This story begins in 2024, in Brooklyn. It was a cold night, and a thunderstorm had settled over the city. Three young exchange students were running through the rain to their apartment, but the downpour made it difficult to navigate.
They were all wearing their school uniforms, consisting of black shirts and jackets with their high school's logo. These boys were part of an exchange program designed to help students understand and appreciate different cultures.
"FUCKING HELL! I TOLD YOU GUYS WE SHOULD'VE SKIPPED THIS DAMN DETENTION!" shouted Xavier, a 15-year-old from Martinique. He had curly brown hair that fell over his eyes and, at 6'1", he was the tallest in the group and often the most outspoken.
He had curly brown hair that fell over his eyes and, at 6'1", he was the tallest in the group and often the most outspoken [https://img.wattpad.com/142be6c4e0982c65e63a931d485917c33bdab1dd/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f75344b71344553664b7561726e513d3d2d313435323536333235392e313764666334323965666139303234623431373436343539393533302e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
"OH SHUT UP, XAVIER! IF IT WASN'T FOR YOU, WE WOULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN DETENTION TO BEGIN WITH!" replied Malek, a 14-year-old Arab boy from Canada. He had black skin and very short hair, he was the shortest of the group at 5'3", but his bravery more than made up for his height.
"YOU-!" Xavier started, but he stopped himself, realizing that yelling was pointless.
"I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING IN THIS STORM! WHERE EVEN IS OUR BUILDING?!" screamed Hendrix, the oldest at 16. Standing at 5'10", he focused on his physique and grades more than other activities. His Latino parents had sent him to this program to help him understand other cultures better.
"Fuck... where did that storm even come from?" Xavier panted, shaking water from his hair.
"Ahhh... I don't know, but it just ruined my clothes," said Malek as he took off his jacket.
"Hendrix, do you think it'll stop anytime soon?"
"By the looks of it, not for a while," Hendrix replied, glancing out at the relentless rain.
"Whatever, we would be home if you guys hadn't insisted on going to that detention," mumbled Xavier
"Inshallah we get home safely," said Malek, looking worried.
"With our luck, a demon might as well spawn outside," chuckled Xavier.
"I need to call my mom; me va a maldecir si no lo hago..." Hendrix muttered in Spanish.
"Ahh, ella está preocupada por ti, pequeño inmigrante," Xavier teased. with his Caribbean accent, it was harder for Malek to understand him. Hendrix looked him up and down and rolled his eyes
."Por el amor de dios, cierra la puta boca, idiota!" Hendrix yelled."
Whaaat? I don't speak immigrant," said Xavier in an annoying tone.
"You're like a damn Microsoft worker.""..."
"PFFFT-" The two boys burst out laughing.
"So y'all just love to make fun of the guy who doesn't speak a thousand languages?" interrupted Malek with a disappointed look.
"Well, you do speak Arabic, don't you?" smiled Xavier.
"Yeah, but I can't speak it with you niggas because you DON'T understand."
"Step up your language game, lil bro," Hendrix flicked Malek's forehead.
[Phone ringing: Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe by Kendrick Lamar]
"Oh, it's mine," said Xavier while reaching into his pocket.
After a few seconds of listening to the ringtone, Xavier picked up the phone."Ay, wsg?""Big broooo," a teen voice said.
"Okoro! How are you, lil bro? Is Mom okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, she's fine. I'm just calling to get some news!"
"Well, I'm in a gas station. There's a storm outside, so me and the others are waiting for it to calm down so we can go home."
"Damn... hope y'all good though, for real. Also, I joined the gym! By the time you get back, I'll be more jacked than you."
"Keep dreaming, fam. Imma call you back when I'm out of this storm. See you later, lil bro.""Alright, see ya."Xavier hung up the phone.
"Was it your lil brother?"
"Yeah, he was calling to get some news and shit. He picked up the dumbbells too."
"Good for him," said Hendrix.
Xavier sighed and looked out the gas station window. The station was near a couple of buildings in the city center, but the heavy downpour made it difficult to see or navigate the area.
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"What a pain..."
"Hey, um, where is the cashier? I wanna buy a drink, but he's not here," asked Malek, looking around the empty shop.
"How should I know?" replied Xavier in an annoyed tone.
"Oh my god, don't give me that attitude! You're the reason we're in this situation anyway. If you knew when to stay calm, we wouldn't have had that detention. But nooo, you had to pick a fight with the school bullies," Malek shouted, frustration evident on his face.
"I know when to stay calm! Maybe if you weren't such a pushover, you would know this wasn't the time to stay quiet. Those guys insulted you, your religion, and everything about us, treating us like we were some other species!" Xavier snapped, his voice rising. A heavy silence fell over the room as Malek looked down and turned away.
"My bad... I didn't mean to-" Xavier began to apologize."Shut up," Malek cut him off."Can we stop with all the teen angst already?" Hendrix interjected, sighing. "Xavier fought some guys and got detention. Stuff like that happens. Don't make a big deal out of it." He placed a hand on Malek's head. "Don't get mad at him; he didn't mean it. And you, Xavier, need to watch your words."
"Yeah... sorry, Malek. I didn't mean to call you a pushover. I just don't get why you didn't want to fight back against those jocks."
"Because fighting isn't always the solution. You should know that; you're Christian," Malek replied quietly.
"..." Xavier had no response.The atmosphere was tense, the downpour relentless. Suddenly, the ground began to shake."SHIT, AN EARTHQUAKE!" yelled Hendrix. The three boys dashed out of the gas station and took shelter under a nearby bus stop across the road.
The lightning flashed menacingly in the clouds, and the rain pelted the ground even harder. Suddenly, a red thunderbolt struck the gas station they had just left.
"OH SHIT?! DID YOU SEE THAT???" Xavier asked, stunned."WAS THAT A RED LIGHTNING BOLT???" Malek echoed, his eyes wide with shock.The rain stopped abruptly, and the clouds dissipated. Everything seemed calm until the moon turned a bright, ominous red.
"What the hell is happening?" whispered Hendrix, eyes glued to the eerie sight."Whatever it is, it can't be good," replied Xavier, a sense of dread settling over him.
"We need to get back to the apartment, now," Malek urged, his voice trembling.The boys stared at the crimson moon, knowing their night was far from over.
Suddenly, a scream echoed from deep within the city, a man and a woman's terrified cries growing louder.*
"What the fuck is happening?!" Hendrix exclaimed as the screams approached.The three boys ran as fast as they could through the city streets, heading toward their apartment."COME ONNN!" Xavier shouted, urging them forward.
Xavier stopped in front of their building and turned to see what was following them. His blood ran cold. A creature, not an animal, but something far more sinister, emerged from the shadows. It had glowing yellow eyes and an emaciated, deformed human-like body. Its skin was as black as the night sky, and its jaw hung open in a chilling manner. The creature's eyes locked onto Xavier's, paralyzing him with fear. He started hyperventilating.
Hendrix and Malek had already entered the building, but when they realized Xavier wasn't with them, they ran back outside and saw him locked in a stare with the creature. Out of nowhere, the creature spoke:"𐌊𐌉𐌋𐌋.... 𐌄𐌀𐌕.. 𐌔Ꝋ𐌵𐌋."
The boys witnessed in horror as the creature lunged at Xavier, knocking him to the ground."FUCK! FUCK! GET OFF OF ME!" Xavier pleaded, struggling to push the creature away, but it was too strong. Malek was paralyzed with fear, but Hendrix rushed at the creature, delivering a swift right hook. The creature was momentarily destabilized, but it backhanded Hendrix, knocking him out cold
"HENDRIX!" Xavier screamed, still pinned to the ground. The creature looked at him, unclenched its jaw, and bit into his shoulder. Xavier screamed in agony, pleading for the creature to stop as his life flashed before his eyes.
"STOP! LET GO OF ME! LET GO! LET GO!" he cried, tears streaming down his face. Malek, still in shock, watched helplessly as Hendrix lay on the ground, his jaw shattered.
"No... let go," Malek muttered to himself. "This is a nightmare!"Summoning every ounce of courage, Malek grabbed a metal rod lying nearby and rushed at the creature. He swung it with all his might, striking the creature on the head. It howled in pain and released Xavier, turning its malevolent gaze toward Malek.
"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Malek shouted, swinging the rod again. The creature hissed, retreating slightly, but it wasn't done yet. It lunged at Malek, knocking the rod from his hand. Malek stumbled back, tripping over his own feet, and fell hard onto the pavement.
The creature was on him in an instant, its claws digging into his flesh. Malek screamed in pain, thrashing in a desperate attempt to free himself. Xavier, still bleeding and barely able to move, watched in horror as his friend was attacked.
"No! Leave him alone!" Xavier yelled, his voice cracking with desperation. Malek's agonized scream tore through the night as the creature's fangs sank deeper into his arm.
The sight of his best friend in such pain unleashed a torrent of rage within Xavier, a fury he had never felt before. The creature's relentless attack on Malek pushed Xavier to the edge.
Suddenly, a burning sensation erupted in his chest, spreading rapidly through his body. It felt as though molten lava was coursing through his veins, igniting every nerve ending. His vision blurred, and when it cleared, he saw everything in stark, vivid detail. The rain that had been drenching them now hissed into steam as it touched his skin.
His pupils, once a warm brown, transformed into a vivid, glowing white. He could see the reflection of the crimson moon in Malek's terrified eyes as the boy looked up at him. The heat in Xavier's chest became unbearable, and instinctively, he ripped off his soaked shirt, revealing a glowing kanji symbol etched into his skin. The symbol for Fire 火pulsed with an otherworldly light, casting an eerie glow in the darkened street.
Xavier's vision tunneled as he watched the creature's suffering. Triumph and horror battled within him. The power he wielded was as terrifying as it was exhilarating, a force of destruction that both saved and threatened to consume him.Malek, still clutching his bleeding arm, stared at Xavier with a mixture of awe and fear. "Xavier... how...?"
Xavier, breathing heavily, the glow in his chest slowly fading, looked down at his friend. "I don't know," he said, his voice trembling with the aftershock of his power. "But I think... I think we're going to be okay."
Just as he said this, the air around them seemed to ripple, distorting like a mirage in the desert. A loud, unnatural crack echoed through the streets. Xavier and Malek turned their heads toward the sound, eyes wide with dread. The air itself seemed to tear open, a jagged rift forming in reality.
From this crack emerged more creatures, identical to the one Xavier had just vanquished. Their yellow eyes glowed with malevolence, and their emaciated forms moved with a terrifying, unnatural agility. One by one, they stepped through the rift, their growls filling the night.
"Oh no... not more of them," Malek whispered, his voice shaking with fear.Xavier's eyes blazed white once more, and the kanji on his chest glowed fiercely. "Get behind me, Malek," he ordered, his voice filled with a newfound authority.
"I won't let them hurt you."The creatures advanced, their eyes fixed on the two boys. Xavier raised his hand again, the air crackling with energy.
"BEGONE!!"
With a roar, Xavier unleashed another beam of white-hot energy, incinerating the first creature to step forward. The others hesitated, their malevolent gazes flickering between their fallen comrade and the boy who had just unleashed such devastating power."COME AT ME NOW !" his torso started to glow brighter
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