Yulli rushed into his bedroom, snatching his knife without any doubt. His hands trembled as he clenched his fist, his breath uneven.
And then he ran.
Faster than he ever had before.
His legs yelled at him, his lungs burned, but he could not stop—not when every second counted.
The streets were chaotic. People flooded into the alleys, their terrified faces just a blur in Yulli's head as they shoved their way past him. Their screams filled the air, along with the sound of wood and something else—something wet.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it! Where is she?!
His heart beat so hard it ached. His brain spun, tying itself into panic-fear knots. His clothing was torn, his hair mussed, his breath coming in ragged, irregular gulps.
And then he heard it.
A scream tore the night apart—a scream so inhuman, so filled with rage and suffering, that Yulli's stomach twisted.
His feet faltered for only a moment.
And then he pushed forward.
In the meantime, the guards at the gate were bewildered while frightened residents pushed against the gate.
"Halt! What business do you have?" One of them growled, holding his spear firmly.
"There's a beast! Please help us!!" a man shrieked, his voice raw from terror.
The guards exchanged glances.
"A beast? Don't be ridiculous!" One scoffed, rolling his eyes. "No beast could enter the slums! That's preposterous!" Then a woman fell onto her knees in front of them, shaking from head to toe. Her hands were covered in blood—another person's blood.
"Please… you must believe us. I was there when it… it ripped my friend apart." Her voice trembled, her eyes wide with shock. "This—"
She held up her hands, her fingers shaking,
"this is hers."
The guard scowled and pushed her away.
"Return to your house, peasant, and do not disseminate lie!"
Before he could say another word—
A new voice screamed.
"HELP! THE BEAST IS CHASING ME!"
The guards turned around just in time to see a man running for his life. His eyes were wide, his mouth twisted in fear—
And then, in the blink of an eye—
He was gone.
Something fast—huge—had grabbed him and ripped him apart mid-sprint. His body crunched, torn in half before his upper torso was hurled across the ground like a discarded ragdoll.
There was an awful, wet splat in the silence that followed.
The guards tensed, their faces draining of blood.
"O-oi." The first guard stuttered, hardly managing to utter a sound. His spear clanged in his hand. "T-this can't be."
The second guard snapped out of it first. "OI! CALLING FOR REINFORCEMENTS, NOW!" he roared. "H-huh?!
"JUST DO IT, GODDAMNIT!"
The other guard fumbled runs on the side desperately calling for backup. But reinforcements would take time.
And time was not on their side.
A low, guttural growl rumbled from the shadows.
The ground shook.
And then, she stepped into the light.
Charlotte.
Or rather—what used to be Charlotte.
Her nails had grown into long, jagged claws, sharp enough to shred through flesh and bone. Her fangs gleamed, her mouth dripping with fresh blood.
Her eyes—they weren't hers anymore.
They were glowing, red as fresh wounds, burning with something inhuman.
The fire-like marks had spread, crawling up her neck, her arms, her face—turning her into something twisted, something monstrous.
The guards stood frozen, their legs locking up in sheer terror.
One of them let out a shaky breath—
And his pants darkened.
Charlotte's head snapped toward them.
And then—
She moved.
A blur of razor-sharp claws and unnatural speed—
Before the guards could even think to react, one of them was lifted off his feet, Charlotte's claws buried deep into his chest.
He didn't even have time to scream.
A sickening crack rang out as his ribs snapped like twigs. His body twitched violently before she tore him apart, blood spraying across the gate.
The streets boiled with unrest.
The faces of the mobs were grimly set, clutching makeshift weapons-near planks and broken boards, rusted knives, and old farming tools-while chanting.
"I heard the beast is at the gate of Gongseng!" shouted someone, breathlessly.
"Yeah, I heard too!"
"If the cathedral won't help us, then we do it ourselves! It's only one beast!"
They all shouted until their voices turned into roars, giving rise to misplaced confidence. In numbers, they all believed.
Then they charged toward the gate.
the stench of blood-thick and nauseous-in the air. The bodies of the residents who first attempted escape lay stretched across the ground, torn like dropped scraps of meat.
One even a guard was dead.
The last—one guard—remained and lay upon the ground in a rigid, terrible fear. His helmet had rolled from his head, revealing his face-pale as death itself. His mouth was opened, but no words came out.
For before him—
Charlotte.
She was bent over a corpse, with teeth sunk into flesh, hands gripping the body as though terrified it might disappear.
Her once-warm gaze had turned into an empty, severe deep red glow, pretty like embers at night. Her fingers-no, her claws-twitching as they dug delving into her prey.
The guard tried to crawl back, but his limbs would not obey. His breath came out in shuddering gasps.
Charlotte lifted her head, sniffing the air.
Her gaze snapped to him.
The guard's stomach twisted in horror.
She stepped forward.
Slow. Deliberate.
Like a predator savoring the last moments of the hunt.
And then—
"THERE IT IS!"
The mob arrived.
"That's the beast! Get it!"
"Surround it! Don't let it escape!"
Before Charlotte could react, ropes flew through the air-nabbing her arms and wrapping around her body.
She snarled, willfully battling the ropes, but the men held their ground as they pulled her down.
"It bleeds!" A blade slashed across her torso, creating a deep gash that left the bystanders silenced for just a moment.
Then-
Guttural, unholy howl has torn through the night.
It rattled their bones.
A high-pitched ringing exploded in their ears.
Ropes loosened.
Burn brighter-Charlotte's eyes-not with pain but with fury.
She lunged.
The first man fell immediately-empty, his chest ripped open in a blur of claws and blood.
Another screamed, trying to swing his weapon, but Charlotte's hand burst through his stomach before he could even lift it.
Panic took hold of the mob.
"RUN! RUN!"
Some tried to fight, hacking at her with their crude weapons, but the beast was faster, stronger, relentless.
One stumbled, crawling away in a panic-Charlotte's foot came down on his back and crushed his spine.
Blood sprayed. Screams rang. The street became a slaughterhouse.
And through it all-Yulli ran.
His chest burned. His legs cried out for rest.
But he did not stop.
For he knew-
If he did not reach there in time-
There would be nothing left to save of his mother.