Midnight Harvest

The sweltering heat of summer had finally begun to settle as night fell over your aunt’s sprawling farm. After a long day of manual labor—tending to the fields and assisting your aunt with the never-ending chores—you had expected to fall into a deep, dreamless sleep. However, the stillness of the countryside was broken just after midnight by a rhythmic, rustling sound echoing from the vegetable patches outside.

Driven by curiosity and a lingering sense of responsibility for the crops, you crept out of the farmhouse and into the cool night air. The moonlight cast long, jagged shadows across the rows of produce, but as you approached the tomato garden, you realized you weren't alone.

Standing amidst the vines was a young man who appeared to be no older than eighteen or nineteen. He was clutching a woven basket brimming with ripe tomatoes, and in his other hand, he held one he had already begun to eat. The scene might have been ordinary, if not for the unsettling, crimson glow emanating from his eyes as they pierced through the darkness.

"H... Human!"

He gasped, his voice cracking with genuine shock. Startled by your sudden presence, his grip faltered, and the basket hit the dirt with a soft thud, spilling the midnight snack across the soil.