First kill

Alex slipped into the dorm like a ghost.

His footsteps were silent, his clothes blood-soaked, his face pale and hollow. The door creaked shut behind him, and he stood there for a moment—eyes unfocused, chest rising and falling with quiet urgency.

Thankfully, the room was empty.

Kirito's bed was untouched, neatly arranged. His training gear was gone too. Probably off sharpening his sword or meditating in the gravity chamber again.

Good, because if he was there,he is certainly going to ask questions which Alex isn't ready to answer

Alex moved quickly. He peeled off his shirt, the sticky fabric tugging at the half-dried blood on his skin. Crimson flakes rained onto the floor. His jacket was ripped, stained with the mess of battle and regeneration. He shoved everything into the bottom of the wardrobe and slammed the door shut.

His body swayed.

His stomach twisted.

He pressed a hand to his gut as a sharp pang of hunger knifed through him. His claws almost emerged on instinct. He could feel it—the gnawing, the ache that wasn't just physical. His vision blurred at the edges as if his mind was being devoured too.

> DING!

HUNGER: 70%

WARNING: Approaching critical threshold

System Advice: Feed immediately.

His breath caught in his throat.

He couldn't let it happen again. Not after what almost happened in that alley.

He stumbled to the door, changed into a fresh shirt, and slipped out—head low, footsteps dragging.

The Academy had multiple stores scattered across campus, but he didn't head back to the first one. No, he couldn't risk it. Someone might've seen him earlier. There was another shop further east, one students rarely used.

Each step felt like wading through mud. His legs were heavy. His thoughts barely coherent.

Just… get food.

Raw steak. Something. Anything.

The scent of blood still clung to his memory. He shook his head.

No.

He wouldn't lose control.

Elsewhere – Academy Medical Center

The infirmary burst into chaos.

Doors flung open as a squad of academy security rushed in, levitating stretchers with battered, broken bodies. A staff of nurses and medics surged forward like a well-oiled machine.

Six students. All critically injured. One not breathing.

"Code Red," barked Officer Rune, following behind them. "Mana pulse irregularities and physical trauma—Tier B-level injuries or higher. Get the regen pods online!"

"Dear stars…" one of the healers muttered, catching sight of the claw wounds on one boy's chest.

The head healer pulled off his gloves, pale and tense. "What the hell did this to them? A beast got loose?"

"There's claw marks on the wall… and blood everywhere," one of the officers muttered.

The one leading them narrowed his eyes. "This wasn't a student fight. Looks like… a rogue beast made its way into the academy."

He tapped his communicator. "Sector 4 incident. Possible beast attack. Send ability user and containment.

Alex didn't remember paying.

One second he was at the counter, mumbling something about steak. The next, he was stumbling out of the shop with a bloodied paper wrap in hand, the faint warmth of mana-preserved meat seeping into his trembling fingers.

His eyes darted around.

No one.

Good.

He ducked into a narrow alley between two empty maintenance buildings behind the east wing. The shadows welcomed him, silent and judging.

He fell to his knees, tore the package open, and sank his teeth into the cold, red flesh.

It wasn't elegant.

It wasn't human.

But it was necessary.

Blood coated his lips. Raw meat filled his mouth. The taste—metallic, primal, alive—hit harder than it should have. His instincts roared with approval, even as his mind recoiled.

> DING!

HUNGER: 10%

SYSTEM ALERT: Skill deactivated– Half Starvation Mode

His breathing slowed.

His heartbeat steadied.

For a moment, just a flicker, clarity returned.

But it wasn't peace. It was shame.

He slumped back against the cold wall, wiping his mouth with the back of his sleeve. The steak was gone—devoured before he'd even registered finishing it.

His thoughts drifted to Miranda.

To the blood.

To the slash on that boy's neck.

> "One of them died."

He pressed his fingers to his temple. "I didn't mean to…"

But the system stayed silent.

No judgment.

No mercy.

DING!

1 Human Killed

First human kill

Instant level up!

Alex froze.

His eyes widened as the golden system notification hovered in front of him, pulsing like a heartbeat.

"No…" he whispered. "No, no—I didn't mean to kill him. I was trying to protect Miranda—"

His stomach churned worse than before.

The steak threatened to come back up.

He leaned forward, both hands on the ground, breathing hard. The weight of it all—the blood, the kill, the system's cold approval—pressed down on him like a collapsing ceiling.

Was this what it meant to be a ghoul?

To survive by instinct?

To feed… and grow stronger?

He shut his eyes tight. He didn't want this.

But deep down, something in him—some dark part—was satisfied.

[ALERT] Security Notice: Medical Emergency in Sector 4

Incident Level: Red

All students are to remain in dorms after curfew. Possible Beast Sighting.

Alex's heart pounded.

They really thought it was a beast.

He backed away from the screen, dragging his hood over his head.

He had to get out.

He had to get back before someone noticed him gone.

Back in the Medical Wing

A medic pulled the sheet over the neck-slash victim.

The others groaned in pain, one whispering about "red eyes in the dark."

Officer Rune stood near the door, arms crossed.

"No signs of beast entry on the perimeter," one security guard said, breath short. "And none of the cameras picked anything up."

Rune's jaw clenched. "Then what the hell tore six students apart?"