“Akuma, wake up!” A familiar voice calls out to me, its urgency echoing in my mind.


    (A girl…? It must be my cute childhood friend who I promised to marry when we get older. Yeah. It sounds just like her… Wait a minute. I don’t have a childhood friend.)


    “Finally, you’re up.”


    “Oh... It’s just you Jacob.”


    “Gah-! I’m not sure I like your tone.”


    (When did I even pass out…?)


    When did I even lose consciousness? I tried to rub my temples to jog my memory, but my arms felt trapped, bound together by something unyielding. There was something sturdy keeping them together, as well as the constant sharp sounds of metallic shackles. “Metal…chains?”


    “Oh yeah… that. That’s gonna be the least of your worries, trust me.”


    “What do you mean?”


    “Look around, Akuma.”


    Summoning all my 7-year-old strength, I propped myself up against the wall, now sitting shoulder to shoulder with Jacob. My heart raced as I took in the scene before me.


    Kids of all ages, all sizes and races sprawled out within a giant cell. I’d guesstimate about a thousand. Oddly, some even had hair as white as mine. Most were still asleep, but a handful, like Jacob and me, were awake and scanning our surroundings.


    That’s when I noticed the black-striped prison onesies we all wore, grimy and stained, some even marked with blood. It almost seemed as if there were another batch of kids before us, who wore these exact outfits.


    “What… is this…?”


    “I asked myself the same question.”


    I couldn''t say for sure -with there being no clock in here- but it felt like three hours had slipped by since I found myself in this dismal place. In that time, pandemonium showed its head. If they weren’t crying their eyes out, then they were fighting over the stale, cold bread given to us for lunch. In this case, it was the latter, and the ones fighting were a younger kid who looked about 5 and an older one who couldn’t be any younger than 12.


    “Hey, get off me!” Commanded the bigger one. The younger kid was desperately scrambling under him. My guess is that he must’ve taken his bread. Sigh. Why must people fight over such trivial things.


    “NO! NO! GIVE ME MY BREAD!!”


    “Why do you need it. I’m older so I need it more.”


    (If you have enough energy to argue, then do you really need the darn thing?)


    “Hey, Akuma, shouldn’t we stop the-” Jacob called out, but he was a moment too late. I’d already rushed to the child’s side.


    “Hey, little one. If you want, you can have my bread.”


    “R-Really?”


    “Yep.”


    His eyes sparkled as he grabbed and feasted upon the small loaf of bread I offered.


    “Shank you, Misher” he thanked while chowing down. Such a cute reaction was enough to warm my heart.


    It’s not that I wasn’t hungry -because I was definitely starving- I just wanted to do what God would have wanted. Ya know?


    “Attention Prisoners!” The voice echoed through the dimly lit cell, drawing our attention to the figure standing at the gate. He was clad in a long dark cloak, appearing to be a teenage boy. Well, that was my guess from the shape of his body and size, but seeing as his voice matched that assessment, I couldn’t have been that far off. “…Unfortunately, we cannot ascertain which of you is the AntiGod. So, starting now, you lot will kill each other, and the last one left will be allowed to leave.”This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    *Clap


    The walls around us transformed, revealing an array of short-range weapons designed for maximum carnage.


    “Who are you, Mister?” a young boy at the front inquired, his voice trembling with fear. “And where are we?”


    “Who am I, you ask…?” he replied, pausing dramatically. “I represent the Cult of Salomon! Now, all hail me!” He raised his arms in a theatrical gesture, but the silence that followed made him clear his throat and continue, “As for your second question, don’t worry your pretty little head about such matters.”


    (What is this guy even talking about?)


    “Now then…” he said, nonchalantly taking a seat in a nearby chair. “…Chop-chop. Get to the butchering already.”


    A heavy silence hung in the air for a moment, leaving me to wonder if this man truly believed we would turn on one another simply because he told us to do it. My faith in humanity wasn’t a commendable one, but even I knew they weren’t that cruel. Sure, they’ll take some bread from each other, but pointless murder?


    “*Sigh… I see. So, you all need some incentive, huh? Very well… Currently, you all are in a dimension created by Goldilocks. Not only does that mean, you all will never see your families unless she allows it, but it also means no one, and I mean no one, will be coming to save you children. Soooo… If you plan on leaving this place, I suggest you give me a show.”


    “W-What about these chains?” a boy on the right asked.


    He must’ve told a joke that I couldn’t hear, because the guard started laughing hysterically. “Oh, that’s what makes this fun, prisoner. Now don’t keep me waiting.”


    “W-We won’t do it. You can’t make us!” another child yelled, and a chorus of “Yeah!” echoed in support.


    (It’s just like I thought. These people aren’t that cruel.)


    But the guard simply grinned and adjusted himself more comfortably in his seat, and then he clapped.


    “GUAHHHH!!!”


    “!” A loud squeal of agony was heard coming from my right side.


    “GUAHHHH!!”


    “!” Another scream, this time to my left. And it was followed by many more.


    “H-Hey mister…” a small voice called from below, accompanied by a tugging sensation. “W-Will we be alright?” The boy I had shared bread with was shaking uncontrollably, clinging to my side in search of protection.


    Grabbing his arm, I started walking back to the spot I came from. As we walked, I asked, “Tell me. What’s your name?”


    “I-It’s Adam,” he stammered, his eyes wide with apprehension.


    “Well then, Adam. Don’t worry, as long as we believe in God, we will be saved. Okay?” I reassured him, watching as he nodded, too frightened to utter a word. “We should be alright here.” I continued, noting a cluster of older children huddled at the back of the cell. They seemed less vulnerable, likely to be overlooked in favor of the easier targets like the younger ones. This was also the spot I was in sharing my bread with Adam.


    (What the hell is happening?! Were those screams from other kids? I can’t see the walls anymore with these tall people in the way, so I can’t check how many weapons went missing. But what’s the point? Why do this-?)


    “Hey… Akuma,” Jacob called, pulling me from my spiraling thoughts.


    “Hmm? What is it, Jacob?” I replied, trying to focus. Turning my gaze I noticed something questionable. “W-Why are you holding that club…? And why is it covered in blood?”


    A heavy silence fell between us as we exchanged glances, the weight of my question hanging in the air. “Did you hear what that guard said?” Jacob pressed on, breaking the stillness.


    “Which part?” I asked, my heart racing.


    “The part where he said no one would be coming to save us.” he replied, his voice barely above a whisper. I wonder if that sentence had resonated with him somewhat, like past trauma.


    I nodded, acknowledging the grim reality. “Well, yes, I did. But obviously, that isn’t true.” I insisted, trying to restore some hope within him.


    “What makes you so sure? What makes you think anyone would be coming to save a bunch of unimportant kids?” he challenged, his doubt echoing the fear that gripped us both.


    “Jacob, you can’t think like that… Listen, even if we were unimportant to other humans, in the eyes of God we are all-”


    “JUST SHUT THE HELL UP!!! You know, ever since I met you, you always go on and on about God this and God that. And I’ve gotta say, it’s always pissed me off when you did.”


    “… Jacob. Just put the weapon down.”


    “And what if I don’t? Is God gonna save you?”


    “You know that’s not how it works. You have to have patience-”


    “WELL I DON’T HAVE ANY!! WHY CAN’T HE COME NOW?!! I WANT HIM TO SAVE ME NOW...!! Hey I know… If God won’t save me now, then maybe I should just ask the devil instead. I bet he’d help me out in a heartbeat.”


    “JACOB DON’T!”


    In the midst of our heated exchange, Adam -who had been paralyzed by fear just moments before- gathered every ounce of bravery he had and stepped in front of me, shielding me from Jacob.


    “Please don’t hurt Mister. He believes God will save us, so just don’t hurt h-”


    *WHACK!! The impact of that moment stretched out, feeling like an eternity. The arc of Jacob’s fierce swing was almost poetic. I could see Adam’s head jerk violently in response, his body collapsing to the ground, bouncing helplessly three times. The warmth spreading across my face was undeniable.


    Jacob unleashed a relentless barrage of blows, determined to ensure that the little boy would never talk again.


    *WHACK!! *WHACK!! *WHACK!!


    Each strike elicited a small, desperate squeal from Adam, as if he were pleading for salvation. With every hit, the warmth on my face intensified, becoming a searing reminder of the horror unfolding before me.


    It was painfully obvious. You didn’t need to be some child prodigy or a once-in-a-lifetime genius to know the truth. Someone had to save this child.


    But who could that be? Who was meant to be his savior? Was it my responsibility to save him...? No… That can’t be right. That’s meant to be God’s role.


    …Right?


    O father above.


    I’ve prayed to you every day and every night.


    But this time I come with no prayers.


    I come with a question.


    Just what do you expect from me?