Rick stared at his father, completely shocked.
Did his old man really want him to fight that thing—alone?
He turned to look at the creature again. For some strange reason, the monstrous lizard was still standing perfectly still, its long tongue flicking in and out as if savoring the scent of its next meal. The air around it trembled. Every breath it took made the ground vibrate.
Rick's body screamed at him to run, but he didn't move. His father's words echoed in his skull, cold and absolute. If what he said is true—and it always is—then this is only the beginning.
If more of these beasts would appear soon, some stronger, some weaker, and all countless in number, then running was useless. There would be nowhere left to go. The thought alone made his blood boil, not with fear this time, but something sharper—resolve.
He clenched his fists and glared at the monster, his heartbeat steadying.
From behind him came his father's calm, knowing voice. "Good."
Rick turned slightly. Mark was watching him with the faintest smile. "Glad you've made up your mind, Rex. And remember—losing is fine…"
His tone shifted, voice rising like a thunderclap.
"BUT DEATH IS NOT AN OPTION!"
Before Rick could respond, a sharp crack filled the air. Mark's hand came down like lightning, slapping him so hard he stumbled backward—and then fell.
"Wha—?!"
The world flipped. Wind rushed past his ears. The rooftop vanished above him as gravity claimed him. Somewhere in the chaos of falling, he heard his father's quiet voice, almost affectionate.
"Better not die, brat."
Boom!
A shockwave rippled through the ground when he landed. Dust exploded around him. The fall should've broken his bones, but it didn't. His body ached, sure, but that was all. He pushed himself up slowly, grinning despite the pain.
"Guess I really ain't normal after all."
His voice came out rough, half-mocking, half-in disbelief. He brushed the dirt off his jacket and looked up.
The beast's crimson eyes were already locked on him. It tilted its head slightly, that same eerie smile crawling wider across its face.
"Well," Rick muttered, trying to steady his breath, "it's just an overgrown lizard, right?"
The words barely left his lips before something unexpected happened.
The lizard spoke.
"You'll be first."
Rick froze. His pupils shrank.
The voice wasn't loud, but it carried through the ruined streets like a whisper from hell itself. Each word felt carved into his bones. The beast's mouth curled into something resembling amusement, as if enjoying his reaction.
For the first time, Rick truly understood what kind of world his father had thrown him into. Not just monsters—intelligent monsters. Things that could think, plan, and hunt with purpose.
He swallowed hard, forcing his heartbeat to slow. Don't show fear. That's what it wants.
The lizard took a slow, deliberate step forward. Its claws scraped against the ground, each movement calculated.
Rick exhaled slowly, then reached into his pocket. His hand trembled, from fear. Out came a small, feather-like object—a pen, sleek and metallic.
To anyone else, it was just a writing tool, a relic of the old world. But to him, it was something far more dangerous.
The Quill.
That's what the scientists called it—a failed experiment, a weapon that could turn thought into reality for those whose blood had been modified to handle its energy. Every user before him had gone mad, bodies bursting under the pressure of creation.
But Rick wasn't like them. His father had made sure of that.
He twirled the Quill between his fingers, a wild grin spreading across his face. The terror in his chest twisted into thrill.
"So you can talk, huh?" he said, voice low. "Then this experience won't be pleasant."
The monster's eyes narrowed, faint traces of curiosity glinting in their depths.
Rick's muscles tensed. The air between them thickened, charged like a storm about to break.
His lips curved upward, that reckless, infuriating smile his father always hated.
"Come on then," he said, raising the Quill, its edge glimmering faintly under the city's broken lights. "Let's see how loud you scream when someone writes your ending."
The beast's tail flicked once, its tongue sliding across its fangs.
Rick took a deep breath, blood humming like thunder through his veins.
A spark of defiance lit his eyes as he stepped forward, grinning wider.
"Come and have a go, you overgrown lizard