NOVEL WEB Chapter 3: " WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!?"
🚽 Current location: (School bathroom)
Jude was still unconscious, but his body started to tremble.
Something was forming behind him.
Fibrous strands began stretching out, sliding up toward his sleeping face.
That black substance shaped itself into a head with large white eyes—eyes that looked like they'd been painted by a twisted artist.
The smile was wide. Too wide. Ear to ear.
And beneath that smile? Sharp teeth and bones snapping into place, forming a skull that moved perfectly with the jaw.
The grin widened.
Ereth-Kaal crept up close to Jude's face and whispered:
---
"Tch... pathetic. Couldn't even handle a glimpse of that reflection."
---
...Hmm.
Time for... a few adjustments.
Let's see what we can tweak on this little mortal… Face? Hair? Features? Ohhh, definitely muscles.
Heh heh… I'm gonna turn you into a masterpiece.
So damn good, even you won't recognize yourself when you wake up...
Juuuude~
Ereth-Kaal slammed back into Jude's body.
Black goo began oozing out from under his skin, coating him from his tiny pinky toe all the way up to his scalp.
---
"Shllrrrkkk...!"
"Shllrrrrkkfff...!"
---
The substance writhed and curled around him.
Jude's body was twitching constantly.
---
"Trrr... Trrrrk...!"
---
Like spasms. Like silent pain.
But no screams came out.
Seventeen minutes passed.
The substance finally began retreating into his skin.
Jude's face was slowly revealed again.
He looked... better.
Sharper jawline.
Hair slick, glowing.
Body more ripped. His clothes clung tighter now, showing off muscle with every breath.
A small black tendril peeked out from his shoulder—same stuff that made the monster's head.
Ereth-Kaal chuckled from inside him as he finished building Jude 2.0...
---
"SLAAAP _!"
---
A nasty slap to the side of his face.
As Jude stirred awake, the tendril snapped back into his skin, like a snake slithering home.
Jude's eyes blinked open slowly.
He looked around, dizzy.
Clutched his head, muttering:
---
"Ow.
What the hell just happened? Was that... me?
Ugh...
Why does my whole body feel like it got hit by a truck?
Aah...
Okay. Get up, Jude. Everything's fine..."
---
He leaned on the wall and stood.
Then he turned to the mirror...
His hand shot up to his face, eyes widening in absolute horror.
---
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!
WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!!?"
---
Ereth-Kaal spoke from inside his head:
Like it?
I call it my greatest creation. Put my whole soul in it—kidding. I don't have one.
Jude spun around, screaming:
"Who are you?!
Where are you speaking from?!"
Ereth-Kaal snorted:
"From the sewers, genius.
Nah—I'm inside you, moron."
Jude clutched his skull tighter, heartbeat hammering so hard it echoed in the bathroom.
---
"OH boy...
I-Inside me?
What do you mean by that?"
---
Ereth-Kaal snapped:
"I mean I'm literally inside you, dumbass!
And while we're at it—STOP SCREAMING!
Someone's coming.
And I'm hungry.
So here's what's gonna happen...
You stay still.
When they walk in... we eat 'em.
Don't worry, the first time's always the hardest.
You'll get the hang of it."
Jude gasped:
---
"Oh God...
If you're real, just kill me now!"
---
Ereth-Kaal burst out laughing:
"PFFFT HAHAHA!
Yeah sure.
But nah, I'll make sure nobody hears ya."
---
Jude stared at the mirror, shaking:
"Who are you? Tell me right now!
What do you want from me, you creepy-ass voice?!"
Ereth-Kaal, smug as ever:
"Really? YOU woke me up.
Don't act brand new."
Jude stuttered:
"W-What are you talking about?!
I didn't wake up anything!"
Ereth-Kaal cracked up:
"Oh, right. Of course.
Name's Ereth-Kaal, baby.
Destroyer of civilizations. Soul collector.
Human meat connoisseur!"
---
Jude froze.
The memories hit him—
The book. The cursed name.
The warning:
> "To all who read this book… prepare for the greatest hunger of your life.
Only the strong shall rule.
ï´¾Zï´¿"*
---
Jude whispered:
"Yeah... yeah... you're that curse... you're—"
---
"SCREEEEECH!"
---
The bathroom door swung open.
Dan walked in, looking around.
Dan:
"Yo! Jude!
Dude, what's taking you so long?
You constipated or something?"
Ereth-Kaal (excited):
"See? Told you someone was coming.
Time for dinner!"
Jude shoved Dan hard and ran:
---
"NO!
ON MY DEAD BODY, YOU MOTHERFU—!"
---
Jude looked back mid-run:
"Sorry, Dan! You'll thank me later!"
Dan held onto the door, confused:
"Who's THAT guy??"
---
Jude sprinted through the hallways like his life depended on it.
He was so fast, it shocked even him—
But there was no time to think.
Only run.
Run far away.
So he wouldn't hurt anyone.
Ereth-Kaal, grumbling inside:
"Why are you even running?
I'm already inside you!
And if you don't feed me…
I'll eat you! From the inside out!
Then I'll go back to sleep in that stupid book,
like I do with every other whiny-ass host."
Jude turned a corner and almost slipped:
---
"Huff... huff...
I don't care!
Do what you want!
But I'm NOT eating my friends!
You hear me, you parasite?!"
---
Ereth-Kaal exploded with rage:
"PARASITE?!
PARASITE?!
You useless little squirrel!
I'll show you who's in control here!"
After that sentence, Jude lost control of his legs.
Ereth-Kaal had completely taken over, making him run full-speed toward the rooftop.
As Jude sped past a group of students, the sheer force of wind from his movement lifted a girl's hair into the air.
She blinked as he vanished from sight.
"Was that even a person? Or just... air?
Damn it, I really need to chill on the caffeine."
Jude tried to regain control of his legs.
Nothing. No use.
---
"AAAAAH!
What are you doing?!
I'm sorry, okay?!
You're not a parasite—you're a curse! A handsome one too!
Just... show some mercy, PLEASE!"
---
Ereth-Kaal:
Aww, what a sweet little suck-up...
But nah.
Anyone who insults me gets punished.
Now... it's time for you to face your deepest fear, little squirrel.
Jude screamed:
"Wh-what do you mean?
Which fear?!"
Ereth-Kaal (grinning, whispering):
The worst one of them all, earth-boy...
Before Jude could respond, he was already on the rooftop.
Still not in control.
Still walking... right toward the edge.
Jude's heartbeat skyrocketed.
His pupils shrank.
Terror kicked in.
---
"Oh God, HEIGHTS!? Really!?
I can't even climb a freakin' chair without crying—PLEASE!"
---
We're six stories up!!
Please don't make me jump!
Please don't—
Ereth-Kaal (yelling):
"FREE DOOOOM!!!
HAHAHAAAAAA!"
---
Ereth-Kaal took full control, backed up a few steps—
Then SPRINTED toward the edge and JUMPED!
So hard, the rooftop cracked beneath him, chunks of tile flying into the air.
Jude screamed mid-air, drawing a panicked cross in front of his chest:
---
"GOD PLEASE HELP MEEEEEEEeeeee!!!"
---
Ereth-Kaal (muttering):
Ugh… Why am I stuck with such a coward?
First the mirror, now you're screaming like a 19th-century British maid...
---
"WHOOSH!"
---
Jude was plummeting fast.
He covered his eyes, bracing for death.
---
"GOD. PLEASE. HELP MEEEEEEEE—!"
---
"THOOOM!"
---
The pavement cracked beneath his feet as he landed.
Standing tall.
Not a scratch.
Still covering his face with both hands.
He slowly peeled his hands away...
Shaking.
On the verge of crying.
But somehow... held it in.
He looked down at his trembling body…
And then he laughed.
---
"Ha. Hahaha. HAHAHAHAAAA!"
---
He touched his chest, arms, legs—
All intact.
---
"I'M A LIVE!
I'M A LIVE!
I'M A FKING A LIVE!
HAHAHAAAA!"**
---
Wait… how am I still alive?
Ereth-Kaal:
Oh, I didn't just fix your face.
I rebuilt your entire structure—muscles, durability, reflexes.
You're basically the cursed version of Hercules.
Jude:
"...Okay yeah… that checks out."
While Jude spun around like a toddler on sugar, celebrating his survival and newfound power,
he forgot one tiny little thing...
He'd just jumped from six stories…
and landed in the middle of the school courtyard.
In front of everyone.
By the time he realized...
It was already too late.
Ereth-Kaal (from inside):
Don't worry, I can eat them all if you want.
Just their heads though.
You know, clean sweep.
Jude:
"NO!
We're not eating anyone here!
We're not eating humans, period!"
Ereth-Kaal (crossing his arms mentally):
"Tch.
BUZZ KILL."
---
Birds froze mid-flight.
Students stared in silence.
No one moved.
Then came the scream—
Zoe.
The most popular girl in school.
Phone in hand.
Full-on scream mode.
"OMG!
OMG!
WHO IS THAT?!
I have to record this!
You're gonna break the internet, you beautiful, freaky legend!"
---
One student, sandwich mid-bite, frozen in place:
"Wait… isn't that… Jude?
I knew it!
Quiet guys always got secrets!"
Another student:
**"Hold up—Jude?!
That loser?!
No way.
He was in our class, looked like a dying lightbulb...
This guy?
Totally someone else."
(then)
"...Right, muscles?"
Jude (panicked):
"Aaaahhh...
I-it's me.
I'm Jude."
---
Then he smiled.
A weird smile.
Too weird.
Ereth-Kaal (screaming inside):
"You're embarrassing us in front of the MEAT."
Jude (shouting at his chest):
"They're NOT meat!!
Forget the eating thing, NOW!"
Zoe approached, phone still rolling.
"Hey!
Hot stuff—how'd you survive that fall?
Why are you talking to yourself?
And what was that whole eating people thing about?
Wait…
Are you possessed or something?"
A teacher sipped coffee from a paper cup, saw the chaos, sighed:
"They don't pay me enough for this..."
And walked away.
Jude glanced at her phone…
Snatched it out of her hand…
And SMASHED it.
Then bolted.
"Sorry!
Couldn't let you post that!
I'll buy you a new phone, I SWEAR—bye!"
Zoe froze, staring at her broken screen like someone ripped out her kidney.
"MY PHONE?!
YOU BROKE MY PHONE!
If I don't get a new one, I SWEAR I'LL END YOU!"
Ereth-Kaal's head peeked out from Jude's back again:
"Honestly?
Eating her would've been better than smashing that stupid gadget."
Jude (horrified):
"AAAAAH!
You're even uglier than I imagined!"
---
Ereth-Kaal:
Thanks. That's just my head.
Pretty sure you saw the full transformation in the book…
Time to bring it out.
I'm tired of playing games.
I'm starving.
Didn't eat anything during hibernation, mortal!
---
Jude (panting in an alleyway):
"Wait, what do you mean—full transformation?"
Ereth-Kaal (smirking):
"Hmm...
You'll see soon enough.
And when you do...
you'll taste your very first victim,
with me."
---
🎠What's next?
Will Jude become a killer?
Will he find a way to control Ereth-Kaal?
Will he buy Zoe a new phone... or run for his cursed life? 😆