A person is writing on a blackboard. The rasping sound of chalk grinding against the board keeps echoing rhythmically. The man with thinning hair then turns back to the students sitting before him, letting out his hoarse voice.

“These are demons, monsters who have grotesque humanoid forms. Be wary of them, they are unforgiving in nature and any encounter with them is extremely lethal.”

This is the world I live in. One with demons and monsters. It sounds like a fantasy, but for us; it is our reality. Though I had never seen a monster physically, one could get a clear idea of them by the digital imagery which is prevalent everywhere. The city I live in is called Haven, the last bastion of humanity’s hope. It is a city surrounded by walls, fending off the monsters which we fear so much. Thanks to these boundaries, most of the citizens have yet to see a monster in their lives. Though it is only a false sense of security.

From what one could gather from statistics, they were impossible to survive against. Outside the boundaries, the army had a fatality rate of 95.7%. Who knew how long we could last against them. Many men had to give up their lives just so the people in Haven could have another night of sound sleep. I was soon to be one of them too. The academy I am currently studying at is a military school meant to foster students who were trained to be on the frontline.

It houses both men and women, though most of the females are only responsible for intel. It is always the males who had to sacrifice their lives. Unfair? For sure. But it has become an accepted fact amongst our society. Women were responsible for the birth of new lives. They were an important human resource. The very foundation of our nation. Without them, humanity won’t last for long. It is discrimination, but discrimination with reason.

“Hey dude, don’t go daydreaming again.” A blonde man hits my shoulder as he smirks at me. It is my best friend, Kyle. A pretty boy who had stolen the hearts of countless maidens. He is the embodiment of what girls would call “cute”, though he had an air of coolness to him too. But the man is a loyal friend. He would never let his bros down. A reliable person whom I could always trust during the direst of moments. No matter how serious the problem is, Kyle is always there for me to lend me his shoulder.

I remember how he helped me cope with my depression when my parents died. You could only get true friends like him once in a lifetime. He didn’t know how much I appreciate his presence.

“Don’t mind it, just thinking of stuff,” I respond to him.

“You’re always daydreaming, Mike. Don’t make it sound like this is the first time.” Kyle snickers as he replies to me.

“Shut up, the teacher is looking at us.” I quickly avert his attention before we get into trouble.

Kyle just smiles in response before swinging back his chair. He goes back to his relaxed posture, ignoring the teacher glaring at him. Kyle is pretty popular in our school, so much so that even the teachers didn’t bother messing with him. Any scolding he received went through one ear and came out the other. Some saw him as a delinquent but he is just a lazy, wholesome man.

“Wanna hang out with me to play some games later?” Kyle pesters me again.

“Sigh. Alright, but pay attention to the class at least.”

“Sweet. Let’s meet after school.”

The boring class continues to go on. Half the students become drowsy just hearing the old man preach. It is normally quiet days like these which I enjoy the most. It made me forget about the horrors roaming outside those walls.

The day passes uneventfully. Kyle and I grab some snacks before we head to his house. As we were walking by, I could see a stalking figure. I gesture at Kyle as he turns around to look at it. It is an eye-catching girl with long, luscious black hair. Her eyes were brown with faint redness in them. Her figure is like a blooming flower, making everyone’s head turn towards her. Not to mention the bountiful body she had. It is enough to make any boy in his adolescence uncomfortable around her.

It is the one and only Susan. Our school idol and my old childhood sweetheart. Uncomfortable memories start appearing in my mind but I suppress them for the moment. She starts heading here, tepidly walking towards us with each step. Both of us stare curiously, wondering what her business is with us.

It almost feels like a minute as she reaches us, she is obviously very nervous. A thought plays in my mind. Is it a confession? Nah, can’t be, but if it’s Kyle then...

“Excuse me, I want to ask something.” She timidly asks. Her voice sounds harmonious, a bit different from how I remember it to be.

“Do you want anything from me?” Kyle asks before I could say anything. He gives his trademark smile. His playboy mode is back in action. Sadly for him, it didn’t seem to work this time.

“No, I have something to ask from Mike. Would you mind leaving us alone?” She shakes her head timidly and stares intensely at me. What, she wants to talk to me? It had been ages since we last spoke to each other.

“Actually, he has some plans with me. Could you just borrow him later k?.” His tone takes a turn for the worse as he rudely replies to her. I quickly interrupt him before he scares her away.

“No, no, I am free. Kyle just go head home. We could always enjoy some games later. If it’s nothing serious, then I’ll catch up to you at your house.”

Kyle glares at her before turning around. As he passes by my shoulder he quietly whispers to me.

“Somethings suspicious about her, don’t trust her.” He leaves after saying so, leaving me behind with the girl. I didn’t take his words seriously. He probably felt angry after being rejected. Maybe he is even jealous of me being all alone with the school idol.

After Kyle leaves us alone, she invites me to a nearby park. Both of us sit on a bench under the shade of the tree. It is autumn, so the chilly wind kept brushing against us. As I glance at her, I notice her rosy cheeks blushing furiously.

She is twiddling her thumbs while glancing at me. Don’t tell me… am I going to receive a confession by my old childhood sweetheart? This is completely out of an anime or something, I never expected this to happen to me in real life. My heartbeat rises as I take a big gulp. I am not sure how I should reply to her confession.

She squeezes her eyes shut and grabs my hand. Her petal-like lips part open. Oh boy, here it comes.

“Please help me Mike! I need advice on dealing with my boyfriend!”

I wanted to die right there and then.