Masked Terrors

The Omen
The dawn was silent.Mist crawled slowly through the village streets, wrapping around wooden rooftops and dim street lamps.A man walked along the dirt road, carrying a small lantern.He had left the tavern late.— Damn… my wife’s going to kill me… — he muttered, stumbling slightly.Then he stopped.Two silhouettes stood in the middle of the road.Tall.Still.Wrapped in the mist.The man frowned.— Hey… are you lost?The figures did not respond.When they stepped forward, the lantern light revealed their masks.Bantu masks.Blue eyes glowed in the darkness.A chill ran down the man’s spine.— W-who are you…?One of the masked figures slowly tilted its head.The voice that came from behind the mask sounded… distorted.— The energy is here.The second one replied:— Buried beneath this land.The man began to step back.— W-what do you want?A door opened in a nearby house.— Hey! What’s going on out there?Another window opened.— Who’s shouting?Villagers began to appear in their doorways.Confused.Half-asleep.Then one of the masked figures raised a hand.A small sphere of blue energy began spinning in his palm.His voice echoed through the street.— All residents of this village have been contaminated.Silence.Then he added:— And must die.

The Attack and the Sacrifice

The attack came instantly.Houses burst into flames, screams echoed, and the ground trembled under the weight of terror.Even weakened by illness, Alonso stepped forward, placing himself in front of the villagers.— Stay behind me!His movements were slower now, but still carried the spirit of an Ichiro.The masked figures hesitated for a moment, disturbed by his resistance.Then, when a blast was fired toward Matt—Alonso threw himself in front of him.The attack pierced through his body.— N-no! Alonso! — Matt screamed in despair.Falling to his knees, blood spilling from his mouth, the warrior still managed to smile.— Be strong… for all of us…The second blast was devastating.Matt was thrown into the wreckage.When he opened his eyes…Horror took hold.His arms were gone.The mist swallowed the masked figures.And the village sank into the silence of death.Pain pulsed through Matt’s body.His heart raced.And the cold weight of despair consumed every part of him.

The Silence of the Hospital

Matt woke to the sharp smell of disinfectant.Footsteps echoed through the corridor.His vision was blurred.For a moment… he thought it had all been a nightmare.But when he tried to move his arms—Nothing happened.Panic rose in his throat.His gaze slowly dropped to his body.Where his arms once were… there were only thick bandages.The air left his lungs.— M-Matt…?A fragile voice came from the corner of the room.His mother was there.Her eyes red from crying.Beside her, hiding behind a chair, was his little sister, clutching a small doll to her chest.— Big brother… — she whispered, afraid.Matt tried to smile.But it came out broken.— Hey… don’t make those faces… I’m still alive…His mother covered her face with her hands.— We thought… we thought we had lost you…Silence filled the room.