Modern Monster

Four days blew past quicker than Sen expected. Before he knew it, the day of the entrance exam had arrived.

Not surprisingly, Sen wasn’t really worried at all. He was entering the exam fully expecting to be thrown out and disqualified due to his Disability. He could do as much planning and preparation as he wanted, but the disparity of power between him and the other contestants was apparent.

A man with the world’s knowledge is useless when faced with a gun. The gun was a figure of speech, of course, but it wasn’t too far from his situation. The best he could do for now was to avoid having a gun pointed at him.

Obviously, that was hard to do when he was entering dangerous territory. The odds of him actually passing were extremely low, even with the help of his ‘friends.’ He was a ticking time bomb, so to speak.

It was only a matter of time before he failed. But at this point, trying was better than sitting around at home, endlessly searching the dark web. He had been doing that for years—finding information, making connections—but there was a limit to what he could uncover.

Even if I fail, maybe this will give Asashi a glimpse of my resolve regarding my father. I know you’re hiding something from me, old man…

He could speculate all he wanted, but it was useless. Neither Asashi nor his mother would ever say anything about his father. I gotta go out with a bang. He cringed at the thought of that quote, but sadly, it was exactly the situation he was in. Although the odds were stacked against him, why did he feel this weird buzzing sensation in his heart?

I can’t even put it into words. It’s like a ball of electricity jumping inside my chest. But it’s not unpleasant. Odd. It was a sensation akin to impatience. He wasn’t amused too often, so this feeling was rare. The most excitement he ever felt was when he uncovered new information. He had to admit, it wasn’t entirely horrible. Putting aside the rare feeling, he started his usual morning routine.

The time was a little after 5 a.m., way before most people even woke up. Hana and his mother were still fast asleep. They usually woke up around 8 o'clock, so he had plenty of time to himself. He tried his best to keep his room tidy and clean, which helped him think more efficiently.

Sen did a few stretches before making his bed and brushing his teeth. After letting out a yawn, he began preparing for his daily exercise routine.

Most people started their day with a sugary coffee, but researchers say waking up naturally helps retain your energy better than relying on coffee. Only once someone is fully awake is coffee safe to consume without side effects like withdrawal and drowsiness. Sen didn’t have time to waste on such side effects, so he often avoided drinking caffeinated beverages in the morning.

Once his hygiene was in check, he moved on to his exercise. He started with a series of calisthenics and weights, then finished with a six-kilometer run on the treadmill, as he didn’t want to risk going outside due to the danger of monsters.

Although he was entering the academy today, it was still necessary to be in top shape. He had always been like this, regardless of the extra motivation the academy provided.

But just as the body needed to be strong and fit, so did the mind. Sen washed off and began studying different mathematical theories and equations that would wake up his brain.

His teacher had given him the most difficult equations she could find, but unfortunately, they weren’t as hard as he expected. Sen let out a sigh. He finished around ten university-level equations and theories in less than an hour—something that would take most people six to ten hours. Feeling that this hadn’t stretched his brain enough to be fully alert and focused, he decided to resort to other forms of mental stimulation, including picture memorization and rapid critical thinking exercises.

He accomplished all of this using the internet and his hologram computer screen. It was far more convenient having this technology around without needing to lug heavy materials everywhere.

Although it was convenient, he rarely looked at the news and stayed off social media. Most news articles were fear-mongering, focusing on monster death counts and rising crime rates in Japan.

He didn’t care much about all that, but if he ever wanted to, Sen could easily get factual death rates by asking Brittney to hack into Japan’s health organization’s records. But he didn’t need the government to tell him that monster attacks were happening—he was well aware of their presence.

It was nearing 8 a.m. when he sat down for breakfast. He usually cooked for himself because his mother had been ill for quite some time. So naturally, he had learned to cook. It wasn’t too complicated; all he really needed to do was remember different cooking techniques and essential recipes.

After this, I should head out before my mom wakes up. It would be less suspicious if I leave before Hana does, he thought to himself.

His mother would wake up any moment and wonder where he had gone. Schools were temporarily closed for the Knights exam, so he couldn’t just assume she’d believe he was going to school. With that, he decided to leave a note by the tea kettle: “Going to the library, see you in a bit.”

She was going to find out sooner or later, no matter what excuse he came up with, so he just needed something to buy himself a few hours before it was too late to stop him.

Sen packed lightly and stepped out of his front door. The sky was promising. A light blue stretched across the horizon, with yellow rays of sunlight filtering through the air.

It wasn’t as menacing as most mornings. The aura of monsters seemed subdued this time around. Sen couldn’t prove it, but it was a simple instinct within him that he couldn’t explain.

He often sensed something in the air that told him when monsters were near. Sometimes, he was right, and most of the time, he didn’t want to test it out. People would surely think he had schizophrenia if he told them how many odd things he felt at times.

But it had become second nature to him in a way. That was how he usually stayed out of danger—most of the time. However, it could all be a big coincidence for all he knew. He had no solid evidence to back up his imaginary sixth sense, which was ironic given his disability.

Dismissing his odd alertness, he walked along the city streets. The morning was busier than usual. He guessed most people were already making their way to the academy, which was stationed in the center of the city. Not only were there more people, but there were also more Knights patrolling the area. I guess that means they’re trying to keep everyone in check.

It was a big event that only happened once a year, so the AOK needed to be on high alert to prevent any monster attacks or disruptions.

The more people, the better, I suppose—

“Bump!”

Suddenly, Sen felt something collide with his stomach. It wasn’t painful—more like a small bump from a child. And to his surprise, that was precisely what it was. A boy, around six years old, had run into him without looking.

“Oh, sorry, I wasn’t paying attention,” Sen apologized curtly. The child, knocked off balance by the collision, fell to the ground. Holding back tears, the boy stared at Sen, appearing spaced out.

“Do… you need some help?” Sen offered his hand as a kind gesture. But the boy ignored it, gaping at him briefly before muttering something under his breath.

Huh? What’s this kid staring at me for? Sen tried to get closer, but—

“G-get away from me!” the boy cried in terror, scrambling to his feet and attempting to dash away. In his panic, he tripped and fell again.

“Why are you…”

“AHHH!” The boy let out a more pronounced and bloodcurdling yelp, then bolted away from Sen, who had only wanted to help.

Sen was left speechless and confused. The boy soon disappeared out of sight before Sen could even call out to him.

“Well, that was odd…” Sen murmured to himself. Although it was beyond weird, Sen couldn’t shake the feeling that this had happened before.

That’s right—that kid looked at me the same way my family does. It didn’t happen often, but occasionally, he would catch his family glancing at him, frozen with terror while he looked at them.

He didn’t remember when it started, but it could all be part of his imagination for all he knew. Unlike that child, his family didn’t scream at the top of their lungs.

Tsk, children will be children. He shouldn’t take them too seriously. They did unexplainable things from time to time. Although it shouldn’t be a huge problem, Sen noticed he was suppressing something within him.

Something bitter, vile, and malicious.

At that moment, when he watched the child flee, he felt an overwhelming sense of elation. The scream the boy made sounded like the desperate cry of wounded prey. He couldn’t possibly figure out why that would fill him with satisfaction, but it did. The same feeling as before... He glanced at his palm, worry flickering in his eyes as if expecting an alien mutant to pop up and start talking to him.

“Maybe I should try sleeping more than six hours a day. My mind is playing tricks on me…”

That was the only possible conclusion he could come up with. After all, he had no reason to enjoy such odd things…