Ina approached slowly, extending her tongue to lick William's face, an intoxicated expression on her face. "Truly delicious, indeed. Animal flesh is the most exquisite."

She opened her mouth and bit into William's throat.

William struggled, but he couldn't free himself from the tentacles constricting him. Gradually, his consciousness began to fade, and he knew he was dying again.

...

"When the exam concludes, please stop writing immediately."

William awoke with a start as the announcement blared in his ear. When he opened his eyes, he saw the exam paper in front of him—the paper from the final exam—and he was back, once again back in time. August 9th, the last day of the exam.

"This student, the exam has concluded; please stop writing immediately." Observing that William still held a pen, the proctor approached. "Classmate, can you hear me?" the invigilator asked.

"Shut up..."

William's hand trembled, clutching the pen.

"What did you say?" The invigilator was taken aback. "I told you to shut up!" William sprang to his feet.

He hurled the pen to the ground and screamed hysterically. Looking at his shaking hands, he envisioned himself killing Arthur. It wasn't a monster he had killed; it was a human being.

All the people in the examination room stared at William, but now he didn't care. "You must all be monsters," William cried with a bitter smile.

"I know. Don't pretend. You're monsters, all of you!"

"What's wrong with you, classmate? Are you feeling unwell?" the invigilator inquired with concern.

"Get away! Don't come near me!" William retreated hastily.

Yet, as William saw everyone in the classroom gazing at him, a tingling sensation prickled his scalp, as if something were stuck in his throat.

"Why? Why are you doing this to me? What did I do wrong?" William couldn't believe it. "What is real? What is real?!"

William's headache intensified, and it felt like he was going insane.

Tears welled up in his eyes as he broke down, shouting, "Give me back my life, give me back my mom and dad..." In a daze, William sensed someone approaching.

"I'm sorry, teacher. He's my classmate. Perhaps the exam pressure got to him because he didn't perform well," a voice suddenly intervened.

William recognized the voice; it sounded familiar—the voice of the person who had called him from an unknown number.

William looked up, and though he could only see him from behind, he immediately recognized the man. "Carl?" William paused.

The call from that strange number on August 10th – it was Carl's voice. He kept his voice low, but William recognized it.

"Is he really okay?" The proctor peered past Carl at William. "He doesn't seem right."

The invigilator's gaze took on an unsettling edge, not one of concern, but more akin to a predatory hunger.

"What if I take him to the office for a rest?"

"No, sir." Carl moved to the side, blocking William from view.

"You understand how crucial the college entrance examination is for us," Carl said, his voice tinged with sympathy. "Sometimes, when things don't go well in the exam, it can be quite distressing."

Carl glanced back at William, his expression a mix of understanding and reassurance. "William, apologize to the teacher."

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

William stood there in a daze, unsure of who was human and who was a monster. "What are you staring at?" Carl's voice remained calm and collected.

He gently pulled William closer and whispered, "Apologize to the teacher, you'll feel better."

Carl discreetly pinched William's waist. Although the pain was far from the agony of facing a monster, it was enough to snap William back to reality. Carl had repeatedly come to his aid, so maybe he wasn't a monster after all.

Carl's presence brought a welcome sense of relief to William's troubled mind.

"Excuse me, teacher," William mumbled, head still lowered. He couldn't meet the invigilator's gaze, afraid his fear would be exposed. He bent over and whispered, "I shouldn't have lost my temper earlier. I apologize."

The proctor remained silent, his eyes locked on William for a moment before shifting a curious glance toward Carl.

"Are you certain he doesn't need a break?" The invigilator's countenance remained cold, suggesting he was far from convinced.

"No, sir," Carl replied politely. "His parents should be waiting for him outside the school."

"I see." The proctor's smile returned as he reached out and patted William on the shoulder. "You've finished the exam. Go home and get some rest."

William's instinct was to dodge the proctor's extended hand. The panic of being discovered threatened to overwhelm him, but Carl's steady presence kept him grounded.

"It's alright, William," Carl reassured him. "Whether you did well or not, nobody will blame you." "Could you thank the teacher for his concern?"

"Thank you, teacher," William replied woodenly.

He breathed a sigh of relief as the invigilator turned away.

When he looked up, he realized the other candidates in the classroom were still staring at him. William couldn't help but feel a sense of dread.

Had he been exposed? Were all these people staring at him actually monsters?

Were his parents monsters? Were his teachers and classmates all monsters? How many monsters lurked in this city?

"William, come on," Carl urged, turning and heading out of the classroom.

William hurriedly followed, but just as he was about to exit the classroom, the invigilator called out to him.

"Student, wait a moment."

William shuddered. What should he do now? Should he ignore the invigilator's calls and make a run for it? But wouldn't that be too conspicuous? Should he stay? Staying meant risking being discovered by these monsters.

William's heart raced at the thought of being captured and devoured. The pain, the suffocation, the

despair – he never wanted to experience that again.

"Stay calm," he heard Carl's voice. "If you don't want to die."

William took a deep breath, turned slowly, and asked softly, "Is there anything else, sir?"

"You left your belongings," the invigilator said with a smile, pointing to William's stationery on the exam table.

"Thank you, teacher," William replied, walking over to retrieve his things.

"You're welcome." The invigilator watched William as he left and added, "Remember to rest well once you get home. The test is just a test, it doesn't define you."

Those final words sent a chill down William's spine.

He remembered his parents saying the same thing to him. His parents didn't really care about his grades; they didn't care about him at all. To them, he was merely food. No one concerned themselves with the test scores of food.

"Let's go," Carl urged as they left the school. They didn't leave immediately; instead, Carl led William to the rooftop.

"When did you find out?" Carl asked coolly, making sure they were alone.

"I..." William hesitated. Should he tell Carl that he had discovered the truth on his birthday, June 10th, when he was attacked by the monster? Would Carl believe him?

"Well, it doesn't matter," William finally said, gazing down at the students emerging from the building after their exams. "We need to leave early. Staying too long might expose us."

"They..." William looked up. "You mean the monsters?"

Carl's expression grew serious. "There are no monsters," he said firmly. "From now on, there are no monsters."

"You know nothing, and to survive, you must pretend to know nothing."

"I can't do it," William admitted, shaking his head. The thought of pretending that nothing had happened filled him with dread, not because he felt weak, but because he knew he was scheduled to be devoured on his upcoming birthday in just two days.

"Carl, do you know anything?" William asked. "What's happening to this world? Why are these monsters infiltrating us, posing as adults? Are my parents already..."

"I don't know more than you do," Carl sighed. "But one thing is clear to me: you were not raised by your real parents from the very beginning."

William froze, recalling the words his mother had uttered on August 11th when she had attacked him. "We're not your parents," she had said. "We're your feeders."

"Feeders..." William whispered.

"Feeders?" Carl snorted. "That's an apt term."

"Real humans have become domesticated animals, and the man-eating monsters have become the masters."

"When the livestock is grown, they'll be consumed by these damned monsters."

"Yes, that's what the monsters call us!" William said. "The monsters call us 'animal people.'" At this, Carl's face hardened. "Animal people?"

"How do you know what those monsters call us?" Carl asked, looking at William with a hint of suspicion. "Have you had contact with them? Have you seen them for what they truly are?"

William nodded. "I've seen them. I've witnessed it myself."

"My parents, Teacher Colleen, and Monitor Ina – they're all monsters," William revealed.

Carl's expression changed abruptly. He rushed up, grabbing William by the collar and hissing through clenched teeth, "Why didn't you say something like that earlier? Are you trying to get us both killed?"