peed wa

never faltered, a relentless

ed the gap between us fast

e of energy I had, but the ex

th each step, my breath

I pushed, my spee

d I knew I was losing ground. The beasts behind me s

on, co

But it was too late. Before I could re

through the air wi

and inescapable. Its bloodied claws tore into my

ately-a deep, hot agony that s

nd I crashed hard, my body collapsing into the di

of anything around me. It was like the slash had not o

ping for breath, as the blood

pooling beneath me. I could feel its sticky weigh

led as the pain c

this

how my st

r and regret as the truth dawned o

eath, and there was nothi

one of the beasts leaped toward me, jaws wide and ready to t

like

in, fueled by desperation. I threw my ar

hi

r-it was recognition. The slash, the pain, the blood-it all felt hau

was

re-it was real, vivid, and now a part of me. The beasts were here, the pain

was something else entirely. It appeared as

ergy. I hadn't shown it

uld casually explain. So, I kept it to myself, a secret burie

d at that moment, hunger struck me h

hadn't eaten since morning. I felt famished lik

m, drawn by the enticing aroma

d left for me-a perfect serving of fried

assive chicken leg

crispy, ooz

ow

of the meal already lifting my spiri

no time d

re heaven. The egg wa

ith the rice, and the chicken-oh, the chicken-was te

enough to make any

sweetness and spices blended so perfectly, t

lways the best-bette

y words muffled

m, her voice came b

has to keep you

The meal was doing more than fillin

ormalcy amidst all the

et about the symbol on my back,

nease in

ing that everything was about to change. The mark on my back wasn't going aw

I let myself sa

ngth for whateve

to her room, I leane

ng co

way the morning's tension. With a satisfied sigh, I

ange up f

tanding up an

ool is ki

ou

ad

self up as I made

walked straight

at wouldn't make me stand out too much. After a moment of deliberation,

s'll

ing the outfit up and

n, good enoug

hing out the fabric to make su

decided to add a lit

usted it snugly over my head, a

works. Loo

in, feeling pretty con

leave, a though

ave my

searching for the familiar rectangular o

where's m

ild panic setting in. I checked

room, scanning the bed, th

com

this da

hecking under the pillows, flippi

one could magically be hiding ther

aze landed on it-lying right there on the bed

. There y

relieved, h

o stop losing s

secured and my

phone, eager to

opened the app, a small flicker

he inbox loaded,

. Not a single notification,

xpect

m the Nons Tec

out a form to have my novel accepted

ent they'd get

story was go

ma, action-everyt

mn

nning a hand t

ell is goin

nse? Ser

bubbled up

shi

a fuck i

he empty screen as if my glare could mag

responded by now.

trying to

just be patient. Maybe i

if nothing shows up, I'll ch

ched off my phone and stuf

ce from Nons Tec

n tons of stories in different genres-specul

favor

t something about weaving those intense,

g: writing isn't ju

building, and I'm prou

ing my studies and my writing career, but

another platform;

ffering writers real opportuniti

e best

me $2,00

't just my passion; it's

ut it didn't happen overnight. My elder brot

a brilliant engineer. He's the one who pushed my fiction, pro

d building his empire. He's a content creator and

need advice, and he al

e's still more I want to achieve. Nons Tech was supposed to b

emed I'd have to w

my chair, letting

ienc

nded m

ings tak

my backpack, ready to

rustration be

rig

aking a d

s do

y, another

ever the school ha