Kylo's Point of View
I opened my eyes, but I could only see darkness. Did I go blind after the ritual? I feel dizzy. I can't move my arms.
I was right. Maybe it wasn't true, and they scammed me. What an idiot. Who would believe that it will work? Well, only a dumb kid like me. I was so desperate to eradicate my bullies, so I went in search of something that might help me get out of this misery.
I tried to stand up... What is this? Who tied my hands?
The lights blinded me when it turned on. I roamed my eyes. I was inside of an empty room. It was a small room where the walls and ceiling were all white. I sat on a chair at the center where they tied my feet. I don't have any idea what's happening.
Maybe I am in purgatory because I feel hot. I should prepare myself. The angels would probably execute me for what I have done. I am a disgrace for doing such a mortal sin and having to use black magic for my advantage. I shouldn't have done it. My emotions have driven me to seek revenge. But if I didn't do it, I wouldn't be able to put up with their oppression and my inferiority.
The door opened. A bearded man entered. He looks like a cowboy with his outfit and boots.
"How do you feel right now?" he asked and smirked.
"Who are you?" I asked in confusion.
He stared at me for a second and laughed hard.
"The best agent doesn't know my name? Don't make me laugh. Maybe I hit your head too hard," he said and shook his head.
What? What is he talking about?
"I've heard a lot about you," he said and closed the door.
Look at this man. So the rumors had reached his ears. What's in it for him? Fine, I'm such a weakling who couldn't protect herself.
"Are you a parent of those bitches? What did they tell you? I'm sure they turned the table around and accused me of hurting them, when in fact I am the victim," I said.
He paused and mulled over.
"What are you blabbering about? Don't you dare touch my daughter or I'll kill you!" he hissed.
This is ridiculous. Like what I've thought, he has victim mentality. I grinned.
"Parents have been overprotective with their children. In reality, they know less about them. They don't know that they've raised a monster."
"Did you just call my daughter a monster?" he asked with his nose flaring in anger.
My words enraged him, and he punched me in the face. So this was where they got their brutality. It runs in the blood. I'm amazed that my face was still intact from the blow.
"Was that all you have? Come on. That won't kill me," I said and smirked.
I intended to piss him until started punching all over my body. For the last strike, he kicked me and I fell on the icy floor together with the chair that he tore into pieces.
"How was that? They say you are the best in the business. Well, I'll say they're wrong," he said.
His fists made my left eye swollen, and I could feel the pain on my face. He grabbed his phone and took a photo of me with a sinister look on his face.
"Perfect shot! I'll send this present to IIF so they'll know that I am unstoppable, especially that you're about to die. The best agent, huh? I'm disappointed."
That was the last thing I heard from him before I lost consciousness. All I could think about was that one of my bullies' parents kidnapped me and I'm about to get tortured. If not, maybe they hired him to assault me.
Agent? What was that supposed to mean? IIF? Was that the name of their organization? They have a lot of time to kill me, instead of watching over their spoiled children. Before I die, I will tell you how my life has been since I was a freshman. It all started one day when I trusted someone.
I've always been invisible, and it was way better before I became a victim of bullying. I was a nobody. Most of you might think that students who wore glasses and quiet most of the time were intelligent. For me, that wasn't the case. I am dumb in all subjects. My grades were unbearable. I've been doing my best to improve, but I never did.
When I reached 10th grade, being dumb and invisible was fine. I have gotten used to it. Not until a friend of mine betrayed me. I thought she was real. I treated her as one. She was the only friend I had.
One day, she said that she wanted to help me improve. We became study buddies. The thought of making it excites us, but it turns out that what's on the test differed from what we have studied. We did not even reach half of the total score. We were so frustrated.
"This is our last option," she said.
She had prepared cheating material. She made me write them on a piece of paper for both of us. I was hesitant because I know it's bad, and that was so not me. No matter how dumb I am, I never cheat. But she convinced me because we want good grades.
I guess you know what happened. We got caught. During the interrogation, she pointed out that it was my idea. The teacher could recognize my penmanship on the paper, so she assumed it was me.
Since then, they mocked me as 'Kylo the Cheater.' There, I found my bullies. To tell you honestly, my classmates never cheat. They were all smart and competitive. They left me behind. We were dumb, but I was the dumbest for believing her. Mom doesn't know about this. I don't want her to know. She couldn't do anything about it either. We were powerless compared to them.
I attempted suicide. But If I would do that, I'd be giving them the chance to be free from their madness. I thought that it's unfair, so I decided and sought revenge instead.
My research lasted for weeks. The ritual came into my mind from the data that I have gathered. I even dug up the deep web to find it. The ritual handbook cost me a lot. I broke my piggy bank and used the money I earned from my allowance for the past 4 years.
Using black chalk, I drew the ritual pattern on the floor of my room. I lit 6 red candles around it. After uttering the chant, I had to close my eyes and wish. They would grant it, it says. The twist was I must not fall asleep before the fire completely consumed the candles. I was doing it at 1:00 am.
"I want to be the strongest so I could protect myself from them. I want them to fear me that even my voice would send shivers down their spine, and they shall praise my name."
That was the words that came out of my mouth.
A loud knock on the door awakened me. I'm still alive. It's ridiculous. Two men entered the room. They walked closer to me and grabbed my arms. I could barely stand up. The pain consumed all my energy to move, so they tugged me. I'd rather be dead. Why can't they leave me alone? I want to rot and decay.
"Where are you taking me?"
My voice was soft, but enough for them to hear.
"Why should we tell you? Do you think we're dumb?"
He gripped my left arm. The guy covered his body with tattoos. I almost forgot that I am the dumb one here.
"Tell him. He will not live long after all."
The guy with a scar on his cheeks smirked.
"Well then, agent. IIF sent their backup to save you, but before that, we're going to kill you," the tattooed guy said.
"Straightforward. I like that."
We were walking across rooms. I could hear voices from the inside. There were knocks on doors as we passed by. There were cries and loud banging. I wonder if this is a mental hospital. Maybe I had gone insane after everything.
"Excuse me. Can I go to the comfort room before you kill me?" I asked.
"Don't you dare trick us? That won't work," the scarred guy said.
"So you want me to urinate in my pants, huh?"
They looked at each other.
"He wouldn't be able to escape. The gigantic walls surrounded the entire area. He wouldn't be able to climb up there. Fifty trained men are guarding every corner. Ten men with superb fighting skills protect the gate, which was the only way in and out. Even if he's planning to trick us, he'll end up dead," the scarred guy said.
"Well then," the tattooed guy said.
They dragged me to the right corner, which I presumed was the way to the comfort room. I was not in my right mind. I want to get over everything and die peacefully. They untied my hand before I entered the room. I stopped when I looked at my face in the mirror.
"What is this?"
I touched my face, scrubbed my cheeks, and blinked a few times.
"Is this me?" I whispered.
So it worked! But I was not expecting this to happen. I've read the handbook, and nobody informed me that I'll turn into a different person. Did I make a mistake during the ritual? Maybe my pronunciation of the chant was wrong. Am I going to be like this forever? I don't understand. As far as I can remember, I hoped to be strong. Does being a guy strengthens me more than before?
"Make it quick!" they yelled.
What should I do now? I don't even know if this body belongs to someone.
I walked out of the room while brooding. I lend my hands and they tied it again. They probably think I look stupid. Escaping from this place was the only choice I have. Finding answers to my confusion would be a good start. But first, I have to gather information.
"Do you know me?" I asked.
"Of course. You are the great Vad Wagner, but look at you now," the scarred guy smirked.
Vad Wagner, huh? I've never heard of such a name before.
"What makes me so great?"
"Because you're famous. You're like a legend. You're the best IIF agent. I'm actually a fan. You've killed many badasses in the business, put crazy politicians behind bars, and donated half of your wealth to charities," the tattooed guy said.
What? Unbelievable.
"Why do you know a lot of things about me? Agents should keep a low profile," I said.
"We have to know our enemy. It thrilled me to know that you are after our boss. I never thought that this day would come, that I can see you in person."
He was saying things like Vad Wagner was a Korean Idol. Wagner must be great, that a criminal admires him.
"Stop spilling nonsense, Idiot!" the scarred guy said.
"It is an honor to be the one killing the legendary," the tattooed guy said.
If Wagner was the best Agent, I guess I ruined his name for being too weak. But if I'm inside his body, maybe I can be strong too.
"Make way for the great Vad Wagner," the tattooed guy said.
We were in front of the gigantic gate. The guards opened the gate and positioned for a salute. What a surprise. Looks like Wagner has a lot of fans here.
"Can we have a handshake from him?" one guard said.
"Sure," the tattooed guy said.
They lined up in front of me and shook my hand. I don't know what to feel. Should I let him die like this?
"You're crazy. Boss won't be glad to see this," the scarred guy said.
"He's not here, so don't ruin our mood," the tattooed guy replied.
After what seems to be ceremonial for a fallen comrade, we entered the van. The guards put down their cap as I bid goodbye.
"What's next? How are you going to kill me?" I asked.
"We will stop by the lake, so we could throw your dead body there," the scarred guy said.
"Seriously? Why do you have to kill me there when you can do it now?" I asked.
"Well, to enjoy the moment? This is a once in a lifetime experience. IIF will go down after this. This is historical," the tattooed guy said.
"I see. Too bad, you're dealing with The Great Vad Wagner. Things will not be easy," I said before exerting my maximum strength to loosen the rope. It worked. I am strong!
I grabbed the gun in the scarred guy's pocket and shot the driver. The car went crazy. The scarred guy punched my face. Wagner's face was quite thick. I threw an uppercut which knocked him down. The car was moving towards a hill. Sooner, I'll be throwing them down there.
"Thanks for the admiration, Mate," I said to the tattooed guy before I jumped out of the car.
I could see the agony in his eyes as the car went off the cliff. He smiled at me, like a fanboy looking at his idol before he dies. Well, I'd be glad to look at Park Seo Joon before I die too. That's the best gift.
I haven't held a gun before, neither do I have experienced combat. I used to watch action films and wished to be like them, that's why I could pull the trigger. It's as clear as water that fighting is in Wagner's blood that's why I could go against them. His body is truly amazing, as if it's controlling me. I love this, but I wonder what's happening in my actual body now.
I am in the middle of a forest and I don't know what place this is. My stomach growled as it craves food. My wounds feel sore too. The vast forest was dark and the temperature inside was cold. The silence makes me think that I'm the only person who's lost in here.
I was roaming my eyes around when I smelled something awful. It arouses my curiosity and made me follow it. I'm like those stupid characters in a film where they follow things that seem to be dangerous.
I hid behind a tree as I drew nearer to it. This time, I could hear a strange sound. I sneak on it and saw the back of a person. So I'm not alone here. What a relief. I walked towards her and was about to utter words when she faced me.
She looks pale and weird. I mean, wearing ragged clothes with bare feet isn't weird. There's something different about her that I couldn't tell. Also, she was carrying a baby. She immediately moved away from me.
"Wait!"
She runs fast, maybe she's terrified. Do I look horrible? Does Wagner look horrible? I'm lost without a direction. I stopped when I couldn't keep up with her speed. But what does a woman with a baby doing in this forest? Well, I assumed that she's mentally ill just by looking at her.
I heard another noise. It was a cry. I think it's a cry from an infant. My instincts tell me to follow the sound again. It led me to a giant cave. The cry faded.
I went inside the cave and as I did, I could smell something. The cave smells like a rotten egg and a decaying body that I tried not to vomit. So gross! Is this a dumpsite for dead people? It's too dark in here.
"Ahh!"
I shouted as I fell into an enormous pit.
What is this? I couldn't see anything. Wait, I could see a light. The fall buried my body into something that felt like rocks, and the smell has gotten worse in this part.
I moved to reach for the flashlight. Maybe someone has left it here. Therefore, there's a chance that someone's nearby. Weird, my brain's working this time. I dragged myself out of what seems to be a sea of rocks. I directed the light to the entire area. I vomited after seeing everything. It wasn't stones. It was skeletons!
I immediately ran away from it, but my feet stumbled upon something. I dropped on the ground. I lit it and my eyes widened in shock. Corpses! Decaying bodies of babies!
My body was shaking. I don't know what to do. It froze me. Suddenly, I saw a shadow. It was the woman I saw earlier. What is she doing here? This place is dangerous. I must warn her.
I stood up and was about to approach her when she gazes at her child wrapped in her arms. I dropped my flashlight when I saw the next thing she did. She ate her baby!
I was about to scream when someone covered my mouth and dragged me into darkness. Would a monster eat me alive like that innocent infant?
After a while, someone dragged me out of the cave.
"Are you alright?"
I looked at the person who saved me. He was an old man. He looks and feels normal to me.
"What was that?" I asked, panting.
"Before I answer your question, let's go somewhere safe," he said.
"There's somewhere safe in here? For real?"
When I was a child, my mother would warn me not to talk to strangers. Right at this moment, I can't think of anything but to follow the old man. Whether he's a cannibal, shapeshifter, or a vampire, I will know soon.