Chaos erupted without warning as monsters appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the street. Just moments ago, the market was full of life, but now people were running in panic, screaming and pushing past each other to escape.
Aryan stood frozen for a second, his grip tightening around the form in his hand. His mind struggled to process what was happening, but the danger was already right in front of him.
Then he heard it—a small thud behind him.
He turned and saw a child lying on the ground, unable to get up. One of the monsters was slowly approaching, its heavy steps shaking the street as it closed the distance.
No one stopped to help. Everyone was running for their own lives.
"…Damn it."
Aryan quickly shoved the form into his pocket so it wouldn't fly away again. Without thinking further, he ran toward the child.
His speed felt different today—faster than before. Even in that moment, he noticed it, but he didn't stop to think about why.
Reaching the child just in time, Aryan grabbed him and slid across the ground, narrowly avoiding the monster's attack. They landed a few meters away, barely escaping.
"You're safe," Aryan said quickly, pulling the child behind him.
The monster turned toward them again, letting out a low growl as it prepared to attack once more.
Before it could move—
A sharp flash cut through the air.
In an instant, the monster was sliced apart.
Aryan blinked, stunned, as he looked toward the source. Council officers had arrived and were already engaging the remaining monsters with precise and coordinated attacks.
Within moments, the battle ended, and the chaos began to settle. The terrified crowd slowly stopped running, some watching in shock as the officers secured the area.
A female officer stepped toward Aryan, her expression calm but firm. "You did well," she said. "Thank you for saving that child."
Aryan gave a small nod. "Thanks… but I'm in a hurry."
Without waiting for anything else, he turned and ran toward the Council Office.
Behind him, the officers gathered near the fallen monsters.
Officer Rina stood over one of the bodies, her gaze focused as she examined it carefully. A junior officer approached her, looking concerned.
"Ma'am, isn't it strange that these monsters appeared in the middle of the city?" he asked. "And look at this… there's a black stripe on its body. I've never seen anything like it before."
Rina narrowed her eyes slightly. "Yeah… this is unusual."
She straightened and glanced around. "We should report this to higher authorities. If something like this is happening, it needs to be investigated before it gets worse."
The junior officer nodded. "Understood, ma'am."
"At least there are no casualties," she added quietly. "Only injuries."
Aryan didn't slow down.
Ignoring the strain building in his body, he kept running until the Council Office came into view. He rushed inside and went straight to the reception desk, slightly out of breath.
"I'm here… to submit the form."
The receptionist looked up and nodded. "You made it just in time."
Aryan took the form out of his pocket and handed it over. It was slightly wrinkled, and the receptionist raised an eyebrow as she looked at it.
"What happened to this?" she asked.
"…Long story," Aryan replied.
She checked the form carefully before nodding. "It's still valid. But next time, take better care of important documents."
"Yeah… I will."
A small sense of relief settled in Aryan's chest. It was finally done.
But suddenly, his vision blurred.
"…What?"
The room began to spin slightly, and his body felt heavy again, as if all his strength was draining away at once.
Before he could react—
He collapsed onto the floor.
The sound echoed through the hall as people turned in shock. As Aryan lay there unconscious, a faint wound could be seen on his body—the mark of a monster's strike he had taken while saving the child.
....
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