They arrived at the academy. Ace drove through the gates without much stress from the men stationed there. They were dressed in black uniforms and armed with some sort of gun device.
Ace drove into the parking lot, where a few similar cars were parked. When he turned off the engine, he took out the key and opened the door.
Alex opened his door, stepped out of the car, and shut it. He stood there waiting for Ace to come from the other side. Ace walked up to Alex, placed his hand on Alex's back, and looked at the academy.
"This is the place where you will spend a huge chunk of your life. Luckily, I work here, so I'll be able to watch you as well," Ace said.
"Will they teach me how to kill crawlers quickly?" Alex asked.
"I know you are eager for revenge, but you still have to calm down, Alex," Ace said, placing his hand on Alex's shoulder. But then a sudden shock ran up his spine. He looked at Alex and saw him glaring with cold, deathly eyes.
Ace subconsciously stepped back; he felt a deep sense of fear as he looked at Alex.
"There is nothing more important than vengeance to me," Alex said and started walking. His mind had already shut off from the world, and the only path he saw was to kill the darkness.
Ace followed behind him, and they made it into the main building. Because Ace had already dealt with everything, Alex didn't have to do anything. Ace gave him a map of the academy and his schedule, then took him to his room.
"This is your key card. I'll leave you alone to get accustomed to your room and this place. Try to meet new people and make new friends."
Ace was still talking, but as soon as he mentioned friends, Alex used the key card to open the door. Without looking back, he entered and shut the door in Ace's face without saying a word.
He didn't like that Ace was trying to make him connect with other people. Every time he thought about meeting people, the image of his father being killed and his mother rejecting him flashed in his mind.
Every time, his heart ached so much that he was barely able to stand. He didn't want to feel that again. He didn't want to go through that pain anymore, so he didn't want new connections, as they would lead to inevitable pain.
The room he got was simple, with a bed, a table, and a cupboard to keep his clothes. There was a door to the bathroom. Alex walked to the bed, sat down, then transitioned into lying down and facing the ceiling.
As he stared into nothingness, he started drifting off. He saw the day he died in the office; he lay there with open eyes. Suddenly, the image shifted to that of his brother's hospital room. His brother was on the bed, sleeping.
Alex couldn't hold back his urge and stretched out his hand to touch his brother, but his brother's eyes shot open, and he stared at Alex. Alex moved back in fear; he didn't expect his brother to wake up.
His brother stared at him like he was peering into his soul.
"You lied. You weren't here for me. You left me," his brother said.
When Alex heard those words, he stepped back in fear, shivering as he moved.
"You left me. You went and died. You were all I had. You were all I had in this world. You took away everything from me. You took away my world," his brother continued.
He got up from the bed and started walking toward Alex.
"Stay away! I didn't mean to leave you! It wasn't my fault, it wasn't!" Alex said while retreating.
"Excuses. Lies. You broke your promise. I bet you were tired of me. You wanted to get rid of me. You knew you were nearing caffeine overdose, but because you wanted to leave me, you kept drinking," his brother accused.
"No, no, no! I loved you! I wanted to watch you get well one day so we could live together again. Every day that I worked, I did it hoping you would one day be fine," Alex said, finally backing into a wall. He couldn't move anymore.
"That is what you believe, but is it true? Has it not been proven that you are a curse to everyone? You make them love you, and then one day, everything crashes. First, it was with me, then your new father, and then your new mother.
Do you know the common factor in all of this? You. You were there every time. You ruined our lives. I'm sure your father and mother would have escaped faster if you hadn't been there to slow them down.
Do you deny it? That you slowed them down and ruined their lives?" his brother demanded.
Alex started breaking under the words. His reality twisted, and he blamed himself even more for what had happened. He slid down to the floor, shivering uncontrollably. It was all his fault, all his fault.
His brother knelt near him and whispered into his ear, "You are a curse to whomever you are near. Remember that. Live with that constant mindset. Remember that you are a curse.
Love, care, all these emotions are not for an evil person like you, someone who left his brother to die alone and sick. YOU ARE A CURSE!" his brother yelled.
"I know!" Alex yelled.
His eyes suddenly opened. He had fallen asleep, and all of that was a dream. But his body was still covered in sweat, and he was still shivering.