I still remember that day vaguely as it was a very important day in my life.
"You did win, huh?"Jasmine walked beside me, her fingers entwined with mine as she clung onto my left hand.
"Hey, stay away, I am sweaty right now," I chuckled, trying to gently shake her off, but her grasp was firm. Not that I minded her being this close to me.
"Well, I don't hate this smell," she grinned playfully, snuggling up to me. Our close proximity attracted a lot of attention from our surroundings, and I couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed.
"So, Jas, where are you going now?" I asked, knowing well that she wouldn't accompany me to my house, not today.
"Haa, there's a big party in my father's office, so I have to go there. Muu, I hate it. I wanted to be with you so that I can celebrate your success," she pouted, displaying her disappointment. I couldn't deny that having her by my side would've been nice, but I also knew it wasn't practical to have her hang out with me all the time.
After walking a little more, we arrived at a two-way crossing. One road led downhill, while the other went uphill.
"Anyways, I think this is where we separate," I said, stepping back to let her take the lead.
*Chuu*
Surprising me, Jasmine pecked my cheek affectionately as she whispered, "Call me tonight."
A soft smile formed on my lips as I replied, "I will."
With that message, she turned and ran uphill, leaving me standing there, feeling a mix of emotions, watching the girl I cared for disappear from sight.
Sighing, I turned to go downhill, feeling a bit empty after parting ways with Jasmine. But then, one voice rang out from uphill, breaking the silence.
"Eric!!"
I looked upwards to see Jasmine, still not too far away, trying to get my attention.
"Don't forget this, you dummy. You worked hard for this," she said, throwing something towards me with precision.
Reacting quickly, I jumped to catch it, and as my hand closed around the object, I saw that it was a small gold-plated medal, with the name of my school etched on it.
"Thank you," I called back to her, feeling a warm appreciation for her gesture.
With that, Jasmine waved for the last time before finally disappearing from my sight, leaving me alone on the path.
Sighing again, I looked down at the medal in my hand, feeling a surge of pride and accomplishment. Becoming the national martial arts champion had been a result of hard work and dedication, and holding the medal was a tangible reminder of my achievement.
...
Ding*
Pressing the doorbell, I waited for someone to open the door.
"Hmm?" However, there was no response at all.
Ding*
I pressed the button again, but still, there was no answer.
Pulling a spare key from my bag, I tried to unlock the door. But, huh?
"It's unlocked?" I wondered, surprised, as it was unusual for our house to be unlocked at this time of day.
*Bang*
*Bang*
*Bang*
My heart skipped a beat as I heard two deafening sounds that resonated loudly through the house.
*Dash*
Without any thought, I burst into the house and ran with my heart pounding in my chest. The adrenaline rushed through my veins as I searched for the source of the noise.
The living room was empty, but something felt off. I could sense a lingering tension in the air. My instincts were telling me that something was wrong.
I hurriedly moved through the house, checking each room, but found nothing out of the ordinary. It was as if the loud bangs had come from nowhere.
Then, as I reached my parents' bedroom, I noticed a strange glint of metal on the floor. My heart sank as I picked it up- it's a bullet.
And there it was.
The room was now stained with crimson, a pool of blood spreading across the floor, and in the middle of it all were... my parents.
"Eh!?" My heart pounded in fear as I rushed towards them, knelt down, and took in the horrifying sight.
"MOM! DAD!" I called out desperately, my voice cracking with emotion, but there was no response.
My father's face, usually beaming with a knowing smile, was now pale, and his glasses had cracks.
The peaceful expression he always wore was gone, replaced by a lifeless stare. The man I admired so much was no longer there.
It was just... a cold, lifeless body.
"Mo-mom??" My voice trembled as I turned my attention to my mother. Her face was twisted in pain and sorrow, tears still falling from her eyes.
*Swoosh*
A chilling breeze blew in through the open balcony door, sending shivers down my spine.
Without thinking, I rushed to the balcony, but whoever was responsible had already vanished. My mind raced, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
Were they thieves? But why would they target our house?
The house felt eerie and silent, as if it was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen. My heart was heavy with grief and confusion, and I couldn't believe what I had just witnessed. The weight of the moment made every movement feel like a struggle, and I found myself lost in a whirlwind of emotions.
*Swoosh*
A bone-chilling wind overtook my being, coming from the nearby sliding door on the balcony... it was open.
"..." Before I knew it, I was making my way towards it.
I rushed to the balcony, but they were already gone. My heart pounded in my ears as I tried to make sense of what just happened.
Were they thieves? I couldn't understand why they would target our house.
The house felt eerie and silent, as if it held its breath, waiting for something.
♪♪♪
"..." In this kind of moment, a merry tone rang in the room as my attention was directed towards the mobile phone that was lying beside them.
My hands trembled as I reached for my phone to call for help.
Picking it up, I felt... too scared by the blood that was dripping from it.
Click*
[Oye! Someone picked it up, you sure you killed them?]
The guttural voice on the other side asked as if it was... nothing to mull over.
"Why?" This was the only word that I could muster up. It was the first tear I dropped, and maybe the last too.
"Why! Why! Why! Why! Why! Why! Why! Why! Why! Why! Why!" I felt as if my whole existence had come crashing down all at once.
[It was fun,]
With this, the call disconnected all at once.
"It was fun?" I repeated in disbelief, my voice cracking ... I don't know if it was sorrow or anger,both?
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[CURRENT TIME]
"Calm down, princess. Don't panic; it's nothing-" Blaze's voice tried to soothe me, but I was still in a state of bafflement and anxiety.
Without a second thought, I dashed into the hallway, my feet moving swiftly as I made my way to the living room.
"There's no one." I tapped my feet rapidly while activating my elemental vision, scanning every corner of the house for any trace of a mana signature.
'There!!' Blaze jumped off my shoulder, his eyes fixated on something atop the table.
"A chit?" With a trembling hand, I picked up the note left on the table.
ραΠdαsΝοvel.cοm [Ruu....we are sorry that we didn't have time to tell you, but an emergency came up, and we had to go out. Please don't worry about us; we'll be back in two days. Marylin's also with us if you were considering going to her house.
And make sure to eat the food I made; it's in the kitchen on the second shelf.
Bye-bye.
-mother ]
My heart raced, still filled with a mix of emotions - from worry to relief - as I absorbed the message left by my mother.
"Like I said, it wasn't that bad, was it? Haha," Blaze sighed with relief as he went towards the couch, and I followed suit, my breathing gradually returning to normal. The tension that had gripped me moments ago now subsided, and a sense of reassurance washed over me.
"Y-yeah," I replied, my voice still cracking a bit.
"Calm down, Ren. It's not going to happen again... but can I ask you something?" Blaze inquired as I looked at him.
"Why was the first thought that came to your mind 'kill'? It's not something you'd think in this situation, and there wasn't anyone to kill, so-" Blaze hesitated, gazing at me intently.
"I don't know. I don't care if the first thought in my mind was to kill. I would have killed anyone; I just... ugh, let's not talk about it," I said, not in the mood to discuss it further.
I don't know, but this scenario and the situation felt scary for some reason. It's not an everyday occurrence for me to be scared, but I couldn't calm my heart for even a moment.
"I'll go to sleep," I said, getting up from there and going to my bedroom, lying down.
I don't know why I was scared. Was I scared, or was I just angry?
I fell asleep after a while, but then something woke me up.
A gust of wind came from the window, rousing me from my slumber.
I looked outside; it was night, and the two moons shone bright in the sky. But then, I saw something unexpected.
"What the fuck?" It seems like something is happening that will help me divert my mind.
'looks like the Balcker Forest is acting up huh,' Blaze woke up too.
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