I always thought the worst thing that could happen in this office was getting fired.
I was wrong.
The day started normal.
Too normal.
Keyboard sounds.
Mouse clicks.
Fake laughs.
Boss pretending to be important.
Employees pretending to care.
I sat in my cubicle staring at numbers I didn't understand and didn't want to understand.
My coffee was cold.
I still drank it.
Because buying another one felt like wasting money.
That was the kind of person I was.
Overthinking everything.
Even 20 rupees.
Even my own existence.
"Arjun."
I looked up.
Riya stood there holding two sandwiches.
She smiled.
"You forgot lunch again didn't you?"
I forced a smile.
"I wasn't hungry."
She raised an eyebrow.
"You say that every day."
She put the sandwich on my table anyway.
My chest felt warm.
She always did small things like this.
Small things that made me think maybe I mattered.
Maybe.
"You should take care of yourself," she said.
I nodded.
"I will."
I knew I wouldn't.
Then it happened.
The lights flickered.
Nobody cared at first.
They always flickered.
This building was cheap despite being called premium.
Flicker.
Flicker.
Then darkness.
Complete darkness.
Someone groaned.
"Great. Again?"
Emergency lights turned on.
Red.
Everything turned red.
Someone walked to the window.
Then froze.
"Guys…"
His voice sounded wrong.
Not joking.
Not annoyed.
Scared.
We all looked.
The sky was red.
Not sunset red.
Not evening red.
It looked alive.
Like it was bleeding.
My brain tried to explain it.
Chemical leak?
Weather?
Government test?
Plane explosion?
My thoughts always did this.
Trying to find logic.
Trying to make things safe.
Then something fell from the sky.
Fast.
Very fast.
It hit the road outside.
The sound shook the whole building.
Cars flipped like toys.
People outside started running.
Then the thing stood up.
And my brain stopped trying to explain.
It was not an animal.
Not human.
Not anything that should exist.
Black skin stretched over bones.
Arms too long.
Mouth too big.
It grabbed a man.
I saw it clearly.
Too clearly.
The man screamed.
Then he didn't.
The sound stopped like someone pressed mute.
Blood hit the road.
Someone behind me threw up.
Someone started praying loudly.
My hands started shaking.
This is not happening.
This is not happening.
This is not happening.
More things started falling from the sky.
Not one.
Many.
Different shapes.
Different sizes.
All wrong.
Then screaming started inside the office.
Real screaming.
Not movie screaming.
Ugly screaming.
Fear screaming.
Everyone ran.
Chairs fell.
Computers crashed.
People pushed each other.
Someone fell.
Nobody stopped.
I didn't move.
My body locked.
My brain was too busy trying to understand something impossible.
Then Riya grabbed my wrist hard.
"ARJUN MOVE!"
That broke the freeze.
We ran.
The stairs were already full.
People pushing.
Shouting.
Crying.
Someone jumped three steps at once and fell face first.
Nobody stopped.
I almost did.
Riya pulled me.
"Don't stop!"
We moved down.
14th floor.
13th floor.
People were crying while calling their families.
"I love you mom!"
"I'm sorry dad!"
Network was dead.
Calls failed.
That scared people more.
On the 12th floor we heard something above.
A crash.
Concrete breaking.
Heavy steps.
Coming down.
People started panicking more.
Someone pushed me hard.
I slipped.
My foot hit something wet.
I crashed down the stairs.
Pain exploded in my knee.
I couldn't breathe.
People stepped over me.
Literally over me.
One shoe hit my shoulder.
One hit my hand.
I tried to stand.
My leg failed.
Riya came back.
She actually came back.
"Arjun!"
She pulled me up.
Her hands shaking.
"Lean on me."
My chest hurt.
Not from falling.
From relief.
We moved slowly now.
Everyone passing us.
Some looked.
None helped.
My brain noticed that.
It always notices things like that.
Then it happened again.
My foot twisted wrong.
A small sound.
*crk*
Pain shot up my leg.
I collapsed.
This time worse.
Blood started spreading through my pants.
Fast.
Too fast.
I tried to stand.
Nothing.
My leg was done.
Riya tried lifting me.
She tried.
She really tried.
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry… stand… please stand…"
I tried.
I couldn't.
People kept running past us.
Someone screamed:
"MONSTER INSIDE!"
That changed everything.
Riya froze.
Her grip weakened.
Her breathing changed.
Fast.
Shallow.
She looked up the stairs.
Then at me.
Then up again.
I knew that look.
That calculation.
That survival math.
If she stays = she might die.
If she leaves = she lives.
My brain started overthinking.
Say something.
Tell her to go.
Tell her to stay.
Don't be selfish.
Don't be weak.
Don't beg.
Don't cry.
"Arjun…"
Her voice broke.
"I… I can't carry you…"
I nodded.
I already knew.
"I'm slowing you down…"
Tears filled her eyes.
"I'm sorry."
There it was.
The moment.
The choice.
She held my hand tighter.
For one second I thought she chose me.
Then her grip slowly loosened.
Not sudden.
Slow.
That hurt more.
"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"
My throat closed.
I wanted to say it's okay.
I wanted to be the good guy.
Even now.
Even now.
Why am I like this?
"Go…" I whispered.
Her face broke more.
"I'm sorry."
Then she ran.
She did look back once.
Just once.
Then she disappeared into the crowd.
And that was it.
Five years together.
Ended in three seconds.
Not with cheating.
Not with fighting.
Just survival.
My brain said she was right.
My chest said something else.
I laughed.
A small ugly sound.
"Of course…"
Of course I was the one left behind.
Of course I was the extra weight.
Of course.
Blood pooled under me.
Warm.
Sticky.
My hands pressed the wound.
It didn't help.
The building shook.
Something entered the stairwell above.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Slow.
Heavy.
I looked up.
And saw it.
Seven feet tall.
Gray skin.
Veins moving under it.
Its jaw opened sideways.
Like broken doors.
Saliva dripping.
Its eyes found me instantly.
I was the only one left.
Of course it chose me.
Of course.
I tried crawling.
My leg screamed.
I moved maybe one step.
It moved five.
My brain started racing again.
Weapon.
Escape.
Hide.
Nothing.
Nothing.
Nothing.
I picked a broken metal piece anyway.
My hand shaking badly.
"What am I doing…"
It came closer.
Five steps.
Four.
Three.
I could smell it.
Rotten meat.
Two.
My thoughts became very quiet.
So this is how I die.
Not special.
Not heroic.
Just… eaten.
I wondered if Riya would feel bad later.
I wondered if anyone would remember me.
I wondered if my boss would still expect the report tomorrow.
My brain really thinks stupid things.
Then—
*DING*
A soft sound.
Clear.
Wrong.
Blue light appeared in front of me.
Floating text.
Like a game.
I blinked.
Still there.
[ SYSTEM ONLINE ]
"What…"
[ PLAYER DETECTED ]
Player?
Me?
The monster was one step away.
[ EMERGENCY CONTRACT AVAILABLE ]
Contract?
[ ACCEPT TO LIVE ]
[ REFUSE TO DIE ]
My breathing stopped.
Is this real?
Am I hallucinating?
Is this what dying feels like?
The monster grabbed my collar.
Lifted me.
Pain shot everywhere.
I screamed.
The screen stayed.
Waiting.
No time.
No thinking.
No overthinking.
For the first time in my life.
I pressed YES.
Everything changed.
[ CONTRACT ACCEPTED ]
[ WELCOME PLAYER ARJUN ]
It knew my name.
[ LEVEL 1 ]
[ HP : 9 ]
That seemed very low.
[ FIRST SKILL GENERATING ]
The monster opened its mouth.
Teeth closing toward my head.
[ SKILL OBTAINED — LAST BREATH ]
[ EFFECT — SURVIVE ONE KILLING BLOW ]
The teeth came down.
Darkness.
Pain.
Then—
I was still alive.
My HP showed:
1
ONE.
The monster froze.
Confused.
I was confused too.
I was alive.
I was alive.
I WAS ALIVE.
Something inside me snapped.
Not fear.
Not sadness.
Something else.
Something angry.
Why was I always the one left?
Why always me?
Why always weak?
Why always last choice?
The screen flashed again.
[ EMOTION SPIKE DETECTED ]
[ RARE CONDITION MET ]
[ HIDDEN CLASS REQUIREMENTS SATISFIED ]
Hidden?
[ CLASS GENERATING ]
My body started burning.
Heat inside my chest.
Like something waking up.
[ BASE PERSONALITY TRAIT DETECTED ]
[ OVERTHINKER ]
That felt personal.
[ TRAIT EVOLUTION POSSIBLE ]
Evolution?
The monster raised me again to finish me.
My vision fading.
The words appeared.
Slow.
Important.
[ UNIQUE CLASS AVAILABLE ]
[ CORPORATE SLAVE ]
I almost laughed.
Even now?
[ CLASS EFFECT — PRESSURE CREATES POWER ]
[ ABILITY — TURN MENTAL STRESS INTO STATS ]
My heart started pounding.
[ ABILITY — PAIN BECOMES EXPERIENCE ]
What?
[ ABILITY — SURVIVE WHEN OTHERS BREAK ]
The monster's grip tightened.
Bones cracking.
[ FINAL CONFIRMATION REQUIRED ]
[ DO YOU ACCEPT THIS CLASS ]
YES
NO
My vision going dark.
My lungs empty.
My life at zero.
I smiled a little.
"Yeah…"
My finger moved.
"I accept—"
Then something impossible happened.
The system glitched.
Red warnings everywhere.
[ ERROR ]
[ ERROR ]
[ HIGHER AUTHORITY DETECTED ]
Authority?
[ CLASS OVERRIDE INITIATED ]
My eyes widened.
Override?
[ TRUE CLASS REVEALING ]
True?
The words started changing.
Letters breaking.
Reforming.
Something much rarer.
Much more dangerous.
[ HIDDEN CLASS — ]