MONDAY AFTERNOON
a while later
_____

      TYLER'S terrified eyes widened as he struggled for air. He groaned in agony as white-hot pain sliced through his abdomen. Saliva welled in his mouth as bile traveled up his throat. His glossy, dazed eyes bounced from face to face, hoping to find someone who could help. With little strength, he lifted his head from the table, briefly looking at his friends before going elsewhere.

Holy shit, he was helpless.

Deep in the recesses of his mind, a small voice whispered: No one's coming to save you.

Flaming pins and needles pricked his body from the inside out. Trembling against the table, Tyler wheezed as he fought for breath, his throat swelling with each passing second.

"H-Help m-me..." he wheezed, his fingers clawing at his throat as he trembled against the table. In a weak attempt to stifle the screams bubbling in his throat, he bit his bottom lip.

Stabbing, blinding pain throbbed behind his eyes, ripping a blood-curdling scream from his lips. Frightened by the strangled scream coming from Tyler's thrashing body, the security officer approached cautiously as trepidation wallowed in his gut.

"Tyler..?" Andy, the security officer, called out, his eyes flickering all over Tyler's withering form as blackened veins danced below his skin. "Help is on the way," he assured, reaching into his pocket and grabbing his phone, dialing the authorities. "I have four young men in the university cafeteria experiencing some highly concerning side effects," he relayed to the dispatcher.

Tyler's pupils expanded, dilating so wide that there was hardly any blue in his iris. The previously red veins in his eyes quickly began to shift into a darker color. Darkening until they were soot black.

Inky, black tears welled in his eyes, falling down his cheeks as he cried out. Wails of agony shook his body, stripping his throat raw as he screamed. He couldn't stop sobbing as oozing obsidian blood dripped from his nostrils to his chin.

'What are their symptoms?' The dispatcher asked, her voice calm through the receiver.

Andy reluctantly sighed, his mouth slack as he gathered the words to describe the scene before him. "This is gonna sound insane, but there's this black stuff coming out of this kid's eyes and nose," he shakily relayed, his body rigid while he spoke. His hand gripped the cell phone tight as he pressed it against his ear, his eyes watching as Darryn's shoulder jostled. "This kid is in some serious pain and hasn't stopped screaming since he woke up. The other three are currently unconscious."

'I'm sorry? How many of them have this black stuff?' the dispatcher questioned.

The pollution flooded through the four friends' nervous systems, slicing and eating what humanity was left of them.

Andy's heart thundered in his ears. "There's four of them," he muttered. "I've never seen anything like this. Please send someone right away. I'm not sure how much time these kids have."

Sleepily groaning, Darryn raised a hand to his throbbing head, trying to shut out the slew of beating hearts in his ears.

'Alright, sir. I need you to listen carefully,' the dispatcher said.

Andy quickly glanced around the cafeteria, looking for anyone else who stood out.

It was just these four. Most of the students there fled earlier; the few people there were concerned staff and classmates.

Tyler had no idea why he was in pain.

Maybe it was his punishment from the universe for all the sins he'd committed.

That's what he wanted to think.

Students and teachers alike shared woeful expressions as they listened to his screams echo through the halls.

"Kill...me," he gasped, his throat raw and hoarse. "Please," he begged the security officer standing beside him, his eyes pleading.

Darryn's throat ached from thirst. He swallowed dryly, blinking his glossy, onyx eyes. Prior to eating the contaminated salad, Darryn's partially blurred vision hindered him. Yet, as his monstrous eyes gazed across the cafeteria, he saw everything so clearly.

His heart and ears hurt as he listened to his friend's cries.

What happened? He wondered, confusion washing over his features as he turned his attention to Andy.

Andy's heart dropped to the pit of his stomach as his gaze met Darryn's.

The empty abyss of Darryn's void eyes swallowed Andy whole. His breath hitched in his throat, and his hand clenched his cell phone tightly. "One of them has black eyes," he trembled as he whispered into the phone.

'We have a group within our local department that handles these kinds of forensics. They're on their way. Make sure to evacuate anyone else who is not experiencing these symptoms.'

"Roger," Andy swallowed audibly, his eyes wide and never leaving Darryn's stare. Hanging up his phone, Andy's arm dropped to his side, his phone still in his clutch. "Hey, Ryn..." he awkwardly greeted, his heart constricting in his chest.

Dread hung thick in the air while Andy stood still.

Darryn blinked, weirded out at the prolonged eye contact. "Do you really think they can help us?" He asked skeptically as he glanced at Tyler. Setting a clawed hand against Tyler's back, Darryn gave him a light pat as he spaced out.

Darryn had never been so painfully aware of his body—or of his senses. He could hear so much, so clearly. His skin felt so sensitive that he twitched as his clothes rubbed against his skin. New sensations swarmed his body as the pollution regulated within him. His stomach growled, begging to be filled.

Tyler writhed against the table, shaking it with each hiccup. Polluted veins branched across his limbs, and his eyes seemed darker.

Andy could not believe what he saw.

Something was wrong—awfully wrong.

The scleras of Tyler's eyes went completely black, swallowing the glazed white of his iris and the black of his pupils. His blackened veins crawled beneath his skin, trickling up to his neck, spreading the inky, webbing veins under his eyes. A low, distorted growl erupted from his chest. His mouth opened to reveal his elongated, shark-like teeth.

"Everyone, stand back," Andy shakily directed. "The authorities are on the way! Please clear the room!" His breath was trembling as he watched Tyler sit up.

He was panting, his tongue long, blackened, and serpent-like as he slouched. His charcoal eyes moved slowly over many faces, taking in each appearance as he got a whiff.

His belly groaned, begging to be filled. Bringing his hands in front of himself, Tyler watched with empty yet curious eyes as an ash-like substance covered the tips of his fingers. Obsidian-colored nails extended from his fingertips, sharpening into claws.

"I'm hungry..." he trailed off, his mind empty except for the lingering desire to eat. "So...very hungry," he murmured as the world around him spun.

Darryn sighed, looking down at the empty, bloodied salad container in front of him. "Me too," he relayed, trying not to think about his grumbling belly. His gaze moved to Armani across from him. Andre, who was propped against the wall beside the table, remained unconscious.

As frightened students and staff fled the cafeteria, incoming sirens sounded outside.

The special unit arrived.

Armani sprang up with a weird, disturbing snort. Coughing obnoxiously, Armani gagged as he caught his breath. "Oh, my God, how do I look?" He frantically tousled his curls, wiping as much dried blood from his face as the unit walked in.

"You look like shit with all that fuckin' blood on your face," Tyler deadpanned, annoyance dripping from his lips as he rolled his eyes.

Armani's heart warmed within his chest, beating so softly that he thought it had stopped. His eyes grew as they landed on the honey-skinned beauty striding in.

He didn't give a fuck about the three strange people he sensed with her. He only saw her.

Her beautiful, clear skin glowed in the dark storm. It seemed like there was a divine light shining upon her as she took each step. Her chestnut-brown eyes gleamed as they looked around the room before landing on his.

Time stopped.

It was only then in the whole world, it seemed.

Her brows furrowed as they examined him from afar. She was dressed in armed navy scrubs, nylon gloves on her hands, and a duffle bag of equipment in one hand. Her silky, chocolate-brown hair was tied into a low bun with two strands framing her face.

"This way, Elle," Captain Muller directed gruffly. He marched further into the cafeteria, coming up to Andy. "What's the situation?" He asked, his calculative eyes landing on the four friends and their bloody mess.

Andy swallowed. "These three woke up. They ate those salads and started freaking out," he sighed, gesturing to Darryn, Tyler, and Armani. "Then, the black stuff started to show in their eyes, then their veins, and then their blood. It came out of every orifice in their heads."

Captain Muller grunted, his sturdy form rigid, as he examined the four friends. "We need to remove them and get them back to our facility. Pronto," he growled with a snap of his fingers. His electric eyes glowed as he assessed them. Stepping up to the table, he looked to Darryn, the only one paying attention. "Can you tell me what happened?"

Darryn swallowed, his throat dry as thirst dwelled in his mouth. He knew it wasn't any kind of thirst he'd felt before—a thirst that couldn't be quenched with a few sips of water. "We ate, cried, bled, and maybe even shitted on ourselves. It's not lookin' good," he sarcastically explained. He blinked at the captain, sensing the radiating power the older man possessed. "Who are you?" He asked.

This old man piqued his interest. An overwhelming scent of dogs and the outdoors emitted from him the longer he stood there.

Captain Muller offered a small smile. "My name is Muller, and these three are Elle, Lillian, and Ian," he gestured to the two women and one man standing at his side. "We are from the Enforcement, and we're here to help." Digging into his duffle, he grabbed evidence bags.

Something seemed different about this four-person unit.

"You're not human," Armani cheesed as his eyes stared into Elle's angelic face. "You can't be when you're this beautiful," he swooned.

Her soft, tender gaze stunned him in his seat.

He wanted to build a shrine in her image and pray to it.

She needed to be praised, and he would be her number one worshiper.

Is that insane? He thought. Nah.

Elle gasped, fear briefly passing over her features. He can tell? She wondered as she gazed into his polluted eyes. Duh, of course, he can tell. She shook her head at her thoughts.

He was not human. Not anymore.

"Um, Captain Muller...?" Ian prodded, leaning close. The older man examined the four boys with pursed lips and a calculating gaze. "What are we doing with them?"

He'd never come across something like this in all his years of work for the Enforcement Department. Only a few times had he seen anything with dark eyes and veins. Those were demon-related cases.

But this?

The captain had his work cut out for him. Slowly approaching the table with the evidence bags, he watched carefully as Tyler turned his head lazily, his eyes narrowing to the other young men.

"Mani?" Tyler drawled out, his voice scratchy. Reaching an arm forward, he poked a clawed finger into Armani's left dimple. "Mani," he drawled out again, waiting patiently for the guy to snap out of his romantic stupor to pay attention to him.

Armani blinked, sneering at Tyler as he smacked his finger out of his face. Rolling his eyes as he muttered, "Stop," he grumbled, turning his attention back to Elle, who was avoiding him. Tyler poked him again.

Watching with attuned eyes, Captain Muller stopped his approach as Tyler kept picking with Armani, his movements getting faster and faster. Armani's swatting developed speed, his hands getting quicker as they smacked Tyler's clawed hands from his dimpled cheeks.

Slumped against the wall, Andre's eyes blinked open, glossy and blurred, as he yawned. I'm too tired for this, he thought as he looked away from the bickering pair to Darryn's rocking form. His friend was lost in thought as he chewed on his lower lip. Andre's eyes caught the action. Averting his gaze away from Darryn's lips, he tugged the collar of his shirt.

Darryn's rocking slowed as he looked over at Andre.

Sensing Darryn's eyes on him, Andre looked back up.

They stared at one another, the air thick with confusion and fluster between them the longer they looked into each other's obsidian eyes.

Darryn looked away first, his ears tinting pink against his black veins.

Andre scoffed, shaking his head as he looked away. It was nothing, he thought, his eyes sneaking another peek at Darryn.

Idiot, Darryn thought, averting his gaze to his dark fingertips with disinterest. His neck dripped with sweat as his cheeks flushed.

Andre couldn't help but look at him again, a small smirk on his lips at his flustered friend.

Friend. The word left a sour taste on his tongue as he gazed at Darryn.

Weird.

"Okay, kids, listen up." Captain Muller called their attention, approaching with caution. "We want to take you guys away from here and bring you to our facility. There, we can find out what's causing all of this to happen to your bodies. Sound good?" He relayed, his hand gesturing to their eyes and hands.

Andre blinked, a sigh slipping from his lips as he looked between the captain and his three friends. "Can you help us?" he asked, his voice hoarse as he spoke. Andre feigned indifference, yet the captain saw straight through it, seeing the fear that flickered in Andre's onyx eyes.

"We'll do everything we can," the captain promised, turning to his team. "Call in the medics for transportation," he directed Ian, the younger man, to his left. "You girls, grab our available stretchers, please." Reaching forward, the captain grabbed the empty salad containers and bagged them for evidence.

Elle and Lillian rushed outside, where incoming medics pulled into the parking lot. Armani's eyes watched her until she was out of sight.

I think I'm in love, he thought, itching to see her again. Not a moment passed before Elle and a few others rushed in with four stretchers, all clad in neon biohazard uniforms.

Armani rushed over to Elle and her stretcher, plopping himself down with a wide grin. "I'm ready, my love," he beamed, wiggling in his seat.

"My goodness!" she chuckled, her voice soft and buttery as she spoke. She shook her head as she efficiently strapped him in, wheeling him to the door.

Approaching the remaining three, the biohazard-suited medics crept up with stretchers. Darryn blinked up at the suited woman before him, his sensitive eyes stinging as he looked at the neon suit.

It would look better in red, wouldn't it? He thought, his blackened, forked tongue licking his lips. His obsidian eyes stared at the woman like she was nothing more than a four-course meal, teasing him with the sweet, metallic scent of blood pumping through his veins. The longer Darryn stared at her, the more his excitement grew. His mouth salivated as the healthy beat of Lillian's heart sounded in his ears.

"Ryn," Andre called out, snapping Darryn's attention away from Lillian. He didn't know why, but he knew exactly what Darryn was thinking.

The raven-haired man turned to the right, his eyes meeting Andre's, his brows furrowed. "What? I'm hungry, Dre," he grumbled before turning his attention back to the agent who settled the stretcher on the floor next to him and Tyler.

Hungry? He wondered. Why would he be hungry when looking at a person?

He was torn.

"Can...can you stand?" Lillian inquired as she neared Darryn. Her hands trembled as black, greedy eyes settled on her. Lowering the stretcher, Lillian patted the cushion and invited Darryn to sit.

Darryn nodded as he rose up, his mind racing as he sat down. Yawning, he turned to Andre and watched Captain Muller drag him onto a stretcher.

"I have to strap you down now, okay?" Lillian conveyed, her breath coming out in unsteady tufts and her pulse missing a beat when Darryn's inky gaze looked up at her.

"Okay," Darryn murmured as he let himself be fastened down. He looked aside from the agent to see his friends, who were likewise bound to stretchers. With a click and a bounce, the stretchers carried the four friends out of the university.

As Darryn was pushed out, he noticed the lunch lady from earlier.

Before he left the room, a small, bleak smile appeared on her shadowed lips, and her inky eyes lingered on his own.

_____

Behind the roiling clouds, some sunlight filtered through. On the long drive, pouring rain pummeled the van. The closest enforcement facility was an hour's trip south. Inhaling antiseptic air, Andre blinked lazily at the medical van's fluorescent lights. He winced with each bump in the road as the needle in his arm squeezed his veins. He groaned and looked over at the medic, who checked his vitals.

Andre hated needles with a passion, and he wished the medic would pull them out already. The tiny needle made him squirm uncomfortably on the stretchers. Stifling a gag, he fixed his attention to the floor. The odd, new beat of his heart on the monitor transfixed him.

Andre was officially bored.

He wanted to talk with his friends, but they were separated, confined in different vans as they were driven to their destination. And yet, he knew they were physically away from him; in the depths of his soul, he knew something was keeping them tethered.

If only he reached deep enough, he'd be able to grasp onto the string that linked them together.

But it seemed too far-fetched.

An outrageous thought slipped into his mind. I've always wanted to use telepathy, he thought.

Is it possible?

Closing his eyes, Andre relaxed his muscles as much as he could. Taking in a deep breath, he focused on each of their faces.

Then, something clicked. Andre stilled, sensing a plethora of emotions rushing through his mind.

Can you hear this? His voice curiously echoed faintly in the back of Tyler's mind.

What the fuck? Dre? Tyler thought, wondering if he was hallucinating. Why the fuck can I hear you in my head? He demanded, his heart thrashing as he waited for Andre's reply.

Andre didn't respond, letting Tyler marinate in his fright.

Am I literally a wizard now? Andre wondered, his heart fluttering in his chest as a Cheshire smirk spread across his lips. Despite suffering immeasurable pain, Andre got the sense that this could be fun. Let's get this shit.

"We're about to pull up to the gate now," Ian relayed from beside him, checking his vitals. "Once we get inside, who's that?" His voice trembled as he looked out the windshield.

The van came to a screeching halt.

Anxiety wafted through the air as Andre lay. He could only see bits and pieces out the back window, but he sensed something dangerous waiting outside. Andre's body buzzed with power as he took in deep breaths. He didn't feel nervous, but his medic did; he could taste it in the air.

Ian gasped as he looked out the windshield, and the medic driving stopped breathing. "When did she get here?" His heart thundered against his rib cage as an old woman with alabaster skin and onyx eyes stood at the entrance gate.

Where is everyone else? Andre wondered, gazing out the small window. Four other vans approached and came to a stop behind him.

Opening his door, the medic jumped out of the van, approaching the old, eerie woman. "You need to let us through."

The lunch lady sliced a clawed hand across the medic's throat. Crimson blood spilled from his throat as he fought to catch a breath. The poor medic gurgled on his own blood, his body dropping temperature quickly as he swayed on his feet.

"No! Stop it!" Ian screamed, rushing to his feet and stumbling into the van. Busting through the doors, Ian rushed out to help the dying medic.

The lunch woman caught the medic before he fell and held him close, his bone splitting under her hands. She extended her mouth inhumanely wide, showing two rows of shark-like teeth, and pushed her head into the open slit. Crunching down on the medic's neck, she let out a guttural growl that shook the ground under them.

Spitting out a small, bloodied bone, the lunch lady breathily laughed, "Give them to me, and I will let some of you live. Don't, and I'll wage war upon all of you."

———

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