Global Awakening: Only I Can Respawn

The sounds of heavy footsteps shattered the eerie silence of the night. Soo-Ah flinched at the noise, her fingers instinctively clutching YuWon's arm.

YuWon sighed. He knew that Soo-Ah wasn't actually scared. She just liked any excuse to stick close to him. Ignoring her, he focused on the source of the noise.

A flicker of light caught his attention, followed by more lights that sparkled and danced, growing brighter as they approached them.

"What is that?" she whispered.

YuWon didn't answer right away. His instincts were screaming at him to avoid whatever was coming. The lights sparkled like decorations from a festival, but the atmosphere was grimmer than it had been during the day.

"Looks like some kind of nighttime event," he mumbled. "Tell your skeletons to hide now."

Soo-Ah nodded quickly. Her summoned skeletons, including Mickey, disappeared into the shadows, fading from view. YuWon grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward the nearest cover—a large, bouncy house.

They slid underneath it, squeezing into the narrow space and peeking through the gaps in the stitched fabric.

A procession moved down the streets with everyone moving in perfect rhythm. At first glance, it resembled a parade, complete with colorful lights and music.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

But what YuWon saw next made his breath hitch. It wasn't just unsettling—it was terrifying.

This isn't a celebration. It is a nightmare.

The participants weren't human, not even the dolls, but monsters.

Hundreds of monsters marched in unison, each clad in costumes resembling a macabre version of Halloween attire—clown suits drenched in blood, princess dresses stitched with human skin, and patchwork outfits involving human skin.

One could only imagine how many humans they had killed to dress up.

But soon, the monsters took YuWon's attention. They didn't seem like regular monsters he had seen during the day. Some had bulging eyes or extra limbs. Others were disturbingly humanlike, their faces almost convincing until you noticed their glowing eyes or mouths filled with jagged teeth.

The monsters and creatures were carrying banners and props that would seem festive—if not for the horrific details.

At first, they looked like ordinary props, but as the parade passed closer, everything changed. Much like their dresses, the banners were made from human skin. Pieces of flesh dangled from the edges, swaying like decorations in the night breeze.

His stomach churned as he realized that some of the "decorations" were still dripping blood. They had to be freshly prepared.

"Fucking idiots…" YuWon whispered.

"What happened?"

YuWon didn't reply, just pointed ahead of the parade. Two awakeners had jumped in front of the parade, probably attracted by the light in the dark. Little did they know they were nothing but moths led to flame.

"We have to help—!"

Soo-Ah wanted to leave, but YuWon pulled her back down. They were in no position to help anyone. He was about to give her a piece of his mind when the blaring music halted.

YuWon turned back and saw the monsters frozen in their places. However, their eyes were fixated on the awakeners standing before them.

What now…?

Just as YuWon thought that, a man stepped out from the parade. He wore a long, tattered coat and an old, battered hat that covered his face, but YuWon knew it was no man, just a monster shaped like one.

The man walked two steps, then sneered. He raised his baton, pointing them at the awakeners.

A second later, the monster came to life. They dropped the facade of mascots and revealed their true nature, rushing toward the awakeners.

"NO! GET AWAY!"

The awakeners yelled, fighting back. For a moment, it looked like they might hold their ground. But it didn't last long. The monsters overwhelmed them, tearing through their defenses like paper. But the monsters didn't kill them.

Instead, the awakeners got dragged into the parade. The parade goers ripped their clothes and weapons away and tossed them aside like garbage. But the awakeners were thrown in the middle of the procession.

What followed was worse than death.

The shrieks of the Awakeners turned into cries of agony as the monsters mutilated them. Their bodies were torn apart, and moments later, new banners and props emerged from the parade.

Fresh decorations made from the humans' remains. Blood dripped onto the streets, leaving a crimson trail behind as the parade marched forward, as if nothing had happened.

Under the bouncy house, Soo-Ah's mouth fell open in horror. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. She began having an anxiety attack and her breathing grew loud and ragged.

YuWon quickly placed a hand over her mouth, silencing her. His eyes darted to the man with the baton. For a moment, he turned in their direction, as though he had sensed something. YuWon held his breath, not daring to move.

After what felt like an eternity, the man turned back toward the parade and continued forward. The monsters followed, dancing as usual.

But YuWon didn't dare to let go. Only when the light and sound both disappeared did he remove his hand. Soo-Ah immediately buried her face in her hands, trembling from fear.

YuWon gently patted her head, his jaw clenched. The scene they had just witnessed was grim, even by his standards.

Soo-Ah was understandably rattled, but they needed to get going. He didn't know the parade's route. They could emerge again at any moment.

Besides, there could be more than one parading party. They had to move, but wandering aimlessly wasn't an option. They needed to find somewhere safe to spend the night.

"Come on," he whispered. "We need to move."

Soo-Ah sniffled, wiping her tears with the back of her hand before nodding.

After helping Soo-Ah to her feet, YuWon looked around. For a moment he was relieved that his quest asked him to save the doll and not other awakeners or he'd have failed the quest long back.

It was a terrible thought, but YuWon had to stay practical. Getting emotional would end up in him joining the parade as a banner.

"Do you think those people… were they still alive?"

YuWon shook his head. Maybe they could survive with a missing organ or two, but the awakeners got torn to shreds. No one could survive that.