—The day the cracks in the world finally showed their teeth.
The classroom smelled like old dust and pencil shavings. The kind of smell that reminded Jerry of normal days—before the lab accident, before blood soaked his hands, before his body changed into something that barely felt human anymore.
But today wasn't normal. Not for him.
He sat in the back row, half-asleep, hoodie pulled low. His fingers twitched under the desk, still bandaged from his transformation. He'd told his mom he cut himself on a metal fence. She didn't believe him, but she didn't ask questions either. Not after the way he looked at her the other night. Like he didn't recognize her.
A dull ringing in his ears hadn't stopped since the night of the mugging.
He hadn't told anyone what happened. Not the part about the monster. Not the power that burst out of him like a screaming beast. Not how good it felt—for a second—to stop being prey.
But now he was back here, in the real world, pretending to be a student.
And then she walked in.
Emily Xyros
She entered like she'd been here all along, like the world had been holding its breath and finally exhaled.
The teacher introduced her as Emily Xyros, a transfer from Helix Academy. A quiet murmur passed through the room—people had heard of Helix, the elite private school on the other side of the city. What was someone like her doing here?
But Emily didn't seem to care about the stares. She walked with the kind of confidence Jerry only saw in people who knew exactly who they were.
"Take the empty seat next to Jerry, please," the teacher said.
She sat down beside him with a soft smile and the scent of something clean—lavender, maybe. Her eyes weren't brown or black, but a dark gray that seemed to change shades depending on the light. Eyes that had seen things. He felt it immediately.
"Hi," she said, voice soft but clear. "Emily."
Jerry hesitated. "Jerry."
She nodded. "Nice to meet you."
Then she said nothing else. Didn't ask where he was from, didn't try to make small talk. Just... existed beside him.
And for some reason, that was comforting.
The day dragged on, but Jerry noticed how often Emily watched people—not just in a casual way, but like she was analyzing them. Judging their reactions. Studying their body language. She wasn't shy, just observant. Quietly brilliant.
At lunch, to his surprise, she walked straight past the popular tables and came to sit beside him at the edge of the school courtyard.
"You always eat alone?" she asked.
He gave a vague nod. "Not many people like talking to the weird kid."
"Good. I'm allergic to fake people."
That got a tiny laugh out of him, the first in days.
Emily glanced at him again, but this time there was something different in her eyes. Like she saw the weight behind his slouched posture. "You look tired. Not just physically."
Jerry paused mid-bite. "I guess I've been... dealing with stuff."
"I get it." She stared up at the sky, overcast and silent. "My dad says people either break under pressure... or change."
"What about you?"
"I'm still figuring that out."
He looked at her more closely now. "Why'd you transfer?"
She hesitated, just for a second. "Family reasons."
Which, Jerry thought, was the same as saying, Don't ask yet.
He nodded. "Cool."
They didn't speak much more after that. But they didn't need to.
Sometimes silence was enough.
It started with a whisper. A sound that didn't belong in the real world.
Like the air tore for just a second. No one noticed at first. Not until the windows began to vibrate. Not until the birds outside scattered, and the sky dimmed even though it was still mid-afternoon.
Jerry stood up first. His body felt it before his mind did.
The Echoes.
Faint at first, like ghosts brushing against his ears. Then louder. Clearer.
Screams—not from people, but from something else. Something alien.
The principal's voice cracked through the intercom. "All students are to remain indoors until further notice. This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not—"
The lights flickered off.
Then came the explosion.
A rumbling roar shattered glass as the front of the school caved in under an unseen force. Screams erupted in every hallway. Students scrambled over desks. Teachers shouted to evacuate.
Jerry's breathing quickened. He could feel it coming. His Abyss throbbed in his chest like a second heart.
Emily was frozen beside him, staring out the cracked window.
From beyond the courtyard, a black rift had opened in the sky. It wasn't like anything human. It pulsed like a wound. And from it poured creatures—not just monsters, but abominations. Crawling shadows with bone masks, sinew stretched over alien limbs. They moved like water, fast and silent, until they hit the ground with thunder.
One of them spotted the classroom window.
Its head snapped. It saw Emily.
Jerry didn't hesitate.
"Run," he said, voice already breaking.
Emily turned to him, eyes wide.
"Jerry—?"
He was already gone.
Behind the gym, behind the old bleachers, he dropped to his knees.
His body rejected the transformation, but it was already too late to stop it.
Claws pushed through skin. Veins bulged and turned black. His teeth split into fangs. Eyes burned like Abyssal stars. The monster inside him tore through his human skin like a prisoner through glass.
He screamed, not in pain—but in release.
Predator Form: Initiated.
He rose, hunched and breathing like a beast.
Then he sprinted into the chaos.
(To be continued...)