Four young men walked through the thick woods, their laughter echoing between the trees. One of them sighed, wiping sweat from his brow. "We need water," he said, his throat dry.
"There's a lake not far from here," another replied. "We can fill our bottles there."
"But who'll watch our stuff?" a third one asked, glancing at the small pile of bags they'd left behind.
"I'll stay," the fourth volunteered. "You guys go ahead."
The others nodded, grabbed their bottles, and headed off. The lone friend sat on the ground, leaning against a tree, surrounded by birdsong and the whisper of leaves. He waited calmly—until he heard it.
A scream.
Faint at first. Human. Desperate.
His head snapped in the direction of the sound. He stood quickly, scanning the forest.
Another scream.
He stepped forward, unsure but drawn by instinct. He checked their bags—everything was safe—then pushed deeper into the woods.
The scream kept coming.
Deeper and deeper, until he found it: a towering metal fence made of thick, coiled wire. His blood ran cold.
He recognized it immediately. The Government Wall. Built to keep demons out of human territory. No one, not even military, was allowed past it without high-level clearance.
And yet… the screaming. It sounded like someone in pain. Human pain.
His eyes scanned the wall. A small tear—a hole, barely large enough to crawl through—gaped near the ground.
He hesitated.
Fear clawed at his chest. But then he thought: What if someone's trapped? What if a demon's attacking them? Without another thought, he ducked and slipped through.
Inside, the forest was different. Darker. Still. The screaming had stopped.
He crept forward, every step making the silence louder. Then he saw it.
A structure. A shack? A hut? A house… here?
His eyes widened.
A figure stood outside. Human. Or so he thought—until he saw what they were doing.
The person crouched beside a grotesque carcass. A demon's mangled body. They were… eating it. Flesh. Muscle. Raw.
He gasped, stepping back.
No. No. What is this? he thought.
He ducked behind a tree, heart racing, breath shallow. Sweat soaked his back. He turned to leave, carefully.
Snap.
A twig underfoot.
Then—
Whoosh.
A sudden gust. Too fast. Too sharp.
He felt it before he saw it. A blinding slash of wind.
And then… nothing.
His body split clean in half. Blood sprayed across the forest floor. His top half slumped forward, his lower half still upright, braced against a tree.
Out of the shadows, a masked figure stepped into the clearing. Silent. Cold.
He grabbed the corpse and dragged it toward the demon-eater, throwing the body at their feet.
Meanwhile, at the academy, Finn, Fanny, and Leon sat cross-legged on the floor of a dorm room.
"Why'd you burst in without knocking?" Finn snapped.
Fanny smirked. "Sorry, didn't mean to ruin your private moment."
"There's no moment," Finn snapped, blushing. "We told you, there's nothing like that."
Leon chuckled. "What's up, Fanny?"
Fanny's smile faded. Her tone shifted.
"Today is Isla's birthday."
"Oh wow! So you're inviting us to the party?" Finn grinned.
"No."
Finn's face dropped. "Oh."
Leon nudged him. "Shut up, Finn. Fanny, please continue."
Fanny took a breath. "Her family never celebrates her birthday. Her brother? Big parties, gifts, everything. But Isla? Nothing. Not even a cake. This year... I want to change that. A surprise party. I need your help."
Leon smiled. "Count me in."
Finn sat up. "Same here. Let's make it awesome."
Fanny nodded, eyes shining. "I'll keep Isla distracted. You two handle the room, decorations, and food. Just make sure it's a surprise. She's never had a birthday party before. Let's make it unforgettable."
In the kitchen, Leon worked skillfully with the ingredients while Finn… caused chaos.
"Here, mix this," Leon said, handing him a bowl.
Finn stirred—and immediately spilled half the batter onto his clothes.
Leon groaned. "Just—go sit in a corner. Please."
Finn gasped, clutching his chest. "Wow. So now that you've got a girl in your life, you treat your childhood best friend like this? I'm hurt."
Leon rolled his eyes. "Stop being dramatic. Just hand me the cream."
Elsewhere, Fanny walked with Isla.
"Oh no, I forgot my books," Isla said suddenly. "I'll go grab them."
"No, no! I'll get them," Fanny said quickly, blocking her path.
"Why? I can just—"
"Nope! Stay here! I'll be right back!" Fanny dashed off, leaving Isla confused.
She's acting weird, Isla thought.
Thirsty, she headed toward the kitchen. Fanny, realizing the danger, raced back with the books in hand.
As Isla's hand reached for the kitchen door, Fanny burst in and shouted, "Isla! Wait!"
Startled, Isla turned. "What is going on with you? Why can't I go in the kitchen?"
Fanny stammered, panicked. "Just—trust me. Not yet."
Inside, Finn slipped on spilled cream and crashed into Leon. They both hit the floor in a heap, cream splattered across their faces and clothes.
The kitchen door creaked open.
Isla stared.
So did Fanny.
Finn and Leon froze in an awkward, blush-filled pile.
Fanny shut the door.
"It's not what it looks like!" Finn shouted.
Later that evening…
Fanny covered Isla's eyes, guiding her down the hall.
"Fanny, what are you doing?"
"Almost there… okay—open!"
Isla opened her eyes.
Her dorm room was glowing. Streamers. Balloons. A banner: HAPPY BIRTHDAY ISLA.
Finn and Leon popped up. "SURPRISE!"
Isla's eyes filled with tears.
"You remembered…"
She cut the cake. Gave the first bite to Fanny, then Leon. Their fingers touched briefly. They blushed.
Then she turned to Finn.
They played games, ate sweets, and watched as Finn and Fanny bickered over rules like siblings.
Isla smiled, her heart full.
I never thought I'd have something like this, she thought. Real friends.
That night, in the academy's quiet halls, two students crept through the shadows.
They heard something.
A low, guttural growl.
"Did you hear that?"
"Let's check it out."
They followed the noise to the old basement.
It was dark. Cold.
The sound grew louder.
They stepped inside—and froze.
A huge shadow loomed in the blackness.
Eyes glowed.
"M-Monster," one whispered.
They screamed.