《The Dead Girl's Reply》 Insanity (Outdated Version) December 16, 2032, 7:22 PM, the Christmas spirit is visible around Central City. Christmas advertisements are shown on every television in every house around the city, huge holographic billboards show Christmas sales, restaurants showing a Santa version of their mascots, and Christmas decorations are shown on every side of the road. Atlas saw these things as he walked through the busy road going home. ¡°Everyone sure is lively,¡± Atlas said, relieved. Atlas Forteza is a 3rd-year college student who is studying at Quantum International University, one of the biggest universities in the world. His crimson hair compliments his tanned skin, bringing out his brown eyes. He¡¯s wearing his uniform, simple white long-sleeved polo, black necktie, cream-colored vest, dark brown slacks, and paired with a dark brown jacket. He wore a red scarf on his neck in a fake knot for the accessory. Atlas is at the average height in the Quantum Islands, standing at 5¡¯8¡¯¡¯. ¡°I am glad to see the people celebrate. Last year¡¯s Christmas was sad and silent.¡± While walking on the side of the road, he heard a shout coming from the other side. ¡°Atlas!¡± The guy shouted. Atlas stared at the east side of the road and narrowed his eyes where he found Nick Azami, his Japanese ¨C American best friend. Standing at 5¡¯9¡¯¡¯, he is taller than Atlas. While he has broad shoulders and is physically fit, Nick has pale smooth skin, a contrast to his striking blue eyes and black hair. Nick crossed the road, heading towards Atlas¡¯ direction. He wore a French coat overlapping the nice blue and fancy business suit that he got as his birthday present from his Spanish-American girlfriend. The two of them have been dating for 2 years now. Nick looked at Atlas, wondering why his friend was wearing the school uniform even though it was already the start of Christmas break. So, he asked. ¡°Hey, Al. Why are you still wearing our school uniform? You are very conspicuous you know?¡± ¡°I had work to finish in the student council. The faculty and staff were approving the solutions needed to fix the school facilities that caused trouble to the students. It was my job to arrange the papers and sign some of them.¡± Atlas was the student council president at Q.I.U (Quantum International University) despite his average grades. He worked smartly and was good at student affairs, contributing to the factors as to why he was chosen. ¡°Well, I can understand that, but did you need to wear your school uniform?¡± ¡°The guard won¡¯t let me in for some reason when I wore casual clothes yesterday. It was troublesome and I was forced to return to my apartment just to change into a uniform.¡± ¡°Are you sure that it was because of the uniform? Maybe you did not bring your I.D? Did you ask the guard why he didn¡¯t let you in?¡± ¡°Ah! I didn¡¯t,¡± Atlas exclaimed, realizing that he may have jumped to conclusions. His companion burst out into laughter. ¡°Al, you really should ask next time. You always forget the important stuff. Reminds me of the time we met, we were still in 1st-year college then. Nostalgic, right?¡± Nick said, smiling widely. Atlas was quite embarrassed. He unconsciously always wore his uniform with the I.D. ¡°So that¡¯s why some of the teachers were shocked when they saw me. Also, 2 years ago huh?¡± He thought while rubbing his chin absentmindedly. ¡°Yeah, we met in the classroom, but we started talking at the cafeteria. You dropped your wallet while we were lining up to order food and I picked it and the-¡± Atlas said, excitedly but before he could finish, Nick interrupted. ¡°And then, when it was my turn to order, I realized that my wallet was lost. You were literally behind me, forgetting that you had my wallet.¡± Nick added, ¡°I was panicking while searching for it. I said something like ¡®my wallet was blue, and it has a name Nick on it!¡¯ and then when I looked at you, you were holding my wallet.¡± *** 2 years ago, at the cafeteria of Quantum International University ¡°Hey, you,¡± Nick said in a monotone voice. ¡°Huh? Me?¡± Atlas asked, clearly confused ¡°Yeah, you. You picked up my wallet, right? And you were going to return it to me, but then, forgot about it.¡± Nick stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Atlas was flustered and started rambling. ¡°I am so sorry! I picked it up when I saw it fall from your pocket and then--¡± He thought, ¡°I am an idiot¡±. ¡°Ah, it is fine. You look trustworthy. Can you give me my wallet now?¡± Nick asked, extending his hand to receive his wallet. The crimson-haired male gave the wallet back to the owner, wondering why the stranger trusted him immediately. So, he invited Nick to eat with him so he could find out why. Nick agreed and they found a table to sit in somewhere in the cafeteria. The area was noisy, as it was full of students. The white tables and chairs were made of plastic, and the cutlery is stainless steel. The food they were both eating was the cafeteria¡¯s specialty, Spicy Burger Steaks. ¡°Sorry for the late introduction, my name is Atlas Forteza. I am a Filipino. Nice to meet you.¡± Atlas extended his hand. ¡°My name is Nick. Nick Azami, Half Japanese, and half American. I noticed you in the classroom, so you do not need to introduce yourself.¡± Nick grinned, shaking Atlas¡¯ hand. Atlas forgot to ask Nick why he trusted him so easily, but they enjoyed each other¡¯s company and became buddies in the end. *** While the two friends were walking, Atlas remembered that he forgot to ask Nick why even back then, had he trusted Atlas immediately. ¡°Hey Nick, I was supposed to ask this before, but when we first met, why did you trust a stranger who had your wallet in his hands?¡± Nick thought deeply. He wanted to say the reason but soon realized that Atlas wasn¡¯t ready yet. ¡°I forgot. I will tell you when I remember it.¡± Nick replied in a carefree manner. ¡°Oi, tell me already,¡± Atlas said with a blank look on his face, making the taller male laugh. Nick stopped in his laughter when he suddenly remembered something about his friend. ¡°Speaking of the word tell. Al, how was your plan?¡± Nick grinned, placing his arm on Atlas¡¯ shoulder. Atlas shrugged it off. ¡°What plan? Was it the one you planned for next week?¡± ¡°Al, how can you forget it? How can you forget the plan that will change the world into a beautiful paradise?! How can you forget Operation Confession?!¡± As Nick was overreacting, Atlas remembered that he was supposed to confess to someone this Christmas Eve. ¡°You know Nick? I think I will just give up. I should just study first and get a degree. Besides, I am busy with the council. I also need to take care of my sister and brother after graduating. So, having a girlfriend will-¡± Nick said mockingly, interrupting his friend in his rambling. ¡°Are you even sure that she is going to accept you after you confessed?¡± ¡°Oi! You didn¡¯t have to rub salt in my wound!¡± Atlas exclaimed. ¡°Atlas. For goodness sake, it has been 3 years already! Every year you keep saying that you are finally going to confess, and, in the end, you bow out. Aren¡¯t you tired already? You had a lot of chances last year and you blew it. Coward.¡± Nick acted theatrically moving his hands left and right while walking with Atlas. Atlas replied. ¡°Harsh. I am not afraid. I¡¯m just insecure.¡± ¡°Atlas, if you¡¯re insecure, that means you are afraid of something. Why don¡¯t you go and confess already? If she accepts you then great, and if not, then great for you!¡± He stated seriously, but with a mischievous glint in his eye. ¡°Why does it seem like you are more supportive of me getting rejected rather than accepted?¡± Atlas said in an expressionless manner. ¡°You are just imagining things.¡± Nick snickered, ¡°Now go and continue your plan to confess you cowardly knight.¡± ¡°Fine!¡± Atlas shouted, which made everyone look at them. Immediately noticing, they became embarrassed, walking away twice the pace of their normal walking speed. *** When they noticed that they were quite far away from where they originally were, they slowed. ¡°Idiot. Do not shout that loud.¡± Nick whispered, walking slowly beside his friend. ¡°I can¡¯t help it. You are mocking me.¡± Atlas whispered back. They arrived at Central Street, located at the center of Quantum City which makes it the busiest street in the city. Filled with 20 story buildings and fast-food restaurants, there¡¯s bound to be a lot of foot traffic. ¡°Atlas, I am hungry. Before we go home, do you want to grab something to eat?¡± Nick asked. Atlas did not respond but instead asked, pointing at the area in front of them. ¡°Hey Nick, what is happening?¡± Both noticed the police force, stopping the crowd from getting near the demolished building. Its glass has been shattered, the debris massive and scattered around the building. Completely unrecognizable due to its state. Yellow tape surrounded the area, separating the destruction from the people, who were to be evacuated from the area. Police cars and ambulances present nearby. Atlas and Nick walked towards the area, the latter asking an older male standing in the crowd for information on what happened. With a closer look, Atlas thought to himself that the male seemed familiar but, decided not to say anything. ¡°Excuse me. What happened here?¡± The person answered. ¡°Some idiot set up a powerful bomb, exploding inside the central research facility of the SSO.¡± ¡°Has the culprit been apprehended?¡± Atlas asked. To which the stranger replied. ¡°No. According to the police, around 6 died including the suspect, 50 injured, and 3 people were lost. It is unfortunate.¡± SSO, also known as Science and Supernatural Organization. The organization was founded by the Department of Scientific and Supernatural Studies or DS3. Both institutions were formed to protect society from abnormal events like last year''s incident from occurring. ¡°Why would the suspect target the SSO¡¯s building? Is there a conspiracy somewhere?¡± Nick questioned, getting more and more curious. ¡°I also asked but the police chief started getting defensive and told me to get out of his way. If someone is acting like that, of course, something is fishy. From that alone, it¡¯s obvious that the higher-ups are involved.¡± ¡°Higher-ups? Does he mean the elites? Or the government itself?¡± Atlas thought of that. ¡°About that, I think I have-¡± As Nick was about to ask another question, a huge explosion caught their attention, and they all turned to find it coming from the building beside the destruction. ¡°An explosion! It is the same explosion from 2 hours ago! I request everyone to assemble immediately!¡± The police shouted at his radio. ¡°The explosive power is just like the one from earlier, as well as the smoke¡¯s color. You boys better run or you might end up getting caught up in this mess,¡± the male warned, while as he prepared to move away. ¡°What is your name mister?¡± Atlas asked, giving up on trying to pinpoint the stranger from his memories. ¡°Edward Python.¡± Edward is a tall man, taller than most of the people in the crowd. His dark brown skin blended with his brown trench coat over his plain white t-shirt. Paired with black jeans, he wore brown boots and finished the outfit with a brown scarf tied in a sophisticated knot. After he said his name, Edward ran away to go near the scene. ¡°Python huh? That guy seemed familiar.¡± Atlas muttered to himself which made his companion wonder as well. ¡°I guess. Anyways, Al, we should go now.¡± ¡°Right, before we get caught from all the questioning and trouble.¡± He agreed, ¡°Can you still run?¡± ¡°You¡¯re underestimating a baseball player Al!¡± Nick grinned, his chest puffed out with pride. They ran away from the site and stopped shortly after, panting and sweating. ¡°Are we far enough now?¡± Nick asked, catching his breath. Atlas looked at his phone and opened his maps. They are far away from the site. ¡°Yes. We are super far,¡± he said, clearly tired ¡°Ah. I am hungry. Let¡¯s continue to walk. What time is it Al?¡± Atlas glanced at his phone again. ¡°7:58 pm Nick. It isn¡¯t that late. But I guess after running for 15 minutes, it is bad not to rest for a while¡± Nick agreed. They started walking again when they talked about the event they escaped from. ¡°Nick, the color of the smoke. It was dark violet and produced a weird smell. Don¡¯t you think it was like ¡®that¡¯ incident?¡± Atlas asked, seriousness and concern dropping from his voice. ¡°Yeah, Incident 2021.¡± Incident 2021 or also known as Philidel¡¯s Dark Energy Incidents. Due to the numerous unexplainable phenomenon that kept happening after that incident, scientists changed its perception of things drastically. After talking about it, both were silent until they noticed a fast-food restaurant. ¡°Ah, Bunny foods and it¡¯s quite ridiculous Christmas Bunny theme decorations,¡± Nick chirped. ¡°At last. After all that walking and running, I could eat and sit!¡± Atlas shouted excitedly. The people surrounding them were curiously staring at the two of them, but they didn¡¯t mind and continued doing whatever they wanted in public. Then they chose to enter the restaurant after 4 minutes of staring at it in hunger. Bunny Food is a restaurant located at a safe distance from all those huge offices, giving them good foot traffic. The restaurant itself is not that big and on the left side, there is a parking lot and a small area for ordering take-out. Windows are long and wide enough that you can see that the people enjoying their food. The automatic glass doors opening every once and a while, ringing a little bell by the door notifying that people are coming in and out. Lining up at the counter, Nick asked. ¡°What are you going to eat?¡± ¡°An XL cheeseburger, large fries, and a large chocolate float.¡± Atlas snickered. ¡°Well, I think I will order the same thing. After all of that walking and running, I¡¯m starving.¡± The two of them ordered and the cashier¡¯s shocked. The XL cheeseburger is the largest burger they have, people with normal appetites have a hard time finishing it. After ordering, they were given a number indicating their turn to serve with the food, so they waited. So, while waiting for the food, they decided to search for a vacant table in the restaurant. And then ¡­ ¡°Hey Al, look.¡± Atlas turned to see his best friend, grinning. ¡°Look at what?¡± Nick pointed at the occupied seat on the east side of Atlas. As Atlas followed the finger, he saw a woman, seating. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. The girl is 5¡¯7¡¯¡¯, an inch shorter than Atlas. She was fair-skinned, owning a slim body coupled with long black hair and a cute face. Wearing a blue leather jacket over her casual blue polo shirt, blue denim, and a dark blue scarf wrapped on her neck. It is Mei Watanabe, the Chinese ¨C Japanese woman who stole Atlas¡¯ heart. Mei is sitting on the sofa by the window, which is used in the fast-food restaurant, rather than actual chairs. In front of her, there is a table made of glass where another girl, Trisha, was sitting. Trisha Cortez is a woman with a perfect body. She has the same height as Atlas, with straight-curly blonde hair. Her eye color blue, which made her look much more gorgeous. Her outward appearance rivals the other top candidates in the modeling world in Quantum Islands. Nick¡¯s girlfriend. The blonde-haired woman is wearing a checkered formal jacket overlapping the black blouse. Her blue jeans complement the uggs boots. Nick stared at Mei and pointed at her. ¡°Al, that¡¯s your girlfriend right there. right?¡± He asked sarcastically while grinning at Atlas. ¡°Yes, she is,¡± Atlas spoke absentmindedly, staring at Mei. ¡°Really? Atlas, you are creepy, you know. Saying that she is your girlfriend while staring at her with a stupid grin on your face. I am disappointed in my best friend for being that desperate.¡± Nick said, theatrically and sarcastically. Then Atlas replied. ¡°Huh? Oi! I mean no, she is not my girlfriend and I am not desperate!¡± ¡°Oh really? Does that mean that you are going to stop being a creep now?¡± Nick teased. Atlas asked a little hurt. ¡°Why are you calling me creepy all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Because you keep staring without confessing. The woman will feel weirded by that.¡± Nick answered. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go confess now? If your feelings get reciprocated, isn¡¯t it better that you confess now and have a date on Christmas eve?¡± ¡°Leave me alone,¡± Atlas said, irritated. But his friend was still smiling. It seems that Nick enjoyed teasing Atlas a lot and, in a way, he pushes Atlas to be decisive in important things. That is just how the two interact. ¡°Atlas. Come on buddy. I will treat you to a wonderful resort next week with Tsang and Reuben,¡± Nick whispered, patting Atlas¡¯ shoulder. ¡°Okay, okay. I will,¡± Atlas shouted, causing everyone to frown at them. The waitress approached, warning the two friends. Standing at around 5¡¯8¡¯¡¯, the waitress is wearing the Bunny Food¡¯s uniform, a pink pencil skirt, and a pink shirt, with a name tag pinned on her shirt¡¯s left chest side saying ¡®Claire¡¯. ¡°Please be careful next time,¡± Claire said, sternly. When she left, someone exclaimed in shock. ¡°Ah! Atlas! Nick!¡± Looking at the direction where the voice came from, Atlas spoke. ¡°It¡¯s Trisha.¡± ¡°Hey, Trish.¡± Atlas greeted, the two friends walking up to the blonde girl. ¡°How come are you guys eating together this late at night?¡± ¡°I could say the same, why are you both here?¡± Trisha asked, her face contorting in confusion. ¡°Well, long story. We were searching for a place to sit. Since you guys are sitting over here, can we sit here too?¡± Nick politely asked, being friendly. Trisha nodded, smiling. ¡°Sure. When I and Mei saw you guys, we were planning to invite you both to sit with us anyways.¡± ¡°We are not disturbing anything right?¡± Atlas asked. ¡°No, it is fine. We would love to have a conversation with the two fine gentlemen in front of us,¡± Mei said while smiling. ¡°Ah, ok then.¡± Mei transferred to Trisha¡¯s side, leaving Nick and Atlas to sit where Mei previously was. ¡°Hmm, ¡®fine gentlemen¡¯ huh? So, you¡¯re a fine gentleman?¡± Nick whispered to his best friend with a grin on his face. Atlas said, emotionless. ¡°Oi.¡± *** As they were waiting for the food, Trisha spoke. ¡°Why are you guys here?¡± ¡°We came here to eat obviously,¡± Nick rolled his eyes. All three stared at the black-haired male. ¡°Nick, can you drop the sarcasm,¡± Trisha requested. ¡°Fine. Atlas here had work to do at school and I was helping my aunt in their restaurant. We just met up on the way home, stumbling on an incident along the way.¡± Nick explained seriously. Then Mei nodded, ¡°I heard about that. The incident at Central Street. It was featured in the news and it was on live earlier.¡± ¡°Yes. That is the inci-¡± Then, out of nowhere. Atlas¡¯ sight is blocked by a strange darkness, consuming him. Atlas tried to look around, but he cannot see anything. Seconds later, he can suddenly see. ¡°What?¡± The whole restaurant was left in ruins, complete devastation. Windows were shattered, tables, and chairs wrecked. He stood up, looking around, his body trembling. Hands were severed, heads were decapitated. Pools of blood throughout the floor, not a dry spot anywhere. Atlas cringed at the smell of rotting corpse and blood. ¡°What is this?!¡± Atlas yelled, panicking and scared. ¡°What is this?! I do not understand! I was just sitting with my friends!¡± Atlas¡¯ shouted, holding his head with both his hands. Then his eyes grew wide, ¡°Where are they?! Nick! Trisha! Mei!¡± Atlas looked around, then slowly decided to look down, he was shaking uncontrollably. Please, let it not be them. When his eyes reached the ground, he found a corpse. But it isn¡¯t his friends¡¯ bodies. Although relieved, he was still not okay. He turned pale at the sight of the body by his feet, immediately jumping away, he stared nervously. This corpse didn¡¯t have any blood around it, although rotten while wearing clothes, laying in a prone position. Looking at the back of the corpse, he noticed that the hair was crimson, wearing a dark brown jacket and slacks. It had a red scar¡ª ¡°No way!¡± Atlas¡¯ finally realized. But I am still ¡­ *** ¡°Al¡± Nick called out but Atlas¡¯ didn¡¯t seem to hear him. Mei became worried as she saw Atlas¡¯ state, his scared eyes, his pale skin. Trisha slapped Atlas¡¯ right cheek, ¡°Atlas!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Atlas exclaimed. ¡°Al, what is wrong?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Atlas looked around, coming into his sentence, vaguely remembering what had happened earlier. ¡°What ¡­¡± Atlas paused. ¡°¡­ happened?¡± ¡°We were just talking about Mei¡¯s birthday. Seriously, are you ok?¡± The redhead tried but couldn¡¯t remember what had exactly happened a while ago, so he simply decided to ignore it. Just ¡­ what the ...? Never mind. I will just try later, he thought. ¡°I am okay. But her birthday? I thought we were talking about the incident earlier?¡± ¡°Incident? What incident?¡± Nick asked, face contorting in confusion. Atlas answered, still disoriented. ¡°The bombing earlier. It was featured in the news, right Trisha?¡± ¡°Huh? Was there such a thing?¡± Trisha stared, puzzled, causing Atlas to double-take as well. Mei cried out, ¡°Ah! The one on Central Street?¡± ¡°Last week? It was earlier right Nick?¡± Atlas¡¯ head tilting at his best friend, silently asking for help. Nick scratched his head absentmindedly and looked at Atlas with worry. ¡°Al, what are you talking about? It happened last week.¡± Mei picked her phone up and started tapping. ¡°I will read this. ¡®December 8, 2032. A series of explosion happened at Central Street...¡¯¡± Atlas listened as she read the article, shocked. But little by little, his memories from that day started to blur. ¡°Mei, you can stop reading now. I think I am just tired.¡± She stopped reading and everyone studied Atlas¡¯ expression, worried. ¡°Al. You¡¯re just tired. I am sorry I forcefully invited you to walk this far just to eat cheeseburgers.¡± Atlas looked at Nick, his memory about the explosion slowly being replaced by new memories. But he is sure of one thing, something is not right. ¡°Number 208, please proceed to the counter. The food is ready to be served,¡± a robotic voice announced from the speakers above. ¡°That is our number Mei,¡± Trisha spoke. After the two girls got their food, it took a while for the boys to get theirs. They were hungry. Later, the robotic voice announced their number, they just couldn¡¯t get up fast enough. Then all four finally ate. *** Soon after eating, they left the restaurant, planning to walk around the city before going home. Christmas lights and decorations were up everywhere, people were cheerful and their eyes full of hope. I hope that Christmas this year isn¡¯t going to be chaotic like last year. The couple held hands as they walked ahead of the other two. Atlas glanced at Mei, who was looking at the beautiful decorations around them. Ah, I am walking together with Mei. It has been a while huh? Since I was nominated to join the student council. Atlas thought. ¡°Hey, Al. It has been a while since we walked together hasn¡¯t it?¡± Mei said with a gentle smile on her face. Atlas tried to act normally, ¡°I was busy as the president. What do you think will happen if I neglect my responsibilities?¡± ¡°If I invite you to play games with me at my apartment like last time will you go?¡± Mei added, ¡°I missed those times you know.¡± Atlas muttered, ¡°Sorry. If there are things I need to do as the student council president, I can¡¯t spare my time. Not even for you or Nick.¡± ¡°You¡¯re stingy,¡± Mei teased. Atlas joked in a fake Shakespearean accent. ¡°If I neglect thy responsibilities. I wouldst face thy punishment!¡± ¡°Al, stop acting like Nick and start acting like a human being,¡± Mei said coldly, causing Atlas to stop and lower his head. ¡°Fine.¡± Then she stared off before suggesting, ¡°Should I visit your apartment instead? I could help you with anything you needed to do. Then we could eat and play some RPG or shooting games on our smartphones.¡± Atlas thought about it. ¡°Not bad. It''s not bad to rest and have fun for a while.¡± ¡°That is settled then,¡± Mei smiled brightly. ¡°But wouldn¡¯t it weird for a girl to go to my apartment?¡± Atlas asked, his cheeks and ears tinged red. ¡°It is fine, you are not going to...¡± Mei paused, bashful, ¡°¡­ do anything right?¡± Atlas sighed before saying, ¡°I won¡¯t do anything¡± ¡°You¡¯re someone I know for a long time, I trust you!¡± Mei said energetically. *** As they kept walking, the half Asian-half American male stops to looks at his watch. ¡°It¡¯s late. Should I accompany you, Trisha?¡± Nick said, noticing their other two friends walking up to them. ¡°Hmm,¡± She thought for a moment. ¡°Stay at my house tonight, my little brother and sister want to see you. What did you get them to like you? They are hard to please you know?¡± ¡°You do not need to wonder.¡± Nick smiled, before continuing. ¡°Setting that aside. I have no extra clothes on me right now.¡± Trisha shook her head, ¡°You left some clothes at home.¡± ¡°Clothes? Wait, I lost a bag of clothes last time, and I know for sure I didn¡¯t leave clothes there. So, does that mean the bag is with you?¡± Nick inclined his head to the right, making sure. She nodded, ¡°You asked me to hold your bag and you never took it back.¡± ¡°What the¡­? You should have reminded me.¡± He said, pursing his lips. Trisha teased her boyfriend with a grin, ¡°Aren¡¯t you becoming like Atlas lately? Forgetting the important things?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a little too cruel Trish?!¡± Atlas cried out. ¡°Fine. You win.¡± Nick scratched his head, smiling. ¡°Hey, you two, Trish and I are gonna go now. Take care on your way home.¡± The couple faced the road, waiting for the traffic light to go red, and crossed using the pedestrian lane, leaving Atlas and Mei alone. But suddenly, Atlas¡¯ phone vibrates. ¡°Wait for a minute, I have to check on something.¡± The girl nodded to which he smiled in reply. Picking up his phone, he saw a message prompt. It came from Nick. What is this? He thought. ¡°Hey, Al, remember our conversation at Bunny Foods? You have to confess now. Not forcing you though, but it is better to let it out, you have been running away for about 3 years now. Did you think using your responsibilities as an excuse will help you reduce the pain? Remember this, searching for reasons to escape the pain will stop you from growing and moving forward. Why don¡¯t you muster some courage? We¡¯re rooting for you, Atlas. Go and conquer.¡± After reading the message, he blankly stared at Mei. ¡°Al, is something wrong?¡± Mei asked while her face is showing that she is really confused ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing,¡± He answered, clearing his throat. ¡°Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s late.¡± ¡°Mm ...¡± She nodded, wondering if he was hiding something. *** They rode a cab until they arrived at the quiet subdivision area, quite far from busy and crowded Central Street. They continued to walk together since they were practically neighbors. Mei broke the silence, ¡°Al, do you still remember the promise we made?¡± She said, cheerfully. ¡°Promise? Traveling around the world is not easy at all now that I think about it. I have to earn as much money as I can, it¡¯s quite hard to find a job nowadays.¡± ¡°Since when did you have a problem with money? Your family is one of the richest here in Quantum Islands.¡± Mei grinned. ¡°Heh. Your family is richer than mine now, climbing up the ranks.¡± He said, pointing his index finger at her. ¡°Mine only has enough money to support us and the business, you know. Unlike you, milady, your family has enough to spend luxuriously.¡± ¡°No, we don¡¯t! We need to work hard, debts to pay, and all that.¡± ¡°Then traveling around the world without problems is going to be hard. If milady right here is having problems with debt, I¡¯m having problems with my daily expenses here. I am helping the family business every night to acquire extra money for my needs.¡± That¡¯s reality, having a huge company does not mean you¡¯re earning huge amounts of money every day, some businessmen earn nothing due to taxes and company expenses. Some businesses get buried in debt, causing them to make late payments. These types of big businesses end up being sold sooner or later. Although, some fail and the people who worked will gain a little of something to nothing. ¡°Let us work together soon then!¡± Mei blurted out, shocking her companion. He was speechless although he knew what she is thinking about when she said: ¡°work together¡±. Businesses often work together normally but it¡¯s a huge risk. ¡°Are you sure? It might cause some problems.¡± ¡°It will not.¡± She paused. ¡°Probably.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± he sighed, then smiled at her. ¡°Ah, this reminds me of the first time we met. Do you remember? You were so stingy. I was just asking if I could borrow your handheld console.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you back then, so why would I? That was when we were in 6th grade, right?¡± ¡°Yep. You even called me peasant; I was super annoyed. So, I hit you with a rock.¡± She recalled, giggling at the memory. ¡°It hurts.¡± He groaned, rubbing at the spot as if he could still feel the pain. ¡°We got called to the guidance office because of that, where we practically became enemies.¡± ¡°And something took place later on,¡± the black-haired woman said, her features darkening. Atlas remembered, clenching his jaw. ¡°Al, thank you, for being with me.¡± Mei smiled, her earlier mood gone. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, and here we are.¡± He gestured to the figure appearing ahead, Mei¡¯s apartment. They stopped in front of the white gate, pausing for a moment to study the structure. It looked very expensive. ¡°Thank you for tonight Al, I have to go now.¡± Mei waved to him in farewell. ¡°You are welcome, take care okay?¡± He said, looking at her as she started walking towards the gate. Should I let her go? It is getting late after all. I can just confess next time. It can wait. But his heart is pounding in his chest, and it seems like he would regret it if he doesn¡¯t make a move. He sighed, quickly remembering his best friend¡¯s message. I am an idiot! Why would I let this chance go again?! I have just been running away, making excuses. I need to do it now! ¡°Mei, wait.¡± Atlas approached Mei, accidentally raising his voice, startling the latter. ¡°You shocked me.¡± She tilted her head, curious. ¡°What is it, Al?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I know it is late but ¡­¡± Atlas paused. He was nervous, his heart beating hard. Looking down, he tried to summon a bit of courage. ¡°May I borrow a bit of your time? There is a place I want to take you.¡± He¡¯s cute, Mei thought, her face cheeks red. ¡°Sure. I trust that you won¡¯t do anything, but just in case, you should know I learned Taekwondo.¡± She said, hiding behind false bravado. *** After walking a bit, Atlas led her to the woods by his apartment. ¡°Will you continue to trust me?¡± Mei nodded in reply, her eyes sure. He smiled, thankful, then points at a hidden gap in the woods. Gesturing in the general direction, he said, ¡°Follow me.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a gap in here?¡± She asked softly. Atlas nods and helped her through the gap. Atlas pulls out his phone, quickly turning the flashlight on, so they could see in the dark. They walked in comfortable silence until they saw the end of the forest, moonlight shining through the end of the forest. As they stepped out into the light, Mei was in awe. ¡°Wow!¡± A park, hidden in the middle of the forest, with a sparkling pond surrounding a working Greek-like marble fountain. On both sides, there sit two white marble benches, and on the north side, a single pine tree. The moonlight made everything shine, giving it an ethereal effect. ¡°This place is beautiful!¡± She said, eyes shining in wonder. Atlas agreed. ¡°Why is it that I haven¡¯t heard that this place existed? And how did you find out?¡± ¡°My grandfather developed the area after buying it, but he never told anyone outside his family. The public was never notified about this park because he never wanted to keep it a secret. My grandfather and I always came here just to take care of everything and that pine tree over there.¡± Mei walks towards one of the marble benches on the west side of the park and settles down, waving her hand, she invites Atlas to sit with her. He obliged. ¡°There is more you want to say right? Tell me,¡± she said with a gentle smile. Atlas nodded and continued to speak. ¡°That pine tree was planted by my grandfather and me, there he told me a story.¡± *** Years ago, Alfredo Forteza and the young Atlas dug the ground to plant a pine tree. The crimson-haired child wondered why, so, he asked. ¡°Grandpa, why do you need to plant a pine tree? We are already surrounded by numerous weird trees. We do not need it anymore. It will look stupid.¡± ¡°Atlas watch your words. Also, do not insult pine trees. The people in my time used to visit a certain pine tree because it fulfilled their wishes.¡± Alfredo wistfully spoke. The boy shook his head, ¡°So you believe those? Grandpa, I am disappointed in you!¡± He laughed, ¡°Since when did you become so arrogant? Listen here boy, let me tell you a story.¡± Alfredo put down the shovel and sat on the ground. He looked down at his grandson and smiled before he spoke. ¡°There was a woman I loved for years. I was only poor at that time and she was very rich. Like the typical premise in a romance book, the woman''s family forced her into marrying a rich man. In the books, the hero searches for a way to stop the engagement. But those things, are fiction. In reality, if you are poor, you are powerless. No matter what I did. I will be stuck. That is until I heard of a pine tree granting wishes in the middle of the forest. A sensible person would not go there, but I was not sensible.¡± He paused, chuckling. ¡°I wished in front of it.¡± ¡°What happened next?¡± Atlas said eyes lit with curiosity. ¡°The person who the woman was engaged with, killed his family and her family, he tried to monopolize the wealth of both families and tried to rape the woman, but she escaped. Luckily, I knew what was happening so, I searched for a way to save her and succeeded. She fell in love with me after everything got resolved. We vowed to the pine tree and we got married.¡± ¡°I knew it! It was grandma!¡± Atlas exclaimed. ¡°Yes. If she was alive right now, she would have seen how great our family has become.¡± *** ¡°Grandpa¡¯s face became a bit gloomy and I could see that he had tears in his eyes,¡± Atlas ended his story. ¡°This place is precious to you huh? Especially that tree. Although, what happened to your grandma before marrying your grandfather was dark. I wonder why he told you that,¡± Mei muttered. ¡°Because my grandfather is a realist. He knows that he cannot hide what is real to everyone. Although, his realism contradicts some of his beliefs. Seriously, grandpa is a man full of contradictions.¡± He said, sighing. ¡°Does Nick know that this place exists?¡± He nodded and she continued. ¡°What made you decide to bring me to this here now? We have been friends for so long and ¡­?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Atlas paused, his heart beating fast. ¡°¡­ about that¡­¡± He stood up from the bench and gestured towards the pine tree. ¡°Let¡¯s go there.¡± The crimson-haired male extended his hand for Mei to take, which she did. He noticed the fair-skinned girl blush, making him blush even more. Gripping her hand, they walked together towards the pine tree. He didn¡¯t want to let go, but when they arrived, he had to so he could face her. Staring into her eyes, he spoke. ¡°Back then, I did not dare face this, I just kept running away, using every excuse in the book. I thought that I could just do it next time but then, three years had passed, and I was still unable to face it. Running away became tiring ... became childish.¡± Atlas paused, studying the blushing woman in front of him. ¡°I like you.¡± His heart pounded in his chest, nervous. His thoughts became blurry, so much he thought he imagined the moonlight shining brighter. The cold air causing their breaths to show, making it that much clearer that he was breathing heavily. ¡°Al ¡­¡± Mei said softly. ¡°What is it?¡± Atlas absentmindedly scratched his cheek, nervous. ¡°¡­unfair.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The confession ¡­ it is unfair.¡± She repeated. ¡°Why?¡± Mei hits Atlas with a soft blow to his chest. ¡°It is unfair,¡± Mei said softly, resting her head on Atlas¡¯ chest and continues to speak. ¡°The mood is nice; the place is romantic. If you ask any woman out in perfect timing and a place as romantic as this, no woman will take this kind of situation coldly. It is too romantic.¡± ¡°Hah. True, but not all women though.¡± Mei stands up straight and walks away from Atlas. ¡°Since it is unfair. I have to give my reply ¡­ hmm ¡­ tomorrow.¡± She teased, winking as she blushed furiously. ¡°You are too cute. That wink should be illegal.¡± Atlas murmured, blushing as well. Then he continued, ¡°I do not need an instant reply. You can think about it and tell me soon. But if you say tomorrow, then let us meet up here again.¡± ¡°Not here. I will choose the place,¡± She said with a gentle smile. ¡°Your choice,¡± Atlas replied. As he escorted her back to her apartment in silence, their faces beet red. When they finally arrived, Atlas spoke. ¡°See you, Mei.¡± Mei nodded and answered with a gentle smile and a soft voice. ¡°Do not forget about tomorrow.¡± Then went inside, leaving Atlas alone outside. *** Atlas entered his apartment. Although staying in the same subdivision as his person he was in love with for over three years now, they lived in different sections. A simple apartment with an old design located at their subdivision¡¯s street no. 28. Atlas leads a simple lifestyle, owning a 6-ft bookshelf, a desk, and a bed. On his desk are a laptop and a study lamp. Because he doesn¡¯t own a refrigerator, he only buys ingredients he needs for the day, cooking them on a cheap stove in the corner of his room. He lived luxuriously in the past, but that part of him is gone. Atlas sighed. ¡°I forgot to buy bread for tomorrow morning.¡± Giving up, he turned his light off and laid down on his bed. Picking up his phone, he texted Nick about what happened. Minutes later. *Bzzt* *Bzzt* Nick was calling and so Atlas answered it. ¡°Al, good job! I knew you could do it. I will wish you luck tomorrow. Now, can we sleep? It is already midnight. Seriously, I should remember to mute my phone. Good night.¡± Nick rambled off. ¡°Tsk. Yeah. Goodnight douche,¡± Atlas said before he heard the click indicating the call ended. ¡°Seriously, he could have just read it when he woke up.¡± Atlas shuts his phone down completely so he would not be disturbed, and he just laid there, thinking about Mei¡¯s reply. He became excited, his face hurting because of smiling too much. It may be bad to have my hopes up but¡­ Atlas remembered that Mei held his hand and leaned in his chest. But I am confident that she likes me. He became serious. Confident huh? I am also confident that ¡®that¡¯ happened. He remembered the vague memories in his head. Why? Why is it so blurry? He then stood up and approached his desk. Sitting on his chair, he opened his laptop to search for the bombing. The faint memory in his head suggests that the bombing had happened earlier, and not last week. ¡°Everything that I find says that the bombing happened last week, December 8. But why? Why does it feel off? What is so special about this bombing? I can¡¯t understand.¡± He murmured. Then, he found an article and it reads, ¡°December 16, 2032. A series of bombing happened at the buildings of Central Street around 5:41 pm and 7:43 pm...¡± ¡°This is the most trusted news website on the internet! This is it! This- ugh!¡± Then, Atlas¡¯s vision darkened again. Clenching his left fist, he tried to fight against it. But his head ached so much that his right hand involuntarily reached his head, trying to soothe the pain. It worked but as soon as his vision cleared, the article disappeared, and much worst, his laptop is off. He noticed this and stood up quickly in panic, causing his chair to fall. Sighing, Atlas returned to his bed and laid back down. ¡°Need to sleep, I am probably just tired.¡± *** Terrible screams from afar were heard. Children, suffering from pain, pain from their bodies being torn apart. Adults, shouting for help as they were burned alive. The elderly, as they are being crushed by boulders. Blood splatters everywhere, eyeballs rolling, the insides are everywhere, the burned corpses charred until they were unrecognizable. As Atlas walks in a place that can be described as literal hell, he saw and heard all these things. He was terrified, furious, and disgusted. He couldn¡¯t think properly. Even if he closed his eyes, the blood-curling screams could give him nightmares. Vivid nightmares of crying and screaming children, the sound of adults and elderly shouting hopelessly while being burned alive and slaughtered. Atlas repressed his tears as he trembled, and almost freezing to death. He couldn¡¯t say a word, his voice caught in his throat. *Thump* A step was heard. Atlas glanced behind him, and his face turned paler. He saw a figure; it was a human-like figure. Its face distorted enough that the only thing clear enough was its two dark huge eyes, above a crooked body. Its right crooked hand gripping the hair of a decapitated human head, whose eyes only showed white, save for the red veins. The mouth was wide open, a remnant sign that human was decapitated while they were screaming in intense pain, sorrow, and fear. The figure raised its free hand, enclosing its ring and pinky finger. Its remaining three fingers dug into the decapitated head¡¯s right eye, pulling it out. Opening its mouth in preparation, the monster raised his hand and ate the eyeball. *Squish* Sensing it had company, it stared at Atlas and smiled, blood dripped out of its mouth. Its teeth razor-sharp, sharp enough to bite the rip off human flesh. *** Atlas woke up in cold sweat, panting hard, his body shaking. Feeling sick, he ran to the bathroom and puked into the toilet. His tears and nose watery, his eyes red, his sweat seeped into his clothes, making his entire body damp and sticky. Afterward, he flushes the toilet and sat down on the floor in his bathroom. *pant**pant* He stood up to wash his face and to change out of his clothes. Picking up his phone, he booted it up, noting the time to be 4:02 am. ¡°It¡¯s still early,¡± Atlas said, tired. ¡°Huh?¡± He noticed a series of messages from Mei. Why is she texting at this time? ¡°Spamming?¡± he wondered, as his body began to tremble. ¡°This is some kind of a prank, right?¡± He opened them one by one. The first message. December 17, 2032. 2:04 am. ¡°Al, something is going on outside my apartment. I am unsure of what it is.¡± The second message. December 17, 2032. 2:13 am. ¡°Someone is trying to destroy my door. I tried calling the police, but it¡¯s not working for some reason. So, I just texted and I hope they received it. I am scared please help.¡± Atlas started to panic, moving quickly so he could get dressed, reading them as he was dressing. The third message. December 17, 2032. 2:21 am ¡°I covered the door with heavy objects. I tried calling everyone again and again, but it isn¡¯t working. I tried texting everyone, asking for help, but no one answered. If you see this, please help me. I screamed but no one came. Please. Come.¡± The fourth message. December 17, 2032. 2:29 am ¡°Help the door is broken.¡± The fifth and final message. December 17, 2032. 2:30 am. It was a voice message. Atlas couldn¡¯t breathe, his mind blanking, his hands shaking furiously. His heart pounded so hard he thought it would leave his body. And then slowly, he opened the last message. ¡°Help! Al! Help!¡± *Drop* Her blood-curdling scream filled the room before the phone dropped, ending the call. Atlas rushed outside his apartment, already out of breath. Tears filled his eyes and he was sweating profusely. He sat on his bike and peddled as fast as he could. Please! Be safe! Arriving at Mei¡¯s apartment, he noticed that it was dark and creepy. The gate was open, the door unhinged. Atlas pressed the brakes of his bicycle and because of the speed, he fell off, but it was at a manageable impact. He stood up, leaving the bicycle, and ran towards the apartment, rushing to the second floor, only stopping at the foot of Mei¡¯s room. Sniffing around, Atlas cringed at the weird metallic scent, quickly recognizing it as blood. Although nervous, he opened the door in a rush. As the room was dark, he took his phone out and opened the flashlight. Looking down at his feet, he found a trail of blood. ¡°No ... no please¡­¡± He followed the trail and screamed. ¡°No! No! Please ¡­ no!¡± What he saw ¡­ ¡°Please! This is a dream, right?! Like last time!¡± No. It is not a dream. His eyes slowly went up to find Mei nailed to the wall, her head twisted like an owl¡¯s, her face almost shattered. Atlas found her eyes are on the floor, and when he studied her face again, he noticed the dislocated jaw and a broken nose, as well as the hole, is in her cheeks. The stomach had a massive hole, clearly ripped apart, her guts splattered everywhere, some still dangling from her body. ¡°Argh!¡± Frustrated, Atlas screamed. He cried so hard; the feeling new to him, he had never experienced this much pain before, a trauma in his heart. Vomiting, he ran away from the room, tripping on the top step of the stairs in the process. Atlas fell but the height wasn¡¯t dangerous, his face hitting the ground. Trying to stand up, he felt dizzy then he felt blood dripping from his nose. It brought back the memories of the scene he had seen earlier, causing him to vomit again. After that, he fell on his knees, his vision blurry. Gazing through the window, he saw someone, jogging outside the gate. He then inhaled deeply and with all his might, he yelled. ¡°HELP!¡± Chapter 1 - End Change (Outdated Version) 3:49 pm. Two kids venture on a mountain peak. A park is located at the peak, it is already old, forgotten, and abandoned by the locals. Though, it still retains the beauty of the view and the simplistic design of the place. The edges of the park are surrounded by worn-out wooden fences that match the wooden design of the cement benches that are everywhere. In one of the benches, a black-haired girl and a crimson-haired boy are sitting and conversing with each other. ¡°... And then, George recreated a stupid monkey dance in class while standing on the teacher¡¯s desk. Teacher Margarette got so angry and punished him by squatting for a minute and giving him five assignments to pass tomorrow!" Atlas explained, laughing while doing weird hand gestures. Mei smiled, curious. ¡°Was it the monkey dance that Sir Brad showed us?¡± ¡°Yep!¡± Atlas smiled widely. ¡°That¡¯s so stupid!¡± Mei laughed as hard as Atlas. ¡°Ah! I remembered something!¡± She said, ¡°You made a good speech that shocked even the high school teachers!¡± Her eyes sparkled. ¡°That? I just made it an hour before the presentation. Everyone made a big fuss about it and I was shocked! I am amazing, right?!¡± Atlas puffed his chest. The black-haired girl got annoyed and pushes the proud boy. ¡°Ouch! What did you do that for?!¡± the crimson-haired boy shouted and frowned as he stares at Mei. She stands up from the bench and walks to the fence while flailing her arms. ¡°You are so proud ¡­" She said as she holds the fence ¡°You are too lazy to do anything, yet still manages to do the best projects in our school! It is irritating and annoying! Bleeh!¡± she sticks out her tongue. ¡°Wha? Then do better, you gorilla!¡± he pointed towards her, irritated. Mei, ignoring his remarks, asked, ¡°I wonder if the fence is still sturdy enough?¡± She starts shaking the fence. ¡°Are you ignoring me?! And stop shaking the fence or it will break!¡± ¡°Hmph! I don¡¯t care if it breaks. I am brave¡± Mei said, continuing to shake the fence. ¡°What kind of logic is that?¡± Mei continues to shake the fence as hard as she can while Atlas walks toward her. *Snap* The fence snapped and Mei¡¯s body slanted. She is falling. ¡°Mei!¡± the crimson-haired boy ran towards her as fast as he could. *grab* The boy grabbed and pulls Mei before she completely falls into the cliff. *thud* Atlas fell on his back and Mei fell with him but is on top of the boy. ¡°Mei are you--¡± Atlas stopped midway. He realized that Mei¡¯s head is resting on his chest while they are lying on the floor. He felt drops of liquid on his chest and hears sobbing. The girl is crying and frightened. He felt that his chest part is soaked. ¡°Stop crying. I thought you said that you¡¯re brave?¡± ¡°Jerk, everybody is going to be scared if they experienced that,¡± she whispered. She is right, anybody would be scared. Atlas feels bad for saying such an insensitive remark and hugs the girl on top of him. ¡°I¡¯m ¡­ sorry. I was insensitive ¡­" ¡°Mm¡­¡± She agreed, sobbing. ¡°So, it¡¯s okay now. I will protect you and stay with you. It hurts to see you cry ¡­ Please, don¡¯t be sad now.¡± Atlas blushed as he spoke. ¡°Really?¡± the girl asked. ¡°Really ¡­" he said. The two kids stand up and Mei wipes her tears. ¡°Huh?!¡± the crimson-haired man noticed the sky. The blue sky and the orange light blended as the sun goes down in between two mountains. ¡°Look!¡± Atlas shouted, pointing at the sky. Mei looks and her eyes reflected the beautiful scenery. ¡°It¡¯s pretty¡± she admired as she rests her arm across her chest. The sight comforted the two and their hearts felt warm as they stare at the irresistible view. ¡°Al?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Mei moved, her body facing the man wearing a red scarf, ¡°Thank you for being so sweet!¡± The beautiful view complemented the sweet smile of the pretty black-haired girl. *Ba bump* his heart skipped. His face became beet red. ¡°Shu ¡­ shut up! No matter what you say, you are still a gorilla!¡± Atlas moved his head, avoiding Mei¡¯s stare, who giggled as she covered her mouth.
A dark, cloudy, and snowy day. The crimson-haired man woke up emotionless, tired, and lazy. His eyes are red from crying. He touched one of his eyes. ¡°Ouch!¡± he shouted. The man stands up from his bed to take a bath. Minutes later, he finished his shower, feeling very cold due to the broken heater. *Ring* *Ring* *Click* His phone rang. He answered and said ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Al ¡­" It was Nick¡¯s voice. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you,¡± Atlas said, emotionlessly. ¡°No matter what you say. You have to visit today because tomorrow is Mei¡¯s fune-¡± ¡°I know ¡­" Atlas interrupted, frowning. Nick sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s meet later.¡± *Click* The call ended, leaving them exhausted and empty Atlas behind in silence. After the incident, the police questioned him even though he was in the hospital for therapy. Atlas answered them honestly, being very cooperative to the point where he gave his phone to them for two days. Despite his efforts to help the authorities, Mei¡¯s killer is still on the run, a big mystery lurking in the dark. He did not leave his room for days due to his sadness and disappointment. ¡°What is the point of their new technology if they can¡¯t keep the citizens safe ¡­" he muttered to himself. The traumatized Atlas wore his funeral suit and made his way to the front door, reluctantly holding the knob. ¡®Do I need to go out?¡¯ he thought. He shakes his head, opens the door, and steps outside after days of seclusion.
In Bunny Foods, a waiter named Claire is entertaining a customer. ¡°What are your orders sir?¡± she asked. The man proceeds to order, and Claire enters it in the registers. ¡°This is your serving number, have a great bunny day!¡± She said and the man walks away. ¡°Claire!¡± the manager called. ¡°What is it, Ma¡¯am?¡± ¡°Help us here in the kitchen. We need more staff inside!¡± ¡°Coming,¡± she replied, rushing inside the kitchen. Hours later, she finished her shift, decides to go home, and changed into casual clothes that fit her. ¡°I wonder if I get my pay tomorrow?¡± she asked herself. ¡°Whatever! I am tired today so I should get my rest!¡± she stretches while walking. She couldn¡¯t help but notice all the men stopping to stare at her due to her good figure. ¡°There are those glimpses again ¡­ When will they approach? it¡¯s annoying!¡± she said, loudly. Some of the men who heard her had doubled their walking speed to avoid her, while others who were just standing, looked away. ¡°They did it again! Unbelievable! Why isn¡¯t anyone approaching me?!¡± Frustrated, she threw her bag in front of her. The people around her got scared and avoided her as much as they can. Claire, of course, noticed. ¡°What the hell?!¡± she picked up her bag. ¡°I don¡¯t care anymore!¡± she exclaimed, walking away.
¡°The sun isn¡¯t shining brightly today ¡­ This is too moody for my taste.¡± the man said, bored. He sat on one of the wooden benches in the park, staring at the sky as he took out an e-cigarette and decided to smoke. *Clomp* *Clomp* The man heard footsteps from the right and found a woman walking. ¡°Claire!¡± The woman notices and shouted with a big smile. ¡°Oh! Edward!¡± She ran towards him and her face distorted. *Grip* Ed gripped her face when she got very near and stood up. ¡°Do not rush to hug me with those lusty and creepy face desperate freak ¡­" he said seriously. ¡°O ¡­ Okef (Okay)¡± He lets go and Claire touched her face with relief. ¡°Eddy ¡­ why are you here? I thought you were busy masturbating in the office while looking at the pictures of dead bodies from your weird case files. Are you sick of it now?¡± Claire teased. The honey-haired man head chopped on Claire. ¡°Stop asking useless stuff and start thinking decently instead of using ¡°masturbating¡± like a stupid joke.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too serious ¡­" She whispered to herself. ¡°Anyways, I have something to show you. That carefree mood of yours will disappear when I shove this to your face ¡­" Edward remarked. ¡°Try me bitch!¡± Claire shouted, smirking. ¡°Take this seriously, this case involves a freak like you!¡± He scowls, searching for the photo. When he found it, he shoves it at Claire¡¯s face. ¡°What¡¯s the big dea-¡± she stopped when she saw what was on it, eyes widening as her smile fell. Inside the photo, was a girl nailed on the floor with a pentagram around her. ¡°Who is she?¡± Claire asked, still examining the photo. Edward answered in a cold voice. ¡°Mei Watanabe¡± ¡°Watanabe?! When did this happen? Why isn¡¯t there any news about this?!¡± ¡°The parliament wants to keep this incident a secret. The public would panic if they knew that another Watanabe is murdered.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t a normal incident. At the start of the incident 2021, there weren¡¯t any witnesses. No one heard the girl cry for help. There also aren¡¯t any records of emergency calls from the Emergency Department. Her friends and relatives did not receive any texts or calls either.¡± ¡°Then, how did they find the body?¡± ¡°A boy named Atlas Forteza found the body. He cooperated in the investigation and told the police that he received voice messages from Watanabe. He showed us his phone records and it turns out that it was true.¡± Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°Then, is there any evidence that Forteza is innocent?¡± ¡°The authorities located the victim¡¯s smartphone and the results were shocking. It turns out that she contacted different kinds of emergency hotlines, friends, and family.¡± ¡°Then, that includes the voice messages to Atlas,¡± Claire said. ¡°Yes,¡± Edward confirmed. Claire gives the photo back. ¡°Shit ¡­ It is like ¡®that¡¯ incident. We have to avoid it at all costs!¡± ¡°Then gather everyone that was involved in the incident 2021. Especially, the descendant of that vigilante.¡± He walks away. ¡°What?!¡± Claire shouted and the man disappears in a blink. ¡°Understood ¡­" she sighed.
Atlas arrived at the funeral home and proceeds to walk inside, finding people all dressed in black. ¡°Teachers are here. Some students and neighbors too ¡­" He muttered. ¡°That¡¯s not all ¡­" A voice said behind him. ¡°Relatives and friends from overseas also came.¡± The crimson-haired man turns around. ¡°Oh ¡­ Hey ¡­" It is his best friend, Nick. ¡°Go now ¡­" Nick said, emotionless. The nervous Atlas enters the room, gulps, and slowly walks towards the coffin. The room is silent. Every step he takes reminds him of the terrifying scene he saw. But it also reminds him of the time they spent together. He clenches his fist. *clomp* *clomp* His complexion is pale, and his eyes start to tear up. One step, even just one step, reminds him of her sweet smile, smell, and her warmth. ¡°Al¡± Atlas remembers her voice like yesterday. He continues to walk and is now in front of the coffin. He looks at it and then. ¡°Mei ¡­" Atlas whispered. The girl with a sweet smile that blends at the beautiful view of the sunset. Is now in the coffin, sleeping beautifully. Her face was restored by the technology of the country. ¡®You are still pretty¡¯ He thought. He accidentally muttered the rest ¡°Even in death ¡­ You are still ¡­ Shinning¡± The pain that lingers inside of his heart flows with Atlas¡¯s tears. The regret and guilt he felt, shows in his expression and his eyes, resided ¡­ ¡°Oh!¡± Atlas noticed the tears on her coffin. He took a clean handkerchief, wiping it, and takes out a silver bracelet with an engraving on it that says, ¡°Silver promise.¡± He places it above the coffin and said: ¡°This ¡­ is my final farewell.¡± He left the room, immediately walking out of the building. Outside, the devastated man notices Nick and Trisha standing, approaching them. The cold creeping under their skin despite them wearing a jacket. ¡°Dude. I am-¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t apologize. You are right.¡± ¡°But ¡­¡± Nick looked down, frowning. Atlas couldn¡¯t keep a straight face, the tears flowing again. ¡°Al, I ¡­ I do not know what to say.¡± Nick taps his best friend¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Because what you went through, is something I can¡¯t empathize with.¡± Trisha, who was just listening and crying, approaches the two, her eyes red. Both boys look at her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Atlas said. ¡°I failed to fulfill my promise to her.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not your fault,¡± Trish replied. The crimson-haired man couldn¡¯t say anything. He knows that Trisha loved Mei, she was her best friend. A friend who she trusted during her hardships. They were sisters who supported and shared their burdens. She lost all of it. All that remained were only those found in her heart. Feelings and memories. Atlas can¡¯t accept it. ¡°No! It is my fault! If only ¡­ If only I didn¡¯t turn my phone off! If only I notice her messages, I would¡¯ve¡­¡± ¡°She is right, it¡¯s not your fault. It is nobody¡¯s fault.¡± a woman said, interrupting him. Her footsteps getting louder and louder as she gets closer. ¡°Please Al ¡­ Do not be guilty. We, the Watanabe¡¯s, are thankful.¡± ¡°Aunt Naili?¡± His eyes widened. Here was Naili Watanabe, Mei¡¯s mom, wearing a plain black dress. ¡°What do you mean thankful?¡± He asked. ¡°For being with her and protecting her throughout her life. We are also glad that you rushed and found the body. We would have not known if not for you ¡­¡± ¡°But!¡± Naili walks towards Atlas and holds his hand, her warmth reminding him of his mother. ¡°Be brave for Mei¡¯s sake ¡­ You were an important man in her life. I ask you, live for her sake.¡± He couldn¡¯t say anything, so he nodded. Naili smiles, letting go of his hand. ¡®Glad? Thankful?! Don¡¯t screw with me!¡¯ he thought, but deep inside, he felt a little hopeful. Naili walks toward Trisha, patting her head. ¡°Trisha, Mei always told me about how she was always positive because of you.¡± ¡°She also told me stories of all the fun things you did, and it makes me laugh on how often she exaggerated it,¡± she chuckled. ¡°My daughter always told me how precious you were to her and how she¡¯d rather get hurt for you. To make my daughter enjoy her youth, thank you.¡± The shocked woman couldn¡¯t speak a word. She is in pain and confused. Despite that, she smiles. What Naili said gave her hope. Naili approaches the last person in the group, Nick. ¡°Nick ¡­ Despite the disputes of the family Watanabe and Azami. You remained a sweet friend. She told me how patient you were when she tried to confront you because of your surname.¡± Naili smiles.
The first time Mei and Nick met; it was at Quantum International University. ¡°Al, who is he?¡± asked the black-haired girl. ¡°He¡¯s Nick. I met him at the cafeteria a week ago! He is a good and amazing guy ¡­" He said. ¡°You sound like you¡¯re bragging ¡­" ¡°Nice to meet you, my name is Nick Azami!¡± The man smiled widely. ¡°Nice to meet- Wait ¡­ Azami? The Azami of the parliament?!¡± Mei asks. ¡°Uhh ¡­ Yes?¡± Nick said, confused. ¡°Al, I refuse to be friends with him!¡± she points at Nick, pouting. ¡°Wait ¡­ Don¡¯t be like that ¡­ Not all Azami are very bad people!¡± Atlas defends Nick, waving his arms. ¡°No! Mom said that they are treacherous people who do everything for power, fame, and wealth ¡­ ¡° ¡°Umm ¡­" Nick smiles awkwardly, rubbing his chin with his index finger. ¡°And they also kill people who try to stop them!¡± ¡°Al? Mei?¡± Nick said while still smiling awkwardly ¡°And they!¡± ¡°Hello?¡± Nick said ¡°What?!¡± Mei said, looking at the man, annoyed ¡°Are you perhaps, the artist?¡± Nick asks curiously ¡°What do you mean?¡± Mei starts to sweat ¡°Is your pen name, Rei the Unicorn?¡± Atlas is shocked. ¡°How?!¡± the flustered Mei asks. ¡°Hahahaha, so it is you?¡± ¡°I am surprised that you know Nick! How though?¡± Atlas asked as he playfully punches Nick. ¡°Well, her voice from her interviews! It is recognizable!¡± Nick smiled widely. ¡°Wha?! Tch ¡­ I knew it, I should¡¯ve canceled them¡± She muttered. ¡°Do you recognize me though? Well, I shouldn¡¯t ask because you two probably won¡¯t. So, I am going to tell you¡± Mei and Atlas anticipate Nick¡¯s next words. ¡°I am Nicolas. The number 1 sponsor of Rei the Unicorn!¡± ¡°Wait! Really?!¡± Atlas exclaimed. ¡°No way! I won¡¯t believe you ¡­" Mei crossed her arms. Nick shows his account through his phone and confirmed it by logging in. ¡°Ah! So, it is you!¡± Atlas said. ¡°Noo!¡± Mei can¡¯t believe it. ¡°So, we already know each other through chats. Nice to meet you again, Mei or Rei!¡± Mei is silent and she feels guilty. The black-haired girl can¡¯t believe that the number one sponsor and the person she chats with online is Nick. *pit-a-pat* *pit-a-pat* Trisha is approaching the three people and asked: ¡°Mei, Al, what is up here?¡± Nick notices the girl who entered the conversation. ¡°Hmph? Aren¡¯t you the athlete everyone was talking about in class? Good timing, I just bought some snacks, why don¡¯t we all eat on the rooftop¡± Trisha showed the snacks and stares at Nick. Nick paused for a bit. ¡°If it¡¯s okay for Artist here,¡± Nick said, and everyone¡¯s gaze fixed at Mei. ¡°It ¡­ is fine I guess ¡­"
¡°She also told me that she became embarrassed because of that. Even though she insulted you and your family at first, you are still friendly and continued to support her work. Thank you ¡­" Mei¡¯s mom moves away from Nick and stands in front of them ¡°Everyone. I am thankful ¡­ Very thankful that Mei has wonderful friends¡± She bows to the group of equally surprised friends. Trisha is paralyzed and her mouth opened. She closed her mouth and eyes. Nick clenched his fists while looking at Naili. Atlas took 2 steps forward and reaches out his hand in attempting to touch the shoulders of the woman. *Drip* *Drip* He notices the teardrops in the ground. He retreats his hand. ¡°Aunt Naili ¡­" He said. The bowing mom raised herself and replied ¡°I¡¯m fine¡± with a bitter smile. Mei¡¯s mom quickly turns around and rushes to the building. The friends are alone. They were just there, standing. All of them felt empty. Trisha notices the mood; she hesitates at first but found the determination to ask. ¡°Do you guys want to hang out for a while?¡± Atlas and Nick show hesitation to agree. Atlas gritted his teeth but then ¡­ ¡®Breathe in and out. Calm down ¡­" he thought and follows his thoughts. ¡°Sure, but may I choose where to go?¡± Nick approaches his best friend and asks, ¡°Where?¡±
It is around 4:00 pm when they left the funeral home. Atlas, Trisha, and Nick visit the park located at the mountain peak. ¡°This place is?¡± Trisha said as she looks around. A strong wind blew, and she felt very cold. The woman starts to rub her shoulders to be warm. ¡°I did not know that a place like this exists here,¡± Nick said as he looks at his surroundings. ¡°This is the place where Mei and I escaped when she was almost kidnapped. The Crimson man said. ¡°Oh ¡­" Nick reacted. ¡°Mei told me in detail,¡± Trisha said. Atlas nods and approaches one of the fences. He sits down and said ¡°We hid and rested her. We ended up talking about fun things like what happened at school and such ¡­" The crimson man looked at the cloudy sky with a distant face. ¡°This is the place where I first created the first promise in my life.¡± ¡°I see...¡± Nick replied. He now understood why Atlas brought them here. As for Trisha, she already knew. Suddenly, a light shine. It was warm and they felt something absent in their lives for a week. It is comfort. The woman who was walking around, halts. Her pupils dilate when the sun going down. ¡°Wow!¡± she said. Atlas, who was sitting on the bench suddenly stands up and slowly walks until he reaches the fence while looking up. Nick also stood up from sitting and inhales deeply as he stares at the beautiful sight. Atlas remembers how pretty it was. The same beauty is in front of him. ¡°The coincidence of the sun,¡± Nick describes. It is truly a sight to behold, clouds parted only for the sun to shine its breathtaking view. Atlas grabs the fence as he reminisces. *Grips* ¡°Aaaaagh!¡± he shouted as he looks up at the sky. The pain inside his chest follows the waves of echo from his shout. Atlas gave his all. He stopped and realizes that is not enough. ¡®it ¡­ still hurts¡± he thought as his head drops. *drip* *drip* Tears are on the floor. Nick and Trisha, hear the man, sobbing. Nick closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. Trisha felt the emotion of Atlas¡¯s shout and cried out loud. Nick notices and approaches her. He hugs her immediately and kisses her forehead. They mourned. The life of Mei is beautiful; however, it¡¯s fleeting as the beautiful sunset on the horizon.
In the dark living room of a very huge old mansion. A woman is running away. *Bang* A bullet pierces through her right arm. ¡°Ouch!¡± She shouted. Blood starts to come out and the wound swelled. *Thump* The impact of the bullet made her fall. ¡°Damn!¡± she said, sweating. She touched her wound and felt a sting. A man who looks like at the age of 40 is approaching the stumbled woman while holding a knife. ¡°You can¡¯t run away from me weakling. After using a spell that killed everyone in the room, I know that your body is not as strong as before.¡± ¡°You piece of shit ¡­ How did you know?¡± ¡°Trade secret my dear ¡­" The man kicks the woman¡¯s stomach. The feeling of air going out of her body and her eyesight becomes blurry, not only that, but her stomach also feels a sharp pain. ¡°You are going to kill me anyway, so why don¡¯t you tell me?¡± The man kneels and raises his knife. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you ¡­ In hell!¡± *Bam* *pit-a-pat* *Pit-a-pat* *Pit-a-pat* A group of armed men destroyed the huge door and entered the mansion. ¡°Do not move! This is the Island¡¯s special force!¡± The force wearing an improved combat suit points their guns ¡°Wha?! ¡­ You bitch!¡± *Stab* ¡°Guack!¡± The man stabbed the knife into the woman¡¯s forehead. The woman experiences a pain that can¡¯t be expressed by words. ¡°Hahahaha! Idiots! The woman is now dead, and you should¡¯ve acted quickl-¡± *Bang* *Bang* *Bang* *Bang* The noise of the rapid-fire rang throughout the huge mansion and the sounds of bullet shells falling down the tiled floor can be heard as well. ¡°Stop!¡± a man commanded. Blood gushes everywhere, the man felt air entering the holes in his body, the excruciating pain is too much that his brain stops functioning *Thump* His body dropped and a pool of blood is made. He is dead. ¡°Search the area!¡± The vice commander of the special force ordered. The forces acted without saying a word. They checked every room, every cabinet, and every hidden corner. ¡°12 dead suspects, spotted!¡± The soldier yells at his latest combat smartwatch that serves as a communicating device. The bodies died in a very peculiar way. Their skin is pale blue, their eyes are pure white with red veins bulging, their mouth opened wide, their teeth are crooked and black. The forces retrieve all the body except the man who was shot and the woman that was stabbed in the forehead. An hour later, they show the gathered documents, killing tools, demonic books. They also took photographs of different pentagrams. The man who ordered the special force checks the evidence and enters the mansion. The black trench coat that is overlapping all-black suit flaps as he enters through the huge door. The black gloves and black combat shoes complement his overall appearance. His fierce eyes and dark hair release an aura of superiority and grimness. ¡°Did you find it?¡± the man in all black asked. ¡°No ¡­ we can¡¯t find it¡± replies the vice commander. ¡°Tsk ¡­ How annoying ¡­" he said as he covers his temple. He approaches the dead body of the man and kicks his head hard. The newbie soldiers opened their mouths due to the shocking scene, but the old ones reacted like it was nothing. *Ptui* He spits on the body. The man approaches the woman that got stabbed in the forehead and said. ¡°Wake up! Or I will kick your head like the other one over there, I still have questions you need to answer ¡­ or do you prefer to be shot in the head?¡± He pulls out his colt and points it. ¡°Stop threatening people or karma will bite you back!¡± she laughed The woman on the floor suddenly spoke. She opened her eyes, smiles twistedly, and stood up without any support other than her feet. Her hands reach the knife in her forehead and pull it, blood gushed but it stops immediately since the wound regenerated. The forces are not surprised. ¡°Detective Valiant of the Special Force Department ¡­" She smiles. ¡°What are your questions? Oh! Are you asking me to go out with you? I would gladly accept it. You are handsome and your body is well built ¡­¡± She said. The woman touched Valiant¡¯s shoulders seductively and her hands slowly moved down in his body. *Grab* *Grip* ¡°Claire the Assassin. Do not touch me, and I will appreciate it if you answer my questions. If not ¡­" *Click* ¡°This colt will kill you even if your regeneration abilities are supreme.¡± ¡°Tsk ¡­ Okay,¡± she rolled her eyes. Valiant relinquishes her hand. ¡°Where is the Shadow¡¯s Grimoire?¡± He asks while pointing the colt in her head. ¡°Dunno ¡­ I don¡¯t want to even answer,¡± Claire said in a grim tone, staring at his eyes. ¡°oh ... Why?¡± ¡°The colt is at my head.¡± Valiant sighs and keeps the colt in his coat. ¡°Where is it? Edward said that it would be here.¡± ¡°Because it was originally here ¡­" ¡°Then where do you think the grimoire is now?¡± ¡°Ask the sorrows.¡± Valiant¡¯s eyes widened with rage, he clenches his fist, and a dark aura is released. The angry man punches. *slap* ¡®I hit her¡¯ He thought. ¡°Hehehe ¡­ You lost your patience Detective!¡± Claire said. She blocked the punch by using her palm and grips Valiant¡¯s fist. He prepares to counter with his other fist, but Claire has fast reflexes. *Swoosh* Claire pushes his chest with her palm and Valiant fails to counter. The detective staggers but he manages to retain his stance. Due to the detective¡¯s sturdy body and the dark aura that he manipulated; he can¡¯t receive scratches. But he received a strong blow that he can¡¯t defend, it made his chest vibrate and a burning sensation lingers. ¡°I am surprised that you know how to counter an aura shield.¡± ¡°It hurts though ¡­ My palm suffered a terrible bruise due to your sturdiness¡± Claire replied, her face shows pain while gripping her wrist. The palm hurts as she tries to move it. The break of blood flow hurts, and the pain is similar to a hand that is hammered. Valiant releases a heavy amount of aura, the thickness spreads so much that people near it can collapse. The scared officers can¡¯t hide the fear in their eyes. So, the vice commander shouted ¡°Detective, control your rage! The forces are about to faint!¡± Valiant heard the shout and thought ¡®What am I thinking?¡¯ He suppresses the aura, closed his eyes, and breathes deeply. He slowly opens his eyes and fixes his coat. ¡°Thanks to my subordinates, I managed to control my anger ¡­ Why is it that you refuse to answer?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I refuse, I was just telling the truth!¡± The wounded Claire moves her palm and flinches in pain, but it healed immediately. ¡°I am about to lose my mana because of this ¡­" she said, her face shows disappointment. ¡°Then, I should ask the sorrows? Those pesky ghosts will just lie ¡­¡± ¡°No, that is Edward¡¯s job. He already asked them the location of Shadow¡¯s Grimoire.¡± ¡°Stop going in circles and tell me where the hell is the Grimoire?!¡± ¡°Tsk ¡­ impatient bastard,¡± she mutters. ¡°Do you know about the latest homicide that happened recently?¡± Valiant thought for a while, rubbing his chin in the process ¡°The last homicide happened last year! Stop searching for re-¡± ¡°They purposely hid it from the public and the parliament does not also want your department to know.¡± Valiant looks around. The confused forces are murmuring and asking each other what the two are talking about. ¡°Get out and take the bodies with you!¡± Valiant said in a commanding voice. The forces listened. They took the bodies away and left them alone. ¡°So, where are we?¡± Valiant asked. Claire searches her pocket and found a photo. She walks going to Valiant and shows it to him. ¡°Who was she?¡± ¡°Her name was Mei Watanabe.¡± Valiant observes the photo and notices a pentagram around the nailed body. His eyes widen and he starts to panic. ¡°This! This is the Skull Pentagram!¡± he said ¡°Wait! The skull pentagram ¡­ The Shadow¡¯s Grimoire ¡­ And the family Watanabe ¡­ Don¡¯t tell me!¡± ¡°Yes, ¡®that¡¯ incident might happen again.¡± ¡°So, your plan is?¡± ¡°To lure you out here, Detective.¡± ¡°That bastard ¡­¡± Valiant calms himself. ¡®He got me. Sending false information to lure me out just like that. His judgment is right though, going to the department and telling me this information is very risky since spy cameras and hidden voice recorders are inside my office for safety. Though, why did she kill those people recklessly?¡¯ ¡°Why did you kill those people?¡± ¡°I was gathering information, but I got careless. Out of habit, I used a spell to kill everyone in the room, and that guy, the one who stabbed my throat, is their leader¡± ¡°I see ¡­" Valiant understood what Claire meant. ¡®There is only one spell that can kill everyone inside a room, and it explains why she was defeated by a weakling despite her skills¡¯ ¡°Did you gather anything useful?¡± ¡°Yes. They said that the lord of the Skulls returned to life¡± ¡°Hm?!¡± the man reacted and formed a shocked face. ¡°There is no way?!¡± ¡°Yes, there is ¡­" Valiant is speechless. ¡°We need your assistance, Detective Valiant. You are the one who solved ¡®that¡¯ incident.¡± Claire said seriously. The detective thought about it deeply, he crosses his arms. ¡°Why do I need to help you? You are good at finding useful information, I¡¯ll give you that. But what else can you do?¡± Claire flinches and Valiant continues. ¡°I can solve it on my own. Get lost!¡± ¡°Are you this cold?!¡± Claire asks as she clenches her fist. Valiant stayed quiet, he turns around and is about to leave. ¡®You ungrateful bastard! After all the information I gave, you dare act like that?!¡¯ Claire thought. ¡°Valiant Vega! I wouldn¡¯t walk out if I were you!¡± Valiant¡¯s expression darkens, his eyes blazing in anger. The man quickly turns around to face Claire. ¡°Where did you learn my surname ¡­ ANSWER ME!¡± ¡°What? You thought Edward wouldn¡¯t know? He is the best information broker in the Quantum Islands,¡± Claire smirked. ¡°ENOUGH! Now I have to ¡­" He pulls his colt, and points at Claire ¡°... Eliminate the people who knows¡± *Bang* He pulled the trigger. ¡°Huh?!¡± The woman dodged the bullet by leaping high enough to reach the ceiling. She is light and nimble enough to do so. ¡°You piece of shit!¡± Valiant shouted. Claire who is still in the air controls her body midair and launches herself in Valiant¡¯s direction. ¡°Take this!¡± The woman formed a kicking posture airborne. *Bam* A loud noise echoes as the kick hits the block of Valiant. The 2 arms forming a block, separated. The man can¡¯t keep his block from the impact, and he is pushed back. The frustrated man uses his foot as a break and regains his balance. He concentrated his aura into his foot and uses it as a force to push him. *Swoosh* He flew into Claire¡¯s direction instantly and pulls out his knife. *slash* Claire notices the knife nearing her face and leaps backward instantly but Valiant''s colt points at the airborne Claire. *Bang* He fires it and Claire¡¯s head got hit. A clean headshot. Her body fell. *Thump* Valiant waited, but 20 minutes later. She is still not moving. ¡°She is dead huh?¡± Valiant is relieved. ¡°Ouch!¡± He shouted. He notices the bruises on his arms. ¡°Heh ¡­ It¡¯s been quite a long time since I have one¡± He can¡¯t move his arm properly due to the pain. He kneels and drops his weapon. He is sweating and pain is visible on his face. Then, he chanted these words ¡°SANA ME SODES¡±. Dark energy wraps his arms, he felt warm and comfortable until the pair is gone. He moves his arms and it feels light. ¡°Good ¡­" He said. He grabs his weapons and turns around to leave. ¡°Where are you going, shitty detective?¡± the voice is eerie. Valiant¡¯s eyes widen. After a long time, he felt something that he thought was lost within him. It is ¡­ FEAR ¡°Was that Latin? Amazing! Where did you learn that fucktard?¡± Valiant turns around and stares at her. ¡®An immortal?! Then she is¡­!¡¯ Claire flinches, the bullet that is said to kill any supernatural is still inside her forehead. Blood is dripping and the pain can kill a normal person. ¡°AAAGH!¡± She shouted, mumbling incoherent words. ¡°tatajadad¡± Warm light surrounds her forehead, and the blood became hot inside. The hot blood pushes out the bullet. *Cling* The bullet fell. ¡°AAAGH!¡± Claire feels like passing out due to the burning sensation she feels in her head. The hole in her forehead is closing. ¡°GRR! Almost there!¡± 10 seconds later, the wound in her forehead healed but smokes are going out of her head. The pain is gone. ¡°I hate it when I have to go through that!¡± ¡°So, it is you ¡­ Leontine Grogrande. And here I thought that you are fiction.¡± Valiant said, smirking nervously. ¡°Don¡¯t be rude. Your ancestor Diego is also known as a story ¡­" ¡°I wonder where Edward found you?¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± ¡°Hehehe ¡­ interesting. Looks like you proved yourself to be useful.¡± ¡°Jerk! You just thought that the process of me reviving from anti-supernatural bullets are fascinating ¡­" ¡°I will work with you guys. Tell him to contact me later.¡± the man in black smirks. He leaves the mansion and now, Claire is alone. ¡°That man is full of shit! Edward, this better be worth it¡± Claire said.
It¡¯s dark. Infinite darkness is around Atlas. ¡®where am I?¡¯ He thought. ¡°Why does it feel like I¡¯m falling?¡± he asked himself, emotionlessly. As he falls through the infinite darkness, a huge dark red eye appeared in front of him. A red aura flows out from the eye, the only thing glowing in the darkness. ¡°What ¡­ is that?¡± He stares at it, then ¡­ *Thump* *Thump* His heart beats at an abnormal rate. ¡®Am I scared?¡¯ he thought. The eye spoke, the voice echoed in the infinite vacuum of darkness. ¡°Substantiality is a fable. Fable is substantial. Two separate worlds become interconnected.¡± ¡®What?¡¯ the man thought. ¡°Human ¡­ Every day, the world of substance shifts in a minuscule manner. Is it the same world after a week? And if the world decides to disfigure the intrinsic development and chooses to transmogrify by combining two realities¡­ is it different from the minuscule changes of the past?¡± ¡°I¡± He ponders for a moment before continuing. ¡®The world changes, so is it the same world after a week? Then one day, the world decides to change abnormally, is it different from the little changes? Wait, is it even abnormal if the world¡¯s change is nothing new?¡¯ He can¡¯t think of any answer. ¡°I do not know ¡­" His body is still falling, but he gets no closer to the eyes. ¡°HUMAN!¡± the anomalous being shouts. ¡°Behold what is around you. Discover the Unknown. The obscure is dark, but even the stars shine the most in the darkest place.¡± *Slice* His torso has been sliced by an unknown force. ¡°AAAGH!¡± He shouted. Atlas felt so much pain, to the point that it slowly takes away his consciousness. As his vision started to blur, he hears the final words of the Unknown ¡°I have credence that you will perform your task! The anomaly of the Heavens, Father Ti ¡­"
Atlas woke up, sweating. His bed is soaked as he touches it and checks his torso. He felt relief because it was there. ¡°Time ¡­ to make breakfast,¡± He said. The crimson-haired man remembered the dream. But he can¡¯t remember what the creature said. It felt real. ¡®I wish ¡­ that the pain killed me ¡­¡¯ he thought. It is December 24, 2032. 6:07 AM. It is the day of Mei¡¯s burial. The time they need to meet is around 8:00 AM. He woke up early. ¡®Cup ramen and coffee is enough for now¡¯ he thought. He eats, slurps, and drinks. He finishes his food and cleans up the dirty things. He decides to seat on the floor. ¡®My phone,¡¯ he thought as he took it. *Tap* *Tap* Minutes later, he got bored. He does not know what to do anymore. His dreams are crushed, he lacks motivation and he feels empty. ¡°Haahh ¡­ What am I going to do?¡± Atlas muttered and raises his head, looking up the ceiling. After a while, he got tired and looks at his desk. There, he saw the picture inside a frame. Atlas stares at it. Atlas, Trisha, Mei, and Nick, smiling together. ¡°hahaha, Al is too weak to catch the ball!¡± ¡°Shut up! I exercise you know!¡± ¡°Hey, Meeeeiiii! Fix my hair!¡± ¡°Trish, I already taught you!¡± Memories, that is all that remains ¡­ Atlas stared at it with his dead eyes. He gritted his teeth and cradled his face. *sobs* He cried. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°WHY?¡± ¡°WHY?¡± ¡°WHY? ¡°WHY?!¡± Atlas shouted and threw his phone at the picture frame. The frame fell and it shatters. He stood up. *Smash* He punches a mirror nearby. He felt the sharp pain in his fist, and it starts to bleed a lot. The man proceeded to punch the wall. *Bam* ¡°Why?!¡± *Bam* ¡°Why does she have to die?!¡± *Bam* ¡°I don¡¯t understand!¡± ¡°Al?¡± ¡°Stingy!¡± ¡°Hey, grump ¡­" ¡°You are sweet!¡± As he punches the wall, memories keep playing. *Bam* *Bam* *Bam* *Bam* ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. There is silence. Atlas stopped. His fist is bloody and heavily bruised. ¡°THAT SHITTY KILLER! I will ¡­ I will crush your damn face! I will crush each one of your bones! After that, I will spit on your fucking corpse and burry you into the depths of hell!¡± The pain that lingers inside of his heart flows with Atlas¡¯s tears. The regret and guilt he felt, shows in his expression and his eyes resided ... Rage and Hate Chapter 2 End 𝒫𝓇𝑜𝓁𝑜𝑔𝓊𝑒 Have you ever gone to heaven? A place rumored to be full of happiness? People have thought of leaving this shitty world for a paradise above but never thought of contributing to making this world the heaven that they wanted. I always wondered why god has these almost impossibly perfect qualifications to go there, but thinking of human beings as insufferable in personality would finally make sense. If I were him, I would give them the same qualifications. No... I would give them worse! This world deserves to burn; these selfish, sinful beings cannot be redeemed. These people, thinking of paradise, not making a contribution to make one, will never go to this so-called "heaven." You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ... The world smells of cinder, and the heat scorching around my skin earlier now felt numb. My right hand is blackened and bloody, and I can only look up at the smoky sky because I can''t move both legs. I can see the former bustling skyscrapers, now turned into debris, and those expensive windows that people are boasting about are now shattered. I wonder how those spoiled shitty rich people feel after their empire crumbled like a flimsy toy; their life also turned into smoke; sounds nice right? How did it come to this? Why did it have to? It was supposed to stop ... I... have to redo everything; I should be able to do so; why? Because... I have to save her... I have to keep everyone safe... Who you are listening, whoever you are, save everyone. Do not think of going to heaven when you haven''t contributed anything to this world; be the god if you have to, and don''t suffer like I did... Save this world, and save yourself as well.