Chapter 7 - The Anomaly (2)
A desperate human scream, straight out of a horror movie. The sound of someone startled, terrified, clawing at their throat as they retched—it pierced the quiet air sharply, drilling into everyone's ears.
"...What the hell."
I shot up reflexively. I didn't even know what it was, but my body lurched awkwardly to its feet before I could think.
Then an unpleasant sensation washed over me. Something sticky clinging to my skin. The feeling of a thin membrane brushing past my body at high speed—it was familiar, unmistakably so. I instinctively recalled it, tracing back through my memories.
"Ah."
A low, cold exclamation came from beside me. I turned at the unfamiliar chill in her voice, and to my shock, it was Miho who had uttered it. Her eyes were darkened, her usual playful smile frozen stiff.
Staring at her, the memory of that earlier sensation flooded back unbidden.
Barrier.
It felt alien, yet unpleasant in a way it hadn't before. This was the exact same sensation I'd felt on the stairs the day I first met Miho.
"Gaaahhh!"
The screams from outside grew louder. They mingled with crashing and crunching sounds. Thud, crash! Massive booms like someone swinging a blunt weapon at desks and walls. And woven between them, the wet pop of something soft bursting.
Everyone in the classroom froze, faces hardening one by one.
"K-Kids... stay calm... just stay calm."
The teacher at the front, hands trembling, tried to soothe us. He looked just as panicked, but he grabbed his phone from the podium anyway.
"I don't know what's happening, but... if I call the police..."
He picked up the phone and tapped the screen. His fingers shook, but at first they hit the right spots. Then, as seconds ticked by, he started mashing it furiously, like he wanted to smash the damn thing.
"Why... why isn't it working?!"
Sensing something off, I yanked out my own phone. The status bar at the top showed no signal—no antennas, just "No Service."
Crunch... crackle...!
Silence fell over the classroom. The unknown squelching and shattering from outside felt like an illusion now; we held our breath in this tiny space.
But that silence shattered with a new sound.
Thud thud thud thud.
Multiple footsteps racing up the stairs, competing with each other.
This academy had three levels: first floor, second, and rooftop. Our class was on the second. Those stairs led straight to us.
It's no illusion. The disaster is coming for you too.
"G-Go! Everyone, get out!"
The teacher flailed his arms, yelling at us. But before the words fully left his mouth, the kids in the back were already bolting for the door on instinct.
As the door flew open, a cacophony poured in: screams, footsteps, squelches, and cracks. Chaos like an instant asura field.
I moved too.
"Come on, Miho."
I grabbed the hand of Miho, whose face had gone shockingly cold beside me. I tried to hurry her out, but...
She silently slipped free of my grip.
"...?"
I whipped around, wondering what was wrong. Miho stared back with a complicated expression.
"Miho...?"
By now, the rest of the class had cleared the hallway. Just the two of us left in the classroom, and Miho fixed her gaze on me.
"Hanjun."
She approached slowly. Her hands gripped my shoulders, and she smiled faintly before rising on tiptoe to press her lips to mine.
"Wha... huh?"
What the hell? My brain short-circuited. In this frantic moment, Miho kissing me? And without any hypnosis? It made no sense.
As I stared blankly, she hardened her resolve and looked up at me. In that instant, her eyes flushed red.
"Hanjun, run. Run no matter what and survive."
She caressed my cheek, whispering. Like she was hypnotizing me—or steeling herself. Her body shuddered, and three tails and triangular ears sprouted from her. Her hair turned white as snow.
Instead of fleeing, she grabbed my hand and pulled me along.
The hallway was empty—everyone had already headed to the roof. She led me to the stairs and released me.
Crunch... crackle!
A chilling noise rose from below. At first it had been breaking things and screams. Now, only sobs and the sound of chewing, swallowing.
I halted silently. Miho looked up at me with those red eyes.
"Hanjun, run. And survive, no matter what."
She stared straight through me. Red eyes. Hypnosis. Just like always, I had to obey.
"......"
I took slow steps upward. She watched me for a moment, then turned with heavy footfalls toward the floor below.
Grind... crunch!
Each step up felt like wading through quicksand. Bones twisting, wet sloshing echoing in my ears.
The cat corpse from the alley flashed in my mind. Gutted open, entrails spilling. It morphed into Miho.
She'd always lingered in my thoughts, so I pictured her dead body in vivid detail. Three limp tails, blood pouring.
I stopped.
The door to the roof was just ahead, but I couldn't move.
Miho. We'd only known each other days, but she'd burrowed deep into my life. The opposite of my clumsy, distant self—she was annoying sometimes.
But more than that, fun. Willful, dazzling. She showed her feelings openly, and it made me glad as a guy.
So.
I couldn't abandon a girl who liked me and run alone. Even if she wasn't human.
I spun around, creeping down. Midway, something by the stairs caught my eye: a bright red extinguisher with a cylindrical nozzle. Like in zombie flicks. I grabbed it carefully and headed to the first floor.
* * *
Lee Miho.
She suppressed her pounding heart and descended slowly.
Crack... crunch!
The creepy sounds and thick stench of blood assaulted her sensitive ears and nose. But she feigned calm as her feet hit the first floor.
"Crunch... snap!"
Her eyes locked on a massive black figure. Roughly humanoid, but grotesquely twisted. Where a head should be: huge teeth and glaring yellow eyes. Its "hands": one a crumpled scissor, the other a hammer.
"...Disgusting thing."
She bit her lip, recognizing the碎 remains in its teeth as someone she'd greeted after arriving at the academy.
"Crunch...!"
The giant, having swallowed one whole, lowered its head to her. It squinted like it was grinning and let out a bizarre noise.
"Kik... kik... kik...!"
A mocking imitation of human laughter. Miho spat a curse without thinking.
"You lowly Shadow Demon, bold enough to lay a barrier here where I am."
She flared her proud tails, exhaling condensed yin energy to form fox orbs atop them. Steadying her breath, she methodically unleashed the sorcery she'd learned, facing the demon head-on.
Shadow Demons' weakness: fire. Even if this one had grown strong devouring dozens, her fire-attuned fox orbs could handle it.
"Kik... kiik...?!"
The demon cocked its head. After staring at the orbs, it crouched low, ballooned its body, and lunged at her.
Crack!
The floor shattered as it closed in instantly. But Miho calmly whipped her tails forward, launching the orbs.
Whoosh!
The three blue fox orbs shattered, spewing azure flames. They engulfed the demon, but didn't slow it enough.
"Grr... kiiik!"
It thrust a hand out. The scissor-claw aimed for her gut, but she twisted away nimbly.
But...
"...?!"
Hidden by the flames: the hammer-right hand, smashing toward the space she'd dodged into.
"Kiik...!"
The demon laughed grotesquely as it burned.
Did it plan that? Shadow Demons absorb knowledge and life from victims. She'd underestimated how many it'd eaten.
Too late to realize.
Splat!
Her vision went white. A dull thud and dizzying pain blacked her out briefly. When she came to, she was airborne, slamming into a wall.
"Kiik... kikiik!"
The demon snipped away the flames on its body with its scissors. Seeing the brute self-mutilate to stop the fire, Miho let out a hollow laugh.
...Damn.
She knew it already. She couldn't stop it. Unlike her sisters, her incomplete self couldn't win.
Ah.
As the demon lumbered closer, regret hit her—not just fear of death, but thinking of one boy.
Just once... I want to see him.
Miho smiled bitterly. A wish that wouldn't come true.
But then.
"Hey, you fucking bastard!"
A familiar voice rang out. She doubted her ears—he should've been hypnotized away—but through blurring vision, she saw Kang Hanjun soaring in, swinging a fire extinguisher.
"You motherfucker!"
Clang!
The extinguisher crumpled on impact. It nailed the demon's eye dead-on, spinning its head full circle. The massive body teetered.
Hanjun grabbed the dented canister, mounted it, and hammered down relentlessly.
"Take this, you shit!"
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The extinguisher rang out merrily, pulverizing just the face. Miho stared blankly, unable to process the scene.