[ PROLOGUE: 03/13/2025— THE START OF THE APOCALYPSE ]
[ "Yeah, I, uhh... Mom, I-I love you too." ] Elias responded to the recording of his mother, a video 13 years ago, on his birthday, when he was a child. When his mother was still alive and healthy.
He watches carefully, smiling at the recording in seeing the sparkling full of life mother of his, her eyes one-to-one with his, other than her eyes, he shares nothing similar to her. Even their temperament aren't the same.
As he has a fiery hot temper, quick to anger, rush in to fights, not one to socialize and such. All the while his mother, Elias'mother, is a pilar of light, a beacon of hope, a ball of sunshine that radiates warmth, easy to get along with. Someone who is affluent with people without even trying.
A saint compared to the much more bloodied version of Elias, which more or less doesn't care about a single thing other than working his underpaying 9-6 job at the local supermarket called, WadZee's.
Seeing that the short 3 minute video finished in front of him, with him blowing on his cake's candle, Elias then replayed the video again, as he watches the video from start to finish, on his bed, in the dead of night with little to no car noise coming from outside his small cozy apartment's window.
Momentarily, he glanced out, noticing the moon shining down on him, as small 1-3 floored building and houses that are practically glued to one another showed to his peripheral.
Lucky for him, in having rented out a small room in an apartment building, he was able to get a 4th floored one, the second highest with the building ending on the 5th floor.
To be honest, it was but a brand new building, so some people are skeptical to rent it. But Elias, seeing the opportunity, quickly took it, having just moved in the week prior, with most of the building's rooms still not being occupied by anyone.
Focusing back to his phone, Elias' frowning face immediately turned back to a subtle smile, as he watches the frowning face of his chibi version. The video shaking, as it is being held by his mother, with her starting to sing. [ Happy birthday, dear Elias. ]
He could hear the imperfectness in her voice, but to him that sounded anything but imperfect, to him it sounds nice and soothing, as he then closes his eyes, listening carefully. [ Happy birthday, t-... yo-... ]
[ "Huh?" ] He heard the videofeed glitch out, the sentence cutting as time goes. So confused, he opened his eyes, immediately being greeted by his old busted phone, seemingly showing him something else.
[ THIS IS NOT A TEST, EARTH WILL NOW BE BESIEGED BY LOWER RANKED MONSTERS. CITIZENS OF EARTH, PLEASE SURVIVE FOR A WEEK ]
He read the text boldly written at his phone, the background seemingly in a shade of red which confused him. This doesn't look like a normal announcement, this doesn't look like a video or a prank, this looks more like an advertisement that creeped into his phone line without him approving it.
So annoyed by this, Elias tried finding a way to get the said "advertisement" off of his screen, he tried clicking the home button, the back button, and the overview button... All seemingly not working as intended, [ "I-I need to buy a new phone." ]
He could, but he could only buy a secondhand, especially because his salary isn't that much. But at the moment, he tries to get rid of the ad that is covering the video he is replaying. To do this, he held tightly on his power button, wanting the option for power off to appear...
It didn't appear no matter how long he held the said somewhat slightly sunken power off button. As a last resort, he held the power button and the low volume button, wanting for his phone to completely shut down. But to his dismay, that also didn't seemed to work. [ "T-this... my phone has a virus, damn it." ]
A virus, malicious malware that destroys or even cause problem to a person's gadget, in this case, his phone. As he now finds it seemingly not working as intended, which is a problem...
He doesn't value the phone itself, but the memory it contains. It is after all, not originally his, but is the phone of his deceased mother. The photo, videos, and even notes it contains is precious to him, something which money couldn't buy.
Which prompts him to get annoyed, at the point that he wants to kick something, or punch a wall... But in remembering those breathing exercises used for calming ones nerve, he used it, seemingly effective.
[ "Deep breaths... h-happy thoughts." ] As his thoughts drastically shifted from destruction, to peace... But that came back again when he noticed his phone still showing the same virus alert, causing him to place it to the side, [ "This is a mess!" ]
Not knowing what to do, he then gave up and hope that it'll fix itself. If worse comes to worse, then he could just go to the mall, and have it fixed by someone... Hopefully not get overpriced in doing so. So in the meantime, he stared out the window...
Quickly noticing one certain anomaly, as in the street, under one of the streetlights, he was able to quickly notice a grotesque Goblin cosplayer... Small in height, green in color, disgusting in apperance; yes, a Goblin. [ "That is one ugly baby." ]
But to Elias, it appears to look like a baby... An ugly one... Seemingly holding a rusty knife, the eyes of it seemingly red, through the use of contact lenses, wearing nothing but a cloth which is covering his privates.
Elias isn't gonna lie, the dedication to the cosplay is immaculate, admirable. One which would probably lead to a prank, with someone recording somewhere hidden, it posted in YouTube or something later.
He was about to ignore it and close his window, grab a glass of water and sleep on his bed... But he paused when he realized that there is more similar midget cosplayers littering the streets. [ "Nevermind, this is... kinda cool." ]
He watches in curiosity, his head peaking out the window, as he tries to count and sum up all the Goblin cosplayers in the street. Most of which, is naked, all looking male, holding a rusty weapon like a dagger, axe, knife, or even sword... Made out of wood, stone, or even rusted iron to some.
Except some, which are holding crude bows, a mini version which is almost the same height as the cosplayer itself... So seeing this cool phenomena, he was about to record it, but remembered that his phone is currently malfunctioning.
Nonetheless, he still grabbed it and tried in other ways to access the camera function of his phone... That seemingly not working at all, but he did notice a certain something written plainly in the lines, causing the smile on his face to disappear, [ "Lower ranked... monsters?" ]
In videogames, to be more precise RPG games, there are monsters. One of the weakest i.e. lower ranked, are Goblins... But that is in videogames, so no way in hell fantasy monster could exist in the real world. [ "What a load of crap, I almost believed that thi-" ]
[ BANG ] Not far away, something pulled him out of his stuppor. A loud explosions followed by demonic laughter that could only come from Satan's little children... He glanced at the direction where that noise came from, and he immediately regretted it.
[ "Holy..." ] At the street not-so-far away from him, tons of vehicles could be seen scratched, destroyed, and some even having exploded due to the collision of little gremlin creatures to the incoming motorcycles and vehicles.
In wanting to avoid those said things without any thoughts of self-preservation, the drivers swearved off to the side. Some hitting buildings, some hitting other vehicles, some splattering the blood of the... [ "Green blood...?!!" ]
He couldn't believe it, Elias couldn't believe what the announcement on his phone said. But in seeing the green sticky fluid coming out of the splattered Goblins bodies, littered on the street. He could at the very least attest, that they are real... And they now exist without any coherent explanation.
About to yell for the other citizens to get as far away as they could from the monsters. Especially because he watched this certain anime wherein the Goblins in there... are... disgusting, nonetheless, through that he learnt that Goblins doesn't discriminate.
So he wants to alert them before they could get captured, [ "Get away from the Goblins!" ] Screaming on top of his lungs, he could swear some people heard him even though he is on the 4th floor of some building.
How could Elias be certain that someone heard him? Because a Goblin did, and now that certain someone is focused on him. That Goblin being a bow wielding one, as it then drew an arrow without hesitation, grinning wildly at him before then releasing the pressure, causing the arrow to fly high.
[ "S-shoot!" ] As it then hits the wall right besides Elias' window, the rusty but sturdy arrow getting stuck permanently or-so at the said wall. Elias on the other hand, appeared from his hiding spot, phone clutch at hand, as he watches the said arrow, then at the TRUE Goblin that shot it.
For a moment his black iris collided with the said Goblin's dark red iris, and he couldn't believe at that moment, that this things are real. [ "T-they are re-real!" ] Instead of getting excited, he felt fear. If Goblins exist, then so does other monsters created by imagination, which doesn't sound good in his ears, as he then hides.
Seconds later another arrow hit, this time hitting the ceiling of Elias' expensive, but somewhat affordable apartment room. Leaving a dent, the said tiny arrow being a new decoration inside his room... One which he didn't seem to like, [ "Damn you...!" ]
Now he needs to pay for that, which sounds dumb... Especially because he has little to-no money at the moment, his balance nearly at the 0₱ mark, as he spent most of it in grocery... Something he now doesn't regret in doing, especially because monsters now roam the streets.
He hiding, using his wall and cabinet as cover, couldn't bring himself to peek out the window, or even run away through his door, to search for help or get to somewhere else safe. What could he do? Especially because people on the ground are panicking, he could hear them scream...
He wants to help, but he isn't a certain Manhwa Protagonist that can reanimate the dead, or someone who has a Protagonist halo, rush in to battle and come out unscratched, with a beauty in his hands...
No, he is nothing like that. So in fear, and anger of his own weakness. He hid in his own apartment, his phone clutch at hand, as he then prepares himself for the worse— other fantasy creatures, perhaps flying ones, attacking his building.
That sounds absurd, but Goblins now exist in real-life. A sentence that he couldn't believe he could say with a straight face, is now true. So who wouldn't be able to say that other fantasy monsters, like Dragons, bat monsters, or... Or flying monkeys doesn't exist, no one can.
[ "Breathing... B-breathing!" ] He tries to thump at his chest, wanting to calm it down, in fear that his heart may leap out of his chest. On his hand is his trusty phone, on the other is a kitchen knife, in case a said flying monster did in fact swoop down to his now covered window... At least, then he wouldn't go out without a fight.
At the moment, he cowers on some corner of the room, away from the door, away from the window. As he tries to block his ears, from the noise, the screaming, and the alarm which is coming from outside, either afar or close... As he doesn't want to play hero for the moment, especially because he isn't one. [ "Shut up, a-all of you. Why can't y-you all just shut up!" ]
[ ——— ] [ ——— ] [ ——— ] [ ——— ]
[ 06/05/2025 ]
[ 06/06/2025 ]