pant… pant…

  Heavy breathing echoed in the darkness—born not just from exhaustion, but from terror.

  A child stared into a blood-soaked room.

  Their parents lay slaughtered. Mother's left eye dangled from its socket, nerves trailing like wet strings. Father's body was cleaved nearly in two, a crimson river pouring from the wound.

  The two streams of blood met on the floor… and formed the shape of a heart.

  A figure emerged from the shadows. An eagle mask with a single eyehole. A glowing yellow eye stared out, leaving an electric scar symbol burned into the air.

  The child—forged in despair—met that gaze, trembling. The masked man knelt."It's you," he whispered, voice dripping menace.

  "You're him."Their eyes locked: one twitching with fear, the other steady with cold certainty."Wake up."The world shattered.

  Everything dissolved into black."Aldred…"

  " Ahhh..." With a scream, Aldred woke up on a bed with a bandage covering one of his eyes. He pulled the blanket up to see that he was naked.

  He scanned the surroundings. The sound of a Holter Monitor disturbed his ears. The bright blue colour of the blanket blinded him. A few pipes were connected to his body. The Holter monitor was connected to his chest. It was enough proof that he was in a hospital.

  He noticed something. Normally, there are nurses around a patient... He asked himself, but quickly realised the answer. He was under arrest.

  In Luvinia, the laws of healthcare are quite weird. Any nurse shouldn't be around a criminal patient without permission granted by the national police.

  The f**k was that weird power that time? He questioned the fate itself. Could it be that... Maybe he was just brainstorming, but an answer surely came to his mind. Maybe I saw a god then...the grey fog...the torches lighting with the smiling...man! He sighed and decided to leave it behind.

  He then remembered the scar on his hand.

  He lifted his arm and checked the white bandages covering the scar. Maybe they thought it was just a normal scar...

  But he knew more. He knew that it wasn't a normal scar; it gleamed...

  He sighed and decided to relax for some time, but the time wasn't given to him since the door was knocked on.

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  He sat on the back of his pillow and waited for the person to enter.

  The door opened with a sound of cracking. This hospital is kinda poor... He thought while being sarcastic.

  Two people with an LNP uniform(Luvinia National Police and Security) entered the room. One had a serious look on his face, the other, holding a piece of paper, had a charming smile; he was Dunn Smith.

  Aldred recognised the serious-looking police. Martin Guesfurre... He sighed after seeing this dull old man.

  Both of them greeted Aldred and arranged two chairs to sit beside the bed, beside Aldred.

  " Mr Aldred..." Martin spoke with no sign of happiness. Aldred nodded, permitting Martin to continue.

  " What had happened in the school?" Martin questioned.

  Just like that, without any introduction? Aldred thought before giving a smile.

  " Uhh...I remember him, uhh... Hilol!" Aldred's memory had faded a bit." He was assaulting a girl I know, so I had to fight him to protect her..."

  " You don't need to kill the assaulter to protect!" Martin said with a slight anger in his face, clearly seen.

  Killed? Aldred questioned himself. He was as shocked as Martin. I...killed him?

  " What..." Martin held him by the collar. Dunn, from below, looked at Martin as his smile faded away. " You think you can lie and get away?"

  Aldred gasped. When the f**k did I kill him? His memory had actually faded.

  Dunn Smith sighed and stood up. He used his hand to push Martin back from Aldred," Mr Martin..." His smile appeared again," I think it's time you give me a chance!"

  " Huh? He is a f**king murderer!" Martin shouted at Dunn.

  " I think this could be related to...that matter!" Martin's eyes quickly widened as he heard these words. He gasped and turned back. He opened the door and went out of the room.

  Dunn sat down with a charming smile. He gave Aldred support as he struggled to sit properly after Martin's assault.

  " Mr Aldred, don't mind my friend there..." Dunn took his paper out and started to read it out loud," So... the report says that you have three broken bones, and you were in a deficit with blood!" He said all of that with ease.

  " So...how will you make me believe that you forgot everything?" Dunn looked up at Aldred's eyes, which had been keen on him earlier.

  How does he know that I forgot? Aldred thought for a second and then he told everything truthfully since he realised that he could not fool this guy.

  " Well..." He tried to remember," I saw a vision when I was on the ground. Before that, I saw Hilol sexually assaulting, almost r**ed Amanda. I couldn't handle it..."

  Dunn looked disappointed. Kids these days... Dunn quickly said," You did well. If you hadn't killed him, he would have killed her. I am proud of you, kid."

  " So what was the vision?" Dunn asked, being more interested in this.

  Aldred replied with a slight concern," I saw a figure. Two figures first, with some types of amulets they were wearing, then one figure sitting on a chair, who called me a 'brat'..."

  Dunn thought for a moment," I see..." He then looked at him," Did you get a scar on your hand?" Aldred gasped and then showed his hand with bandages.

  " I can't see, bud..." He said jokingly. Aldred felt embarrassed and removed the bandages.

  A diamond scar which had completely healed. " A diamond..." Dunn said seriously.

  He sighed and continued," No need to worry... I'll handle it." He calmly said. He stood up and said," You'll be in strict observation, so don't feel tense..."

  He opened the door, and Aldred keenly looked at his movements. Before leaving, he remembered something, so he turned his head back.

  " Oh, one more thing. You'll be staying at Indhra's place from now on."

  The door clicked shut.

  Indhra?

  The name hit like a bomb.

  Kyra's father…

  Oh shit.