Chapter 2
…
The golden light of the morning sun illuminated the small dilapidated room in which only an old bed and a chair could be seen. At one glance of the room, one could tell that it is a small old house where a single person lived.
Lying on the small bed is a young figure with many patches of half-dried leaves and old pieces of cloth which serve as a bandage covering his body which is filled with wounds and dark bruises.
The bandage could not even properly cover the bloody gash of his wounds as there are still visible patches of his skin that have already turned purple.
...
"Ugh…" a small sound coming from the lad disturbed the silence within the small room.
"Arrgghh…"
I muttered with a pained voice as I tried to suddenly move. Discomfort and soreness suddenly assaulted my whole body as I lay helplessly on the bed. I tried moving but my limbs would not follow my command. My eyes began to roam around the room as I tried to recover from my blurry vision.
I suddenly feel my head hurting as my mind was a mess.
A large amount of memory assaulted me and my grief and pain increased. I suddenly remembered everything that has happened.
Lin Qiao… she was lying on the ground and although it was for a while, I was able to at least hold her hand until I lost my consciousness.
At that time all I could think was to hold her and try to hug and comfort her or was it me trying to comfort myself for the guilt I was feeling, but it was all too late.
She was already lifeless and I… I was dying.
Wait a minute… Dying? I was dying, right? But… but how could I be still alive?
I didn't know what is happening, but my heart feels a pang of pain and within the darkness of my consciousness, the faces of those ten people began to surface.
In fact, at that time when Long Tao was confessing his feelings to Lin Qiao, I was there. Feeling that Lin Qiao might be at risk, I immediately did research on these people, and what I found shook me to my very core.
'Hallowed Leaf' is the name of an organization that has been operating in the shadows of city H. I was able to find out about it because, though I am not that good, I myself am able to do simple hacking. It was part of my interest and hobby.
As I found about the existence of Hallowed Leaf, and that Long Tao and Yu Bai was a member of it, I immediately feel the danger. However, I still underestimated them; I never would have thought that they could even have control over the police force in the city.
And because of my folly and mistake, even Lin Qiao died.
"It was all my fault…" I muttered in a hoarse voice.
Tears began to stream down my cheek as I recalled how she died in front of my eyes.
But what could I have done? Should I have just given in to their bullying and suffer?... Maybe… maybe it was for the best. Maybe it was for the best that I should have died alone.
Then suddenly, I remember reading the message that Long Tao sent as I was able to hack on his SNS account. That was the message that sparked my anger and the reason I reported them besides the beatings I received.
It said that Long Tao wanted to abduct Lin Qiao and he sent this message to Yu Bai. Yu Bai replied that he agreed and they began to set up everything. But at that time, I also have my plans so that their focus would be on me.
But still, everything was futile.
Lin Qiao still died and it was all on me.
My tears would not stop falling as I lamented on my sorrows and regrets. My heart is filled with anger, grief, fear, and the ever-increasing desire for revenge.
As my dark desire grows, I suddenly feel my mind hurting. The pain was too great that I could not even shout as my voice seems to have been blocked by something. Then as I close my eyes, deep within the darkness, I saw a pair of green sinister eyes looking directly at me.
"Do you want revenge? Do you want to kill them all? Hihihi…" a sinister and eerie voice filled my mind as it echoed through the darkness of my consciousness.
…
When I opened my eyes, the room has now turned dim. It looks like the sun is about to set. It seems that I have lost my consciousness once again for a long time.
Suddenly, in the corner of my eyes, I saw an old man wearing ragged clothes and an old straw hat. As he walks inside the small room, he took a glance at me but did not say anything and just hanged the straw hat on the wall. Then from his side, I saw him taking out a plastic bag.
"Who… who are you? Are… are you the one who saved me?" I asked in a low and raspy voice.
The old man turned towards me and showed a faint smile. But he did not reply as he busied himself on the side.
He walks out of the room and not long later I could smell a nice aroma filling the air.
My stomach suddenly grumbled and I discovered that I felt a bit hungry. Not long later, I saw the old man enter the room and on his hand is a wooden bowl brimming with steaming soup.
"You have to eat… two days have passed and your body needs some nourishment." The old guy said in a deep but a little rough voice.
"Th… Thank you…" I said as I tried to smile.
That night I had a hard and a bit excruciating dinner, but my hunger was sated.
As I closed my eyes to sleep, my mind drifted to the dream world.
"Son, I'm really proud of you for keeping your grades high. If you keep this up, we will send you to the U.S. you can study there for your college." My mother said with a proud smile on her face.
"Your mom and I have already agreed with this. If you don't want to go to the U.S. you can pick which country you would like to study… Haha..." my father said with a chuckle.
I remember their proud faces at that time as they saw my grades. Actually, I have been a good student ever since I started school and I would say my grades are above average and is good enough to enter any university that I wanted to.
Though I have that kind of aptitude, I am a bit introverted, so my friends are limited to Lin Qiao and some of my classmates who are also as timid as I am.
One day, when I saw my grades and I discovered that I was suddenly on top of my class. And this made me feel a bit happy.
"Hey, congratulations!" Someone from behind greeted me.
I found myself inside my classroom and all of my classmates and my teacher are looking at me with a happy smile on their faces.
Everyone is saying their happy greetings to me. And my heart feels warm and happy.
But then...
"Yeah, congratulations for stepping over me…" a low but scuffing tone coming from a beautiful girl in my classroom gained my attention.
When my eyes landed on her, my heart skipped a beat. Then from the window of the corridor, a group of students suddenly appear and their expressions and eyes are glaring at me and their faces have a sinister smile.
Then I saw Lin Qiao suddenly appearing and standing by the door with her school uniform stained with her own blood. I could clearly see the gaping wound on her neck and her face twisting into an ugly expression.
Suddenly, everyone inside the classroom turned ugly and their faces turning monstrous.
I found myself surrounded by faces that look like monsters and their mouth is filled with razor-sharp teeth.
"It was all your fault!" Lin Qiao shouted in a shrill voice as she walks towards me with blood pouring all over her neck and turning the ground crimson.
I froze in fear as I felt my hand grabbing my chest as I could feel the pain inside my heart. Though I was fearful, yet I have known and have already accepted that reaction from Lin Qiao. If she wanted to devour my soul just for her to forgive me, I would let her.
"Sorry… It's all my fault…" I said as I did not want to struggle anymore.
I opened my arms and accepted her in my embrace. I expected the pain, I accepted my sins, and I am willing to suffer just for her to forgive me.
As my mind reeled in and waited for that expected anguish, I suddenly found myself within the void.
Then in front of me, the sinister-looking eyes and the invisible face suddenly change their expression.
"How come you didn't succumb to despair!" an eerie voice in the void shouted.
However, before I could say anything, a flash of light appears and the eerie voice screamed in pain. The sinister eyes to which the voice belongs suddenly melted like green smoke dispersing into thin air.
"No! Why is this happening? I should have his body… I should have his body, how could he not despair!" shouted the voice which made me feel a bit of fear.
However, all I could see now is a glaring white light that blinded my vision.
"Ack!"
I suddenly found myself waking up and the darkness of the room greeted my sight.
"It… It was all a dream." I muttered to myself.
I then found my body feeling a bit lighter and the pain seems to have subsided a little. However, I still could not move. Not wanting to return to sleep, I just look at the window and the dark sky outside.
Seeing the stars in the sky, I could not help but ask myself once again… why… why am I still alive?