Chapter 1
“And the clock runs out.” I closed the book. That was an interesting phrase I thought, everyone in the bunker was asleep by now. I hid the book under my bed.
It’s about time I leave for the monster raid tonight, my friend Limited will be there too, and I was kind of excited.
I let my human disguise fade and crept out quietly on soft paws, slipping out of the rooms and into the night. Morich’s city streets glowed beneath streetlights, rushing cars tearing apart whatever peace lingered in the air. I nipped the edge of a leaf and the whole plant died instantly, leaving only crumpled dry stems behind. Its life source swept through me making my fur tingle, and two liquid wings sprouted on my back.
Now I was ready. I could rip anyone to pieces if I really want. I briefly thought of those school kids who thought they were far better than me. Still, none of them were worth my time.
Soon Morich’s dazzling lights faded far behind me. I pulled my owl mask over my face; several trees withered in an instant, and I transformed into an owl-headed creature with a barbed scorpion tail. Mask clamped tight, I sink fully into my feral battle persona: cold, blood-driven predator with no soft edges to spare.
I was the last one to arrive at the crowd of all kinds of strange creatures, bat like animals with fish tails, wolves with wings… but what I was looking for was a fox with tentacles.
Limited saw me first and yelled my name, several monsters looked at him, their faces begging him to shut up. I burrowed in to the fox and for a few seconds it was like the day we just met. Back then I was nothing but a powerless scorpion-cat beast, no liquid wings, and no special powers at all. I’d snuck out to steal realm energy to strengthen my skills, only to be caught red-handed by the territory’s guardians. It was Limited who threw himself out as a distraction, drawing all the pursuers away so I could slip away unscathed. Ever since, I’ve owed him my life. But our time together stays sparse: I go to human school every day and live a peaceful carefree life, while Limited roams wild and free among the monster lands and never steps foot in human settlements at all.
People only ever see two versions of me: the harmless human student I wear to live a normal mortal life, or the violent owl beast that hunts and kills without mercy. No one knows my true self — the soft, quiet, timid creature underneath all the layers. It is the form I love the most, yet I never let anyone see it; too gentle and vulnerable for either human or monster worlds to accept. Only Limited saw me back when I was weak and unmasked. Only him. That was why, even though I genuinely cherish my easy, peaceful human days, I could never abandon him when danger comes.
Word drifted among the clustered beasts: rogue bat swarms roamed these border realms lately, raiding every faction’s hunt without alliance or mercy.
We joined long, dense lines of bizarre monster creatures hovering in the clearing, all waiting for someone to signal movement.
I waited patiently, and soon a portal split open beneath our feet, dumping us into an entirely new realm.
“The plan is we sneak-attack the owl kingdom,” Limited whispered to me.
“I know,” I winked at him.
Half our group was assigned stealth duty to creep up on the birds, while the rest waited to intercept any fleeing prey. Nightfall is when my power peaks, yet it is also the hour owls are sharpest and most alert.
I was not picked for the stealth squad.
The first shrill shriek of an owl pricked my senses, and the sharp metallic tang of blood pricked my excitement. The instant a bird darted free, a dozen monsters lunged to snatch it down; I barely managed to pluck a single feather before the prey was gone. I could not let this go unchallenged, not as Obsidion. I dug my tarsal spurs into the nearest surrounding monsters and let out a sharp cry, tricking the owls into believing the perimeter was safe. When huge flocks of birds flooded out in rolling waves, my moment to strike had arrived.
Oh the luxury of being the predator. The warm feeling of tearing flesh, frantic fluttering feathers all around me—the owls’ desperate strikes could not harm me at all, my shapeless liquid wings swallowing their blows without a sound.
Everything went perfectly, until a pair of bats plummeted from the sky and led a swarm of bats behind them, crashing straight into the fight. They had no intent to help us; their ravenous maws snapped at anything within reach, shattering our hard-earned victory. Even though the owls barely wounded our ranks, my allies were dropping fast, and one thought flashed though my mind-- Limited.
Our leader ripped open an emergency portal along the battle’s edge, as more bats swarmed through nonstop until the field blurred. A part of me craved to stay and kill, trapped inside my bloodthirsty masked beast instinct, even knowing we could not win this battle. Normally escaping safely would let me return to my cozy human routine, the quiet easy life I adore more than anything—but none of that comfort mattered with Limited stuck behind.
“Obsidion!” Limited’s shout snapped me back to focus. I flew towards him, he was alright, thank god. And we surged toward the portal, The largest bat was coming our way, Limited pushed me and I feel though the portal landing back in our familiar woods where bats dared not follow.
Our leader stood beside the handful who escaped with me, but Limited was nowhere among us—and the portal sealed shut right before my eyes.
“Why!” I exclaimed before I could restrain myself.
The leader only glanced at me, no answer spoken. He’d long grown annoyed at how I put personal bonds above the pack’s survival code, and leaving the door open later was a deliberate taunt to test my recklessness.
“There are still allies trapped over there!” I pressed again.
“At the very least we’re alive,” the leader shrugged. “Today’s mission ends here; you’re all dismissed.”
Every other monster drifted off toward their separate paths, but I refused to leave.
The portal flickered open once more, and the leader pointed toward it. “You may return if you wish.” The offer sounded like a taunting challenge, and I accepted without hesitation.
But when I stepped back through the rift, the battlefield lay empty. Silent trees stood all around, no bats, monsters or birds left in sight—only lingering blood and prey-scent to prove the fight had ever happened.
I yelled Limited’s name but nothing answered me, there was no sign of life anywhere.
I stood motionless for a second, then spun on my heel, and stepped back through the portal without another word.
Back on my bed, I pulled off my owl mask and watched my jagged tarsal spurs shrink back into ordinary cat-like paws. Without the mask’s influence, my raging battle persona faded away entirely.
I don’t want to sleep trapped inside human skin tonight. The peaceful human shell I once loved feels like a suffocating cage now; the only soul who ever saw and cherished my beloved true gentle self is gone.
