsing, entire cities abandoned because everyone wants to escape from something they don't even understand. This isn't just a local problem; it's a global threat. And if the public finds out we've been hiding this for years… well, let's just say Umbra Division won't be the only organization under fire."
The younger soldier nodded slowly, still looking uneasy.
"And what about the boy? Why do they want him so badly?"
The older soldier paused before answering, as if deciding how much to reveal. Finally, he said:
"He's not the first. There are others like him—kids, adults, even the elderly. They all have something in common: they survived close encounters with the fog or those creatures. Some developed strange abilities afterward. Others simply… changed. Umbra Division collects them like commodities, studies them, uses them for their own purposes. This boy isn't special because he's unique. He's special because he might be the most powerful one they've found so far."
The younger soldier's eyes widened in surprise.
"Others like him? And what do they do with them?"
The older soldier shrugged.
"That's none of our business. All I know is that some disappear forever. Others become weapons. And a few… well, some just break. But in the end, they all serve a purpose for Umbra Division."
The general shot a warning glance at the older soldier but didn't interrupt him. He knew the younger man needed to understand his place in all of this.
When they arrived at a rendezvous point on the outskirts of the city, a convoy of black, unmarked vehicles was waiting. The men who stepped out wore dark suits and masks that concealed their faces. They weren't soldiers; they were agents of Umbra Division , the secret corporation operating in the shadows, exploiting the mysteries of the fog for their own gain.
One of the agents approached the general and handed him an electronic tablet.
"Here's the transfer confirmation. The boy is ours now."
The general signed quickly and handed Niel over without a word. The agents loaded him into one of the black vehicles, where he disappeared from the soldiers' sight.
As the convoy drove away, the younger soldier couldn't help but mutter:
"What do you think they'll do to him?"
The general looked at him coldly.
"That's none of our concern. Forget this ever happened. If anyone asks, we were never here."
The soldier nodded, but his face showed discomfort. He knew they had just handed a child over to an uncertain fate.