BAM! The door burst open. Noah didn't even have time to react, standing there with his hand still on the doorknob. Before he could understand what was happening, someone shoved him against one of the bathroom walls. Unable to resist, he bounced off the wall and fell to the floor, writhing in pain.
"You're nothing but a damn piece of trash," a young man's voice said.
Slowly, Noah looked up to see who it was. He was a tall man, about 25 years old, pale, with dark, gray eyes. His hair was neatly combed, and he wore a black shirt, vest, and black pants. He looked very elegant for being at a festival. In his eyes, Noah could see how much this man loathed him.
"I don't understand what's happening," Noah managed to say once he caught his breath.
I don't even know you, you idiot,he thought to himself.
"I don't care what you understand and what you don't. You're trash, and you'll die tonight," the man's voice was full of resentment.
"I don't know you! You damn idiot, just leave me alone!" Noah screamed as he tried to get up, without success.
Hearing his screams, the man became enraged and kicked Noah, 1...2...3...4...5 times. Noah could only cough, sprawled on the floor. His mask had shattered, and his cape began to stain with the blood he was coughing up.
How the hell am I going to escape this damn imbecile?He thought to himself.
"How can you live so peacefully while he suffers for all the harm you caused him?" the enraged man added, lighting a cigarette, one of his feet on Noah's neck.
"I don't know what the hell you're talking about, I'm not the guy you're looking for, stupid."
"Shut up, you damn bastard, I know perfectly well who you are. He wants revenge, but you'll die tonight, like the trash you are," he said, pressing his foot into Noah's neck.
This time, Noah couldn't answer anything. He felt the air leaving his lungs. Finally, the man stopped pressing his neck, and he could breathe. Noah coughed desperately.
If only someone would come into the bathroom, he thought uselessly.
I have to get out of here, or I'll die.
"You're not going to keep hurting him, you have to die," the man added, kicking him in the stomach again.
"You should never have been born, you're an aberration." Finally, he grabbed Noah by the neck and lifted him to face level.
His eyes were bloodshot. This man hated him deeply, and Noah didn't even know why. He would die without knowing why. They looked into each other's eyes for a couple of seconds. The man seemed to want to cry, although Noah could see how much he hated him in his gaze, he couldn't understand his face or his reasons.
How did I end up in the hands of this damn lunatic?
With the little strength left in his body, Noah tried to struggle with him, uselessly. He wasn't a weak person, but this guy's strength was something he couldn't compare to anything. The grip on his neck was strangling him. Slowly, his vision blurred. He would lose consciousness in a couple of seconds, but suddenly a phone started ringing in the man's pocket. Upon hearing the phone, his face became a picture, a mix of panic and guilt. In his shock, he suddenly let go of Noah, who bounced off the floor with a dry thud. Fortunately, he hadn't lost consciousness yet and began to cough.
"He... Hello, sir?" he said in a nervous tone; someone was talking to him.
"I'm handling something, sir. I'll be back in a moment."
"So... Sorry, I didn't mean to, I'll be right back."
Someone seemed to be talking to him from the other side.
While this man was distracted, Noah gathered himself and stood up. He ran as fast as he could toward the door. As he ran, he could see the man's face looking at him with an expression of surprise, not knowing what to do. With the little strength he had left, he opened the door. As soon as he opened it, the outside noises returned. At that moment, everything was chaos; people were running and screaming everywhere.
Noah ran with all his might, trying to get as far away from the bathroom as possible. He didn't understand what was happening; everything was chaos. People were falling to the floor, and others were stepping over them. There were people lying on the floor, unconscious? Dead? Also, the floor was covered in blood that people were dragging as they ran.
What the hell is going on? Noah thought as he took shelter, his whole body aching.
When he managed to calm down a bit, he thought of Kai. Where are you, Kai? Are you okay? Thinking of him, he wanted to call him, but his phone was no longer in his pocket; it had probably fallen to the bathroom floor when he was hit. While he was thinking about what to do, a group of people ran in front of him; something or someone was chasing them.
As if in slow motion, Noah saw the creature chasing them. It was about two meters tall and so pale it was almost violet; it had no face, no hair. In the midst of the commotion, one of the people tripped and fell to the floor. It was then that this creature picked him up in its arms and ran into the darkness. Meanwhile, his screams could be heard as he disappeared among the trees.
What the hell? I have to get out of here immediately, he thought as he ran toward the center of the park.
Noah ran through the chaos, his whole body aching and his breath short. People were running and fleeing. How could something like this be happening? For him, it wasn't a surprise; it wasn't the first time he had come across one of those things. He had naively decided to forget that whole incident, thinking he wouldn't have to see one of those things again. He was alive only because that guy had saved him that time.
Why am I thinking about that idiot? Am I going crazy? I need to find shelter soon.
He continued running among the people until he reached the area of the park where he had last seen Kai. He could see his friends' cards scattered all over the grass. His stomach immediately clenched; he feared something had happened to Kai and the others. His mind was paralyzed; he didn't know what to do or where to go. It only occurred to him to go to Kai's apartment; maybe he had been able to escape, so they could meet there. He took a breath and continued running, this time toward the city center.