Whoosh

The air was heavy with dread. The acrid smell of death and burnt corpses lingered, permeating the senses and turning the stomach. 

Above, the sky burned with a sinister crimson hue, casting an eerie, blood-red light over the desolate landscape. 

Crackle Crackle

Wood snapped and splintered, metal twisted and groaned, and the flesh sizzled and popped in the intense heat.

Despair hung thick in the air, a suffocating presence that seeped into every corner of the devastated landscape. 

It was a desolation so complete, so absolute, that there was only one word to describe it... The end of the world.

A figure emerged from the thick veil of smoke and ash. Clad in black armor etched with terrifying patterns.

His armor was slick with blood, and black flames follow after him. Creatures, both human and beast, instinctively bowed in his presence, overwhelmed by a primal fear and reverence.

His gaze, piercing through the smoke and chaos, settled on a small group of humans. Amidst the devastation, they clung to a fragile semblance of hope, helping each other to stand amidst the rubble.

Nearby, another group was moving with grim resolve, forming ranks as if ready to defend against the inevitable.

He squinted at the humans, his gaze narrowing with contempt. A disgusted expression twisted his features

The earth trembled once more with each of his strides.

He opened his mouth, though no sound escaped into the desolate air. Instead, his words bypassed the need for speech, resonating directly within the minds of every living being within his reach.

"...How vile, clinging to each other's backs merely to trample a great foe, yet thou dost stab thine own kin out of avarice.

Ye humans are like maggots that perisheth not, even as I... endeavor to exterminate thee.

...Though all races be gone, ye people shall slay thine own kin out... of envy, desire, and pride... Stealing possessions, territories, and lives of others. In the end, ye... humans shall bring about thine own destruction."

His words carried an insane amount of killing intent. Several humans dropped lifelessly to the ground, their faces frozen in expressions of sheer horror. 

"The world hath no need for maggots."

As the words reverberated, the air itself seemed to respond, drawing inward toward him in a chilling, unnatural manner. The surrounding atmosphere tightened, compressing under the weight of his presence, making it difficult to breathe.

Though the field was engulfed in flames, an eerie chill settled over the survivors. They shivered uncontrollably, their breath visible in the frigid air.

The being opened his mouth again, and this time, a sound emerged—a low, guttural command that filled the air.

"Fall."

...

Sitting listlessly on a chair, Kael stared out the window and muttered, "Wow... I'll graduate soon."

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Kael checked his phone to see how much money he had left in his account. The number on the screen wasn't as high as he hoped, but it would cover his essentials for the semester if he was careful with his spending.

"I could have bought some good food if I hadn't spent my money on online gambling," Kael muttered to himself.

"Should I deposit more money?" He paused, unsure if depositing more money into online gambling was the right choice.

"Damn it.." He cursed as he scrolled past another post that read, "99% of gamblers quit before they hit big."

Sigh

"I don't even know what to do with my life now..." Kael muttered.

He glanced at the time on his phone and realized it was already past 3 AM.

"I should sleep..."

Then he gently arranged his bed before settling in to sleep.

As he lay in his bed, thoughts raced through his mind on how to earn money.

"...I wish I were rich," he mumbled softly.

...

"..."

Chirp Chirp

The morning was alive with the cheerful chirping of birds, their melodies weaving through the crisp air as sunlight gently filtered through the leaves of swaying trees.

Dew glistened on blades of grass, creating a shimmering carpet that sparkled in the early light.

What a perfect day.

There's also a teenager tied up inside a carriage.

'Where the fuck is this... Am I dreaming?'

Struggling against his restraints, Kael attempted to stand, but the ropes bound tightly around his feet and arms.

'I can't fucking move... Damn it' 

He scanned the interior of the carriage and spotted several other unconscious individuals, all tied like him.

'What the fuck is going on...' Kael thought to himself, panic rising as he realized he couldn't scream without risking revealing he was conscious again.

The situation made his heart race faster.

'Where am I... Who are these people...'

"..."

"I need to escape," Kael resolved.

He searched for a way to free himself from the tight binds that held him captive.

He alternately rubbed both of his arms against the ropes, trying to create enough friction to loosen their tight hold.

'Damn it...'

After a few moments of struggling, his wrists throbbed with pain.

His head kept banging against the carriage walls due to the rough, jostling ride.

"I'm too tired already," Kael thought wearily.

As soon as he said that, the carriage abruptly stopped, and the horses neighed loudly, signaling a change in their journey.

The man in the black robe who had been driving the carriage stepped down and moved to the back.

Kael held his breath and tried to remain as still as possible, acting unconscious to avoid drawing attention to himself.

"Haaa... Why am I even doing this? It's not like they pay me to do this," the man in the black robe muttered to himself, casting a glance at the bodies in the back of the carriage.

"How can I even carry these guys to the base?" his voice tinged with frustration.

He moved the bodies two at a time, hoisting one over each shoulder.

'How strong is that guy to carry two people at the same time'.

"..."

After some time, the man in the black robe lifted Kael from the carriage and carried him away.

'Where is he taking me... Damn it,' Kael thought anxiously as he was carried away, his mind racing with fear.

'This man is at least 2 meters tall,' He noted, 'His body is massive, even covered by that giant robe.'

'I'll die if I fight a guy like him...'

Ba-dump Ba-dump

Kael was held high off the ground, his heart pounding rapidly with the fear of being discovered as conscious.

Kael was slung over the shoulder of this giant, and with each step the man took, Kael bounced uncomfortably. The constant rough motion caused the giant's shoulder to hit near his groin area repeatedly. To make matters worse, the giant wasn't even holding Kael securely, adding to his discomfort and fear of falling.

"Ugh, I feel sick..." Kael thought, his stomach churning.

After a few minutes of suffering, Kael found himself shaded by a huge shadow, signaling that they had arrived somewhere.

'Is this... a cave?'

'I can see the entrance from here,' Kael thought, his anxiety rising. 

'The light from the entrance is getting smaller as we go... we're getting deeper.'

'A pretty normal cave... no lights, no people, but this smell... rotten bodies.'

'I've never seen an actual cave before, but I think this looks normal,' Kael thought, trying to steady his nerves. 

'There's nothing suspicious about it at first glance, but as you go deeper, the smell of rot intensifies.'

'This man is so big that with every step he takes, small debris falls from the cave walls.'

They finally reached their destination, and the big man suddenly threw Kael onto a pile of bones. 

The impact sent a jolt of pain through his body, and he struggled to stay still.

'It hurts!' He thought, enduring the pain.

Then, beneath the pile of bones, a circular pattern began to reveal itself. The intricate design started to move and light up slowly, casting an eerie glow that danced across the cave walls.

'What is this... I have a bad feeling about this,' Kael thought, anxiety spiking as the glowing pattern grew more intense. "But I can't move because of these ropes, and the man is still watching us."

The light grew brighter, and soon an uncomfortable sensation washed over Kael, making him feel as though his very essence was being pulled toward the glowing pattern.

Wooom~

The pattern's glow intensified until it became blinding, and then, with a sudden surge, it swallowed them whole. 

"..."

Their bodies lay motionless on the ground, the circular pattern still visible beneath them but no longer glowing. The once pulsating light had faded, leaving only the eerie markings on the cave floor.

Kael struggled to assess his surroundings, his vision blurred and his body aching.

"This place... is different," Kael thought, his eyes slowly adjusting. "There are torches, and it seems more neat and organized."

Then, footsteps could be heard in the distance. "Hey! They're already here, come and get them!" a voice called out, echoing through the cavernous chamber.

"Why are there so many of them today? Is something special happening?" another voice queried.

"They say it's a full moon tonight, that's why we need them more than usual." 

Then they reached Kael and the other body lying nearby. Then, they lifted Kael and the other person from the floor, each person carefully carrying one body away from the cave chamber.

"...Why is this guy so heavy? Fuck," one of them muttered, struggling under the weight as he carried Kael's unconscious body.

"That's a good sign. The heavier they are, the more blood they have in their bodies—perfect for sacrifice," another voice remarked, sending a chill down Kael's spine as he remained unconscious.

'Sacrifice!?'