Myths are nothing but baseless rumors.

Traditional stories that paint the pictures of heroes and supernatural beings that are beyond the norm. Creatures on a whole different level, heroes who can challenge the gods, and events that rocked the very foundations of society. Yet it can be false tales spun by speculations or for other purposes. Maybe someone created a myth to have someone avoid their forest, maybe one would tell a tale of a hero that can slay countless foes to suppress them, or maybe talk about dragons in caves to hide one’s hidden cache. Are myths true? Who is telling the truth? Is it even a truth? Who started it all, and why must it still exist?

Those who do not believe can easily shove it aside. It will not change their lives.

Or so they say.

On an empty greenfield, a lone woman stood there. In a simple dark purple gown, she lets the wind wash over her. Her long black hair flowed with the breeze. Her eyes were closed, enjoying the light gust against her body. She inhaled the nature around her, savoring the flowery scent. The sun reflected off of her pale skin, enhancing her natural beauty. Opening her eyes, her purple pupils scanned the green grass, breathing in the fresh air once more. If any man were to approach her, they would have kneeled. Her lips turn into a smile, slightly shaking in joy. Any being who would have seen that smile would have deemed it to be a smile from a goddess. They would have thought the girl was a good-natured woman.

Extending her hand, a butterfly slowly flew into view. Seeing her outstretched hand, it gently landed onto her palm. Smiling once more, the woman offered her best smile.

Then it died.

The woman did not crush the butterfly. Physically, the butterfly’s body was still intact, but now it was on its side. A small pest has left this world, yet the woman was still smiling. Gently, she picked up the dead bug by its wing and tossed it over her shoulder. The body landed in a puddle of blood. Turning, the woman was looking at the aftermath of a massacre. Her smile did not disappear, growing wider at the sight of these dead men and women. If someone were to see her, he or she would be confused.

Why would she be smiling at death?

“Ah… What a sight. Such beauty stained by damnation.” The woman ushered an ecstatic tone. It oozed with happiness, walking through the carnage. Any sane being would be startled at the defiled bodies. Guts leaked out of the soldiers, bodies torn into pieces. There are a couple of soft groans echoing through the air, survivors trying to dull the pain. A fire has started, slowly spreading across the field. Blood leaked through the grass, trying to paint over the green hue. The woman, not caring about the mess, continued to walk forward. Relishing in her steps, wearing no shoes so she can feel the blood on her bare feet, she does a little dance. Nothing too complicated, simple light steps and twirls. If it was on the open grass field, with no blood and gore, it would have been a wonderful sight.

But it isn’t.

The woman danced through the dead.

An ear-piercing scream pierced the air, snapping the woman out of her little trance. Frowning, she turned towards a furry bipedal humanoid. The muscular figure stood at seven feet with a tail half his size. With the head of a wolf and black fur, his yellow eyes locked onto her. Metal pauldrons covered its shoulder bearing a skull insignia, belts running along his waist and chest. He was armed to the teeth, carrying a decent amount of daggers, enchanted or not. This lycan had many scars all over his body. His signature scar ran down his right eye, chest covered with three or four large marks, and his arms showing many more war trophies. Noticing her irritation, the creature bowed. “Sorry about that, your majesty.”

“Don’t 'sorry' me.” Looking past the black lycan, she glared at his counterparts. These werewolves did not have any restraint- no, manners. They should have silenced their food and devoured it peacefully. Then again, wouldn't that be boring? So engrossed in their meal, they did not notice the woman’s gaze on their backs. The glare, in itself, was a warning. Ignoring her subtle signs meant death. With a flick of her hand, their heads exploded. Several other werewolves saw this, bowing their heads in submission. For some, they stopped eating the dead, cowering in fear. Others would quietly feast on their meal but chewed quietly as possible. They are whimpering, showing their utter obedience towards the woman. Folding his arms, the black lycan shook his head. Showing indifference, she says, “I was hoping that our little experiment could produce better results. Whatever. Gather your tribe for the grand opening.”

“This isn’t the grand opening?” the male looked at the mess around him, “We killed an awful lot of people.”

“This is a lot of people?” Mocking the lycan, she laughs, “You kidding? Oh, good one, good one! What a joke! Ahhhhhhhhh…” She peers in the eyes of a dead soldier. He must be on his way to the afterlife right now. Thanking the merciful death he has received. A sinister thought popped up. Leaning down, she gently tapped his forehead. The moment she did that, the man was resurrected. Breathing again, he looked around. Staring at the dark-haired beauty, he quickly calms himself, assuming he was in the afterlife.

“Ah what a face,” the dark-haired woman thought, “He will make a beautiful face when he realizes he's not in heaven.” Standing up, she walks away. The man tried to stop her, trying to say something until he realized something. The moment she left him, he started to scream. His body thrashed against the ground like a fish out of water. Blood and guts leaked out of his body at an abnormal rate, hitting the ground. It shouldn’t be moving without some sort of disturbance, some physical force, but something made his guts wrap themselves around the man. He screamed in agony, but it was interrupted when his blood invades his mouth. As if his blood and organs had a new shape and mind of its own, they attack the poor man. His eyes were stabbed by his intestines, wrapping around his face. Being turned inside out, the man was transforming into something else. Something horrible. The woman did it a few more times with a couple more bodies, the air was filled with terror.

The lycan was no stranger to this scene, showing indifference. The werewolves, on the other hand, the new ones who turned, paled at the sight. They found themselves lucky, thanking the gods that they were werewolves. Some of the werewolves retreated from the area, unable to bear the gruesome transformation. The weaker ones, those who could not stomach this, hurled. This angered the woman though.

“Disgraceful!” Beheading them with a swing of her arm, those werewolves were eliminated in a second. “Do not puke in my sight, you mongrels! Know your place!” Understanding the message, some of them ran from her sight. “Put this in your lesson plans- Manners.”

“I will do so.” the black lycan noted, “If this isn’t your grand entrance, what is?”

“You’ll see. This here,” Her finger twirled in the air, indicating the mess around them, “I just wanted to mess with them. Do they think they can stop me? Me? No, they’re naive. I’ll show them that they can’t stop me or do their jobs soon enough.”The lycan seemed to understand something as his eyes grew into saucers.

“Is it…”

“Yes! Now you understand my pup.” The woman gave a nasty smile. The cruelty behind it, the pure evil that leaked out of it, would make any righteous man call her a devil. “I have been playing with this world bit by bit. There is no reason why I need to rush things, but I am getting bored. Now would be a good time to take it up a notch.”

“Hahahahaha!” The lycan laughed, letting out a howl and beating his chest, “I cannot wait! I shall return to my tribe and wait for the slaughter! Thank you for showing me your plans, almighty one.” The werewolves followed after him as he dashed away.

“Ah, kids. They just can’t wait.” Grunts and monstrous gibberish are coming from behind her. Several flesh-like abominations stood before her. They have lost any sort of resemblance to their previous forms. They have the same height as the lycan, but they are dragging their guts on the ground. Some of them. Out of the seven, she randomly transformed, two of them have a decent body. Ignoring their scent and their pink new skin, she issues her orders, “Oh, I forgot about you lot. Go back to your base and give them my condolences. Start killing off victims until you hit the appropriate level.” Understanding her orders, they sprint off, blood painting their paths.

“I would make my message here, but it’s a mess. Maybe I should… Hmmm, yes.” Talking to herself, she starts to walk away from the dead bodies, taking the road. Behind her, the fire has grown, consuming the grassy fields. Another thought crossed her mind. "Maybe I should do that. Yes, have a few lucky beings get a head start... And mark them. Yes, yes... Then... Hehehehehe..."

The professor finished up his lecture with assignments and his office hours, dismissing the class. The majority of the class got up from their seats to head to their next destination. There were only a few stranglers, one of them being a girl located at the back. Even though she was closest to the door, she did not leave. She could have been the first to leave, but why rush it? The halls would be overrun by other students, cramming the tight hallways. There will be a lack of space to maneuver through the crowds, waiting for people who will slowly or leisurely take their time to get to their next destination. Besides, the girl disliked the tight corridors and crowds. Leaning back in her seat, her legs were crossed across one another. Wearing black boots, baggy pants, and a hoodie, she stared into her smartphone. Scrolling through the text she pulled up, she listened to her music in one ear as the other was free of her earbud. She kept one ear open for her surroundings. And by surroundings, her one open ear is for anyone who might talk to her. There have been incidents where someone would start to talk to her, only to find repeat themselves because she was listening to her music. To avoid the hassle, she developed this method, but it does annoy her when she wants to drown out pointless chatter around her. She tends to take out her earbud when a professor or an important individual would address her, but other than that, she kept to this method. It was weird, even rude, but she didn't care.

When the class ended, she increased the volume of her music, ignoring the silent glares from her colleagues. Yet no one spoke up, leaving the girl's vicinity. They resumed with their schedule, doing what needs to be done. The blonde ignored their gaze, her eyes glued onto her phone. Even if she wasn't on her device, she can easily ignore those silent glares with no care in the world. Her bangs sided slightly towards the left of her face, yet her light emerald eyes resonated in her quiet expression. The girl is pretty, easily captivating any man who stared at her for too long, but sadly, she isolates herself. Other than her work and business, Lauren Hook does not socialize with her classmates. Her peers. Many guys glanced at her, admiring her from afar, but they can barely make a connection with her. Some guys had approached her, trying to be friendly with the blonde. With a deadpan response or greeting, they tried to win Lauren's attention, but as they continued their conversations, the guys understood her message. Lauren was not interested. And she didn’t seem interesting. The woman was aware of their motives, yet she did not turn it down. She did not show any hostility. However, she was not going to play along with them. If they wanted to speak to her, they will need to be the one doing all the work. Thinking about what to say, what topics to ask her, etc.

She could respond. She could talk back, get to know someone, but did she want to? No. Why? Just because.

If it is needed, for a project or communication purposes for work, then she will talk. But other than that, no. She has no interest in it. Does she have any friends? Not really. People say that they are friends with her, but she does not say the same thing to them. She only thinks of them as acquaintances.

Lauren’s finger halted on a strange article about some giant fire in the Netherlands. Clicking on it, she opened it up and skimmed through it. There were little to no details about the real culprit behind this event. With no perpetrator, speculations stated that terrorists had a hand in this. That would be a possible perpetrator if these terrorists took something. The guards have been mutilated beyond recognition. Several bodies are also missing, leaving questions as to why the so-called terrorists would take them. The bodies had no correlation with each other, being selected at random. Lauren believed that terrorists were NOT behind this attack. Terrorists would, at least, take the weapons to resupply themselves. Then again, they could have a decent supply line. Yet if it was truly a terrorist attack, they could have sent a message. Left a sign that said, "Hey, this is my handiwork." And why the dead bodies? Shaking her head, she hid her phone away in her pocket. Pulling up her hood, she grabbed her backpack and a gym bag off the ground. When the halls were a bit more spacious, she walked out of the literature hall. Heading out the glass door, the campus was filled with a hundred thousand students. Well. not the exact number, but it is in those digits. Young, old, female, male, people moved about on an intended course. Students headed to their next classes or are going back home. Others lingered on the campus ground, socializing or hanging out with their friends. A couple of events were running, seeing the tents and canopies on the campus lawn. Fraternities and sororities ran a lot of events on campus, bringing life into the dull mornings and afternoons. Moving through the crowds, Lauren headed to the library. It would be a good three to five-minute walk from the literature hall. Most of the buildings on campus bear the same design. None of them have any classical or traditional structures like Greek columns or the need to make everything symmetrical. The shapes are roughly rectangles and squares. Pretty much block shapes, yet they implemented a lot of modern architecture behind their constructions. The literature hall is in the shape of an L if you were to look at it from an aerial perspective. The science building has multiple stories, reminding Lauren of a hotel. Being near a city along with a military base influenced the campus ground for this university.

The Zulu System of Engineering University (ZSEU).

Lauren has no clue what the Zulu stands for, but this place is a prestigious university. The university offered a diverse amount of courses ranging from a bunch of fields. The major programs it offered are within the engineering department for Systems. Systems are giant bipedal mechanized machines. They have many roles, but the military mainly used them for combat purposes. With such a revolutionary invention, the demand for engineers has skyrocketed. The same can be said for pilots, yet that will require education and training. Physical and mental training. Thinking about it, Lauren eyed at a couple of military hangers off in the distance. The university has access to some of these machines for training or simulations. There are many types of Systems, but the ones in the hanger should be the oldest models available.

Reaching the library, Lauren stared at the large gathering of students sitting around the many tables and computers. The front of the library’s walls is made out of glass. This is a concern, in terms of security. With glass doors and walls, someone could just break their way in. Yes, it is dangerous to break glass, but an armored suit can easily ignore shattered glass. At the least, steel and reinforced concrete make up the rest of the building. The shape of the library was in a V, but the sides are stretched out. A better comparison would be an obtuse angle. A blocky obtuse angle. Entering the building, Lauren was greeted with a calm atmosphere. On her way to the library, her trip was an uneventful one. The amount of chatter from her fellow students within the literature building and outside irritated her. The moment it did, she plugged her ears with both earbuds, ignoring the outside world. Listening to at least one song at maximum volume, she toned down the volume of her music once she reached the library. The library was another favorite spot for Lauren because of its golden rule. Walking past the wooden bookcases, she headed up center stairs. Reaching the fifth floor, it was quiet. This floor enforced silence to a minimal and was accessed to sophomores, juniors, and seniors. The first two floors are for freshmen and group projects. Lauren took up an empty desk with a computer on it. There were a few occupants on this floor, diligently doing their work. Typing on the keyboard, Lauren enters her university's ID and password. Unzipping her backpack and pulling out a few notebooks, she looked over her agenda.

Luckily, most of her assignments are online. Typing a sentence here, clicking on the right answer, she sped through her homework. As she went through her work, a sudden question attacked her. She was still finishing her work, but her mind decided to bring this up randomly. It was a common, simple question. A question that people asked one another. A question that her parents - adoptive parents- asked her the moment they sent her here. A question that teachers may ask someone who is reaching adulthood. A question that one might be asked as a child. A question that ate away at Lauren's soul.

What do you want to do? What do you want to become?

A simple question. Some people can answer it right off the bat. Others would beat around the bush, say something that they might want to do. Most people can answer it, but Lauren…

She couldn’t find a TRUE answer to it.

Oh, she can answer it. She can say the typical response of whatever can give her money or the job that can take care of her necessities, but it was not a true answer to her. It was a forced one. Nothing genuine about it.

The next big question after that would be why?

Why do you want to be...? Why do you want to do this? Why do you think it is a good idea?

Lauren can, once again, find answers to these questions, but they don't seem true to her. Her responses don't feel real to her. It was like her answers were a lie. It was a generic answer that defeated her purpose of being true to herself. The blonde didn't lie about her personality as much. She showed her true colors, showed how she didn't care for society. In terms of being knowledgeable, having a life, having money, having the necessities, she DID CARE for these things because she needs them. She does have moments of happiness, but it isn't... enough. Yet her mind was trying to figure out why she can't feel for something. Why she can't feel... passionate about something. She has seen classmates, university or below, have a passion that would make Lauren jealous. She would ask those individuals what made them go after this particular career. Or why they would chase after this dream, even if it was something ridiculous or small in terms of better choices.

They would mention a concept, a feeling, that Lauren did not have. She knew it, heard about it, read it, but it had no real effect on her. Something she lacked because of her status. This feeling is a double-edged sword, making Lauren envious of those who had it and hated her past for not having it.

Love.

Love was what motivated people in so many ways. A career path, their desires, their wants and needs, their loyalty, love can do a lot of things, yet Lauren was unable to feel it. It was like that one emotion did not exist in her system. And there was a major reason for Lauren's apathy. Her parents. Her REAL parents. They left her. They abandoned her, and never left any signs on who they were, where they went off to, and other important details about Lauren's real mother and father. Because of their disappearance, Lauren was raised by her adoptive parents. Sure, she should have some sort of love in her system because of this, but the blonde killed it the moment she understood her status. Her adoptive parents were not her real parents. Ever since then, Lauren killed off that emotion.

Lauren is grateful to her adoptive parents. They treated her well, treated her with kindness and respect. Yet she did not love them. Reflecting on it, the only true friends Lauren could call would be her adoptive parents. They are always with her- always giving their undivided attention. They supported her when she needed it and vice versa. She never harbored any ill emotions against them, but she knew that they weren't her real parents. Just knowing that they're not her real parents, Lauren could not accept their love or give them any love. She didn't know how to. She seen it, her adoptive parents showered her with it, but she just couldn't do it. Lauren could fake it, but it would be a lie. A lie that she didn't want to make.

Glancing at the clock, she lets out a huge sigh.

She’s messed up. She already came to this conclusion, understanding how stupid this was. And pathetic it was. Rubbing her forehead, Lauren pushed her emotional problem aside. It was getting late, and she wanted to hit the gym. She already took care of most of her schoolwork, clearing up her weekend. At the least, hitting the gym relieved her stress. Changing her mindset to working out, she logged out of her computer, leaving the library. It was a fifteen-minute walk from the library to the gym. Stretching her upper body along the way, she arrived at her destination. Unlike most of the campus buildings, the gym building is huge. One can say that it was like a football stadium. It has a simple rectangular shape. Compared to the library, the gym's walls are made out of reinforced concrete. There are glass windows, but they are on the upper levels. The reason why the gym is so big is due to the Reserved System Pilot Training Corps (RSPTC) and the standard Reserved Military Training Corps (RMTC). The university provided military programs for future pilots, enlisted soldiers, and officers. Making sure that their potential recruits are ready for action, the military gave the necessary resources needed for their physical training. This allowed the gym to have the most current high tech workout machines along with the best up-to-date equipment. The military has a couple of academic lessons in fields that the university does not have. Those specific programs are hidden though.

Going through the doors, the gym was packed. At a glance, multiple squads were doing their exercises in sync. Hitting the ground as one, making sure to count as one, a uniformed body. This was obvious the corps going through their physical training. Military companies use this gym throughout the morning and afternoon. Maybe late into the evening as well. Pulling back her hood, Lauren approached the security entry point. Since this is a prestigious university, they do not want any trespasser or stranger to use the gym. Pulling her university ID from her pocket, she eyed the ID reader on top of the turnstile. Sweeping it, the machine gave Lauren a green light. Next, she pressed her index finger onto the finger scanner that allowed the turnstile to unlock itself. Flashing another green light, Lauren pushed through the turnstile arms. Finally, showing her ID to the guard, he acknowledged her identity. Keeping her thoughts on how redundant the security is, she headed to the female restroom. A couple of women were in there, chatting with each other or changing. Not paying attention to them, Lauren unzipped her hoodie, revealing her tight black tank top. Some girls silently gasped at Lauren’s body, amazed at her arm muscles and shape. Her arms are not too bulky, yet it still has their appeal. Ignoring her sudden audience, she shoved her jacket inside the gym bag. Undoing her belt, she pulled her pants off as she swapped into black baggy sweatpants. In those moments, some girls blushed at the sight of Lauren’s bare legs. Yes, they saw her black panties, but their eyes noted her round ass and her toned legs. Two girls giggled and whispered with each other, looking at Lauren. Oblivious to this, Lauren swapped her boots out with white running sneakers. Locking everything up, she headed out of the room.

The moment she left, the girls who watched her spoke up.

“Goddamn. I feel beat.” A brunette looks at her arms, frowning at their shape, "I was trying to get that shape. Maybe I should quit-"

“Don’t take it personally. She just… My god. I didn’t know she was that hot.” A red-haired woman fanned herself, trying to stay calm.

“Isn’t she that quiet girl at the back of our Introduction to English course? Lauren?” A dark-haired girl asked.

“I think so. I-I didn’t know she was that…” A blonde-haired never finished her sentence, flabbergasted. It seems like they were unable to forget such a scene. A couple of the other girls rolled their eyes and left. Talking about Lauren, a new girl entered the conversation. “She tends to work out in the morning and late at night. I am a bit surprised to see her here already.”

“Aieeeee! I-It’s Alayna!” Some girls squealed while others rolled their eyes.

“Oh god…” Cursing to herself, the red hair beauty rubbed her forehead. She, too, hits the gym daily to make sure she can keep up with her appearance. Being one of the top students of her class, she engaged with the faculty, professors, and students. A lot of people knew Alayna Whitney due to her background. Being the daughter of Daniel Whitney, her family runs a powerful company that mass-produced the Twin Fire System (TFS), model. Giving a couple of brand new models to the university, they treated Alayne Whitney with a lot of respect. Knowing that her father donated powerful instruments to the university, she does not abuse her power as a benefactor. Or blackmail the university. Being kind natured, the university gave Alayna her own private house on campus along with several other perks. Wearing her gym outfit, she wore baggy sweatpants, a black sports bra, and black running shoes. Her long bright red hair flowed behind her. With a nice body as well, she folded her arms against her chest. By doing this, it highlighted the size of her breasts, making some girls blush or curse under their breath. One can see the sweat running against her light olive body. Looking at her stomach, one can see the light lines that make up her abs. Alayna does not have the same body physic as Lauren, but she is no slacker. The brunette looked at her. “You know that girl?”

“No." Alayna answered, "I do not know here. I heard about her, seen her, but that's it.”

“E-Even Alayna does not know the quiet beauty!?” Insulted, Alayna returned the question, “And what, you girls know her?”

“Nope,” they answered in unison.

“I am not a know it all.” Shaking her head, Alayna got off of the wall, going to the exit.

“Have you seen her body though?” the other redhead asked.

“Countless times. What are you- Nevermind.” Not waiting for a response, she left the room. As the door closed behind her, the last thing Alayna heard was a bunch of squeals. Scratching her cheek, she went to the lounge area. She took a seat at a table, drinking a bottle of water she purchased. Her eyes drifted through the gym until she found her target. Lauren Hook. Strangely, the moment her eyes landed on the blonde as she does a couple of pull-ups, a sudden feeling rammed into Alayna. Irritation. She was not jealous of Lauren. There was no hatred or negative emotions toward the blonde. She heard about Lauren through her classmates and rumors though. At first, she didn't believe them. She ignored such silly talks, going about her usual day. The redhead would have ignored these gossips until they gave her description away. At the time, she didn't know that the Dead Rose was Lauren. The first time Alayna met Lauren was in the changing room. The first year and day as a freshman, Alayna decided to hit the gym. Wanting to start a healthy routine, she went early in the morning to work out in peace. Other people had the same idea. At the least, the changing rooms weren't packed. Thankful for a somewhat empty room, she stumbled upon Lauren. During that time, Alayna ignored the beauty, but she secretly sneaked in some glances at her figure. Without knowing her name, the two of them would always hit the gym early in the morning or late at night. Throughout the year, Alayna suddenly became interested in Lauren. What for? Eh... obvious reasons, but her sudden nickname piqued Alayna's interest. With a notorious reputation, the curious Alayna somehow got her hands on Lauren's schedule and a basic profile. They were both in the same year. Currently, they are halfway through their sophomore year. The two have different majors. Well, Lauren did not declare a major yet, but Alayna knew that the two would never be in the same class. Alayna's goal was to obtain a major in System Engineering and Piloting. There was no way that the two will ever have the same classes. As a System pilot, Alayna will be taking exclusive courses that are tied with the military. Lauren, not pursuing anything in the military career, will be unable to take the same exclusive courses like Alayna.

Anyways, the reason why Alayna felt irritated at the sight of Lauren was due to the lack of communication between the two. She wanted Lauren to make the first move. The 'Dead Rose' should have noticed the same pattern. They are always in the changing room at the same time for Pete's sake. It should have ignited some sort of interaction.

Or so she thought. Lauren just resumed her usual routine, ignoring Allayna.

“Maybe she’s shy? Or she doesn’t like me? Or maybe she’s dumb- Eh, that’s a mean assumption. If this goes on any longer though, I might get annoyed at her silence. I think I should talk to her.”

Watching her (in a not so creepy way), she went up to the second floor. On this floor, the workout machines focus a lot on the upper body. There is an area off to the side where people can lay down mats and use stress balls. Looking towards the far left, Lauren is working with the dumbbells. Blinking, Alayna saw the number of people around Lauren. Some were close, doing their exercises with the dumbbells, but other members were keeping their distance. Their eyes were locked onto the stunning blonde, sort of pissing off some other students. This was a good thing, to see people working out in the gym, but for the wrong reasons. Because of Lauren's predictable schedule, she has her secret fan club. Apparently, the 'Dead Rose' doesn't show much of her body in class. When Lauren does her usual workout routine, people can get a glimpse of Lauren's amazing body if they go to the gym, although they, the admirers and fanboys or fangirls, will have to work out as well. Yet if there are too many people stalking Lauren, the staff will kick them out.

“Does she know that she has a secret fan club? I mean I have one, too, but-” Snapping out of her thoughts, Alayna watched Lauren lifted a dumbbell to her chest before alternating to the other one. She was going at a steady pace, most likely following the tempo of her music. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail, sweat sliding off of her ivory complexion. Giving her a few more minutes, Alayna decided to make the first move. The fact that neither one of them interacted with each other, despite a year of working and changing together, bothered the redhead. Approaching the blonde, Alayna gathered up her nerves. She was not going to shy away from this. Noticing her presence, Lauren stopped her routine, pulling both of her earbuds out.

“Yes?” This was the first time Alayna heard her voice. It was a pleasant, soothing voice. Surprised at her tone, Alayna forgot her plan of attack. She stood there, speechless. Lauren blinked a couple of times before her voice changed. “You need something?”

"Why is her voice so dull and dead?" It completely ruined the beauty of this encounter. Thoughts aside, there were hidden messages behind those words and tone. It was not pushing the redhead away, but at the same time, Lauren was bothered by Alayna's disturbance. Trying to find the right words, Alayna said, “I thought I'll introduce myself. You see, I don’t know if you noticed, but we hit the gym on a day to day basis. We come here around the same time, so I thought I would say hi. My name is Alayna. Alayna Whitney.” Extending her hand out, Lauren understood the gesture. Putting down one of the dumbbells, she wiped her palm against her pants before shaking the redhead's hand.

“Lauren.” Returning her hand to her side, Alayna felt a sudden burst of warmth circulating through her body. Nodding at the successful interaction, Alayna smiled.

“Finally! I talked to her! Hahahahahahaha!”

“Well, Alayna, it was nice meeting you. I need to resume my workout regiment. Sorry for wasting your time, see ya.” Lauren returned the dumbbells onto the rack, leaving the redhead. She silently stands there, dumbfounded.

“E-Eh?!”

After her workout, Lauren took a hot shower and changed into her original pants, boots, and a new clean tank top. About to pick up her bags and leave, a sudden bell caught her attention. Weird. Doubting herself, she pulled her earbuds out. With an empty locker room, no one could have rung a bell. And the bell sound shouldn't be able to penetrate through these walls. The sound wasn't too loud, but it wasn't too soft either. It was like the sound was in the restroom. Something wasn't adding up. Shoving her stuff back into a locker, she left the changing room. Waiting outside for the ringing, she heard the clicking, clanking, and dribbling of basketballs. The bell rang again, having that same sound pitch from inside the locker room. Troubled by this mystery, she wanted to test something out.

"Excuse me." Tapping a dark male's shoulder, he looked at Lauren.

"Hey, you need something?"

"Yeah, do you hear a ringing? Like a Christmas bell?" Honestly, Lauren could not describe the sound. It was nowhere close to it, but it was no reception bell sound. Raising an eyebrow at her, the man listened for the sound. Once twenty seconds have passed, a ring chimed through the air.

"You heard it?"

"No. I don't. It might be someone down the hall."

"Ah, well sorry about that."

"Nah, it's all right. Take care." Leaving Lauren, the blonde decided to ask a couple more people about the sound. After a couple of minutes, it seemed like no one can hear the ringing. They all said that it might be a reception bell. Problem is, the ringing has a soft, gentle, soothing sound that echoes for a minute or so. A reception bell has a short, high pitch ringing sound. It is shorter than a minute.

Something's not right. No one else can hear it. How come? Lauren was utterly puzzled at the sheer fact that she can hear it. Questions arose from this eerie mystery. Should she get help? It was a simple answer. No. They would think that she's crazy. No one else can hear the ringing. Slapping her forehead, she knew that this will end badly. Then again, it sounded like this bell will continue to ring no matter what. If she does not stop it, the ringing might haunt her for the rest of her life.

Fuck it.

Heading down the main hallway, Lauren decided to investigate the mysterious sound. Warning signals flashed through her mind, warning her that this was a bad idea, but she ignored them. Wandering, with no sense of direction, she blindly followed the ringing noise. It rang every few seconds, making her turn through many different hallways. She went left, then right, head straight, then took another left, then a left... Realizing the number of turns she had to do, this gym was pretty huge. And it feels like a maze. Was it always like this?

She continued her aimless stride down the hallways, hearing a subtle change in the ringing. The gentle, soft ringing slowly turns into a deeper, hollow pitch ringing like a church bell. Lauren paused in her advance, waiting for it to ring again.

Why did the sound change? And where are the guards? This is a restricted area- there should be guards in this section of the gym. Also, there should be some staff members roaming about, cleaning up the place. There was no doubt that Lauren was in the restricted area of the gym. This place had a mix of local facilities and military ones. The latter was closed off to the regular university students. Someone should have stopped Lauren already. Lauren contemplated her choices. She should press on or run away? She could run, but there might be a chance that she will get lost and bump into trouble. Shaking her head, she continued her pursuit.

Following the noise, the bells turned into a far more... sinister tone. It sounded like bells, but hearing them, it made her see death. Feel death. Think about death. Shoving such nonsense away, Lauren tried to ignore the sound. Venturing further and further down the halls, the lights grew dimmer. The temperature dropped from a comfortable warmth into a chill. Lauren hugged herself as she slowly moved forward. A chill crept up her spine, immobilizing the blonde. Her nerves are acting up, feeling... dread? This was new to her. Playing scary video games, she knew the feeling. Despite her notorious nickname, she's a human. She can scream, be scared, be frightened, but the reality is that it wasn't real. That the horrible creatures she faced in those games were not real. Her hands and body shook at this horrible feeling that was telling her something. The stupid bells rang at a certain interval, loudly echoing in Lauren's ears. So loud that the blonde lean against the wall. Her mind quickly pointed out something. Why was she thinking about monsters at a time like this? The first thing she should be thinking about is the unknown dangers or intruders. Monsters...

Her eyes landed on a strange red color on her hoodie. Blinking, Lauren pushed herself off of the wall, staring at her-

"B-Blood..." Lauren's face was pale, paler than usual. Unable to contain her shock, she bumped into the opposite wall. Gripping her chest, she tried to control her spasms. Her mind is racing through a bunch of questions. Unable to answer them, she tied to scream, but something in her gut is telling her to stay quiet. It was hard to keep it in. The constant bell ringing is getting louder and louder, never stopping. These sounds affected her current state. She could not focus, she felt numb, her sight was blurry, her hearing is consumed by the constant ringing, and she can smell a foul stench. Something was in the gym! Someone was killed! She must get help! She must! She felt sick. Grasping her head, trying to control her thoughts, trying to keep it calm, she slowly stood back up.

Panting heavily from her panic attack, she needs to get out of here. Yet something was wrong. The moment she regained her composure, Lauren could not hear the loud ringing sounds. It disappeared, leaving an eerie silence that loomed over her. This was a warning in itself. Lauren was going to-

“So AnOtHeR MoRTAl fALls fOr ThE BAiT? GoOD… I HUNger FOr MORe FLESH!”

Standing before her was a creature straight out of a video game. A horrible realization slammed into Lauren, the blonde regretting her decision to come back here. She wished this was a nightmare, yet she felt like it was all too real. The thing before her was... unreal. It couldn't be real, yet it is.

An abomination stood before her.