The rain continued its relentless assault, each drop a cruel reminder of the world's indifference. Under the bridge, Toni stared at the yellow book in his hands, the cryptic words echoing in his mind. "Only those who sacrifice others will find fortune." The phrase lingered, entwining with his thoughts, feeding a darkness that had lain dormant for years.
Lily slept fitfully beside him, her small body shivering despite the cold. Toni's mind raced with conflicting emotions. He loved his sister more than anything, but the book's promise gnawed at him. Could it be true? Could he really gain fortune by sacrificing another? The very idea was abhorrent, yet tantalizing. His life had been a series of horrors and betrayals. What if this book offered a way out?
He shook his head, trying to banish the dark thoughts. Lily stirred, her blind eyes opening briefly as if sensing his turmoil. Toni's heart ached. She depended on him, and he couldn't let her down. But the lure of the book was strong, whispering promises of power and escape.
Days passed under the bridge, the rain never letting up. Food was scarce, and Toni's desperation grew. He scavenged what he could, but it was never enough. Lily's condition worsened, her frail body unable to withstand the cold and hunger. The shadows of their past loomed large, and Toni felt the darkness creeping ever closer.
One night, as the rain turned to a cold drizzle, Toni sat by the dim light of a stolen lantern, the yellow book open on his lap. The old man's words echoed in his mind, mingling with the book's promise. "Only those who sacrifice others will find fortune." He glanced at Lily, her form barely visible under the thin blanket. His heart twisted in anguish, but a seed of something darker took root.
Could he do it? Could he sacrifice Lily to gain the fortune promised by the book? The thought was monstrous, but the world had shown him no mercy. Why should he show any in return?
Toni's hands trembled as he closed the book. He couldn't. He wouldn't. Yet the idea persisted, gnawing at his resolve. The night passed in a blur of tortured thoughts, his mind a battlefield of love and darkness.
The next morning, Toni awoke to find Lily's condition had worsened. Her breathing was shallow, her face pale. He felt a surge of panic. He had to do something, anything, to save her. The book's promise loomed large in his mind, a dark temptation he could no longer ignore.
With a heavy heart, Toni made a decision. He would use the book, but not on Lily. He would find someone else, someone who deserved to be sacrificed. The thought brought a twisted sense of relief. He could save Lily without crossing the ultimate line.
As the day wore on, Toni's mind became clearer. He would find another victim, someone who wouldn't be missed. The city was full of people like that, drifters and criminals. He just needed to bide his time.
But fate had other plans. That evening, as they huddled under the bridge, a figure approached. It was a girl, around Lily's age, with a haunted look in her eyes. She limped towards them, her movements slow and deliberate.
"Help," she whispered, collapsing at their feet.
Toni's heart pounded. He knelt beside her, his instincts screaming danger. But there was something about her, something familiar. As he examined her, he noticed scars on her arms, similar to his own. She was a survivor, like him.
"Who are you?" he asked, his voice trembling.
The girl looked up, her eyes filled with pain. "I'm... I'm one of them. One of the children from the place. Your father's place."
Toni recoiled, memories flooding back. The screams, the blood, the horror. He looked at Lily, then back at the girl. The realization hit him like a punch to the gut. This wasn't Lily. The girl had taken her place, and somehow, he hadn't noticed. The real Lily was gone, taken by the darkness that had consumed their lives.
Anger and betrayal surged through him. The book's promise echoed in his mind. "Only those who sacrifice others will find fortune." His resolve hardened. This girl, this impostor, would be his sacrifice.
He moved quickly, his actions fueled by a cold, unrelenting rage. Before the girl could react, his hands were around her throat, squeezing with all his strength. She struggled, her eyes wide with fear, but Toni's grip was unyielding. The life drained from her, and soon she was still.
Toni stood over her body, his breathing ragged. The darkness within him had won. He looked down at his hands, stained with blood once more. But this time, there was no regret, only a grim determination.
The yellow book lay open on the ground, the words glowing faintly in the dim light. Toni picked it up, his mind racing. The book promised fortune, but it also promised something more. Power. Control. Freedom from the nightmares that had plagued him.
He tore a page from the book, the paper rough under his fingers. With a shaky hand, he wrote a single sentence, his eyes blazing with a newfound purpose.
"I want the world to experience World War III."
The words seemed to pulse with a dark energy, the ink seeping into the paper like blood. Toni felt a strange exhilaration, a sense of power unlike anything he had ever known. He looked down at the girl's body, a twisted smile spreading across his face.
The world had shown him no mercy, and now he would repay it in kind. He laughed, a wild, unhinged sound that echoed under the bridge. The darkness within him had fully awakened, and there was no turning back.
With a savage hunger, he tore a piece of flesh from the girl's arm, the taste of blood and revenge mingling on his tongue. He chewed slowly, savoring the moment. The book had promised fortune, and he would claim it, no matter the cost.
As the rain continued to fall, Toni waited. He knew something great and terrible was coming. The world would burn, and he would stand amidst the flames, a testament to the darkness that had consumed him.