Cold.

Cold and black.

His eyes fluttered to restore his blurry vision.

It was an icy cold night. The stars shone in the distant night sky as a tear trickled down the boy's face.

“Where am i?” he thought, sitting up and resting against a nearby tree.

The boy was lightly dressed in tattered rags covered in bruises and cuts. 

An icy gust of wind pricked at his skin “Its cold”

He attempted to stand up however his legs were cold and numb, The boy could not remember a thing.

Pushing forth with all his might he jumped up to his feet and began to make baby steps. As if learning to walk all over again.

He trudged forward, with unrelenting passion. Until he came across a faint light in the distance.

Speeding up his walk he came across an open grassy expanse followed by a grand almighty wall that towered over him. Reaching 100s of metres into the sky was a black metallic wall that wrapped in a circle stretching for miles and miles into the distance.

“What is this?” he thought, clutching at his head. He was scared. 

So he ran closer and closer

This wall was taller than most skyscrapers. Its surface was smooth and cold, made entirely of dark, weathered metal that stretched across the open expanse for miles, rising so high that the top vanished into the mist.

He walked along the wall, seemingly making no progress, as if this structure stretched on forever. But what else could he do? This was the only sign of life he'd seen in these desolate forests and plains, and it certainly seemed safer than the endless darkness behind him.

After wandering for a while, he approached an irregularity in the wall. It appeared to be a metal gate. Above the gate were red flashing lights resembling a camera, that pointed toward him, barred in a metal exterior.

‘Maybe I've stumbled upon a secret government base,’ he thought. Why else would such a place exist in the middle of nowhere with such high-end security?

He walked closer to the gate until he stood directly in front of it. “H-hello?” he nervously called out, unsure if this was a good idea.

Hearing no response, he prepared to try again. However, an enormously loud noise erupted, assaulting his ears. “Akhhh!” he cried out, moving to cover his ears from the painful sound. A blinding light burst from the slowly separating metal gate.

His eyes, adjusted to near darkness, couldn't handle the sudden brightness. He staggered back, blinded. From the light, three figures emerged in a cautious yet domineering manner. Two of them wore shiny white reflective plates of what seemed to be steel, covering them from head to toe. 

They looked like some kind of supersuit. In their arms, they held strange, blocky futuristic guns that emitted a faint purple glow and a soft humming sound. The barrels of these weapons were fixated directly on his forehead.

In the middle of the two armored men stood another figure, dressed far more lightly.

A man, Muscular and towering, battle scars covered his face and arms. He wore a smart uniform with a long flowing cape that fluttered behind him in the wind. On his back rested a large greatsword which faintly emanated a purple light. I looked at the man who stared straight back into my eyes.

His eyes, cold and distant. As if looking at his sworn enemy he was full of anger and fear. Clutching the handle of his greatsword

He opened his mouth and roared, “ARE YOU HUMAN OR A DEMON?”

He instantly froze up and could only stand there in utter shock, unable to comprehend what this man was saying, or what was going on. Sweat began to pour from his body as he clenched his hands to try and maintain some sort of composure.

His body trembled from some sort of fear. He knew he was in trouble

After a few moments of silence, the man roared once more, “HUMAN OR DEMON?”

Snapping out of his daze, he stammered, “S-s-sir, I don’t know what yo—”

“LAST CHANCE, HUMAN OR DEMON?” he shouted again, his grip on the greatsword tightening.

Panic flooded through him. He had no idea what to say. How had he even ended up here? Was this really a secret government base? What did the man mean by 'demon'? He was obviously human.

His mind raced with confusion and fear. When did this strange nightmare even begin?

Ah, right... It started that evening. Back when he saw that cat in the street.

 —--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a gloomy and fateful evening. The sun had just fallen below the horizon and the street lights flickered with a faint orange glow.

His footsteps echoed faintly as he walked, the world around him calm and still. 

He had just finished club activities, which was why it was so late.

He walked, bathed in the orange glow of the street lamps, taking in the urban scenery. 

“Haaaaaa,” he let out a yawn. “Maybe it’s time I quit the club. I mean, they keep me out so late. I’ve got other things to do, you know?” He smiled as he thought about his sweet, warm bed.

The surroundings were eerily quiet and empty, especially for a city known to be bustling and packed full of people. There was almost no one else about.

Checking his watch, it read 8:23 PM. noticing this, he sped up into a fast walk. It was getting late, and he still had to make dinner and pick up ingredients at the local shop.

“Meooooow.”

Stopping in his tracks, he looked down to see a black cat rubbing itself against his leg.

“Ah, what do you want? I’ve not got any food on me, you know.” The cat stayed persistent, trying its luck. “Ah, shoo, shoo.” Moving the cat away, he carried on with his walk. Yet, the cat followed him.

“Well, whatever,” he thought, dismissing it.

Time passed, and the black cat maneuvered over to a certain alleyway, stepping in front of him. 

“Meoow,” it let out. It sat next to the dark alley and looked him in the eyes. The cat had strangely alluring eyes like that of a black hole, which naturally seemed to draw him in.

Without realizing it, he found himself following the cat into the alley. He wasn’t sure where he was going or why, but he felt a strong instinct to follow this cat. 

He flashed his phone’s torch ahead of him and peered down the narrow path. Trash bags and puddles lined the alley, and he cautiously continued onwards

“Ah, shit.” His phone’s light suddenly Turned off. He tapped on the screen, hoping to bring it back, but it had run out of charge. “Ugh, what crap luck.” He could still see, but only faintly, the dimness sent a shiver up his spine.

Goosebumps prickled his skin as he pressed on, drawn forward as if something unseen were beckoning him.

He took a sharp right turn where the path ended.

There, on the cold, wet ground, lay the black cat. A pool of crimson blood spread beneath its lifeless body. Its head had been severed, crushed into an unrecognizable mass of flesh and brain matter.

Next to the corpse crouched a tall, human-like figure.

The figure slowly looked up. His face twisted and morphed, blood smudged all over his face, bits of skin and fur clung to his teeth and gaping maw.

As their eyes met, his stomach twisted violently. He fell to his knees, emptying his insides onto the floor. He fell onto his backside. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t even scream.

A deep, primal fear gripped him as he gasped for air, his heart racing uncontrollably. He trembled, unable to steady himself.

The creature rose to its full height. Though shrouded in darkness, he could make out its towering, slender frame—far from human, yet eerily similar.

It groaned, “H-human.”

The creature’s eyes glistened with hunger as drool dripped from its stained jaws.

“S-stay away f-from me,” he stammered, scrambling backward with all the strength he could muster, unable to tear his eyes away from the monstrosity.

Without warning, it lunged at him with twisted and jerking movements. “Graaaaaa!” it screeched.

Adrenaline flew through his body. He found the strength to jump to his feet and bolted down the alley.

"No. No. No. This can't be real."

He heard the sickening crunch of the creature smashing headfirst into the wall behind him. But he didn’t dare look back. The darkness, followed with the tears flowing down his face, made it nearly impossible to see. His breath came in ragged gasps, and the icy air stung his lungs with every step. 

The creature regained its form far quicker than he expected and resumed its pursuit, closing the distance between them with terrifying speed.

"It's not human. That thing... it's not human."

He ran faster than he ever had before. He could almost taste the light of safety from the street where he had been walking just moments earlier.

"Just a little further... Just a few more steps..."

“I can make it!” he thought, eyes locked on the faint glow ahead.

But before he could reach the street, before even a single finger could escape the shadows, his head did.

He felt a slash across his neck, followed by a sudden, weightless sensation. His vision spun as his body dropped to the ground beneath him.

He couldn’t comprehend what had happened. One moment, he was running. The next, he was airborne.

His severed head hit the cold pavement with a thud. The soft orange glow of the street lights flickered in his eyes as his severed head lay motionless on the cold pavement, facing the alley.

From the darkness, he watched as the creature emerged from the shadows, its long, skeletal fingers wrapping around his lifeless leg. It dragged his body back into the alley, disappearing into the void.

He could do nothing but watch as his own existence faded into the darkness, leaving behind only the blood that painted the pavement in his wake.

His vision began to blur.

And slowly... his consciousness faded.

End of Chapter 1: (Nice Dream)