The morning bells echoed softly through the small village.
A cold breeze drifted through the narrow dirt roads while smoke rose from the chimneys of old wooden houses. Farmers were already beginning their work in the fields, and the scent of fresh bread filled the air.
Inside one of the smaller homes near the edge of the village, a woman gently opened the bedroom door.
„Lea: Wake up, sleepyhead. It's time to get up."
A young boy groaned beneath his blanket.
„Karag: Mmhh… already?"
Lea smiled warmly.
„Lea: Yes. Didn't you hear the candle bell? Hurry now, Mr. Schmidt will arrive soon."
Karag slowly sat up and rubbed his tired eyes.
At that time…
he still looked human.
Completely human.
Dark hair.
Normal eyes.
No horns.
No glowing patterns.
No monstrous presence.
Just a boy.
„Karag: Okay…"
He slowly walked into the dining room where warm bread and porridge were already waiting on the table.
His father looked over at him and smiled proudly.
„Kelvin: Morning, son. Sleep well?"
„Karag: Yeah, Papa."
Before he could continue eating—
someone knocked on the door.
„Lea: I'll get it."
She opened the door carefully.
Standing outside was a well-dressed man wearing noble clothing. His posture was elegant, and he carried several books beneath his arm.
„Lea: Oh, good morning, Mr. Schmidt."
„Levis Schmidt: Good morning, Mrs. Kruger. May I come in?"
„Lea: Of course. Karag is just finishing breakfast."
„Levis Schmidt: Ah, that's perfectly fine. I can wait."
Kelvin stood up and grabbed his coat.
„Kelvin: Good morning, Mr. Schmidt."
He then looked toward Karag.
„Kelvin: Karag, you'll stay here with Mr. Schmidt while we work in the fields, alright?"
„Karag: Okay. Bye, Papa."
A few minutes later, Karag finished eating.
Mr. Schmidt sat beside him and carefully opened one of the books.
The old pages smelled of dust and ink.
„Levis Schmidt: Alright, Karag. Please read page eighteen for me."
Karag nodded nervously.
„Karag: I'll try my best."
His voice was quiet.
Careful.
Like he feared making mistakes.
And so he began reading.
Slowly at first.
Stumbling over difficult words.
But with every sentence, he improved.
Hours passed quietly.
Outside, the sound of wind and distant farm animals echoed through the peaceful village.
Then finally—
the front door opened again.
„Lea: I'm back."
Mr. Schmidt closed the book and smiled proudly.
„Levis Schmidt: Excellent work today, Karag."
He gently placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.
„Levis Schmidt: You're beginning to read without difficulty now."
Karag smiled slightly.
A real smile.
One untouched by hatred or darkness.
Mr. Schmidt stood near the door.
„Levis Schmidt: Your son is truly gifted, Mrs. Kruger. You should be proud of him."
Lea lowered her head gratefully.
„Lea: Thank you for secretly teaching him… and for risking conflict with the other nobles."
Mr. Schmidt chuckled softly.
„Levis Schmidt: Some rules deserve to be broken."
Then he left.
Lea walked over to Karag afterward.
„Lea: Karag, I met Lerana on the way back."
Karag immediately looked up.
„Lea: She asked if you wanted to go out with her today."
His tired expression instantly brightened.
„Karag: Yeah! I'd like that."
Lea smiled warmly.
„Lea: She's waiting for you at the great field outside the village."
Then she added softly:
„Lea: And remember… come back before dark."
„Karag: I will."
Karag ran outside.
Past villagers.
Past wagons.
Past children playing near the wells.
Until he finally reached the massive open field outside the village.
And there—
stood Lerana.
The moment she saw him, she ran toward him with a bright smile.
„Lerana: Karag! You actually made it!"
She threw her arms around him happily.
Karag laughed softly.
„Karag: Of course I did."
Then he smiled.
„Karag: So where are we going today?"
„Lerana: Let's go to the Great Tree!"
Karag's eyes widened excitedly.
„Karag: Oh, that's a good idea."
The two of them ran across the endless grasslands together while the wind danced around them.
For a moment…
everything felt peaceful.
Beautiful.
Alive.
Then they reached the Great Tree.
Or rather—
what remained of it.
The tree was enormous.
Ancient.
Dead.
Its bark was blackened and cracked like it had died centuries ago.
But something stood beneath it.
A figure.
Tall.
Motionless.
It slowly raised one hand—
and beckoned Karag closer.
„Lerana: Wait… who is that?"
Karag stared silently.
Something about the figure felt wrong.
Not dangerous.
But unnatural.
„Karag: Stay here for a second."
He slowly approached it.
And the closer he came—
the less human the figure appeared.
Gray skin.
No clothing.
Strange magenta and turquoise vein-like patterns covering its body.
Two massive horns.
And where its face should have been—
there was only a strange symbol.
Karag froze in place.
The creature slowly raised its hand toward one of the dead branches.
And suddenly—
a fruit began growing from the lifeless tree.
Karag's eyes widened.
The creature picked the fruit carefully…
and held it toward him.
„Karag: What am I supposed to do with it?"
A female voice answered him.
But it did not sound human.
It sounded layered.
Like multiple voices speaking at once.
„???: Eat."
Karag hesitated.
Then slowly took the fruit.
And ate it.
The moment he swallowed—
the creature disappeared.
Gone without a sound.
Lerana quickly ran toward him.
„Lerana: What happened?!"
Karag looked around confused.
„Karag: I… don't know."
The two eventually lay down together beneath the dead tree and talked for hours as the sky slowly turned orange.
The village bells rang in the distance as the sun began disappearing.
So they returned home.
„Lea: And? How was it?"
Karag smiled faintly.
„Karag: It was nice."
That night—
he went to sleep.
Unaware that his life had already ended.
Days passed.
And Karag slowly began changing.
His skin turned gray.
The strange patterns spread across his body.
His hair became magenta and turquoise.
Only the tips remained black.
His left eye turned green.
And his right eye…
disappeared completely.
Leaving behind only a dark hole leaking black liquid.
Then came the horns.
The wings.
The sharpened orange teeth.
The villagers began avoiding him.
Terrified of him.
Whispering behind his back.
Only two people still stayed beside him.
Lerana.
And his older brother, Chris.
Then one day—
everything fell apart.
The villagers accused his family of witchcraft.
Soldiers dragged his parents into the center of the village.
And burned them alive.
Karag screamed until his throat bled.
But nobody listened.
Nobody cared.
„Chris: KARAG! LERANA! RUN!!"
Chris grabbed both of them and escaped into the forest.
Months passed.
They survived hidden deep within the woods inside a small cabin.
Then one day—
Karag returned carrying berries.
But when he arrived—
soldiers surrounded the cabin.
Chris lay dead in front of it.
Covered in blood.
And the soldiers were preparing to kill Lerana next.
One of them noticed Karag standing there.
„Soldier: Hey… isn't that the witch brat?"
They began walking toward him.
Weapons drawn.
Karag didn't move.
He only stared at his brother's corpse.
Frozen.
Broken.
Then—
the voice returned.
„???: These disgusting humans murdered your family."
The world around him became quieter.
Darker.
„???: They want to kill you."
The soldiers came closer.
„???: They want to kill the girl you love."
Karag's hands slowly trembled.
„???: If you truly wish to protect her… then destroy humanity."
Something inside him snapped.
„???: Take revenge for everything they've done to you."
One soldier raised his sword.
But suddenly—
Karag thrust his hand through the soldier's stomach.
The man immediately burst into flames.
„Soldier: AAAAHHHHHHHHH!!"
Smoke poured from Karag's arm.
Dark smoke.
Magenta smoke.
Then—
it formed a body.
A monster.
The first Golem.
And it slaughtered every soldier there.
Years passed afterward.
Karag and Lerana traveled together.
And Karag created more monsters.
More horrors.
More death.
Eventually—
they had a son.
They named him Mimic.
And Karag's hatred only grew stronger.
Every human he encountered—
he killed.
Until sixty-three percent of humanity was erased.
Then finally—
a hero appeared.
Elias.
With the Nine Parts.
The final battle shook the world itself.
And in the end—
Elias sealed Karag inside stone.
„Elias: You will never hurt anyone again."
Even while trapped—
Karag laughed.
„Karag: Ahahaha… you fool… my monsters are still free."
His glowing green eye stared directly at Elias.
„Karag: And one day… I will return."
Suddenly—
Noah gasped.
Reality returned instantly.
The cold wind hit his face again.
Anna looked at him nervously.
„Anna: Noah…?"
„Anna: You were standing there for several minutes without moving."
Noah blinked slowly.
Still shaken.
Still trying to process what he had seen.
„Noah: Yeah… I'm okay."
But deep inside—
he knew.
That had not felt like a dream.
Or an illusion.
It felt real.
And for the first time—
Noah finally understood something terrifying.
Karag…
had once been human.