POWER!
Irrespective of mankind or the flora and fauna, this is a dominant force that exists and dictates life on this planet. Only the strong survive. The weak shall die. A tale that has been passed down to many millennials, a tale that is spoken of even before the time the humans could talk. The dinosaurs said to be the most powerful species that ever lived on earth, were wiped away with the crash of a giant meteor from the sky.
Alexander the great, who many shall till date refers to, conquered the whole world, and yet succumbed to an illness. Cleopatra the beautiful and marvelous, became a victim of her own existence. So on and so forth...
Mankind has always been a slave to power. From the existence of time, it always has been. Me, you, the neighbors, the many strangers, so on and so forth...as far as the eye can see, and the hands can touch, is under the jurisdiction of power. Everything we touch, everything we feel, everything we see, everything we sense, is all under its jurisdiction. And nothing can be more evident in today's world than the wealth an individual possesses. The world revolves around the nobles and the wealthy. They lay out the rules that we follow. They create the products that we are to purchase to lead a sustained life. Times have certainly changed. And now, we live in a world where information is everything. Technology is on the rise. No one is safe anymore. In a few years' time, who knows what may happen? Only time will tell.
...
"Well, that's that. There's no helping it. I can't change my past or who I am. The only thing I can change is the tomorrow I live in."
"..."
"And it means it's going to be a future with any one of you involved in. What we share today is just something that will stay frozen in our memories in this present time. There's nothing more to it. We all are defects of our true selves, and we need to find our true selves. That's what matters. As long as that's something no one can take away from you, you will always be standing at the top."
I started sputtering whimsical nonsense from my mouth in order to just prove a point and started uttering something superficial but in reality...I despised it. I despised this very system. We, humans, were the ones who created money as a means of fair trade, and yet, we are slaves to that very system. The rich get richer, and the poor get even poorer. And then there're people like me, in no man's land. We're rich enough to lead a comfortable and decent life, nothing outlandish. DECENT.
"I hope it clears your doubt about why I don't react to such stuff. Because I can't refuse the truth. This is the one truth that can never be erased. And this is the one truth you have to accept and forget. Forget me, it's that simple."
She clenched her fist in respite. She wanted to say something, but she held back. There were tears in her eyes. Genuine tears rolled down her red cheeks. She ran away from that room. Those words echoed inside her heart, that it hurt her. It scarred her. Meanwhile...
"Oi! Aren't you supposed to follow her?"
I was looking at the dark sky with a feeling of emptiness.
"Nope. I don't need to. It's not my business to meddle with other's personal feelings."
"And you're okay with this?"
"It's better than giving a wrong impression that will, later on, cause some irreversible complications."
Normally, this should have been a heated conversation between two young teens in their romantic comedy, but in my case, it's a tragedy. And we were speaking like two top elite businessmen, without any feelings or remorse. But unlike us, Haru chased Hina. We were staring at each other for a few seconds before each turned to their own way. I was about to go out of the room when...
"So, do you want that power?"
I clenched my fist tight. Or to be precise, my fist clenched on its own.
"I didn't know that they were selling it in the department stores these days. How much does it retail for?"
I turned around, pretending to crack a joke, but Saishi was serious, as he looked at me and turned his head towards the window.
"I can see why you like that view. It must be rough. To live in a world like that..."
"..."
"Nevermind. Forget what I said."
He raised his arm and waved his hand up and down, indicating that he didn't have any further interest in this conversation. Phew! What a save. Do I want that power? You have to be joking...Isn't that obvious?
I went to the one vending machine at the back end of the school, where there's a little to no crowd, and picked up my drink. I drank it slowly and stirred it to end as if I was savoring a wine. I slowly finished it down, and then rested myself on that bench. Agh! I feel sleepy. I could use a nap. Before I realized it, I was fast asleep for a while, or so I felt. But in hindsight, I actually ended up sleeping for almost more than 1 hour. Well, it was pointless to think about the classes now.
I went to the infirmary to call in sick and sleep there for a while. No one seemed to be around. I walked to the second bed away from the window and slept like a baby. Or slept like a king? Which one is it? I have no clue at this point. The drowsiness is starting to kick in. I have to lay myself on the bed before I crash down hard. Pfft!
Classes were done for the day. In the end, neither Saishi, Hina nor Haru had shown up. That's good.
"Well, you seem awake. Wanna chat?"
"You...?"
"Yeah, we met in the afternoon."
"Agh!"
This seems sketchy...