Under a Different Sky

 Under the surface of calm days, something dark has awakened.

In the early morning, a tall white-haired man stood on top of an old building near the island’s edge. His name was Lucas. A katana, wrapped in cloth, hung loosely by his side. Beside him stood a girl, sharp eyes and a strange shaped tattoo on her forehead. The two of them gazed out at the sleepy island village. The wind carried salt from the sea, and a deep silence hung in the air.

Lucas’s phone rang.

A gruff voice barked, “What took you so long?”

Lucas calmly replied, “Almost done. Only four remain… but they’re good at hiding their presence.”

The girl nodded, smirking. “Yeah, but these four ‘creeps’ are giving us more trouble than we expected.”

The voice on the phone spoke more urgently now. “Wrap this up fast. The Zeya Group needs you. Something unknown is starting again… and we may be too late.”

Lucas’s eyes narrowed. “Not more ‘creeps’?”

“No… something worse.” The line went dead.

Lucas looked at the girl.

“Back to work.”

“Yeah,” she said. “Let’s finish this.”

They wandered through the town, searching for any irregular presence. Creeps had a strange signature—a twisted aura. Though they could hide it, not forever. Creeps looked human, but their bodies were too thin, their skin tight and dry like paper. And despite their fragile look, they were brutally strong.

Eventually, they stopped at a quiet shop for drinks.

Inside were Kai and Ren, standing at the fridge. Lucas froze.

“…Their presence,” he whispered. “It’s different.”

The girl stared at Ren. “Look at that one… He has an E-shaped scar behind his ear.”

Lucas nodded. “He’s controlling his presence unconsciously. These two… they have potential.”

They approached casually.

“You two,” Lucas said. “You’re interesting. If you ever want to see the outside world—truly see it—join my squad.”

He handed them each a small card.

Ren blinked. “What kind of squad?”

Lucas smiled. “One that does whatever it’s told. There are associations bigger than LZT. I can’t explain them… but if you follow this path, you’ll understand.”

Then Lucas turned to Kai, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Your presence… It’s familiar.”

Kai shivered.

Before leaving, Lucas showed them an image—a drawing of a Creep, twisted and smiling.

“If you see anything like this, don’t approach. Call us. Don’t fight. Just survive.”

As they walked away, the girl whispered, “You think this will work?”

Lucas nodded. “I planted my ability, Trick, on the boy named Kai. It amplifies his presence, making him a beacon to lure the Creeps. But it’ll wear him down.”

The girl frowned. “Risky.”

Lucas answered, “It’s necessary.”

That night, Kai felt weak. His body heavy.

“You okay?” Ren asked.

“I’m fine,” Kai lied, drenched in sweat.

After they parted ways, Kai walked alone through quiet streets, buying cold drinks from a store. As he reached out, another hand brushed his. A stranger.

“…Sorry,” the man said, “thought you were someone else.”

But as Kai turned to leave, he felt eyes boring into him.

That man… wasn’t normal.

Kai sat on a bench, finishing his drinks. “Why am I so tired…?” he murmured, wind brushing past him. The night felt heavier than usual.

In a dark alley, the man from the store met with three others.

“I touched him,” he whispered. “His soul… it was leaking energy. He’s unaware… but I could taste it.”

Their faces distorted—thin, grotesque smiles stretched across sickly skin.

“Tonight,” one of them hissed. “We take his soul.”

At home, Kai lay down… but something inside felt broken. A whisper echoed in his head.

   “Crucify…”

Kai jumped up, heart pounding.

A strange aura filled the air outside his window.

Tck… tck…

Knocking.

He opened the window. A man stood outside, eyes black and smile sharp.

“You know me,” the man said. “I won’t hide it. Your soul… your body… will feed my awakening.”

Kai’s blood ran cold.

“You’re a… Creep.”

“So you knew.”

In a blink, a knife slashed through the window, cutting Kai’s shoulder. He barely had time to react.

“Oops,” the Creep giggled. “Missed.”

Just as the blade rose again—a katana pierced through the Creep’s skull. Lucas stood behind him.

“Sorry I’m late,” he said.

Another Creep tried to flee. A voice rang out:

   “Burn.”

A black flame ignited, consuming their souls. The Creep writhed in agony, snarling:

“You fools… The evil associations will rise. Your end is coming…”

Lucas cut him down. “You don’t even know what ‘evil’ means.”

He made a call. “It’s done. Two civilians saw us.”

“You broke protocol.”

Lucas stared at the night sky. “They’re different. If they make it to the other side… they’ll be worth it.”

The girl appeared, watching Kai’s wound heal unnaturally fast.

Lucas nodded. “He’s like a red mist. Other associations would fight to have him. We’ll train as many as we can… before the storm arrives.”

That night, under a different sky…

Ren lay beneath the giant tree, the invitation card in his hand. The moon lit the world around him. The stars shimmered above.

And he smiled.

He had made his decision.