MONSTER

III

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As the man scanned me from head to toe, his wild eyes locked onto mine, unwavering as he stepped forward. "So, introductions aren't your thing," he said finally. "It's a pity we have to meet again like this."

I recoiled. "What?"

"I said I'd see you later, remember? You weren't in your room this morning, so I thought I'd find you here."

Anger surged within me, but fear quickly followed as I glanced behind him, where the air was thick with the cries of torment. "You're insane," I accused, feeling tears well up in my eyes. "How could you do this?"

He simply shrugged, his indifference more terrifying than any show of anger. "It could've been worse. I had considered burning your house down."

My eyes widened in shock, tears now freely flowing. "What?"

"I know, it looks bad. But believe me, it could be much worse. You shouldn't have meddled with my plans last night."

"Your plans?" I choked out, my voice breaking. "What are you talking about? What is wrong with you!"

"Nothing's wrong with me. You should be thanking me, really. I did you a favor."

"Are you crazy?" The tears streamed down my face unabated.

He sighed, clearly annoyed. "I forgot how empathetic you humans can be. It's quite bothersome."

"You're a monster!"

His eyes turned a deeper shade of black, a void consuming his gaze. "Would you have preferred I targeted your family instead?"

A cold fear gripped me, my heart seeming to freeze. "Y-You wouldn't dare," I stammered.

"Wouldn't I? Look around," he gestured broadly before his gaze drilled into me. "This is nothing compared to what I'm capable of. Do you want to see my worst?"

I was rooted to the spot, terror enveloping me.

No. Please.

"What do you want from me?" I whispered, barely audible. "Who are you?"

He cocked his head, as if considering my question with a perverse curiosity. "You had the chance to know last night. Now, I have to make my point over these agonizing screams. Doesn't that weigh on your conscience?"

"You didn't even give me a chance!" What am I even saying? Why am I arguing with this man? I looked past him at the unfolding destruction, sobbing. "Please, what do you want? Just tell me, and go."

"Do you really want to know who I am?"

Do I have a choice?

"No," he said.

Did he hear me?

"Yes," he said again.

My face drained of color, fear threatening to overwhelm me. The cacophony of voices intensified, each cry and plea slicing through me. "Please, just make it stop. All of it. The noise, the chaos, everything! Please!"

Then it was quiet. The agonizing pleas were gone.

An eerie breeze ruffled the man's hair, and his gaze fell upon me coldly. He stepped beside me, gesturing towards the sky with a deliberate motion.

My eyes followed his. Above the remains of the school, a dark cloud swirled menacingly. This wasn't a rain cloud, but a vortex of dust, swirling debris, and mist, engulfing the bloody scene and erasing everything from sight, drowning out even the whispers of the living.

"W-What happened?" My voice was a faint whisper.

"I silenced the noise," he replied, his voice eerily calm. "It's better this way. Now, you can think more clearly."

A shiver of fear and disbelief ran through me.

Did he just kill all those lives?

"Not all were," he clarified, reading my thoughts. "Those gasping their last breaths are now on their way to purgatory."

Purgatory?

"Sinners must cleanse their sins before they can ascend to Heaven," he continued. "Though judging by what I've seen, Hell seems a more suitable place for these souls."

As he spoke, the sun broke through the gray veil, illuminating the scene with an otherworldly light. The dust-filled air cleared, the bodies disappeared, and the rubble seemed to dissolve as if it had never existed.

"Gone, just like that," he mused, almost to himself.

I stared up at the sky, at the ground before me, my eyes blinking rapidly as if I could dispel this nightmare by sheer force of will. Just days ago, I had seen these very people, walked this path, strode through these hallways, and now... it was all gone. The ground bore only a shadow of the building that once stood, beyond which lay a vast field, the surrounding woods painting a serene, untouched backdrop. 

This has to be a dream, I repeated to myself. None of this was real. It couldn't be.

My heart raced, and a cold sweat broke out across my skin. I turned to face the man fully. His expression was impassive, his dark eyes devoid of any guilt or remorse. And, his body... it had emanated an intense heat, his hands glowing a fiery red. Before my eyes, he seemed to open a portal, a gateway between the earthly realm and purgatory. The man standing before me was not of this world.

"Well?" he asked, his voice pulling me back from my thoughts.

"What are you...?" My voice shook, betraying my fear.

"It's time to move on," he stated abruptly, cutting off my question.

"Move on? Where?" I regretted the words as soon as they left my lips.

He took my hand, his grip firm and unyielding. Heat spread from his touch, racing up my arm and flushing my face and neck with both fear and an unfamiliar warmth. Any thought of pulling away vanished under the strength of his hold.

"I'll show you," he declared with a finality that brooked no argument.

With a snap of his fingers, the world around us plunged into darkness.

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