Lately, the weather has been freezing cold. My hands went numb, so I shoved them into my pockets and pulled up my hood. I lifted my head; the moon and stars were brighter than ever today, as if they were watching what was happening in the world and mocking it. There was a bad feeling inside me for no reason, like a dark hand squeezing my heart. Whatever. I was really thirsty. My throat was completely dry—I had to go home, or I'd die.
I walked and walked… The streetlights flickered with a buzzing sound. When I reached our house, I saw that the door was wide open. From inside came a heavy metallic smell—a mix of rust and blood.
It was standing there. A 3.30-meter-tall, blood-red muscular body, staring at me with white, meaningless eyes. I looked to the right. My mother and my siblings… They were finished. There wasn't much left.
My brother Say stretched out his hand from the pool of blood on the floor, his voice raspy.
"B-brother… help…"
He went silent. His eyes stayed open. Hmm. They're probably dead.
Anyway, I needed water.
I walked toward the kitchen. The floor was completely covered in blood. That squishy splash sound under my boots echoed crack, crack with every step. I opened the fridge and took out a bottle of cold water with trembling hands. Then I looked at the ingredients—felt like a sandwich. Salami and cheese. I carefully prepared it and placed it next to my bag.
When I turned around, I saw my mother. She was covering my sibling, as if she had tried to protect them until the very end. There was a strange, peaceful smile on her face.
"Whatever," I said, and walked outside.
The monsters inside were probably surprised by my strange calmness. Without changing their expressions, they continued their feast.
As the freezing wind hit my face outside, my past flashed before my eyes. That red giant body… It reminded me of myself. People were always afraid of me as a child just because of my red hair. Because of the emptiness in my black eyes, that lack of a soul, people always stayed away from me.
I am Gen…
That strange being humans call a monster, and monsters mistake for a human.
Tch… annoying.
I crossed to the park across the road. There was an empty bench on the right. I sat down. The city view looked amazing from here—smoke rising everywhere, sirens blending into one another. Just as I was about to open my package and take a big bite of my favorite salami sandwich, an image appeared on the giant LED screen across from me.
The screen glitched, and a man appeared.
"Ah, hello there! Can you hear me? Anyway, I'm Şen. Hello, human beings! As you can see, there are friends with special powers roaming the streets. Did you know? They don't like humans at all. When they see one, they just… gulp—eat them raw!"
Gen: "What is this guy even talking about? There was a nice action movie on the screen. I was about to watch it. Damn it, he ruined the broadcast."
At that moment, heavy footsteps began coming from my right. Snow was being crushed in the middle of the street. The red monster from earlier, having finished its feast, blood still dripping from the corners of its mouth, came up to me and crouched beside me like a dog.
Gen: "Don't stare at my sandwich. I'm not giving it to you. Go find something else. What do you want?"
The monster's white eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
"H-hu-man… You… aren't you afraid of me? I just ate your family!"
Gen: "I thought about it," I said while chewing my sandwich. "And I couldn't find a logical reason. Why should I be afraid? If they're dead, they're dead. The world keeps turning."
The monster roared.
"I am a monster! I am terror itself! But you calmly walked past me and made a sandwich in the kitchen!"
Gen: "Ahhh… that thing. Look, monster buddy, you can't beat me. No matter how much you want to or try. I don't recommend testing it—because before you even touch me, I'll erase you from this world."
For a moment, I thought to myself: Did that hurt its pride? Was I too harsh?
I could hear the monster grinding its teeth as it clenched its massive fist. For an instant, I felt a tiny fragment of mercy. I was about to open my mouth and say, "Sorry—" when—
Monster: "Tsk tsk… You're going to die!"
It raised its hand.
Gen: "Oh, you're really trying? What a pity. Shine (Die)."
Suddenly, the monster's roar turned into a scream of agony.
"AAARGH! MY ARM! MY ARM IS TEARING OFF! IT HURTS, IT HURTS!"
An invisible force was twisting its arm from the inside out.
Gen: "Tch, shut up already. I couldn't even eat my meal in peace. If you don't want to die, get the hell out of here. Ten seconds. If you don't leave, you won't get away with just an arm next time."
The monster fled into the darkness, limping to save its life, while the man on the screen—Şen—kept talking:
"In this world, there are special beings. God-level or Devil-level emotionless humans… They follow no rules. They only do whatever they feel like."
Gen: "What Şen's saying is interesting. It's like he's describing me. I wonder—am I a Devil, or a God? Hah! Both sound exhausting."
Fine droplets of rain began to fall from the sky, melting the snow and turning the blood on the ground a pale pink.
What should I do now? I could go home, but it's going to stink like hell inside, and I don't feel like cleaning. Whatever. Tomorrow I'll just kill a rich family I've been eyeing and stay in their clean house.
I stood up and shoved my hands back into my pockets. The bloodstains on my shoes wouldn't wash away even in the rain. With every step, it felt like I was stamping a seal onto the ground.
Anyway… I let out a soft whistle and walked into the darkness, looking for a warm hole to sleep in for the rest of the night.