Somewhere underground…
Dr. Kellen's breaths came in rapid, panicked gasps.
His shoes pounded against the polished white tiles as he sprinted through a dim hallway, clutching a black briefcase like it was his last lifeline. The overhead lights flickered violently—buzzing—then popped, one by one, until the hallway plunged into an ominous, pulsing red glow.
Warning. Containment breach. Protocol: Hollowborn.
The robotic voice repeated from the intercom like a heartbeat.
"No… not this… not now," Kellen muttered under his breath. Sweat poured down his forehead, fogging his glasses.
His coat caught on the corner of a railing and ripped. He didn't stop.
Behind him—nothing.
But that's what terrified him most.
The absence.
No footsteps. No breathing. But something was following.
He could feel it in the tremble of the floor… in the metallic taste of dread in his mouth.
He rounded a corner—then froze.
A scientist lay slumped against the wall, eyes wide open but unseeing. Deep claw marks raked across the metal door beside him.
Kellen backed away slowly.
"No, no, no…"
A soft, wet clicking echoed down the corridor.
Then—a shadow detached itself from the wall.
His scream was short.
The briefcase fell. Lights buzzed… then silence.
From the corner of the hall, a soft hum began to rise—digital, rhythmic, unnatural.
A faint shimmer hovered above the briefcase.
Then it faded into darkness.
Later. Somewhere else. The city of Monridge.
The scent of stir-fry, sesame oil, and dish soap filled the cramped interior of Steele's Bite, a small corner restaurant tucked into an alley near a train station. A cracked bell above the door jingled whenever it opened, though it never quite stopped hanging lopsided.
Inside, the air was thick with the sizzle of food and the warmth of home.
"Alex, pass me the ginger!" came a woman's voice from the kitchen.
"Got it, Mom!" Alex shouted back, grabbing the small ceramic bowl of chopped ginger and darting into the back.
He was seventeen, dark messy hair that refused to stay flat, and a pair of sharp eyes that always seemed to be thinking about something else.
His mother, Mei Steele, was in her mid-thirties, hair tied back in a ponytail, apron stained but clean in spirit. A flick of her wrist sent onions flying into a wok.
"How's the front?" she asked without looking.
"Dead. Just the usual early birds and Mr. Takeda ranting about how garlic is the key to long life."
Mei smirked. "He's not wrong."
Alex watched her for a moment. Tired eyes, faded smile—but always strong.
Since Dad disappeared five years ago, it had been just the two of them.
"Hey, Mom?" he asked softly.
She paused, glanced at him.
"I'm fine," she said before he even finished the thought. "You worry too much."
"I just—" he began.
But the doorbell jingled again.
Two boys entered.
Darren and Blake.
Alex's stomach dropped, he saw them from the small window in the kitchen.
They wore the same smug expressions they always did—half-laughing, half-scowling.
" Oh no," whispered Alex.
" What?" asked Alex's Mom searching the shelf.
" No, nothing, Takeda is at the counter again," said Alex hastily and took off.
His mother turned back with a look of suspicion but immediately got distracted when a cup of salt fell off the shelf.
Alex came to the counter looking calm but annoyed.
Alex took a breath " what do you doing here Darren? Blake?"
Darren and Blake were Alex's classmates from his high school. Big and notorious bullies.
Ever since the incident Alex caused that got the two suspended, which was an accident. They get on Alex's neck any chance they got.
Somehow, they manage to find out about his Mom's restaurant.
"Well, well," Darren said, sauntering to the counter like he owned the place. "Didn't know you moonlighted as a busboy."
Blake snorted. "More like a grease monkey."
Alex sighed and wiped his hands. "Kitchen's closed for jerks. Menu's outside."
Darren grinned. "You think you're funny now? Acting tough with Mommy nearby?"
Alex's mom peeked out from the kitchen, eyes narrowing.
"Can I help you boys with something?" she asked, voice calm, but firm.
Darren waved her off. "We're just saying hi."
"I think you've said enough," she said flatly. "Either order or leave."
Alex's Mom returned to the kitchen.
Alex was leaving the counter with a tray when Blake gave Alex a shove behind him. "Aww, hiding behind your mommy's apron again?"
Alex stumbled, tray slipping, nearly falling on a table—but caught himself.
He glanced up. Saw them laughing. Saw his mom's eyes watching. Customers turning their heads.
These idiots had the nerve to do this in his mother's restaurant.
Something inside him burned. Not anger—resolve.
He stood straight and said to himself. "Fine. Let's give the customers a show."
Darren and Blake sat on the seats Infront of the counter snickering.
Alex walked to the counter, came back with a plate—wobbly, old leftovers—and threw it to the counter and it slid and landed on Darren's pants with a perfect slap.
Sauce splattered across his designer jeans.
The restaurant went silent.
Then someone chuckled.
Even Mei smirked behind the counter.
Blake grabbed a napkin to help Darren, but slipped on a spilled ice cube and tumbled into the mop bucket.
Laughter erupted but Alex managed to keep his face blank.
Darren's face turned crimson, they stood up and looked at Alex.
"This isn't over," he hissed.
"No," Alex smiled weakly. "It's just dinner time."
They stormed out.
Mei walked up beside her son and squeezed his shoulder.
"I know I say don't provoke people… but that was satisfying," she whispered.
Alex grinned but felt regret when he realized the amount of trouble he will get into afterwards.
That night...
The streets were quieter than usual.
The restaurant was about to close.
Alex zipped up his hoodie and pulled the straps of his bag tighter.
" Are you going already?" asked his Mom.
" Yeah," Alex replied and opened the door, the bell jingled.
Alex's Mom was cleaning the table " Are you sure you wouldn't wait a little so I can drive you home?"
" Home is close, I can just walk," Alex replied in a dragged tone and he stepped out of the restaurant and his feeling changed, like he suddenly felt unease- just a little, after what happened today.
As Alex walked, city lights flickered faintly above. Steam hissed from the manholes.
He turned to a corner toward the dark alley shortcut.
As he walked, voices stopped him.
"Well, well…"
Darren and Blake again.
Alex turned back startled but somehow, he expected it.
"Thought you'd walk home all proud, huh?" Darren stepped forward, a pipe loosely hanging in his hand.
" Um," Alex tried to step back—but they blocked his way.
"You think making a fool of us in front of everyone's gonna end well?"
" No I-," said Alex but Blake pushed him and he fell.
" Guys cut it out please," Alex tried to stand up but Darren punched his gut and he fell with a thud.
Alex was crouched on the ground as Blake gave him a couple of kicks.
" Think it's funny now?" Blake yelled mockingly.
Alex grunted, he crawled to escape but Darren hit his face with a pipe and Alex fell helplessly on the floor, hands pressed hard against his face.
Darren smirked and bent down to look at Alex closely, took Alex by the cloth, lifted him up and slammed him against the wall of the alley.
" Stop it, I'm sorry okay?" said Alex weakly as blood trickled from the wound on his forehead.
Blake was beside Darren smirking sheepishly.
" Next time, you think twice before-"
Then—a sound.
Not from them.
A low, gurgling growl. Wet and unnatural.
The three of them froze.
From behind the dumpster… red light erupted, energy sounds thrumming softly and then... A glitching entity crawled out like a spider.
Pale, wet skin. Dislocated limbs, Hollow eyes. As if a corrupted video game character had crawled into the real world, except with extremely long thin hands.
"What the—" Darren's voice cracked, still pinning Alex to the wall.
Blake watched incredibly stunned, mouth twitching.
Alex was shocked, fear gripped him.
The monster looked at the three of them with hungry eyes and took a stance.
Darren let go of Alex, the three were too scared to run.
The monster lunged.
Alex ducked, but Blake screamed, dodging the monster's claw, he bolting down the alley. Darren followed.
The monster growled and turned to Alex.
Alex's heart skipped. He tried to run, he tripped on a broken crate. Hit the ground hard.
The monster reared back, jaw opening unnaturally wide—
A blinding blue light exploded across the alley near the monster.
A girl appeared mid-air, landing with a splash of power.
Alex had his mouth ajar.
The girl had medium-long brown hair, a bodysuit glowing with tech lines, and sunglasses. With a flick of her hand, she conjured a pad-like panel in front of her.
[TARGET LOCKED. SYNCING.]
She swiped—and a chain of glowing code wrapped around the monster, pulling it back.
She spun, dual-blades forming in her hands, slashing in clean, brilliant arcs.
Alex watched in stunned silence as the monster shrieked, shuddered, and dissolved into particles but in a distance, he could see portal shimmered open in the air. Something clattered out of it—a strange console, shaped like an futuristic handheld but pulsing with life.
The girl lowered her blades. Her breathing slowed " Too easy."
Then she turned to Alex.
Her expression softened. "You okay?"
Alex blinked shockingly. Looked at her—really looked. She was… different. Beautiful, yes, but not normal. Not quite human.
Still, something fluttered in his chest.
"I think so," he said softly.
She held out her hand.
He took it, rising to his feet.
Then his gaze shifted to the device on the ground. The console.
Before he could say anything, she was gone.
He looked both ways in the alley and saw nothing, before he could remember the pain on his forehead.
Alex sighed wearily and his eyes caught the console.
It hummed.
He walked towards it, reached down and picked it up.
He looked around him to check whether someone or something will will take him by suprise, but no one, the alley was empty.
Alex took the console and was walking down the alley, fiddling with the buttons, curious.
Many questions ran through Alex's mind as he observed the console.
" What is this? What was that thing? What the hell?"
He stopped in the middle of the alley and looked around to check whether he was being watched, eye's narrowed because of the pain on his forehead and then—The screen on the console flickered.
Alex squealed and let the console go off his hands and it clattered on the floor.
The console glowed and hummed, floating.
[SYSTEM BOOTING…]
[USER IDENTIFIED: ALEX STEELE]
[WELCOME TO GENESIS]
" What the?" Alex was stunned.
He stood with his mouth ajar and wiped the blood off his right eye with his sleeve.
And deep within him… something awakened.