But the final moments never came. Mioray lay on the floor, a pool of blood spreading beneath him, his body torn apart. Yet, he did not lose consciousness. His eyes were shut, braced for the void, but instead, he found himself wondering if he was being stupid. He wasn’t dead, so why was he doing nothing as a monster loomed closer?

  Mioray opened his eyes. The giant stood before him, grinning from ear to ear. But what caught Mioray’s attention was Juju, still alive and relatively unscathed given the circumstances. He was slumped against the wall, cradling his mangled hand, unable to move but still breathing.

  It was unbelievable how Mioray had managed to shoot his arm out and push Juju away from the monster’s exploding strike. There was no explanation for it, much like the twisted man’s baffling ability to detonate his body parts on impact. Yet, the difference between these strange occurrences was clear: while the towering man could repeatedly cause explosions, Mioray’s bizarre arm-detaching move seemed to be a one-time trick. Now, his right arm lay useless on the floor, just behind the giant, with black threads extending from it, disappearing into the sleeve of Mioray’s sweatshirt.

  Clearly, the giant was built differently. He leaned down, grabbing Mioray by the hair and hoisting him up like a broken doll. The monster's previously destroyed arm was now fully regenerated. His inhuman strength made it clear he could easily crush Mioray’s head in one swift motion.

  What happens next? The thought was oddly detached, more curiosity than fear. The faint wail of sirens echoed somewhere outside, but the corridor was eerily silent, the second floor now occupied solely by Mioray, the monster, and Juju. Were the authorities busy evacuating survivors from the first floor? Mioray hoped they had reached Angelika in the cafeteria.

  It was a miracle Mioray was still alive, though he knew it wouldn’t last. He could feel the monster’s fingers digging into his forehead and temples, their pressure like drills boring into his skull. If Mioray could feel pain, it would have been sharp and relentless. Would the towering man stop after finishing him? Would he spare Juju? If only Juju could summon the courage to stand up and escape while the monster’s attention was fixed on Mioray! Juju always talked big, bragging about how tough and fearless he was. So why couldn’t he prove it now, when it truly mattered?

  Everything turned red – not just from the monster’s piercing, bloodshot eyes or the gore streaked across his grotesque face. Blood began seeping into Mioray’s vision, pouring from where the man’s fingers pressed down too hard. He could hear the cracks in his skull, the dreadful noise reverberating inside his head. At the same time, the monster’s arm muscles bulged grotesquely, the telltale sign that he was preparing to detonate another limb.

  Desperate, Mioray tried to move his detached arm, though deep down, he knew it would make no difference.

  Nothing happened.

  The man froze. The grip on Mioray’s head loosened, and he was dropped unceremoniously onto the floor. Mioray landed on his knees, barely able to hold himself upright. His chest wound no longer bled as profusely. Had he run out of blood? But then how was he still alive?

  Gathering all his strength, Mioray raised his head.

  The monster’s expression had changed. The manic grin was gone, replaced by a vacant, slack-jawed stare. His body was cloaked in a pale yellow-gray mist. No, upon closer inspection, it wasn’t mist. Intricate objects shaped like crescent moons swirled around him, piercing his skin and floating lazily in the air like glittering snowflakes or fireflies. Some of these strange shapes fell into the pool of blood beneath Mioray, and when he focused on them, he realized what they reminded him of. Fingernails.

  Perfectly clipped, crescent-shaped fingernails.

  The day had officially become too bizarre to comprehend.

  Footsteps approached from behind. Mioray turned his head with great effort, squinting through bloodied vision to see who it was.

  A lean man in his mid-thirties strolled down the corridor. His tailored metallic-blue suit and dark green tie looked absurdly out of place. His narrow face, wide ears, and sharp eyes behind thin black-framed glasses exuded an air of clinical detachment.

  “A piece of cake,” the stranger muttered, giving Mioray a disappointed glance. “I expected you to be more resourceful.”

  The man stopped beside Mioray and regarded the now-static giant. “Both of you. You may have devastating powers, but you’re reckless and predictable.”

  Turning back to Mioray, the man’s frown deepened. “How long do you plan on sitting there, waiting to pass out? I see you’ve managed to stabilize your bleeding, but some of it is still seeping through. At least you kept your heart and brain intact. Now, stand up.”

  Mioray blinked, his thoughts sluggish. Stabilize my bleeding? Kept my heart and brain intact? The words sounded ominous. Did this man think he was some kind of zombie? The heart was a new one, though. Mioray didn’t recall zombies dying from heart destruction in the usual lore. Not that it mattered right now.

  I’m not one of these! Mioray thought desperately. He wasn’t, was he? The doubt had always lingered in the back of his mind, silently haunting him since that day two weeks ago. Shouldn’t he have already been dead? And if not then, what about now, with half of his torso gone, blown apart by the explosion caused by the menacing man? Yet, Mioray wasn’t in shock, nor did he feel any pain. He could still sit on his knees, still move his head. And now, this stranger was telling him to stand up like it was nothing.

  Who are you? Mioray wanted to ask.

  “What? What are you mumbling about?” the man snapped. “Speak clearly if you have something to say!”

  “Who are you?” Mioray was surprised to hear his own voice. So, he could still speak? Just a moment ago, he’d felt as if his lips had turned to wood. Maybe it had been nothing more than his conviction that he was too weak to talk. “And who is this man? What the hell is happening here?”

  “My name is Kevin,” the man in the suit replied curtly. “We don’t have much time for questions. There’s too much to do, starting with moving this guy away from here, before any of us get spotted.”

  “I’m sorry, what?” Mioray stared at him in disbelief. How could this man seriously suggest they move the towering monster? It was impossible. Kevin didn’t look particularly strong, and Mioray himself was practically armless. Not to mention missing half his torso, with his heart exposed and beating in plain sight. “What are you even talking about?”

  Kevin sighed heavily, clearly annoyed.

  “Can’t you just reel your arm back in? What are those black threads for, otherwise?” He grabbed the threads connecting Mioray’s detached arm to his body and inspected them, bringing them close to his face. “Looks like some sort of combination of veins and sutures. Interesting. It never really makes sense, does it?” With a casual flick, Kevin let go of the threads. “You’ve had two weeks to figure out your abilities, and this is all you can do? I’m honestly surprised you managed to survive the damage this guy inflicted. Must’ve been instinct, figuring out how to control your blood flow without realizing it.”

  Worried, Mioray attempted to stand but only managed to lift one leg before collapsing back onto his knees.

  “What do you know about the last two weeks?” he asked, his exposed heart thumping wildly. It was embarrassing, really, his heart plainly visible for anyone to see.

  “Enough to question Erinel’s decision to choose you.” Kevin adjusted his glasses impatiently. “Look, we don’t have all day. If you can’t recall your arm, then drag it along. The police will swarm this place soon. I’ll call the others to help me move him.”

  “Erinel? You said Erinel?!” Mioray’s voice rose sharply. He hadn’t misheard, right? Kevin had said her name, which meant she was real. The revelation hit him like a lightning bolt. She’d chosen him? For what? And who were the others Kevin mentioned? His heart raced faster, and blood began trickling from his wound again. Mioray felt his body weaken.

  “What part of ‘we don’t have time for questions’ don’t you understand?!” Kevin barked. “Move, and try not to lose all your blood. It’s a pain to wait for it to come back.”

  “Alright, alright! I get it!” Mioray snapped, though in truth, he understood nothing. He wasn’t even sure if he could trust Kevin. Sure, Kevin had saved him and somehow stopped the monster, but the whole situation felt surreal. Were those strange crescent-shaped objects fingernails? Many of them were embedded in the giant’s flesh, much like the shards of glass lodged in Mioray’s own body from the shattered windows.

  “But I can’t just leave Juju here alone. I’ll take him with me,” Mioray added firmly.

  “Fine.” Kevin sighed in exasperation but didn’t stop him. He pulled out a phone and began making a call. Despite the chaos surrounding them, Kevin’s suit remained immaculate, and his chestnut hair was perfectly combed.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  Mioray tried to stand again. This time, he succeeded, though balancing was a struggle. Like a marionette, he forced his legs to move toward Juju, his detached arm dragging behind him on the floor.

  Juju was pale as marble, pressed against the wall. He wasn’t moving, barely even breathing, or so it seemed. His unblinking eyes darted between Mioray, Kevin, and the towering man. Mioray stopped halfway, unsure of what to do. The closer he got, the more terrified Juju appeared.

  Is he afraid of me? Mioray wondered bitterly. Wouldn’t I be afraid if I saw myself like this?

  Glass shards jutted from Mioray’s body. Half his torso was gone, ribs exposed and his heart beating visibly. His skull bore dents from the monster’s crushing grip. His left arm was gone entirely, while his right arm trailed behind him, tethered by black threads snaking out of his ruined sweatshirt.

  It was a sight no one should have to see.

  Juju gasped suddenly, his voice trembling.

  “He’s moving. He’s moving,” he stammered, repeating it over and over.

  Mioray understood immediately what Juju was talking about. No matter how terrifying Mioray himself looked, there was something far more menacing in the corridor: the twisted man. The self-exploding murderer. Mioray turned around. Not only was the monster moving, but all his limbs were fully intact again.

  The giant grabbed Kevin in both hands, lifting him effortlessly into the air with a guttural roar. Kevin struggled against the grip, feet dangling uselessly while his arms were pinned to his sides. The pattern was all too familiar now. Mioray knew what would happen next. The giant’s arm muscles began to swell.

  “Unbelievable,” Kevin grunted, his voice strained as he gasped for air. He twisted his shoulders, attempting to loosen the crushing grip, but it was no use. “How did you recover so quickly? Even for a corpse, this shouldn’t be possible.”

  Mioray knew Kevin was seconds away from being blown to pieces. He thought about distracting the killer, drawing the monster’s attention back to himself. Maybe the giant would release Kevin if reminded of his original target. Mioray took a tentative step forward.

  Before he could act, a pale yellow-gray cloud of crescent-shaped objects erupted from Kevin’s hands. Had he been holding them all along? The strange objects – fingernails? – defied gravity, streaking toward the towering man with terrifying precision. They struck like a swarm of tiny insects, embedding themselves into his flesh, just as they had before.

  Once again, the monster froze. No explosion came. His grip slackened, and Kevin slipped free, stumbling backward. Though shaken, Kevin quickly composed himself, standing tall with his usual pride. His perfect appearance was slightly ruined – his metallic blue suit wrinkled, his chestnut hair disheveled – but even then, he exuded an air of superiority.

  “Will you stay paralyzed this time?” Kevin muttered, brushing imaginary dust from his suit. “If you can’t behave civilly, then you shouldn’t act at all.”

  In stark contrast, the giant was a picture of savagery. His body was riddled with fresh wounds where the crescent-shaped objects had embedded themselves. Blood streamed from the punctures, though he showed no signs of caring or even feeling the pain. Miraculously, his tattered red vest and shorts remained on him, though they were little more than singed rags now.

  Something about the fingernails was holding him still. Were they imbued with some kind of drug? His body was frozen, but his furious eyes bore into Kevin, filled with rage and unspoken recognition. Did they know each other? It seemed likely. Kevin appeared to know a lot about this monster and he was clearly controlling the fingernails.

  Mioray took a cautious step back, the implications swirling in his mind. Were those really fingernails? He didn’t want to believe it, but he couldn’t think of any other explanation. The idea of Kevin being a collector of fingernails, controlling them like weapons, was disgusting.. And if it was true, what had Kevin done to collect so many? Mioray’s thoughts spiraled, dark comparisons rising in his mind. Was Kevin as terrible as the Dismantler?

  The sound of hurried footsteps echoing through the corridor snapped him out of his thoughts.

  Mioray turned toward the noise. Beyond the gaping hole in the floor where the giant had emerged, three people in blue uniforms advanced swiftly, guns drawn and ready to fire if necessary.

  “This is the police! Don’t move!” The commanding voice belonged to a woman at the front. She scanned the scene, her sharp eyes darting between Mioray, Kevin, and the frozen giant. “Slowly, put your hands in the air where I can see them!”

  Juju sprang to life, leaping to his feet and throwing his hands up. With his bent, broken fingers on his right hand, he looked like one of those inflatable tube men outside car dealerships.

  “I have nothing to do with this!” Juju cried, stumbling toward the officers. He either hadn’t heard the woman’s instructions or chose to ignore them. “Please, help me!”

  “Stay where you are!” the officer barked, her tone brooking no argument. She glanced at Mioray, her expression shifting from stern to concerned. She raised her radio to her mouth. “We’ve got an injured man here. Send paramedics immediately.”

  Mioray realized the officer was looking at him. Her concern made sense. He was missing an arm, his ribs were shattered, and his exposed heart was pulsing unnervingly in plain view. She’s probably wondering how I’m still alive, he thought grimly. I’d like to know that myself.

  To tell the truth, the exploding killer and Kevin weren’t the only strange ones here. Mioray was too. He had his own mysterious abilities, placing him on the same level as Kevin and the monster.

  The officers advanced cautiously, their weapons trained on the frozen giant. They motioned for Juju to move toward the staircase at the far end of the corridor. He obeyed immediately, not even sparing Mioray a glance. Mioray watched his friend retreat, his figure growing smaller with each step.

  Was the nightmare finally over? The towering man seemed neutralized, and the police would surely arrest him. Juju and Angelika were alive. Even Mioray had survived, though barely. Relief began to creep in.

  But then, a dark realization surfaced. Any hope of returning to a normal life was gone. Chris and Julie were dead, and their group would never be the same. How could the survivors ever laugh together again, knowing two of their friends had died in such horrific ways?

  “You, put your hands in the air, too!”

  The command was directed at the towering man, who stood silently near Kevin. The man in the suit, though clearly displeased, raised his hands as instructed. This wasn’t part of his plan, but there was little he could do against a group of armed officers.

  That’s for the best, Mioray thought. If the police hadn’t shown up, he’d have been forced to follow Kevin somewhere, something he wasn’t sure he wanted to do.

  “He’s immobilized, officer. He can’t move,” Kevin said dryly.

  “Step away from him. Now,” the policewoman ordered. “Witnesses said the one who attacked the university is a very tall, muscular man. He fits the description.”

  “Son, hang on, help is on the way,” another officer said, lowering his gun as he spoke to Mioray. The man’s face betrayed his struggle to maintain composure as he forced himself to look at Mioray without averting his gaze. The injuries were that grotesque. “You’ve been through so much already. Just hold on a little longer.”

  “Umm... okay.”

  Mioray’s flat response baffled the officers. They exchanged uneasy glances. None of them knew that Mioray wasn’t feeling pain. His body, however, was growing less responsive with each passing moment, as if it was gradually betraying him.

  “Are you a professor here?” The policewoman asked Kevin, edging closer to the immobilized giant and leaving the other two officers near Mioray.

  “Not really,” as ordered, Kevin moved to the wall, distancing himself from the giant. “I was just passing by when I heard the explosions and decided to see what was happening here.”

  The policewoman opened her mouth to respond, but a sudden, deafening roar drowned out all other sounds.

  The giant man had recovered.

  “Why are you still able to move?!” Kevin yelled, his voice tinged with disbelief. “I gave you enough to kill an elephant! How are you recovering this fast?!”

  The towering man didn’t answer. Instead, he erupted into maniacal laughter, flames igniting in his eyes as he straightened his arms and started toward Kevin.

  “Don’t move! Don’t move, or I’ll shoot!” the policewoman shouted, her voice commanding but edged with fear.

  The monster didn’t listen. He was consumed with a singular obsession.

  Gunfire rang out, but the bullets seemed to barely faze him. For a brief moment, he paused, turning his head as if swatting at invisible pests. Then, his gaze locked on the policewoman, who was firing relentlessly.

  With terrifying speed, the monster lashed out, striking her with a single palm.

  The impact triggered an explosion.

  Mioray barely registered what happened next. The policewoman’s body, or what remained of it, hurtled through the air, crashing into a window. The glass shattered, shards painting themselves red as her remains fell outside.

  The two remaining officers screamed, their voices high-pitched with horror, but they kept firing, even as their magazines emptied. The towering man didn’t stop. Instead, he detonated one of his legs to propel himself forward, blasting the flooring to debris. Some of it narrowly missed Kevin, who dodged just in time.

  The towering man crashed into one of the officers, sending him into the hole he made earlier. After falling on the floor, the murderer grabbed the second officer by the leg. He detonated his arm, resulting in a gruesome display of carnage. Blood spattered the walls as the officer’s mutilated body collapsed, his life extinguished in moments.

  The explosion’s shockwave flung Mioray against the wall. He felt something crack, his spine, maybe. Pain didn’t register, only a grim certainty. We’re all going to die, aren’t we?

  Paralyzed, Mioray could only watch in horror as the killer, dragging his regenerating limbs, began crawling toward him. He just never stopped.

  “What a cursed thing you are,” Kevin’s angry voice cut through the chaos. “Is there nothing human left in you?!”

  With what little energy he had, Mioray shifted his eyes. Through his darkening vision, he saw Kevin step forward, loosening his dark green tie with a grim determination.

  “I didn’t want it to come to this,” Kevin muttered, his voice low and venomous. “But you leave me no choice.”

  Mioray’s world was rapidly dimming. His strength was gone. Adrenaline had worn off, leaving him at the mercy of his injuries. He could hear the twisted killer’s laughter echoing, but it sounded distant, like the roar of an approaching storm.

  Then, a voice, soft and familiar, pierced the haze.

  “Don’t do it, Kevin,” the voice warned.

  Mioray’s heart stirred weakly at the sound. It belonged to someone he had thought might be a figment of his imagination. Despite his fading consciousness, he was relieved to hear it again.

  “You’ll achieve nothing,” the voice continued. “We underestimated him. There’s no way to stop him now. We must retreat.”

  Before the monster could reach him, someone lifted Mioray into their arms and carried him away. Through his darkened vision, he caught a glimpse of his rescuer. They had the face of an angel, their black hair flowing like a river of night.

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