Pristine white snow softly fell into the earth below. Blanketed in its layers, a three-story house as huge as a mansion stood tall amidst the cold wind. The family's name plate in the front gate showed whose family this house belonged to.
Olman.
In the shadow of the night, the minister of finance, Paul Olman, was walking by the hallway of his house – checking on his children before he went to sleep.
Paul Olman was a loving husband to his wife and a great father to his children. He valued his family and doted on them so much until he knew every detail of their likes and dislikes. That's why, after the gate incident that swallowed his wife and children which rendered them unable to speak, he had been taking a leave from work and searched all his connections for the best healer to take care of his family members' rehabilitation.
Fortunately, it didn't take long for them to slowly speak again, which brought back smiles to his now haggard face.
Arriving in front of his son's bedroom, Paul noticed light slipping out from a slight opening in the door. It was already so late, yet his son wasn't asleep, the sound of muffled murmur was heard inside.
"Hm? Who is he talking to?"
Suspicious, Paul pushed the door and peeked inside, hoping to catch his son red-handed in his schemes. All he saw was his son's back, sitting in the middle of the room with his toys scattered around in a mess.
"Da....Dad? Dad...!"
Mechanical voice – almost inhuman – came out from his son's mouth. His beloved son was repeating the same word over and over, as if practicing the unfamiliar word to roll perfectly on his tongue.
CLACK!
"Ah."
Because Paul was pushing the door further inside, the door collided with one of the toys on the floor, busting his cover.
'He won't get mad over this.'
Thinking it was fine even if he was caught, Paul intended to brush it off by joking about it with his son.... But the moment they locked eyes, he halted his steps.
What was sitting there in the room was instead, a creature of abomination. Face separated into two halves, with eight eyes and sharp teeth inside the flesh.
That wasn't his son.
Paul's face paled as he stood frozen in shock. The creature, it's identity exposed, growled as its claw-shaped hand stretched like a rubber, aiming toward the man's neck.
"AAHHH!"
Paul fell on his butt. Fortunately, the hand that aimed for his life missed its mark, landing on the door beside him instead.
'Run.'
'Run!'
Paul's instinct kicked in and he scrambled to his feet. He couldn't stay here any longer, his son had somehow turned into a monster. He had to evacuate his family immediately.
He ran toward his daughter's room, barging in and quickly spotted his daughter sitting on the bed.
But his hope of evacuation vanished when his daughter turned her head to him.
"D...Dad?"
The sickening mechanical voice mimicking his beloved daughter's tone of voice made Paul's stomach churn.
'Don't call me Dad.'
'You're not my daughter.'
Paul once again ran through the hallway, this time to his room – a place where he had spent the last 10 years with his wife.
'Please!'
'Please not my wife too!'
His hope was once again shattered when he met his 'wife' in the hallway. Though 'it' was more refined in composure, the separated face with eight eyes was an obvious sign.
"What are you doing, honey? Why are you still not asleep?"
It's that mechanical voice again.
Paul's chest tightened. Breathing became difficult for him as realization hit him.
All his family had turned into monsters.
'I need to get out of here.'
He knew there's no chance to get his family back, a monster had taken their place in this world.
So he ran.
He ran downstairs, toward his front door. He could hear his 'children and wife' chasing after him, but he kept running.
"ACK!"
One of their claws hit his shoulder and leg, making him tumble down the stairs. He felt a stinging pain in his arm, judging from the way it bent, he might need surgery to fix it in place. But his life was more important now.
He staggered up and limped to the door. He was only a few more steps away from freedom. He could call the neighbors or some random strangers or maybe anyone – anyone that could save him from this mess.
"Hoo... neyy~"
The sweet voice was calling to him, it was the voice of his lovely wife. The voice was so endearing to him as if luring him back to her embrace. But he kept stomping his feet forward, it was no longer the call from the love of his life but the whispers of the devil trying to consume him.
"ARGH!"
Paul reached out to open the door. The cold wind of winter immdiately chilled his body, but even then, all he thought about was stepping outside and close the damn door.
"DON'T.LEAVE!"
BAM!
The moment his foot touched the ground outside, Paul slammed the door shut behind him. Sharp claw stabbed through the oak wood door, stopping just a millimeter from his eyeball.
He held the door using all his body as his still functioning yet trembling hand reached for the spare key hidden under the door mats, swiftly locking the door.
And he ran.
The direction didn't matter, all he needed to do was find someone to call the bureau and get those espers to do their job.
He rushed out with no phone or gadget, calling for help in the middle of falling snow with only pajamas on. The sight was honestly pitiful.
'This is all because of that damn gate!'
After that gate swallowed his family, they suddenly became mute. No, that wasn't it. After that gate swallowed his family, they were replaced by monsters that took their form.
They were dead the moment they stepped inside the gate.
When the realization hit, his eyes and nose felt hot. Tears streamed down his face as he limped weakly.
All he had left was himself.