Beginning of the End

In the dim glow of dawn, a bustling metro station echoed with hurried footsteps and anxious murmurs. Early commuters darted past one another, desperately rushing to catch their trains, their faces etched with the familiar stress of everyday life.

Suddenly, a distant light appeared deep within the dark tunnel, catching the attention of the waiting crowd. Assuming the approaching glow to be their anticipated metro, the people ceased their restless pacing and lined up neatly along the platform's edge, awaiting its arrival.

Yet something was off. The usual rhythmic clatter of wheels and mechanical hum was strangely absent. Instead, an unsettling silence enveloped the tunnel, interrupted only by indistinct whispers and a faint, ominous rumble beneath their feet.

An anxious businessman checked his watch repeatedly, sweat trickling down his worried face. Squinting into the darkness, he muttered uneasily, "Wait, is there someone down there?"

Before he could say anything else, a gleaming axe flew out from the shadows, embedding itself violently into his forehead. His eyes widened in shock, life draining swiftly as his limp body collapsed onto the cold concrete.

A horrified silence gripped the platform. For a brief, dreadful moment, only the echoing clatter of the fallen axe filled the air. Then came the shrill, piercing scream of a woman beside the lifeless man.

From the shadows of the tunnel emerged several towering, monstrous figures. Their hulking forms, wrapped in primitive garments of animal hides and bones, displayed dark green skin with grotesque tusks protruding from their lower jaws—Orcs.

The largest among them raised a massive, bloodstained club and roared fiercely, "Kill them all!"

Panic erupted instantly as terrified cries filled the station. Commuters scrambled to flee, but escape was futile. Within mere moments, blood soaked the ground, and the once-packed platform quickly emptied, leaving behind only the mangled remains of those who had been brutally slaughtered.

Among the massacre, a scrawny young man with orange hair and thick glasses cowered in terror, clutching a comic book tightly. Trembling uncontrollably, he stammered, "O-Orcs! They're really Orcs!" Before he could scream again, one of the green monsters silenced him forever with a savage swing of its axe.

One Hour Earlier

In an ordinary apartment several streets away, the relentless beeping of an alarm clock pierced the silence. Lying in bed, Nico—a slender, handsome young man with dark emerald hair—groaned irritably, eyes still tightly shut.

"Ugh, I really hate that alarm," he murmured sleepily.

Reluctantly, Nico sat up, switching off the noisy device. He stretched lazily, yawning as he complained softly, "Every morning the same thing... I can't take it anymore."

Just as he started to drift back onto his pillow, his mother’s cheerful voice shattered any hope of additional sleep.

"Nico, breakfast is ready!"

He groaned louder this time, forcing himself to reply, "Coming, Mom!"

Dragging himself out of bed, Nico washed his face, brushed his teeth, and put on his school uniform. Moments later, he descended the stairs, greeting his mother warmly despite his lingering drowsiness.

"Good morning," he smiled gently.

"Morning, Nico," she replied fondly, setting plates of food on the table. As they ate together, she reminded him softly, "Your karate tournament is today, isn't it? I'm coming to support you."

Blushing slightly, Nico replied shyly, "I'd love it if you came, but please don’t tire yourself out on my account."

She laughed softly, affectionately ruffling his hair. "Don't be silly. You're my son—of course I'll come cheer you on!"

Suddenly noticing the clock, Nico jumped from his seat in panic. "Oh no! If I don't hurry, I'll be late!"

He dashed toward the door, his mother's voice trailing after him. "Be careful, Nico!"

Running through the crowded streets, Nico quickly realized his usual path was congested with traffic and honking cars. Frustrated, he took a shortcut down a narrow, deserted alleyway. The abrupt silence in the alley startled him, making his pace slow instinctively.

As he cautiously walked further, he spotted something on the ground—a woman, face down, eerily motionless.

"Ma’am, are you alright?" Nico asked hesitantly, receiving no response. When he turned her over, horror filled him at the sight of her abdomen brutally torn open.

Recoiling in terror, Nico stumbled backward, but a strange sound further down the alley caught his attention. Heart pounding, he approached cautiously, finding a hunched figure with its back turned.

"Did you do this?" Nico demanded angrily, his voice shaking.

Slowly, the figure turned around, revealing rotted flesh and an empty, hollow socket where one eye had been. It was a grotesque zombie.

"What the hell are you?!" Nico cried, trembling. 

The creature lunged at him, but instinctively, Nico struck out with a karate kick, sending it sprawling. Turning, he sprinted back toward the main street.

Bursting onto the scene, Nico froze, paralyzed with shock. Carnage surrounded him—streets filled with wrecked cars, slaughtered civilians, and monstrous creatures roaming freely. His desperate scream drew the attention of several creatures, who began stalking toward him menacingly.

Just as the monsters closed in, they suddenly halted, expressions changing from aggression to pure terror. Then, scattering quickly, they vanished.

Confused, Nico’s relief was brief as a deafening roar shook the very ground beneath him. He glanced down to see an enormous shadow looming above, engulfing him completely.

Looking upward, Nico felt his blood run cold—a gigantic dragon towered over him, scales shimmering ominously, eyes burning fiercely. Its gaping jaws opened, revealing rows of razor-sharp, human-sized teeth, dripping with gore from its previous victims. A terrifying flame began building deep within its throat, ready to unleash fiery death upon him.

At that instant, Nico jolted awake, gasping heavily, heart racing. He opened his eyes, discovering he was no longer in the street but lying on an unfamiliar hospital bed.

"Just a dream...?" he muttered hopefully. But as his vision cleared, dread filled him. The room was alien—a dilapidated laboratory, cluttered with surgical tools, eerie creatures preserved in tubes, and strange, flickering green lights.

"No... it wasn't a dream," Nico whispered, trembling as he approached a nearby mirror. His reflection horrified him. His hair had turned reptilian gray, skin marred with gruesome scars and crude stitches. Worst of all, his left arm was entirely black, cold, and lifeless.

Staggering out of the lab, Nico navigated through dim corridors until he entered a room filled with computers and a massive screen. After powering up a dusty terminal, he discovered shocking truths: He had been abducted, experimented upon, and placed into a coma-like state.

A recording labeled "Project Messenger" caught his attention. On-screen appeared Albert Oliver Roosevelt, a renowned scientist, who solemnly detailed the catastrophic event from years earlier—the invasion of monsters through mysterious portals, humanity's struggle to survive, and now, the imminent destruction by a colossal entity named the Crimson Worm.

"If humanity wishes to survive, they must journey through these very portals into the creatures' world before it's too late," Roosevelt concluded gravely.

Nico steadied himself, absorbing this horrific revelation calmly. Checking the coordinates, he confirmed he was in Fukushima, and a portal awaited in Hokkaido.

"Six years asleep," he murmured, determination hardening his voice. "First, I find Mom. Then we'll escape to that other world."

Resolute, Nico ascended a staircase, pushed open a heavy hatch, and stepped into the unfamiliar, devastated world above!