The bodies were still warm. Blood soaked the forest floor, thick and sticky under my hands. I looked down at the mess I'd made—broken limbs, torn flesh. The humans were lifeless, their expressions frozen in fear, and I could still taste their blood on my lips.
I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and stood up slowly, my eyes scanning the area. The forest was silent—not even the sound of wind rustling through the trees. Everything felt still, as if the world was holding its breath. But I couldn't stay here. The stench of death hung heavy in the air, and someone would eventually find this scene.
I had to move.
My legs carried me deeper into the forest, away from the bodies, away from the blood. The hunger had dulled, but it wasn't gone. It never really left. It sat in the back of my mind, waiting for the next time it would consume me. I hated it. But I needed it, too.
I stopped by a stream, the light of the moon casting a beautiful glow upon the water. Crouching down, I tried my best to wash the crimson blood off my pale hands. My reflection stared back at me—pale skin, plum-red eyes with cat-like irises, dark hair slicked back. This wasn't me. At least, it didn't feel like me. But then again, I couldn't remember who I was supposed to be.
I splashed water on my face, trying to push away the thoughts, but they stuck—lingering just out of reach. There were pieces of something—a past, a life—but they were fragmented. Shattered. None of it made sense. I remembered a life where the hunger didn't eat at me, where I had a semblance of peace. I wasn't the best person in the world, but I was decent. I remembered an old, sick woman—my mother, maybe—but it all felt incomplete.
My mind drifted back to the humans I'd killed. It had been easy—too easy. Like I'd done it before, like it was second nature. But if this was second nature, what did that make me? That pleasure I felt… that sense of superiority… it scares me how good it was—the sin of taking another life.
"Enough of this," I said, rising to my feet.
I looked around the forest, my eyes seemingly adapting to the darkness little by little. It was a weird feeling—the darkness turning into light. It wasn't like normal vision. It was like I was blind, and now I suddenly saw for the first time in my life. The usual dark and solitary night turned into fields of color and expression.
As I moved through the forest back to the damp, dark cave, I found myself in shock at the amount of control I had over this body. For one, I was able to move my heart. It was a weird experience—shifting the organs around like a game in my body. As I sat there in the dark cave, I found that I was able to not only move my heart… but create more.
"What the hell am I?"
Hours passed as I sat on the cave floor, trying to piece together my old life. But it seemed to be lost to me. Slowly, the hunger appeared again. I cursed.
I stood up from the ground and quickly stopped, seeing the sun peek out from the horizon.
"Shit."
I should've brought those corpses back with me.
I quickly assessed the situation. With my current speed, could I make it to those bodies before the sun rose fully? Should be possible. But if I failed, I was sure the sun would do more than burn me.
Game over.
Well, it's either that or starvation. I caved in and ran—too afraid of feeling that hunger once again. I ran as fast as my legs would take me, speeding past any obstacle, the sun continuing its steady rise, trying its best to kill me before I made it.
Through sheer will and speed, I made it to the bodies—still fresh from the slaughter only a few hours ago. I picked up two of the three bodies, leaving the body of the small boy I had already feasted on for the birds circling above.
The wind chilled my face as I moved at speeds impossible for the human eye to detect. Racing back to the cave, I held the now cold and lifeless bodies on my broad, muscular shoulders, finally stopping as I reached the cave's entrance. I dropped the bodies and stared deep into the dead eyes of the small children.
Why don't I feel anything?
Looking at their small, underdeveloped bodies, I searched through their clothes, finding three pieces of candy on the body of the little girl.
Tossing it to the ground, I rummaged through the clothes of the little boy.
Nothing.
Guess I'll never know your names. That's too bad.
I thought to myself as I started working into my meal, popping out their eyeballs.
It's weird. I should feel disgusted at myself, but I only feel my hunger growing as I pop them into my mouth like candy.
How ironic. I dig into their flesh, my eyes glowing with a dangerous blood-red light.
Yummy.
—————————
Aokusa Town – Early Morning
A light crept in over the horizon brushing against the rural old rooftops of the small town Aokusa a town most maps forget
the shutters of the Branchlight Hero Agency hung half-open, creaking in the breeze. The sign was faded, the kanji chipped. Not many people needed heroes out here. Wild animals, lost hikers, the occasional missing cat—those were their crises. And the heroes stationed here liked it that way.
Kodai Ishihara—callsign Rustroot— a rugged potbelly man with short, spiky black hair and a face full of unshaven stubble sat in the cracked vinyl chair behind the front desk, one leg crossed over the other. He sipped weak coffee from a metal thermos, radio static buzzing softly from the corner.
"UV index's high today," he muttered, thumbing through an old case file. "Good day to stay inside." He smiled to himself
The door slammed open hard enough to rattle the frame.
A short brown haired woman with bags under eyes from exhaustion stumbled inside barefoot, her dress torn at the hem, mud caked up to her knees. Her eyes were wide—bloodshot, frantic.
"My children," she gasped. "Please—please—you have to help me." She said with a pleading voice
A blond haired haired woman exited the back room of the office hearing the commotion
Yuki Haruno—Beacon—nearly dropped her Freshly brewed cup of coffee. She hurried from the back room, her light blue jumpsuit still halfway zipped.
"Aoki—slow down," Yuki said, reaching out gently. "What happened?" She put her arms around her in comfort trying her best to ease her friend from her manic state
They went out yesterday," the woman choked out. "To the forest. Kenta, Aki, and Tomo. They wanted to follow the creek trail—I told them not to but I was busy—I didn't think—"
Her words collapsed into sobs. She reached into her coat and pulled out a tiny, dirt-smeared shoe. Then a crumpled piece of pink candy.
Kodai stood up slowly.
"I found these near the streambed," the woman went on, shaking. "And blood. So much blood. Drag marks through the grass. I didn't want to believe it, but… she stumbled through her words, trying her best to stay calm but failing
"Somethings wrong"
she said in a panic "Those forest are usually safe We walk through the trails there all the time". She said in a sob.
Yuki's face paled. Kodai set down his coffee.
"You're certain it was blood?"
"I know what blood looks like," she snapped. "My babies are out there. Please."
Kodai exhaled through his nose. "Yuki. Get your gear