Pitter-patter

drip-drop

Step..step.

In the heavy rainfall, a boy walked silently, the rain hitting his clothes, soaking them, while droplets fell from his hair, hitting the ground.

Even the heavy rainfall wasn't able to clear the blood that stained his clothes. From head to toe, the boy's clothes were dyed with a crimson color.

The rainfall masked the boy's emotions as he slowly walked on the ground.

But the world has already lost it glimmer, as the world only looked gray in his eyes.

Gurguling...

As he continued walking, something blocked his path.

The boy looked up, his piercing purple eyes meeting the gaze of the monster in front.

It had an octopus-like face, three times the height of the boy, with ridges on its back, scaly skin, palpitating gills on its necks, long claws on its hind and forefoots, and narrow wings behind.

From its half-open mouth, a human hand hung low as the monster displayed its last hunt.

Growl...

Growling with a croaking, baying voice..., the monster moved to all fours as its hollow eyes met with the boy's equally hollow gaze.

They stared into each other's eyes, neither the boy took out his weapon to subdue the monster nor did the monster try to attack him like his other prey.

After what felt like a long time,One of them took a step back.

It wasn't the boy who took the step back, but the monster took a step back, acknowledging its inferiority.

Irregularly hopping, sometimes on two legs and sometimes on four, the monster ran away.

Squelch

But even as the monster took three steps, its body split in two with a squelching sound, its huge form falling to the ground while blood gushed out.

The boy merely glanced at the dead body before continuing to walk.

"Why did this... happen?"

The boy muttered in a feeble voice as he looked around, his hollow eyes seeing the solitude of different monsters roaming in the heavy rainfall.

"Answer me. I took every precaution, so why did this happen?"

He asked, clenching his teeth. Perhaps he asked someone or perhaps he asked himself, but even when he waited no reply came back.

The boy clenched his fist, blood draining from it due to the tight grip.

"Am I really paying for her sins?"

He got no reply, no one was present to answer him.

Step....step..

His steps halted as a figure stood in front of him.

"Hey... Az...ariah,"

A soft yet trembling and hoarse yet feminine voice echoed in the heavy rainfall.

"Why?" The boy asked, looking at her.

Was it perhaps he didn't wanted to or was it perhaps because it wasn't real he was unable to see her face clearly, only a blurred outline of her features was clear.

"You know the answer, don't you?" The girl asked, her voice filled with a sad smile he could almost envision.

"Just tell me if someone forced you or if someone tried to blackmail you into doing this. I will believe your words," the boy asked, his voice trembling from time to time, growing increasingly somber as each word left his mouth.

"Please," he whispered softly.

The girl, looking at his condition, tried to move forward.

Whether it was pity or sympathy, she extended her hand, but she halted her steps, forcing herself to stand her ground.

"It was my own choice," she replied firmly, hiding her trembling hands.

The boy remained silent his words stuck in his throat not being able to say anything.

"You killed him, didn't you?" The girl asked again, looking at the blood-stained body of the boy.

"He was a nuisance," the boy replied, as if killing someone meant nothing to him.

"He was the future of this empire, Az," she said, her voice trembling with various emotions.

"What happened to your face?" Sigh in tiredness, he asked looking at her, noticing the swollen side of her left cheek.

"It must look ugly, right?" The girl asked, rubbing her cheek.

"No....no, you look as beautiful as the first day I saw you," the boy replied, shaking his head.

Sniff...Sob.

When the girl heard his honest reply, tears welled up in her eyes, her body shaking with emotions she couldn't describe.

Like a puppy who have lost it's house, alone in rain, she let out small whimpers as she tired to not cry more.

"I... a-am s-sorry, i-it w-was the o-only way" She swallowed hard, her words turning into unrecognizable whimpers.

The boy didn't reply; he just looked down, his face reflected in the rippling rainwater.

Purple eyes, empty of emotions, gazed back at him from a handsome face framed by purple hair streaked with white.

"Are you happy now?" His voice, unrecognizable, sounded sinister, creepy, and devoid of emotion. His face twisted into a crooked smile.

"H-huh..." The girl looked at him, thinking he was addressing her, but the boy didn't glance at her.

"Are you satisfied?" Again, his mouth moved involuntarily as the sinister voice echoed. "Are you satisfied now, after everyone that cared about you is dead?"

"You are a loser who can't do anything." He laughed... No the voice laughed, mocking the boy. "Always remember you are a loser and always will be, Inder."

"Huh..." Clarity returned to the boy's eyes as he heard his name.

But before he could grasp anything, the world shattered around him like glass.

~~ ~~

~~ ~~

~~ ~~

*Beep..beep..*

"Cough...cough...Huff...Huff..."

In a simple office room, a young man woke up, coughing and gasping for breath.

His eyelids twitched open, and as he looked around in confusion, he started to pant heavily, feeling breathless.

His white shirt was drenched in cold sweat, the sensation of the nightmare still lingering.

"Argh... Water."

The young man mumbled, feeling an unpleasant thirst, and he looked around until he found a bottle. He picked it up and emptied its contents into his mouth.

glup...glup

After drinking the water to his heart's content, the young man glanced at the beeping alarm clock.

[5:00]

"Sigh..."

Closing the alarm, he reclined on the chair as he sighed.

He closed his eyes, the nightmare still vivid in his mind.

"I should go home," he mumbled to himself.

Standing up from his seat, he began to pack his belongings.

"Again, why do I always have those weird nightmares," he mumbled to himself with a tired sigh, as these nightmares had become a daily routine for him.

Knock knock

"Come in."

Click

The door clicked open to his office room as a woman walked in.

"Hello, Senior Inder," the woman greeted him with a light bow.

Inder, a somewhat handsome, tall, and lean man in his mid-twenties, looked at her. His beautiful blue eyes gazed at her with curiosity.

"Is there something the matter, Rebecca?" Inder asked after packing his things.

"Senior, all the faculty members are going to the party for the new contract we were offered," she replied, fidgeting with her fingers.

"So?" Inder asked, looking at her.

"So, I was wondering if you are coming with us or not, senior," she asked, her voice tinged with light expectancy.

"Sorry, Rebecca, but I can't. I have plans with my girlfriend," Inder replied with an apologetic smile.

"Oh, it's fine, senior. Have a nice evening," hiding her disappointment, she quickly bowed and moved out of the room.

After checking his office once again, he also moved out.

"Are you mad!?"

But just as he was about to leave the building, a faint voice reached his ears.

"What do you mean, senior?"

Another voice replied, a recognizable voice belonging to Rebecca.

"Has no one informed you about him?"

"About what?"

"About being away from that monster."

"Monster?"

"Yes, monster, he was in jail for three murder cases for years."

Inder sighed as he started to walk away.

For him, it's always like this. Every time a newcomer arrives, the seniors will warn them about him.

Not that it matters to him, as he doesn't want to get close to any of them.

"I wonder what Delilah has made for today's dinner."

With a small smile, Inder mumbled as he left the office building as he moved to pick up his bike.