1 Chapter 01: Crimson Eyes

This day was supposed to be just another boring, mundane day for me. The usual routine of going to college, grabbing something from the nearby grocery store, and being home by midnight.

I'd eat dinner, whatever Sophie had cooked, we'd watch a few shows together, and then off to bed, waiting for sleep to hurry up and bring the dawn so I could go back to work.

This routine cycle would repeat itself endlessly, making me a productive member of a society that offered no other alternative.

And yet, maybe, just maybe, the bitch of fate had something else in mind for me. One unexpected encounter, one twist out of a clichéd novel, and my whole reality would come crashing down like shattered glass.

"Ugh, I'm so damn tired."

On the surface, I, Damien Winters, looked like an ordinary student heading home after a day of classes. But inside, my frustration with the unchanging daily routine was growing.

I let out a sigh that reflected the exhaustion that had built up inside me. I raised the straw to my lips and took a sip of the orange soda in my hand, feeling the refreshing sensation flow down my parched throat.

As a night student, the sun had long since disappeared from the sky. Thankfully, there were still people walking under the streetlights and the occasional car driving by. My house was a little off the main road, so there wasn't much traffic around here.

"Even my favorite soda can't take away this feeling, can it?"

Just a short time ago, I was at my usual grocery store, the one that offers inexpensive supplies for someone like me. But ever since I left there, I've been feeling... strange, to say the least. There's this nagging feeling that something's not quite right.

I took another sip of my soda, lazily scanning my surroundings as I maneuvered through the crowd. And then something completely unexpected happened.

I felt my body collide with something, like a watery membrane, and suddenly everything around me started fluctuating like crazy.

When I came out on the other side, the whole landscape had changed.

"What the fuck?"

My feet froze and my eyes darted around in disbelief. Technically, I was still in the same place—houses and streetlights still stood.

But the people and vehicles that had passed me moments before... had vanished into thin air!

In this darkness, where it seemed I was the only living thing left, the streetlights flickered eerily, giving off a kind of abandoned hospital room vibe. The whole atmosphere gave me the creeps, like something out of a horror movie.

"It's messed up." The air was heavy with a foul stench I hadn't noticed before.

"This smell... Is it the stench of rotting blood?"

A feeling of unease settled in my chest. Whatever had just happened, things were definitely not the same.

As a librarian, I had come across countless stories from various sources. Stories written by unknown authors with plots so outlandish that you couldn't help but wonder what they were smoking when they came up with such wild ideas. But the strangest thing was that these stories would disappear without a trace.

I even remember my boss scolding me once for trying to present one of these stories. "Some things are better left alone," were his exact words.

At the time, I didn't think much of it. But as my curiosity got the better of me and I delved deeper into these mysteries, I began to understand the wisdom behind my boss's words.

This world holds secrets far more twisted than I ever imagined.

Though I had never been directly involved, I had always sensed that something was amiss. Strange little details that couldn't quite be explained.

But this... this is different. For the first time, I found myself right in the middle of an unknown force that had twisted reality just like those stories described.

I had no idea where I was, and frankly, even though I was tired of the mundane, I'd rather not find out. Just reading those stories is more than enough to make me realize that if I get involved with that 'dark side of the world' in any way, I'll probably end up as a sacrificial offering to some evil god or something.

"Sup, what's up? Later, losers."

I quickly turned around, intending to go back the way I came. However, the 'water portal' that had brought me here didn't seem to want to let me return. Or rather, it had completely disappeared!

And then... Boom!

A small explosion shook one of the nearby buildings. Before I could curse the goddess of fortune, I saw a dark blur coming towards me at an inhuman speed. I didn't have time to react.

Bang!

Fortunately, the figure passed several meters from where I was standing and burrowed deep into the wall.

A cloud of dust rose from the collision. When it cleared, a pale, bloodied hand emerged from the crack. With sharp fingers digging into the concrete, the entire body was pulled out like a man possessed in an exorcism movie.

Seeing the condition of the person emerging, I couldn't help but instinctively recoil. Every fiber of my being bristled at the sight.

"What the hell?!"

His body was horribly mangled! His feet were twisted to the side, while his neck was twisted so that his face was turned to his back. But the most horrifying sight was to see the blood recoiling into what looked like bloody tentacles, sucked back into his wounds.

In a matter of seconds, an injury that would be fatal to a human was completely healed, leaving no trace behind!

"Heh, the resilience of you dogs has always been impressive. Can you sympathize with my pitiful condition, old friend?"

With his neck still dislocated, his voice sounded like the painful scraping of two metals. Suddenly, he reached up with his reattached arm and grabbed his head, making a sickening "crack" as he snapped it back into place.

"Oh? A human wandering into our domain? Mm, interesting."

A shiver ran down my spine. In the moonlight, his eyes glowed with a crimson hue. His gaze seemed to pierce me, and for a brief moment, I felt as if an invisible pressure was crushing me.

It was then that I realized my true position. I was the prey and he was the predator. I had never felt so insignificant.

My instincts screamed for me to flee, but my body simply refused to respond.

The man, or rather the monster, began to approach me. With every step he took, an overwhelming pressure seemed to crush my body, but I clenched my lower lip and took a step back every time he got closer.

"Heh heh heh! This is getting interesting. How about serving me? I doubt an ordinary person could enter our domain. What do you say?"

A horribly twisted grin spread across his face. His lips revealed a pair of fangs as he flicked his tongue. It was an absurd and disturbing smile. His eyes glowed with an even more intense shade of crimson, sending a tingling sensation through my head.

"I-I'm sorry, but I have to decline," I stammered, unable to hide the tremor in my voice.

"What? You're not under my hypnosis?"

What the hell is that monster talking about? Does he think we're in some kind of hentai world?

For a moment, his crimson eyes stared at me in genuine surprise. His confusion soon gave way to a roar of laughter.

Then I heard a menacing growl. In the moonlight, a massive silhouette towered over the roof of a nearby house. When I saw the monstrous figure, my breath caught and my eyes twitched.

"I'm sorry, Sophie, but I may never see you again."

×××

This work is a fantasy novel and all events, characters, names, places and other details are purely invented and fictional. Any similarity to reality is purely coincidental. The story, situations and details do not necessarily reflect the author's beliefs or views. Discretion is requested and not to take any element of the work as a real fact.