"Take your time and tell me slowly," Mr. Colleen said, sensing William's unease. He moved closer to offer comfort."Mr. Colleen, you might not believe this," William began, his voice trembling, "but I don't know what to do.""Trust me, William," Mr. Colleen reassured him, "go ahead and share your concerns. I'll do my best to help.""Mr. Colleen, my parents..." William hesitated and then continued, "No, they're not my real parents.They're monsters. They killed my real parents and took on their identities.""Monsters?" Mr. Colleen paused for a moment, his expression changing."I'm not lying, I swear," William insisted anxiously. "It's the truth.""Are you sure they're monsters?" Mr. Colleen's face grew serious. "Willem, you can't joke about something like this.""I'm not joking. I saw them with my own eyes," William affirmed."Describe what the monsters looked like," Mr. Colleen instructed.William nodded. "I remember.""They were horrifying. Their skin was like beetle carapace, impenetrable by a knife. And they had these repulsive tentacles on their bellies, covered in barbs," William recalled."Yes, they had—" William was about to elaborate, but he noticed that Mr. Colleen's demeanor had changed.Mr. Colleen, typically short and thin, seemed to have grown taller and bulkier."William, the monsters you described..." There was an unsettling smile on Mr. Colleen's face.His mouth slowly opened, tearing at the corners without stopping. Jagged mouthparts emerged from his mouth, followed by enormous compound eyes.His abdomen began to writhe, and barbed tentacles burst forth."Is that what they looked like?" the transformed Mr. Colleen inquired.William's mind went blank, realizing he had failed to consider that the Mr. Colleen before him might be an equally horrifying monster.By the time William regained his senses and attempted to flee, the revolting tentacles had ensnared him. They constricted, tearing through his clothes and embedding themselves into his flesh."Help... Save... Help..." William screamed...."Ding, ding, ding, ding..."The sound of William's phone alarm jolted him awake, and he sat up abruptly. He found himself in his own room, surrounded by familiar surroundings."I... I'm not dead?" William was drenched in sweat, as if he had just endured a terrible nightmare.He quickly grabbed his phone and saw that it was still August 10th. However, the difference was that it was now the morning of August 10th."Time has reversed itself? But why?" William wondered. "Do I return to the past every time I'm killed?""Are you awake, Willem?" His mother's voice came from outside the door. "I heard your phone alarm.""It's just my alarm clock. I'm already awake!" William was astonished."Come on in, Mom." William's heart raced, as he feared that his mother might sense his fear if she came in."You've been raised by me; where haven't I seen?" His mother chuckled. "I won't come in. I left your allowance on the table."His mother's gentle tone momentarily eased William's anxiety. How he wished that everything had beena dream—a nightmare he could simply wake up from.However, the vivid memories in his mind reminded him that it was all too real."I understand." William took a deep breath, doing his best to compose himself."Before I was killed, the monsters mentioned that the first day of adulthood was when someone was most delicious," he mused. "So, as long as you turn 18, you become their target.""In other words, anyone under the age of 18 is safe from them.""But I can't face these monsters alone..." William thought, a plan forming in his mind.With the support of his classmates, he might have a chance to confront the creatures and find a way to stop them.

Thinking of this, William glanced at his phone, specifically the class group chat.Aside from Arthur, who was repeating a grade and already 19 years old, all of his classmates were younger than 18."There's strength in numbers," William reasoned. "If I inform them, maybe together, we can figure out asolution."To avoid the class teacher, Mr. Colleen, and Arthur discovering his plan, William decided to create a new class chat group and add his fellow students to it."Why is there a new class chat group?" a classmate inquired."William is the admin of this group," another student replied."William, why did you add us to this new chat group, and where's Arthur? I'll add him to this one," a student offered."No, don't!" William quickly responded."Listen, everyone," William typed,his fingers moving rapidly. "Don't tell anyone about this—neither your parents nor your teachers, not even Arthur. Keep this secret among us!""What's going on? Why all the secrecy?" one student asked, puzzled."At 10 a.m., we'll meet at the abandoned factory building in the back hills," William instructed. "I have something important to share with you, and you need to be prepared. Remember, don't tell anyone.""What's so mysterious about this?" another student inquired."Just trust me, class," William typed urgently. "I'll explain everything when we meet. Be ready for anything."With the message sent, William felt a sense of responsibility weighing on him. He hoped that his classmates would heed his warning and gather at the abandoned factory as planned.However, his phone rang suddenly, displaying an unknown number."William." Seeing the unfamiliar number, William hesitated but answered the call."Don't go," a muffled voice pleaded before abruptly hanging up."Don't go?" William was taken aback. He considered calling back to get more information, but the number couldn't be reached.Checking the time on his phone, he realized it was nearly 9 a.m. The abandoned factory was a 30-minute taxi ride away, and he needed to arrive early.In order to convince his classmates of the impending danger, William had prepared a trap. He had set up a rope behind the factory gate, hidden from view.Arriving early, William positioned himself behind the factory gate, waiting for his classmates to arrive. He believed that showing them a real monster would be more convincing than any words he could muster.William didn't ask his classmates in the group chat to inform Arthur. Instead, he contacted Arthur directly and requested his presence after 10 o'clock.As the footsteps drew nearer, William began to sweat nervously."Huh? You're all here," Arthur's voice emanated from outside the door. He entered and found his classmates gathered in the abandoned factory.William pulled a rope, and a stone dropped from above, striking Arthur on the head. With a thud, Arthur fell to the ground."Ah!" Ina let out a startled scream at the sudden sight."William, are you crazy?!" Ada jumped up from the floor, momentarily discarding her weariness. "Willem, why are you doing this?" Ina furrowed her brow, gazing at William in disbelief."Listen to me!" William exclaimed loudly. "Arthur is not a man; he's a monster!""You're insane, Willem. You're truly insane." Ina began to back away, as if fearing that William might attack her too."Call an ambulance, quickly!" Ada picked up her cell phone to dial emergency services. "I can prove it!" William shouted as he picked up a sharp stone from the ground.Approaching Arthur, he used the stone's point to cut Arthur's skin."Ah! The pain roused Arthur, and without hesitation, William grabbed another stone from the ground and struck Arthur."He really is a monster. Despite his appearance, he's a creature in human skin," William proclaimed to the class."Madness, Willem, you're truly mad." The sight before them terrified everyone once more, and they scattered in all directions, terrified of becoming the next victim.William stood there, trembling uncontrollably.But Arthur lying on the ground was no monster; there was no black carapace beneath his skin. "Why?" The stone slipped from William's hand, and he sat on the ground, feeling powerless. The acrid scent of blood filled his nostrils, and his clothes were stained with blood.All the students in the abandoned factory had fled, leaving only William, the lifeless Arthur, and Ina, the class monitor."Why is this? Why isn't he a monster?" William couldn't comprehend it. He kept muttering, "Why isn't he a monster at 19?""Well, Willem, it seems you've made a grave mistake," William heard Ina's voice in his ear. Willem looked up, unsure when Ina had approached.Ina appeared unfazed by what she saw. She crouched down and smiled at William."How did you find out, William?" Ina inquired with a smile. A revelation? What had she discovered?Ina's words sent shivers down Willem's spine. He looked up, fear in his eyes. "You... You are..." "William, you've made a terrible mistake," Ina whispered calmly.Her voice was melodious, but to Willem, it sounded like the whisper of the devil. "The feeding time of an animal is determined by the preferences of the eater.""Just as some people prefer their steak medium-rare, some creatures are consumed at birth, and others as adults.""By the way, would you like to guess how many other beings like you are left in our class?" Familiar tentacles emerged from Ina's belly, enveloping William tightly.

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