Its hand emerged first—massive, black, and covered in scales thick as steel. Slowly, the body rose from the cracked earth. From its temples, two sharp horns curved backward. Its eyes… glowed red. Deep, seething red—rage.
~GGGRRRRGRRRRAAAAAHHHH!!!
Its roar erupted like a nuclear blast from the core of the world. Buildings shook. Windows shattered. Alarms shrieked in unison. Smoke. Dust. Screams. Chaos.
But me?
I just stood there. Frozen. Staring at the Behemoth rising like some ancient god.
It looked straight at me.
As if… it knew I read its story last night.
"No… This isn't real… this… is just a dream, right?"
Shit… the book… it's at home.
At home.
"How could I… how could I be this stupid…!"
My legs buckled, but I forced myself to move.
I ran. My breath wild. My chest tight.
The city—empty.
Everyone had already fled.
Everyone, except me.
"Don't look back… don't look back…"
BOOM!!
The ground behind me cracked. I nearly flew. A tail—long and solid like a steel beam—slammed into the side of a building. Concrete shattered. Glass rained onto the street.
"AARRGH!"
I ducked to the side, covering my head, body trembling.
"No… no… NOOO!!"
Dust swallowed everything. But that deep sound… it was still there.
Each step… each step… shook my heart.
Behemoth stood among the rubble.
Its chest heaving, shoulders broad as a highway overpass, armored in jagged shell-like plates like a warrior made of stone. It moved—slowly, turning.
Then—
~DUUUUMMMM.
Its head lowered. Closer. Its breath was hot, sharp, and rancid.
My face was nearly pulled into its exhale.
"Please… don't move… don't see me…"
I covered my mouth with both hands. Tears slipped down. My body drenched in cold sweat.
Behemoth sniffed.
Once…
Twice…
Then—
~GGRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!
Its roar smashed the air—smashed into me. The sound pierced my chest like a bullet. I dropped to the ground, ears ringing.
"Sto… p…"
Suddenly—the sky split open.
Fighter jets tore through like silver spears.
BOOM! BOOM!
Rockets struck the ground. The blasts deafened everything.
"That's… that's backup?! They came?!"
But the Behemoth… went berserk.
One jet—it swatted with a claw. It exploded midair and crashed—onto the street. Near me.
I ran again.
"Please… I have to get home…!"
But the ground kept shaking. The dust choked my lungs.
My house… I could see it.
So close…
Then a voice crackled from the sky:
"Reporting! Target heading west! Fire east! Repeat, fire east—!"
I'M DEAD.
"That's my direction, you idiot!"
~DUAAAAARRRRR!!!
The explosion ripped the ground ahead of me. I was flung back. My body hit hard. Bleeding. Vision blurred. Dust in my throat.
"Come on… just a little more…"
I dragged myself across scorched asphalt.
But above—
One jet spun out of control.
Swept by Behemoth's tail.
"Mayday! Mayda— NO—!"
The jet—
EXPLODED.
Crashing straight into my house.
"NOOOOO!! NOOOOOOOO!!"
The book.