A scientist studied the body of a cancer patient, his eyes darting between the scans and his notes.
"Hm? It seems that his organs are shrinking… What is this phenomenon?"
He adjusted his glasses, leaning in closer. This wasn't normal. It wasn't in any medical textbooks. Something was happening—something new.
---
One year later
"Mom, I'm heading to school! Cya!" Loid called out, grabbing his backpack and rushing toward the door.
"Focus on studying, Loid!" his mother reminded him from the kitchen.
Loid laughed. "Hahaha, I won't!"
"You idiot, you're going to miss the bus! Move it!" his brother yelled from the hallway.
"Shut up, brother," Loid shot back, rolling his eyes as he stepped outside.
Loid was seventeen years old, living in a luxurious house with his family. He had one brother and one sister, and he attended Arbor School, a prestigious private institution in the heart of town.
---
At school
Loid arrived at the school gates and spotted his best friend waiting for him.
"Wassup, Joe? It's our last week of school! You ready for the trip next week?"
"Heck yeah! Finally, school's over. I can be free again!" Joe grinned.
"Free? Just wait until university starts. It's gonna kill us."
"Way to ruin the fun, man," Joe sighed. "Anyway, I heard Pat is planning to confess to Mia."
Loid raised an eyebrow. "Lol, Pat can't stop doing cringe stuff. He got rejected twice in middle school already."
"I wanna see his face when he gets rejected for the third time," Joe snickered.
"The worst she'll do is say no, right?"
Joe hesitated. "Not exactly…"
Loid frowned. "What do you mean?"
Joe lowered his voice. "She's already dealing with family problems. If she's in a bad mood, Pat's confession might not end well."
Before they could continue, the realization hit both of them at the same time.
"WE'RE LATE TO CLASS, BRO!"
They bolted through the hallways, barely making it into the classroom.
Their history teacher, Andrea, crossed her arms as they stumbled inside. "Joe and Loid, you're late."
"Sorry!" they both blurted out.
Andrea sighed. "Alright, class, listen up.
1720—The Plague.
1820—Cholera outbreak.
1920—Spanish flu.
2020—The COVID-19 pandemic.
Notice a pattern? Every 100 years, a pandemic emerges. At first, it seems like a coincidence, but the precision of these outbreaks is unsettling."
Micheal groaned, slumping in his seat. "Nobody cares about this, ma'am. COVID was four years ago. No pandemic for another 100 years, so no need fo—"
Pat, half-asleep, interrupted. "Yeah, he's right."
Andrea wasn't having it. "Micheal, it's just a theory, but you can never predict when a pandemic will start. That's why understanding how humanity dealt with past viruses is important."
Joe leaned toward Loid and whispered, "Dude, this is boring. How will the day pass?"
---
End of school day
"FINALLY, WE'RE FREE!" Joe cheered as they walked out of the building.
"You talk too much," Belle scoffed.
"Who asked?" Joe shot back.
"Get lost."
Loid sighed. "Guys, chill. No need to fight."
Belle rolled her eyes and walked away.
Loid turned to Joe. "Hey, check this out—my dad got me a test version of GTA 6."
Joe's eyes widened. "WHAT?! How?! Rockstar barely released a trailer!"
Loid smirked. "I have my ways. If you want, I can ask my dad if he can get you one too. He's busy this week, though. I'll ask him on Saturday."
Before Joe could respond, Pat walked up to them.
"Wassup, guys."
"Pat, ready for next weekend?" Joe asked.
"To be honest… I'm not," Pat admitted, looking uneasy.
Loid checked his phone. "Guys, my mom's here. Gotta go. Cya!"
He walked over to his family's luxurious car and headed home.
---
Later that night
Loid flopped onto his bed and scrolled through his phone, checking the group chat.
Group chat : "Greater the mass, greater the friction"
Joe: Can't wait for next week!
Belle: Why are you so hyped? It's not like it's our first school trip.
Micheal: This one's different. We're going to the most luxurious places in the city.
Amanda: I'm hyped too! Gonna upload so many pics on Instagram!
Alex: You're gonna get 8 likes anyway.
Pat: Lmao.
Loid: What's going on?
Alex: Spoiled brat, go play games.
Joe: Shut up, Alex.
Alex: No, you shut up.
Mia: Guys, you act like children.
Belle: Who said we aren't?
Thea: Sometimes I wonder how we're even friends when we fight 24/7.
Loid sighed, closing his phone and tossing it onto the nightstand. He shut his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
---
Saturday night
Loid sat across from his dad at the dinner table.
"Dad, I need another copy of that GTA you gave me."
His father didn't even look up. "I can't. I barely got that version for you."
Loid groaned. "Come on, Dad, please…"
His father exhaled sharply. "Loid, you need to stop asking for things. Be a man and earn them yourself. It's my fault for raising you this way."
Loid frowned. "What?!"
His father's voice softened, but his words hit harder. "Son… once I'm gone, no one's going to hand you money. You need to work for it."
Loid clenched his fists. "Wow, Dad! You're the worst father I've ever seen!"
His father's expression darkened. "It's my fault I raised him like this…" he muttered under his breath.
Loid pushed his chair back. "Alright, I'm done eating. I'm going to bed."
He stormed off to his room, slamming the door behind him.
His father—John the CEO of a massive construction company—rubbed his temples. Despite his success, he was losing control of his own household.
Then, his phone buzzed.
"Mr. John! Our workers are facing a serious problem!" a panicked voice said on the other end.
John sighed, his patience running thin. "What now?"
---
Meanwhile in loids room
Loid lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
"Ugh, why does everyone call me spoiled? I'm just a normal person like them…" he muttered.
His phone buzzed again—another group chat notification.
"Greater the mass, greater the friction "
Joe: Guys, let's play Minecraft! We haven't been on our server in ages.
Pat: Alright, let's join.
Joe: Loid, you in?
Loid sighed and typed:
Loid: Nah, I'll play later. I'm kinda tired. Gonna sleep.
Pat: Alright, dude.
Joe: Alright then, Pat, let's go.
Loid closed the chat, shut his phone off, and rolled onto his side.
Unbeknownst to him, outside his home, the night air felt… different.
Something was coming.
And it was only a matter of time.
---
Monday
Loid stepped outside, stretching. One more week.
The air was crisp, the usual city sounds buzzing in the background.
His phone vibrated.
📱 Group chat : "Greater the mass, greater the friction"
Joe: 5 MORE DAYS TIL FREEDOM
Belle: You said that yesterday.
Micheal: And the day before.
Amanda: And last week.
Joe: AND I'LL KEEP SAYING IT.
Loid: Just don't jinx it.
Loid pocketed his phone and walked to the bus stop, where Joe was already waiting.
"Wassup, bro?" Loid greeted.
Joe yawned. "Not much. Just tryna survive the week."
"Same."
They talked about nothing important—weekend plans, games, what they'd do at the hotel.
The school trip was the only thing on their minds.
---
In class, the slowest week ever
The last week of school always felt like a joke. Teachers were tired. Students were distracted. Nobody cared anymore.
Loid sat through history class, half-listening to Miss Andrea talk about ancient plagues and disasters.
He glanced around. Some students were zoning out. A few looked pale, probably just tired from exams.
Joe leaned over. "Bro, I swear time is moving at half speed"
Loid smirked. "Be patient. Just a few more days."
Pat, sitting behind them, sighed dramatically. "I swear if we don't leave for that trip soon, I'm gonna drop out."
"Finally something smart outta your mouth," Belle muttered.
Pat threw his pen at her.
---
Tuesday
Loid woke up feeling a little of. His muscles were sore, probably from sleeping wrong.
At school, two students were absent, but nobody cared. People skipped class all the time.
Joe stole half of Loid's lunch. Micheal started a stupid argument with Amanda. The cafeteria food sucked.
"Bruh, how do they mess up spaghetti?" Pat complained.
"By hiring people who hate life," Joe replied.
Everyone laughed.
The trip was getting closer
---
WEDNESDAY - MIDWEEK BOREDOM
A fight broke out in the hallway.
Some random senior snapped and shoved a kid against the lockers. Teachers broke it up quickly.
"What was that about?" Loid asked.
"Dunno. That dude's usually chill," Joe shrugged.
Weird, but not their problem.
In the group chat, everyone was debating room assignments
📱 Group chat :
Joe: Loid, you bunking with me, right?
Loid: Obviously.
Micheal: I swear if I get stuck with Pat...
Pat: Bro, I don't even snore that loud.
Belle: Lies.
Everything was normal
---
Thursday - Almost there
Loid's dad came home late from work, looking stressed.
"You good?" Loid asked.
"Just work issues," his dad muttered, loosening his tie. "You all packed for your trip?"
"Not yet, but I will."
His dad hesitated. "...Alright. Just don't waste time playing games all night."
Loid rolled his eyes. Typical.
---
Friday night
Loid was laying on his bed, scrolling through his phone.
📱 Group chat :
Joe: BOYS, TOMORROW IS THE DAY
Amanda: Finally.
Micheal: First thing I'm doing? Ordering room service.
Alex: First thing I'm doing? Getting away from y'all.
Loid: Lmao.
Everything felt normal.
Outside, the city was alive with lights and noise.
Tomorrow, they'd leave for the trip.
It was going to be amazing.
---
Loid leaned against the dining table, arms crossed. "Dad, I need money for the trip."
His father barely looked up from his paperwork. "You already have everything you need."
"No, I don't. I need cash for food, souvenirs—whatever."
His father sighed, setting his pen down. "Loid, when will you stop asking for things like a child?"
Loid clenched his fists. "It's not a big deal! Everyone else is bringing money!"
"Then borrow from your friends," his father shot back. "Or—better idea—learn to live without wasting it."
Loid's face burned with frustration. "Wow. You really are the worst dad ever."
His father's expression didn't change. "And you're proving to me that I failed as a parent."
Loid stormed off, slamming his bedroom door. He didn't care. His dad never understood anything.
---
Later that night
A soft knock on his door.
Loid turned over in bed as his mom stepped in, holding an envelope.
She sat beside him and placed it in his hands. "Here's some money. Have fun, Loid."
Loid stared at it, then at her. "Mom…?"
She smiled gently, brushing his hair back like she used to when he was younger. "Your father wants to teach you responsibility… but you're still a kid. Go enjoy your trip."
Loid swallowed, guilt creeping in. He mumbled a quiet, "Thanks, Mom."
She kissed his forehead. "Get some sleep."
As she left, Loid held the envelope tightly.
Maybe his dad was an ass… but his mom? She always had his back.
---
School had finally ended, and all anyone could talk about was the trip on Saturday.
Students rushed home, preparing their best outfits, packing snacks, and making plans. The excitement was contagious.
Loid and Joe stood near the school gates, waiting for their ride when Pat walked up to them, looking noticeably different.
"Pat, are you ready?" Loid smirked. "You're gonna confess today."
Pat ran a hand through his newly slicked-back hair, adjusting his collar. "Yeah, man. I even brought a rose. Today's the day—I can feel it!"
Joe chuckled. "Let's hope for the best, dude. Third time's the charm, right?"
Before Pat could respond, Amanda rushed toward them, slightly out of breath.
"Guys! You're gonna miss the bus! Let's go!"
Realization hit them all at once.
"Shit!" Loid muttered.
They sprinted toward the bus, barely making it before the doors closed.
Inside, the atmosphere was electric. Students were laughing, singing, and hyping each other up for the trip. Music blasted from someone's speaker, and some people were already taking group selfies.
Loid, Joe, Pat, Belle, Mia, and Micheal found their seats near the middle. Joe instantly dozed off, Pat nervously fiddled with the rose in his hand, and Loid was caught up in conversation with Belle.
Two other buses followed behind them, carrying students from other classrooms.
---
Their first destination had two routes:
1. Some students opted for the bus ride straight to the mall, wanting to get there quickly.
2. Others, including Loid's group, chose the teleférique (cable car) to enjoy the breathtaking view of the city below.
"Teleférique is the obvious choice," Loid said. "Way more fun than a bus ride."
"Yeah," Belle agreed. "Besides, it's been years since I last rode one."
Pat's excitement grew. The cable car was the perfect place for his confession—private, romantic, high above the world.
As their turn came, they stepped into the teleférique. The glass windows revealed a stunning panoramic view of the mountains and city skyline. The car slowly began to ascend, rocking gently with the wind.
Pat took a deep breath, steadying himself. This was it.
---
Pat turned to Mia, clearing his throat.
"Mia… you know, I've confessed my love to you twice already," he said, gripping the rose tightly. "And it seems my heart only knows one path—it always leads back to you."
He dropped to one knee and held out the flower.
Loid and Belle exchanged glances. This was way too dramatic.
Mia looked stunned, but before she could answer, her hands started trembling.
Then—her whole body.
Her breathing grew erratic. She clutched her chest, her fingers twitching unnaturally.
"Hey… Mia?" Pat's smile faltered.
A sickening crack echoed through the teleférique.
Mia's eyes darkened. Her pupils dilated into slits, and her skin began to shift, stretching in unnatural ways.
Loid felt a chill crawl down his spine. Something was wrong.
"Mia…?" Belle whispered.
Mia's breathing turned into pained gasps. Her fingers elongated, her nails sharpening into claws. The veins on her neck turned black.
Then, without warning—
She lunged.
A deafening snap.
Blood splattered across the cabin walls.
Pat's head—gone.
His body twitched for a moment before slumping forward.
A horrible, guttural scream filled the teleférique.
Mia—or what was left in her—stared at her bloodstained hands in horror.
"AHHH! I'M SORRY!! I SWEAR I DIDN'T MEAN IT!!" she shrieked, her voice warped and monsturious
The other students froze, paralyzed by terror.
Loid's breath caught in his throat.
This wasn't real.
This coudn't be real.
But the blood on the floor said otherwise.
Something impossible had just happened.
And it was only the beginning.
-
Fin