The Hunger Inside Me

Chapter Two — The Hunger Inside Me

Octavia’s POV

The ground shook violently beneath my feet.

A loud crash came from somewhere outside, followed by the sound of breaking glass. The walls trembled, and the chandelier hanging above us swung wildly.

“What is happening?” someone screamed.

Before I could understand what was going on, the ground shook again.

This time, it was much worse.

A loud crack spread across the floor, and a table toppled over. People screamed as they rushed toward the doors, pushing one another aside in their desperate attempts to escape.

“Everyone, get out!” a man shouted.

I grabbed the edge of a nearby table to keep myself from falling.

The entire building seemed to be shaking apart.

Pictures fell from the walls. Glass shattered across the floor, and a section of the ceiling broke loose and crashed down just a few feet away from me.

I screamed and stumbled backward.

I had never experienced an earthquake before, but I knew this wasn't normal.

Nothing about this day was normal.

The sky had turned blood-red, a strange voice had announced the beginning of the Red Moon Apocalypse, and now the earth itself seemed determined to swallow us alive.

“Adrian!”

I turned desperately toward the entrance.

I needed to find him.

He was the man I had loved for ten years. Whatever had happened between us, I still couldn't imagine facing something this terrifying without him.

I spotted him near the doorway.

Vanessa was beside him, holding tightly to his arm.

“Adrian!” I shouted. “Wait for me!”

He glanced in my direction.

For one brief moment, our eyes met.

Then the ground shook again.

People screamed as a large section of the wall collapsed behind me. Dust filled the air, making it difficult to see.

I fell to my knees.

“Ah!”

Pain shot through my legs as I hit the floor. I tried to stand, but another violent tremor sent me tumbling sideways.

“Adrian, help me!”

I stretched out my hand.

He was close enough to hear me, he was close enough to come back.

But instead, he pulled Vanessa toward the exit.

He disappeared through the doorway with Vanessa, leaving me behind as the building continued to shake.

I stared after them, unable to believe what I had just witnessed.

Another crash sounded above me.

I forced myself to move, crawling toward the exit while dust and small pieces of concrete fell around me. My knees hurt, and my hands trembled so badly that I could barely support my weight.

When I finally reached the doorway, I saw people running in every direction.

The road outside had cracked open in several places. Cars had collided with one another, and some had mounted the pavement. Buildings shook as pieces of concrete and glass fell from their upper floors.

A woman ran past me, carrying a crying child.

“Run! The buildings are coming down!”

I stumbled outside.

The sight before me made my blood run cold.

The entire street was falling apart.

People were screaming for their loved ones. Drivers abandoned their cars and ran. Shop owners rushed out of their stores, leaving their belongings behind.

Above them all, the sky remained blood-red.

I stood in the middle of the chaos, unable to understand how the world could change so completely in a matter of minutes.

A deep rumble rolled beneath my feet.

I flinched and hurried toward the side of the road, narrowly avoiding a falling streetlight.

I couldn't stay here, I had to find somewhere safe.m but  where could I go?

I had no idea what was happening, and the people around me were just as frightened as I was.

For the first time in my life, I felt completely alone.

I didn't know how long I walked.

The shaking eventually stopped, but the destruction it left behind was everywhere.

Buildings had collapsed onto the streets. Some had lost entire walls, leaving their rooms exposed. Cars were crushed beneath fallen concrete, and thick clouds of dust covered everything.

The electricity had gone out.

The streetlights were dead, and darkness slowly spread across the city.

The red sky was still visible above the ruined buildings, but it no longer seemed as bright as before.

People were beginning to calm down, though fear remained on every face.

Some searched through the rubble, calling the names of their missing family members. Others helped the injured, tearing pieces from their clothes to cover bleeding wounds.

Many were looking for shelter.

I hugged myself and continued walking.

My clothes were covered in dust, and my knees hurt with every step. I had no phone, no money I could use, and nowhere to go.

I thought about calling my father, but I couldn't remember where I had put my phone. Even if I found it, I didn't know whether the network was still working.

And Adrian?

I didn't want to think about him.

The moment his face entered my mind, I remembered how he had looked at me before leaving.

He had seen me fall, he  had heard me calling his name yet he had chosen to save Vanessa and leave me behind.

I wiped my face angrily.

I couldn't keep crying over a man who had never loved me, not when I was struggling to survive.

A strange growling sound came from my stomach.

I stopped walking.

For a moment, I thought it was another sound from the destruction around me.

Then it happened again.

My stomach was growling.

I pressed a hand against it, I hadn't eaten anything since earlier that day. With everything that had happened, I had completely forgotten about food.

I needed food, water, and somewhere to rest.

I continued walking until I reached the remains of a small supermarket.

The entrance was partly blocked by fallen pieces of concrete, but I could see some shelves through the broken windows.

I carefully stepped over the debris and went inside.

It was dark.

I could barely see anything, so I used the faint light coming from outside to guide my steps.

Several shelves had fallen over. Bottles, packets, and boxes were scattered across the floor.

I searched through them, hoping to find something I could eat.

Most of the food had been crushed or covered in dust.

Then I saw a packet of biscuits near a broken shelf. I hurried toward it and picked it up.

It was still sealed, I opened it immediately and put a biscuit into my mouth.

The taste was so good that I almost cried. I hadn't realized how hungry I was until I started eating.

I quickly finished the biscuits and searched for more.

There were packets of chips, crackers, and other snacks scattered across the floor. Some must have fallen from the shelves when the building shook.

I gathered whatever I could find.

Then I sat on a piece of broken wood and began eating.

I ate the crackers first, followed by two packets of chips. I found a few sweets and swallowed them almost immediately.

My hands moved faster than I could think.

I was starving. I had never felt this hungry in my entire life.

When I finished the snacks, I searched for more.

I found a loaf of bread in a torn plastic bag. Although it had been covered in dust, the bread inside was still wrapped.

I brushed off the plastic and ate several slices.

Then I found a bottle of water and drank almost half of it.

For a few seconds, I thought I was finally feeling better but  the hunger returned.

I froze with the remaining bread in my hand.

What? I had just eaten so much food.

Why was I still hungry?

I looked down at my stomach.

It was no longer empty. In fact, I felt as if I had eaten enough to last the entire day yet  the hunger inside me was growing stronger.

I quickly finished the bread and searched for anything else I could eat. I found another packet of crackers beneath a fallen shelf and tore it open.

I ate everything.

Still hungry.

I found a chocolate bar.

I ate it, still hungry.

I drank more water, hoping it would help, but it only made my stomach feel uncomfortable.

“What is wrong with me?”

My voice sounded strange in the empty supermarket.

I pressed both hands against my stomach. It hurt not  because I needed to use the bathroom or because I had eaten too much.

It was a different kind of pain, It felt as if something inside me was demanding more, more  food, more energy.

Something I couldn't explain but the hunger was becoming unbearable.

I pushed myself away from the wall and continued searching the supermarket.

There had to be something else, anything 

I searched beneath the fallen shelves and checked the damaged storage area. I found a few more packets of food, and I ate them all.

Nothing changed.

I was beginning to feel desperate.

Tears gathered in my eyes.

“Please,” I whispered. “I just want to feel normal again.”

A faint sound came from outside.

I turned toward the broken entrance.

Someone was moving through the street.

I quickly stood up.

“Hello?” I called. “Is anyone there?”

There was no answer.

I took a few steps toward the entrance, hoping to find someone who could help me.

Perhaps someone knew what was happening.

Perhaps someone had found a safe place where survivors could gather.

I needed help.

I couldn't stay alone in a ruined supermarket, slowly losing my mind because of hunger.

Then suddenly, someone  stood in the darkness.

At first, I couldn't make out its shape, then it stepped into the faint light coming from a damaged building.

My blood ran cold, It was not human.

Its body was covered in dark, rough skin, and its arms were longer than a person's. Its fingers ended in sharp claws, and its mouth was filled with teeth that looked far too large.

Blood dripped from its jaw.

I stumbled backward. “No…”

The creature tilted its head, then  it looked directly at me.

I couldn't move.

I had seen enough destruction that day to know the world had changed, but nothing could have prepared me for the thing standing in front of me.

It let out another growl.

I turned and ran.

I didn't know where I was going. I only knew I had to get away.

My legs were weak, and the darkness made it difficult to see where I was stepping.

I nearly fell over a piece of broken concrete, but I managed to regain my balance.

Behind me, I heard the creature's claws scraping against the road.

It was following me.

“Help!” I screamed. “Somebody, please!”

Nobody answered. I ran around the remains of a car and tried to hide behind it, the  creature appeared at the other side almost immediately.

I gasped. It lunged.

I screamed and threw my arms over my face. “STAY AWAY!”

Something exploded inside my body.

A strange force rushed through my chest and spread into my arms. My heart pounded, and my entire body became hot.

For a brief moment, everything around me seemed to slow down.

I could see the creature's claws reaching toward me.

I could see its mouth opening and  then an invisible force burst out of me.

The creature flew backward, It crashed into a damaged car, shattering its windows.

I lowered my arms.

My mouth fell open. “What just happened?”

I stared at my handsc I hadn't touched the creature, I hadn't even moved toward it yet  I had somehow thrown it several feet away.

Was that really me?

A roar came from the other side of the car.

The creature was getting back up.

My eyes widened. “Oh, no.”

It shook its head and charged at me again.

I tried to run, but my legs felt too weak to move quickly enough.

I had no idea how to use whatever power had burst out of me.

I didn't even know if I could do it again.

The creature came closer. I squeezed my eyes shut.m, then I heard a sharp sound.

Something struck the creature, and its roar filled the street.

I opened my eyes.

A man stood between us, holding a long blade, he  moved quickly, avoiding the creature's claws before striking it in the neck.

The creature staggered, the man struck again.

This time, the creature collapsed onto the road and stopped moving.

I stared at him, unable to believe what I had just witnessed.

He had killed it so easily, the  man wiped his blade and turned toward me.

The man killed the monster and turned to me.

“Are you trying to get yourself killed?” he asked coldly. “It's a monster, and you're a threat to it. What were you thinking?”

I stared at him, too frightened to answer.

Then I noticed the monster's heart lying in its open chest.

Something inside me stirred. Before I could understand what was happening, I crawled toward it, picked it up, and put it in my mouth.

Something inside me urged me to eat it. Before I could question the strange feeling, I picked it up and put it into my mouth.

The man watched me without saying a word.

I ate until nothing remained.

Suddenly, the unbearable hunger disappeared. I touched my stomach in disbelief.

“What did I just do?” I whispered. “I’m full…”

Ding!

A screen appeared before my eyes.

[MONSTER CORE ABSORBED.]

[UNIQUE ABILITY AWAKENED: DEVOUR.]

[EVOLUTION PATH UNLOCKED.]

I stared at the messages, confused. “What is this?”

The man looked at me coldly. “As I thought. You feed on monsters.”

I turned toward him. “What do you mean?”

“It’s obvious. Ordinary food couldn’t satisfy your hunger, but a monster’s heart could.” He glanced at the dead creature. “Once other monsters sense you, they’ll come after you.”

My face paled.

“Then what am I supposed to do? I don’t want them chasing me!”

“That’s your problem.”

He turned and began walking away.

I hurried after him.

“Wait! Please, help me!”

He didn't stop.

“Do you have somewhere I can stay?” I asked desperately. “I have nowhere to go. I don't even know how to survive in this world!”

He continued walking as if he hadn't heard me.

I grabbed his sleeve.

“Please! I can't let those monsters take me. You're the only person who has helped me so far.”

He remained silent for a moment.

Then a terrifying roar came from somewhere behind us.

The man's expression changed slightly as he turned toward the sound.

A system notification appeared before my eyes.

[DANGER DETECTED.]

[A MONSTER IS APPROACHING.]

I grabbed the man's arm. “Please! Don't leave me!”

He looked at me, his face cold and unreadable. “Stay behind me,” he ordered.

Then he walked forward and drewhis weapon.