4

Beyond the Veil: Kiran's Supernatural Hunt

Chapter 4: A Bloody Night

Year 2018, in a secluded neighborhood on the outskirts of downtown Seoul.

"This is incredible; I can't believe it," said a young man walking with a group of friends down an empty street in South Korea. In his hands, he held his cellphone, and at that moment, the live broadcast of the mysterious man in black was playing.

"Come on, Matias, you can't stop listening to the fake nonsense of that live broadcast." Another young man in the group intervened.

"What are you talking about, Johan? You know this broadcast is translated into more than a hundred languages; it's definitely real." Matias was confident in his words and was slightly annoyed by his friend's words.

"Just let it go; he started babbling about conspiracies and man-eating monsters since he heard that program." Said a girl named Anna with an annoyed expression on her face that immediately turned to indifference.

"Are you okay with that too, Anna?" Matias was surprised that his friends were acting in this way.

"If you keep bothering about it, I'll go home. I'm already wasting my time coming to this secluded place; we should do it some other time."

"Okay, stop bothering Matias; I heard they were doing repairs in this place." Johan whispered with a cunning voice, "There won't be anyone around; everything will be fine."

Matias looked bored at the empty streets; there definitely seemed to be no one around. However, he didn't know what, but he felt as if something were evaluating him from head to toe. The whole place was extremely silent; the lights that flickered from time to time felt different this time. Without the young people knowing, a camera pointed in their direction, silently observing them. Suddenly, the cold air touched his skin, and Matias felt as if something had frozen him.

"What's happening, Matias?"

"Yeah, what's going on? If it's because of what Johan said, don't take it personally; you know he was joking." Matias's friends stopped when they noticed that their friend was not continuing to walk.

"Did you hear that?" Matias was beginning to feel terrified. Indescribably, he thought of the words of the man in black in the live broadcast a moment ago.
"Matias, you're scaring me; what's happening?" Anna was puzzled.

"Behind us, there's something..." Matias turned around, and it was then that his gaze fell on a dark figure at the end of the empty street.

His footsteps were heard in the distance; Matias's eyesight was very good, and he could distinguish the creature's thick fur. Just as he confirmed what it was, his instincts screamed at him to run. To be honest, in the world, there are two types of people: those who run in decisive moments and those who will never be able to move or react fast enough to escape the imminent danger they are about to face.

Matias, belonging to the first group of people, when he perceived imminent danger, ran as fast as he could away from the creature in the darkness that he had witnessed with his own eyes. How did he do it? Simple: there are people who develop a sense that only animals have when they detect that something is about to hunt them; this sense develops in difficult situations and is very difficult to understand.

"We have to run; that thing is not human," Matias said before starting to run and quickly moving away from the place.

However, everyone had the vague thought that Matias was making a tasteless joke.

"There's nothing in the dark," Johan said with a smiling face. His gaze stuck in the darkness, and just as he was about to turn around, something heavy fell beside him.

The dull thud that hit Johan's side left a ringing in his ears. Feeling his body wet, he lowered his gaze and came across that grotesque scene.

"It can't be..." Johan murmured in horror. The lower part of his body was covered in blood, his intestines hanging from his stomach. Losing the strength in his body, he fell to the ground.

The rest of the people were not very lucky; they were all motionless, looking at Johan, and in a matter of seconds, a different figure over three meters attacked them, its long claws cutting parts of their bodies like butter.

In a few seconds, that group of friends who were looking for fun at night ended in the worst way.

At the same time, it was not far from the street where the young people were being massacred.

In the darkness, four large armored vehicles traveled swiftly through the empty streets, with the A.O.L. logo in white letters on the outside. The stealthy yet fast movement unfolding in the night apparently went unnoticed by anyone.

The four armored vehicles had a design similar to any top-notch SWAT vehicle, swift for rescue missions, tactical response, or high-risk operations.

Inside the armored vehicles, men armed with military equipment remained silent. Judging by their gear, anyone looking at them would think there was a terrorist attack or, worse yet, war.

This was because there was no lettering to identify these individuals with any government department.

It is not at all common for events requiring the intervention of such a large movement and powerful military equipment to be shown to the public. After all, in South Korea, such disastrous events have never occurred. The only visual contact with weapons of such caliber for the younger public is in military parades or when fulfilling mandatory military service.

Inside one of the armored vehicles, everyone remained silent, either checking their watches or ensuring all their equipment was carefully in place.

"Captain, we are 300 meters from the target; there is no radiation, no toxic substances, and the air is not contaminated." The voice of a woman handling a computer spoke loudly. Her hands moved quickly as she checked the air outside the armored vehicle.

The armored vehicle features systems like CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear), proposing a vehicle whose air conditioning system has its own air filtration. This prevents the occupants of the vehicle from having to wear gas masks in the event of a chemical or biological attack. Additionally, there are radiation or toxicity detectors.

Whichever way you looked at it, this operation was highly advanced, and they were prepared to face any adversity in their operations.

"Continue checking every thirty seconds; we must not underestimate the situation." Kiran opened his eyes and looked attentively at his subordinates.

"Yes, sir." The woman responded and focused on the information displayed on the computer.

Just as the squadron captain was about to give a brief speech, the cellphone in one of his pockets rang.

"Any changes?" Kiran opened his eyes and looked attentively at his subordinates.

"Captain Kiran, the drones detected a group of young people who sneaked into the area where the anomaly roams. The creature measures approximately over three meters, has a strong body, and we speculate that its claws are very sharp." The voice on the other end of the cellphone said: "Understood, we'll handle it."

Kiran hung up the phone and then took his radio and spoke, "Zz... The anomaly shouldn't be a problem; we detected its hiding place, and apparently, it just attacked a group of young people who entered the area where the anomaly roams."

Pausing, Kiran signaled, "We know what will happen next; let's do our best and eliminate that monster."

"Understood!" All the soldiers in the different armored vehicles heard Kiran's words and responded firmly.

"Those logistics bastards didn't handle the perimeter correctly again; how could a group of teenagers sneak into the red zone without being seen by the cameras?" A soldier said it angrily.

"We do what we can to prevent this from happening, Karl; remember, that's why we fight." Kiran glanced slightly at the soldier and then stored the phone in a black metal box.

In theory, the black metal box in his hands contained everything each soldier left behind; many left farewell words, and others wrote their deepest wishes. When they were in these special forces, eliminating a single anomaly meant there were at least three casualties in the anomaly containment teams.

When the vehicles stopped, everyone put on masks to protect themselves from any issues with the air. The lights in the streets were still on; around 24 soldiers got out of the armored vehicles and quickly formed a perimeter.

Kiran, who was the general captain, got out of the car and checked on the situation around him. According to his suspicions, this night seemed to be very abnormal, and if he had the opportunity, he would try to gather more information. However, he knew what would happen if those monsters breathed for another day without being eliminated.

Taking his radio, Kiran ordered, "Karl, lead the Bravo team and advance; don't attack unless necessary; and wait for my order."

"Yes, sir." Karl responded quickly. He advanced to the designated location on the map, and along with eight elite soldiers, they opened the way forward.

"Delta team, support the rear and report to the central about the mission's progress." After saying that, Kiran advanced quickly, and eight other elite soldiers followed him.

The remaining soldiers belonging to the Delta team slowly followed the Alpha team led by Kiran from behind and took care of protecting the rear, ensuring a path of escape, and making sure to stay in contact with the central at all times.

"Here, Bravo team, there are traces of the anomaly, and everything indicates it's inside a warehouse." Karl reported over the radio.

"Here, Alpha team, secure the area; don't enter until we arrive." Kiran responded while advancing down the lonely street.

"Captian, contact." A voice from Team Alpha, led by Kiran, reported detecting something that caught their attention.

"Report," Kiran said as he approached.

"This student is injured; apparently, the others were dismembered before they could even escape. Curiously, they left this young man alive; if we take him to a hospital, he might still survive." The medic from Team Alpha reported quickly.

Kiran hesitated for a moment and said, "Negative, secure against infection, and follow me."

"Understood, Captain." With a sigh, the medic stood up and withdrew.

"Please... save me," the student said weakly.

"Calm down; you'll be fine." The medic said with a heavy voice behind her gas mask, completely concealing her face.

After uttering those words, a soldier approached and shot the young student three times, ending his life in seconds.

Bang Bang Bang!

"Move quickly; follow me," Kiran said, seemingly unaffected by what had just happened. Saving someone injured by an anomaly is nearly impossible, not to mention very risky. If something goes wrong, the person injured by an anomaly could become a carrier of a deadly virus or even turn into a monster.

The simple act of ensuring the life of a civilian could cause hundreds more deaths, and in most cases, no team would make such a decision.

As Team Alpha advanced, Team Delta behind Kiran took care of incinerating the bodies scattered on the street.

"Team Delta, when you finish cleaning up, I want you to join the advance and regroup," Kiran ordered as he advanced.

"Here, Team Delta, understood, captian."

When everyone heard the order, they inevitably looked at Kiran. The last time he ordered something similar, a disaster occurred where half the team ended up severely injured and many died, so their captain discovered something they had overlooked.

Kiran, on the other hand, was very impatient. According to the intelligence report he received, there was only one anomaly in the area, but something told him that the information was not correct. About six young people were massacred in a matter of seconds, and when he inspected the wounds, he knew they were all inflicted at the same time and in different ways.

When Kiran joined the advance team, Karl approached and said, "Captain, there are two possible entrances that connect to the building; we must move separately to prevent it from escaping."

Kiran looked at the place; it was a large abandoned factory with a building next to it, both structures connecting, causing a significant problem for the operation.

"Sir, Team Delta is on the way." A member of the group said.

Kiran looked at the leader of Team Delta and said, "I want Team Delta to enter from the back of the building. Team Alpha and Bravo will enter through the main door; we will attack the enemy head-on, and Team Delta will support from the back."

Team Bravo focused on exploration and reconnaissance, while Delta was the backup team supporting from the rear, and finally, Team Alpha was where the field commander of the team was located.

However, due to the situation, Kiran ordered a different deployment. "Sir, with all due respect, if we deploy this way, no one will be able to report to the central in case something goes wrong," Karl suddenly intervened.

"Do you think the central office will send reinforcements?" Kiran asked with an ironic smile.

"I didn't mean that, sir..." Karl said in denial, trying to convey that was not his intention.

"Anyway, it's a vast area for twelve people to clear. The possibility of the anomaly escaping is very high, and I don't want to take that risk. Let's move." Kiran completely ignored the other comments.

"We were called suddenly. In this sudden situation, I could only do what was necessary to eliminate the anomaly," Kiran thought with a feeling of guilt in his body.

"Yes, sir."

Team Delta moved behind the building; Kiran led the attack from the front, and when they reached the entrance of the building, they just waited for everyone to be in position.

After a few minutes, Team Delta was in position. Kiran looked at Karl and ordered, "Turn off the lights."

"Yes." Karl put on his night vision goggles and said, "Turning off lights in three... two... one... Lights off, awaiting orders."

When the light was turned off, everyone wore their night vision goggles and waited attentively for Kiran's orders.

"Team Delta is in position."

"Teams Alpha and Bravo are in position." Kiran looked at the place once again and ordered, "Now!"

When Kiran gave the order, Team Delta entered from the back of the building, and Kiran opened the way through the main door. Even with the lights off, the moonlight was strong enough to faintly illuminate the entrance of the building.

"Check every corner; I don't want surprises," Kiran said, gripping his weapon tightly.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Karl, who was on the right side, spotted a figure that did not match the report. "Sir, apparently, a student is still alive."

"Where?" Kiran asked without diverting his gaze from the front.

"Right side." Karl moved away and pointed to the boy hiding in a corner.

"Medic, follow me," Kiran said. Approaching Karl, he could see the young man who was in a corner, his body trembling, but he couldn't be seen due to his position.

"I'm going to approach; if he makes any strange move, I want you to shoot," Kiran said as he walked toward the young man.

"Friend, friend..." Under Kiran's voice, the boy's body trembled, and his eyes tried to find the source of the sound. "Calm down; I'm here to save you."

"Are you a policeman?" the young man asked with a trembling voice.

"You could say that. Now tell me, what's your name?" Kiran asked with a calm and confident voice behind his mask.

"I'm Matias; my friends and I..." Matias began to cry, terrified by what happened just a few minutes ago.

"Matias, a good name." Kiran knelt near the young man and asked, "Tell me, Sung-joo, how many monsters did you see?"

"I was with my friends; I ran and left them behind. I couldn't see anything." Matias was quickly losing his sanity.

Kiran firmly held the young man's hands and asked once again, "How many monsters did you see?"

"There were at least three." Matias said, trembling.

"What?" Kiran felt as if his blood were freezing. If there were more than three monsters of that magnitude, there was no chance that any of his squad would survive.

Just as he was about to order a strategic retreat, gunshots were heard from the other side, where Team Delta was clearing the way.

"Zz. Contact; we need reinforcements." Over the radio, the voice from Team Delta quickly reported.

"Zz... Team Bravo here, on our way," Karl said as he prepared to advance.

"Stop at this point, Karl." Kiran took his weapon and stood up.

"Sir, Team Delta is under attack; we need to support them." Karl said it urgently.
But at that moment, Kiran felt as if the air suddenly changed temperature.
Kiran ignored Karl's words and aimed toward the ceiling. Holding his weapon, he aimed precisely with his sight.

Just as he was about to move, the black spot on his night vision goggles moved. When the black figure moved, Kiran opened fire.

Bang Bang Bang!

"Contact; stay together; there may be more than three anomalies." Kiran fired continuously. Seeing this, Karl quickly supported himself and said, "Zz... Report to central; we need reinforcements; a logistical error report;. I repeat, we have a logistical error report; there are three anomalies instead of one."

"Ahhhhhhh!"

"Medic, I need a medic."

Bang Bang Bang!

Rrrrrrr!

A roar of a fierce beast echoed in the darkness of the night, breaking all the silence and letting them know that it had gone mad.

Regardless of what happened, Kiran fired and advanced forward. There was no escape, so he led his team directly into a trap, and now they were in danger.

"Hold on... Don't lose formation, and hold on."

"Ahhhhhhh, my damn leg!"

Bang Bang Bang!