The corridors of the college were alive with chaos. Students rushed past each other, backpacks bouncing, papers fluttering-everyone was late on the first day.

  A boy with a small bun on top of his head sprinted through a narrow hallway, glancing at his watch. The fang-shaped mark on his neck throbbed faintly, but he thought nothing of it. It was just part of him, always there. He dodged past a group of students, nearly tripping over a fallen book, heart hammering from the rush.

  Down another corridor, a girl with long pink hair, two bangs falling over her face, dashed through the crowd, weaving between students. Their paths collided with a loud BANG!

  "Oh! Sorry! My bad!" he shouted, stumbling back.

  "Yeah... sorry!" she replied quickly, brushing herself off.

  A brief glance. Two strangers. No names, no familiarity-just fleeting recognition of another frantic face. Then they went their separate ways, swallowed by the chaos of the morning.

  Hours passed. Classes dragged on. The ordinary hum of campus life lulled everyone into a false sense of safety.

  Then came the scream.

  "Monsters! Monsters! Run! Run!"

  The sound tore through the hallways, sharp, urgent, raw. Panic erupted. Students shrieked and scattered in every direction. The boy froze, stomach dropping, trying to make sense of the chaos.

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  And then he saw it-a shadowy, massive creature moving with terrifying precision. It ignored everyone else. Its gaze was locked on him and the girl. Every step it took was deliberate, silent, predatory.

  Fear gripped him. Why only us? he thought. Why now?

  Before he could react, the creature's huge wavy arms shot out, wrapping around both of them. They were stunned, completely immobilized, unable to move.

  The girl's pink hair fell over her face as she slumped weakly in his grasp. Panic surged through the boy.

  "Hey! Hey! Move! Get away!" he shouted, but his voice was swallowed by the chaos.

  Helplessness and fear collided inside him. Why us? Why is this happening?

  He could do nothing-until it happened.

  Without thinking, without intention, the fang-shaped mark on his neck flared. Heat coursed through his veins. Energy surged through his body. His arms moved instinctively, strength exploding beyond natural limits.

  The snake shot from his sleeve, fangs aimed at the creature, but it was more than that-his entire body reacted, instinctively defending the girl.

  With a violent surge, he broke through the creature's wavy arms, sending them flailing backward. The creature froze, stunned, confused. This... this was out of its understanding. It had rules, limits, patterns-but the boy was outside all of them.

  It tried to react, to hold them again-but the boy, still unaware of what had happened, instinctively shielded the girl. He hadn't intended it. It had all... happened on its own.

  A cold, commanding voice cut through the chaos:

  "Withdraw."

  The creature obeyed, vanishing like a shadow swallowed by darkness.

  The girl slumped fully in his arms, unconscious, breathing unevenly. The boy stood there, chest heaving, hands still trembling. He realized... nothing he had done had been conscious.

  It had all... happened on its own.

  Why only us? he thought, staring at her still form, helpless.

  Then, through the silence of the abandoned hallway, a new sound cut through-the rapid footsteps of someone rushing toward them.

  The boy's heart thumped faster. Whoever-or whatever-it was, they were coming. And they weren't waiting.