Nate let out a deep sigh, his voice echoing off the empty classroom walls. "Haaa... That was anticlimactic. I just can't believe he died in the end."
He shook his head, standing up from his seat. His black hair was messy, and his blue eyes seemed distant, lost in thought.
He wore a crisp school uniform, a stark contrast to the turmoil brewing inside him.
As he walked out of the classroom, he slipped his phone into his pocket and slung his bag over his shoulder.
The hallway was bustling with students, and Nate's eyes scanned the crowd, his gaze meeting the familiar faces of his classmates.
"Yo Nate!" a boy with black hair and brown eyes called out, waving at him.
Nate returned the wave, his smile polite but distant. "Bye Nate," another boy said, as Nate continued down the hallway.
More students waved at him, and Nate responded with the same polite smile, his eyes never lingering on anyone for too long.
He seemed to be going through the motions, his mind elsewhere.
As he stepped out of the school building, Nate was greeted by a girl with vibrant red hair, her eyes filled with concern. "Nate," she said softly.
Nate's expression changed in an instant. The polite smile was replaced by a cold, unfeeling mask. "What?" he asked gruffly, his tone stern and firm.
The girl's voice caught in her throat, and she seemed to struggle to find the right words. Nate's gaze was unyielding, his eyes boring into hers.
"If you don't have anything to say, then I'll be on my way," he said, his voice dripping with disdain.
As he turned to leave, the girl spoke up, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm... We're sorry, you know? All of us. Even Mom and Dad."
Nate's footsteps faltered, and he turned back to face her. His eyes were icy, his gaze piercing. "It's too late for that," he said, his voice cold and detached.
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving the girl standing alone, her eyes welling up with tears.
As Nate walked down the street, he couldn't shake off the feeling of irritation. The girl's face kept popping into his mind, followed by the faces of his parents.
He didn't want anything to do with them anymore. In his mind, his grandparents were his only family now.
The sky grew darker, and the air was filled with the sweet scent of rain. Nate looked up, his eyes narrowing. "Shit. The weather reports said there'd be no rain today."
He quickened his pace, his feet pounding the pavement as he searched for shelter.
Five minutes later, he spotted an uncompleted building and sprinted towards it.
As he entered the building, he was greeted by the sight of a man in a hoodie, his face obscured by the shadows.
As Nate entered the abandoned building, his instincts screamed at him to turn back. But with the rain pouring down in sheets, he had no other choice.
The man in the hoodie stood motionless, his face hidden in the shadows. The only sound was the rain pounding against the walls of the building, creating a deafening roar.
After what felt like an eternity, the man spoke, his voice low and gravelly. "Hey kid." Nate felt a chill run down his spine as he slowly turned to face the man.
The man's eyes gleamed with a sinister intent as he asked, "Do you have some cash on you?" Nate nodded slowly, his mind racing with worst-case scenarios.
The man's voice was laced with menace as he instructed Nate to drop the cash on the ground slowly.
Nate's eyes locked onto the man's hoodie, noticing the slight bulge of a gun. He slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, dropping it onto the ground.
As the man bent down to pick up the wallet, Nate noticed the bloodstains on his hoodie.
His eyes followed the trail of bloodstains leading into the building, and his heart sank. He knew he had to get out of there, fast.
As the man stood up, Nate tackled him to the ground, desperate to escape. But the man was too strong, and he quickly overpowered Nate, pinning him to the ground.
The man's fists came crashing down on Nate's face, each blow landing with a sickening crunch.
Nate tried to block the blows, but there were too many. Just when he thought it was all over, he spotted a small rock on the ground.
With a surge of adrenaline, he grabbed the rock and landed a solid hit on the man's head, momentarily stunning him.
Nate took advantage of the distraction to grab his wallet and make a run for it.
But as he reached the door, a piercing pain shot through his neck, followed by the sound of a gunshot.
Nate stumbled, his vision blurring as he looked down at his chest. The bloodstains and hole through his shirt told him all he needed to know.
As he knelt down on the wet floor, the man in the hoodie approached him, gun in hand and a sadistic grin spreading across his face.
Nate's eyes widened in horror as the man revealed his burnt face, but it was the grin that truly chilled him to the bone.
The man waved Nate's student ID in his face, his eyes gleaming with malice. "This is where you live, right?" he asked, his voice dripping with sadistic intent.
"And given that you're a student, you're definitely not living alone. Looks like I might just pay your folks a visit, don't you think?"
Nate tried to rush at the man, but his body was too weak.
The man's laughter echoed through the building as he dragged Nate deeper into the abandoned structure.
A second gunshot rang out, and Nate felt his world go dark.
As the man set Nate's body on fire, the flames engulfed his lifeless form, consuming everything in their path.
The rain continued to pour down outside, a stark contrast to the inferno that raged within the abandoned building.
The man in the hoodie watched the flames, his grin still plastered on his face, as he whispered to himself, "It's just the beginning."