As Alex arrived at the theater, which was seamlessly attached to the local mall, he spotted Mia and Anna standing outside, their laughter mingling in the evening air. He waved to them, slightly raising his voice, "Hey! I made it!"
Mia and Anna turned, their faces lighting up as they called back, "Hey, Alex!"
"Sorry, Alex," Anna said, chuckling a bit. "We're a little too early. The movie starts half an hour later than it was posted online."
"What do you say we buy our tickets and take a walk through the mall? There's an anime shop I want to check out," Anna suggested.
"Sure, I like anime! Sounds fun," Alex replied, following the two girls as they headed into the theater lobby.
They walked to the ticket counter and purchased their passes for the haunted woods movie. After securing their tickets, they made their way out of the theater and into the bustling mall. Stores lined the halls, and the vibrant lights made everything feel alive.
As they walked, they chatted casually about their favorite series. "Did you catch the latest episode of Dragon Z Warrior?" Mia asked, her eyes gleaming with enthusiasm.
"Of course! I can't believe what happened with Kai!" Anna exclaimed, animatedly recounting the thrilling plot twists.
Alex smiled, enjoying the back-and-forth banter and sharing occasional laughter as they navigated the maze of shops. They turned a corner, and in the distance, the neon sign of the anime store came into view. The vibrant colors and artwork caught Alex's attention immediately.
Once inside, the trio was enveloped by an atmosphere of nostalgia, surrounded by shelves stacked with figures, manga, collectibles, and DVDs. "Look, they have the complete series of Family Spy's! I need to get that," Mia pointed out, her finger tracing the edge of a box set.
"Oh, and they have the latest volume of Purple Skies! Anna, you have to grab it!" Alex remarked, noticing a shelf filled with novels.
Mia and Anna excitedly wandered the aisles, pointing out their favorite series and sharing stories of when they watched episodes after school, their youthful exuberance infecting the space around them.
As the laughter continued, Alex excused himself to use the bathroom. "I'll be back. Just need to wash my hands," he said, stepping away with a casual wave.
"Okay, we'll be here waiting!" Mia replied cheerfully.
Alex exited the anime shop and made his way towards the restroom. The mall around him hummed with life, but he was focused on finding relief from his urge. He opened the door to the men's bathroom, which felt empty—too empty.
He walked up to a urinal, the buzz of florescent lights overhead thrumming in the silence. Just as he was about to take care of business, he heard the door swing open, but he didn't bother to glance back. He focused on the task at hand.
In the next moment, a sharp, searing pain pierced through the lower right side of his back. The sudden sting made him gasp, and he couldn't help but turn around.
"I told you it wasn't over, you little bitch," came a chilling voice.
Alex's heart raced as he looked up to meet the cold eyes of Logan. His instincts screamed at him to move, but the realization took him by surprise.
"LOGAN WHAT THE FUCK!?" Alex yelled, scrambling backward only to trip and fall hard on his butt against the bathroom floor, pulling a hand to the spot where he felt the worst pain.
His fingers came away stained red. Panic flooded his senses. Lifting his gaze, Alex noticed the knife glimmering in Logan's hand, also stained with blood.
"You should have known your place you little bitch!," Logan sneered, taking a deliberate step closer. "My brother is in jail because of you. He lost everything, and this is all your fault. Now I'm going to take everything away from you!"
"Get the fuck away from me!" Alex shouted, his voice echoing off the bathroom walls.
Logan let out a derisive laugh, "You scared little baby! Hahaha! Crawl baby Crawl! Good Now beg me to let you go, and I might just go easy on you."
As Alex continued to back away until he collided with the wall behind him he shouted "Your sick Logan!. Desperation clawed at him as he searched for a way out, but all he saw was Logan slowly advancing, knife glinting ominously under the harsh lights. A voice in his head cut through the chaotic thoughts.
"I'm sorry, Alex. I should have been here. I didn't think anything like this would happen when I left you. You were in a store with your friends. I was only gone five minutes."
"Forget it. Can't change it now," Alex thought back, adrenaline pumping. "What the fuck do I do now?"
"Stay focused. I might be breaking a rule, but I'm going to send you some extra help," the voice responded.
Suddenly, Alex felt a strange calm settle over him. Memories of his training with Sebastian came flooding back, everything he had learned about strength and composure crystallizing in his mind. It was as if a switch flipped inside him.
Without overthinking, he moved toward Logan, who was still cackling at his advantage. "What the fuck you gonna do, Alex?" he laughed, cocking his head back.
In a flash, Alex executed a perfectly timed kick to Logan's abdomen. Logan's laughter was cut short as he doubled over in pain.
"You little bastard!" Logan spat through gritted teeth, shoving a hand towards his gut, trying to regain control.
"Shut the fuck up!" Alex shouted, taking advantage of Logan's position. He threw a swift side kick, landing solidly against Logan's temple. The force sent Logan staggering sideways, and with a groan, he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Panting heavily, Alex stumbled toward the door, throwing it open, leaving the chaos of the bathroom behind. He could feel his heart racing as he walked past concerned faces in the mall.
Then his eyes fell on Mia and Anna standing outside of the anime shop. They turned their heads as he approached, their expressions shifting from casual chatter to shocked concern. Mia's hands flew to her mouth.
"Alex!" she shouted, bolting toward him, worry etched across her features. "What happened?"
In her arms, Alex felt a rush of warmth, though it was accompanied by a wave of dizziness. "It was Logan," he stammered, his voice shaky. "He attacked me in the bathroom..."
Before he could finish his thought, everything around him began to fade, colors blurring into darkness. The world slipped away, and he felt his knees buckle.
"Mia..." he whispered, feeling consciousness slipping through his fingers like sand.
"Alex!" There was a panic in Mia's voice, and then everything around Alex faded to black as he lost the battle to stay awake.