He also noticed that various creatures had various colours. It’s not to say that each colour was unique, unlike the creatures' appearances. Another strange thing he noticed was their interactions. While most of them, emitting warmer colours, would respond to him, those of a colder colour would genuinely ignore his existence. Their interactions also seemed to be led by this steam and flame.

  For the first time in his life, Nox understood that even those monsters, whom he believed to be individualistic, had their own social classes. Some felt comfortable in the presence of other warm-coloured monsters but would run away at the sight of a colder one, often a hint for Nox to run and hide as well. Some would fight, more often than not, only with those of a similar colour. Others attacked any presence around them.

  "It was like a social pyramid," he concluded.

  It was amazing how he had lived for 20 years among these monsters and yet knew so little about them.

  "Like living near a neighbour and being aware of their presence, but not of their lives," he chuckled.

  Looking at the destruction around him, the looted stores, and destroyed shops, Nox decided it would be best to head to the big warehouse store, only a 15-minute walk away.

  'If people looted the stores, I doubt they went far into that one,' he thought to himself.

  It was obvious to him that only “monster-free” stores had fallen victim, and he knew well that the big store had quite a few of them. Luckily, Nox knew them well. While scary-looking, the monsters of that store were quite friendly, all except for one.

  Another thing Nox noticed was that now, not only did he have to avoid nefarious monsters, but humans as well.

  “A decent person will continue to be decent, while a wicked one will use the first chance to forsake all humanity,” he thought.

  It quickly became a routine. Nox would walk, jog, and hide whenever the situation called for it. It was of great help that some of the smaller, almost rodent- or cat-like monsters would help him. Whenever they hid, he hid; whenever they ran, he ran. Whenever they were calmly going about their business on the street, he would walk by.

  Finally reaching the store, Nox noticed a few teenagers hiding behind bushes, trying to peek into the store.

  'They must have encountered them,' he smirked, calmly walking in as he heard shouts behind him.

  “Wait, man!” a boy called, waving his hands in a panic.

  With a sigh, Nox approached the group of three men and two women. They were all young—either younger or about the same age as him.

  "Don’t go in there yet!" the boy whispered urgently, grabbing his arm and pulling him down. "We’re waiting for the monsters to leave the store," he explained.

  "Are you alone?" one of the girls spoke up. "You should be careful. Some people went crazy around here," she sighed.

  "I noticed," Nox commented, mentioning the looted stores.

  "Those bastards! The poor shop owners," the same girl shook her head in anger, "I know the world fell in chaos, but take what you need and leave. Why destroy it?" she ranted.

  “I’m Mike,” the boy introduced himself. “That’s Tylor and Nate, the cursing girl is Nataly, and the other girl is Emily,” he pointed to each person.

  “You’re here for food, right?” Emily asked, sitting down near him. “Why don’t you join us? You can also help us carry some stuff back,” she suggested.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  “Back where?” Nox asked, curious.

  “To the shelter,” one of the boys, Nate, spoke up.

  “Shelter?” This word confused Nox even more.

  “Well…” Mike began, “One of them,” he nodded.

  “We’re trying to gather as much food and water as we can to bring to those places since people are too afraid to leave,” Nataly spoke again. “People gathered together in places they considered safe,” she explained. “We know about four or five such shelters around the city.”

  ‘Could Luke be in one of those?’ Nox wondered.

  Despite their short interaction, he felt somewhat attached to the other boy. He was wondering if that idiot was safe.

  “Why are you telling me this?” Nox asked them. “What if I’m some crazy murderer and will go around those shelters now?”

  At those words, Nataly burst out laughing.

  “Those people are afraid of monsters, but their survival instinct will kick in against another human,” she tutted.

  “And why are you going around? Aren’t you scared? Or were you sent from those shelters to gather items?” Nox asked, trying to understand them.

  “We’re scared,” Mike nodded. “But someone has to do it,” he explained.

  “My younger sister is in one of those shelters,” Nataly explained. “I know she’ll need food eventually, and what’s the point of begging for it from someone else? I’d much rather just go get it myself,” she puffed her chest out proudly.

  ‘They are just scared kids trying to put on a brave face, knowing someone has to do something,’ Nox smiled then.

  “Well, let’s go get everything then,” he said with a smile, dusting off his pants.

  As he calmly walked to the store, he heard the voices behind him warning him to come back. Nox approached the front double doors and, at the same time, approached the first monster standing between them and the food. He knew this monster well—its body, still in the early stages of becoming, bore the marks of the toys it had been born from—fragments of a child’s unfulfilled wishes, Nox assumed. Smooth, polished surfaces from a doll’s head mingled with the sharp, angular remnants of a toy truck’s chassis and the soft stuffing of a longed-for teddy bear. The mismatched parts were not disjointed but rather hastily stitched together, like something that had been pieced together by hands still learning how to create. The surface of its skin was an eerie, faded texture—at times smooth like plush, other times cracked, revealing the dark, shifting undercurrent beneath, as though the monster’s very form carried the weight of regret and longing. There were glimmers of shine in places, reflecting an almost unreal, false beauty, like new toys in a store window, still unplayed with.

  Ever since he saw it for the first time, Nox had always suspected that it would never harm a human. Since it was most likely created by children, it could not bear any wicked thoughts or ideas. The few times Nox had gone to this store, this monster would just wander outside, as if wishing to enter but being forbidden from—or scared of—what’s inside. This idea was now consolidated with his newly awakened powers. He saw the steam-like smoke coming from the creature. Its warm color told him it wasn’t dangerous.

  Seeing that not far from the window it stood against was a new toy display, Nox went into the store, grabbed one, and headed back out. Since he saw it, he always felt pity for it. He wished he could help it. At the same time, he now wondered.

  ‘If it was truly born out of the wish to play with toys, what would happen if that wish came true?’ he couldn’t help but pray it wouldn’t suddenly turn aggressive.

  Once back outside, the toy-like monster watched him, its head tilting from one side to the other. Crouching down in front of it, Nox held out the toy. By that time, he noticed that the group no longer hid behind the decorative bushes but had come out after seeing Nox wasn’t attacked.

  After extending the toy to the monster and gently telling it to take it, the creature finally grabbed it with its uneven arms. It analyzed the presented gift and unexpectedly plopped down on the ground to play with it. The group gasped.

  “It’s just playing,” Nataly said, approaching it. “I didn’t know some of them were friendly,” she played with her hair while saying that.

  “It must have been created by the children who were dragged out of this store by their parents without getting their desired toy,” Nox explained, causing the others to look at him in awe.

  “You know what those things are?” Nataly asked, taking a closer look at the toy-like creature.

  “My mother used to say that our emotions are energy, and when they burst out, they are left behind,” Nox nodded toward the monster. “The anger, disappointment, and sadness could have created it.”

  “Emotions?” The others were confused, but as they looked at the toy-like creature happily playing with the toy given to it by Nox, it somehow made sense.

  “How do you—or your mother—know this?” Mike asked.

  “Secret,” Nox smirked and went in, quickly followed by the group.

  If the experience just now taught them anything, it was that the boy in front of them knew something they didn’t—something that would help them survive.