"... Kevis! Kevis, get your filthy ass up here. We have to move... now!"
"Victor, stop shouting on my boy. He's just a seven year old kid..."
"A kid? Mom? He's a kid? I started sneaking and selling stuffs when I was his age. Look at him, he can't even pickpocket a blind old man...!
This family lives the street life. The hard life... Victor joined a gang when he was barely 6 years old and he'd lived that way up until this moment.
Their mother, Lily worked in a brothel for a long while and quitted after she fell sick due to some strange illness.
Now, Lily works as a cook in the house of a certain drug lord named Zak.
And Victor works as one of the God's servant. Victor is a trickster and he pickpockets during his free time. He also works part-time as a smuggler for Zak, his mother's master.
Kevis stays at home all day, waiting for the arrival of his mother and the food she is coming with. They live in the outskirt of the town where their identity is sure not to be compromised.
This argument between mother and son went on and on while Kevis, who has been half listening to them from his small room stood up lazily and packed his bed made of dirty clothes.
"Victor, stop disturbing Mom, I'm awake!" He yelled sleepily at his brother from inside the wood house.
"Get outta the house now! We have to get going. You don't want to be used as fertilizer in the God's garden, right?" He yelled back, sweating despite the early morning cold.
Yes, they have to move out now, even seven years old Kevis knows.
Kevis has always been a scrawny little boy compared to his huge big brother. He looks so small for his age and he has no friends. He couldn't make friends anyway because he and his family are always on the run.
"What have you done this time around, Victor? Did you kill Zak?" Kevis asked, innocently.
Lily replied before Victor would say anything. "He tried to steal from Zak. Your brother is no wiser than you, Kevis. He will get us killed," she informed, looking off into the distance, like she can see death coming.
"Mom, stop! I did this for us. If I had stolen that golden earring, we won't ever have to suffer again. I escaped just by chance. Now, he'll be looking for me, this is not the time to regret what has been done. Shouldn't you know better?"
Lily kept mute.
"Alright, let's go, Kevis. Mom, let's go." He called out, worried for his mother.
Kevis followed his brother while their mother tagged along behind them. They have to leave early to catch the first train going out of town.
************************
"I wonder what it's like to be a God." Kevis thought to himself as he saw one of the posters inviting warriors to a tournament against the God flash by the train's window.
[Really?]
"Yes, I want to be a God ..." He stopped talking to himself, and started looking around for who asked that question.
But all he could see was a boy his age, asleep opposite him, his brother, Victor's firm and muscular back, and his mother, half asleep. And no one seems to be talking to him.
[I am inside your head]
It was a feminine voice, clear and sound, and it has a musical sound to it, and Kev seems to like it. But...
"Arhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... Mama!!! Victor!! I am going nuts!!" He cried with his hands covering his two ears.
[They won't hear you. I muffled your voice, Kev].
"Please. I am just a little boy. Don't hurt me. Pleaseee," his hands still covering his ears.
[I won't hurt you, Kev. I am your friend. You can call me 'Zruffy'. I can make your dreams come true. I can make you a God].
"Zruffy?! Ah, funny name. I will pass. I don't want to be a God. Please, leave me." Kev, pleaded.
[Really? Should I?]
"Yes, please."
[You're weak, Kev. Think about how strong you will become. How you will help your brother and your poor mother.]
"I don't know... I don't want to... Can you transfer yourself to my brother's mind?" He's getting more frightened.
[Yes, I can. But he is not worthy. You are the worthy one.]
"No! No..! Please, leave me. I don't want it, please..!! Kev started crying. " I am just a little boy, please...!!"
[Do you know that Zak's boys are on this train? If they see your brother, he will be dead while you will just sit here and watch. Just watch him fall... Die... Slaughtered... Will you want that Kev?]
"Noooo! No. Please get out of my head. You're threatening me."
[Alright. That does it. One last chance.]
"Nooooooo!!! I don't want it!"
At that moment, he could hear his voice normally and he realised everybody in the train is looking at him. They can hear him now. Oh, damn!
Lily ran up to him.
"Mum, please stay there. Don't move..." He shouted to stop her, but it was too late.
Zak's boys saw her. Oh, God!
[I unmuffled your voice. Farewell, Kev. Hahaha.!]
"Zruffy, what have you done? Please, come back. Pleaseee. Help me!!"
[You had your chance, Kev! This is the devil system, not the God's. Hahaha. Farewell once again.]
It dawned on him, then. Everything went silent for some seconds, and he felt a white light flash by his eyes.
Zruffy's gone. We're doomed.
"I am just a little boy. Please." He pleaded to no one in particular.
This time, Victor is also on his feet... Looking wildly at Kev.
"You have done it now, brother. We're going to get killed!" He pointed angrily at Kev, and he was shaking all over.
Kev never stood up against his brother because he commands a very high level of fear, but not now. Not this moment.
"I am just a kid. Don't yell at me, Victor." He thought angrily to himself.
"You started all these, Victor. You are the one who think it's right to rob your..."
"We're are right here, family," a deep voice interrupted Kev.
Oh, right. The thugs. How did we forget them?
He looked up and there they are. Five of them, all bald with fiery tattoos starting from the centre of the scalp to the cheek. And even though they were in loose long sleeves, you can never overlook the muscles of their arms... The fierce looks on their faces are enough to melt a grown man. And the weapons in their hands... They are here to kill... Oh my god.
These are not Zak's thugs. They are Zak's guards. Zak's weapons... They are men picked by the God, Krug to guard his most trusted aides. They will do anything assigned to them, even if it means their death.
"Since we're here now. Let's get at it, then. Come at me, scums!" Victor calls out.
Oh, no... Victor!!
Victor was already in a fighting stance, rolling up his sleeves with a grin on his face. Kev looked on bewildered.
"Victor, no..!" Kev cried out.
"Shut up, idiot," Victor fired back. "I won't let them get me easily..."
WHAM!!!
A club arched towards his face. Followed by a sickening crunch. His skull was hit so badly, the club went through his head... In a splatter of blood, brain and bones.
"Arhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...!!! Nooooooo..!!!" Kev doubled down on the floor of the train, vomiting the last junk he ate.
"Victor. No! What have I done? Zruffy? Zruffy?! Where the fuck are you?!!! Pease, help!!!"
No answer.
"Boy..?"
"Zruffy? Please, I want the system. I want..."
"Who the fuck is Gruffy?!" A thick voice shouted in his face.
"So... Sorry... I thought... It was Zruffy... I..." He stuttered weakly amidst sobs.
"OK then." The thick voice again. "This will shut you up!"
The metal boot hit him hard by the side. Kev felt something break. His ribs.
He yelled, then went still.
This pain...
Vic...tor...
Wait, where's mum..?
Zruffy, I need you... Please...
The world went dark.
I'm... Just... A... Little... Boy...