It was broad daylight in a countryside-looking area. Farmers were working in their fields; some were driving tractors while others were feeding animals. Children were playing excitedly in the playground, which was located in the middle of the town.
There was a slide in the left corner where no one was playing. Suddenly, a child fell from the stairs. Tears were coming nonstop from his eyes; dust clung to his clothes and face, and blood was flowing from his left cheek.
Above the stairs, there was a group of five boys, each wearing a devastating smile. One boy, standing in the middle, spoke in a derisive tone as he came down the stairs toward him:
"We just said that we wanted the new comic book you purchased. But you complained to your MOTHER!!! Now you will PAY THE PRICE!!!"
As he came downstairs, the bullied child started crawling backward in fear, his eyes red from crying. He spoke in a trembling tone:
"You guys… you guys never give back my comics. My father… my father works hard for that comic book. He works very hard every day delivering packages with his truck… You can't just take it!"
The bully and his friends had now come downstairs and surrounded him.
"Oh, the chick can talk now? Huh. Well, let's put you back in your egg."
They started beating him nonstop. The child cried, but there was no adult in the park, and not a single child dared to fight them.
Suddenly, one of the boys beating the helpless child was hit by a shoe. He turned to see who threw it and saw a boy the same age as him standing gallantly, though still nervous.
"Leave him alone. Do you think you're strong for beating someone weaker than you? In reality, you're cowards just satisfying your ego."
The other four boys noticed him. One of them said:
"You're dead, punk. You dared to throw a shoe at my friend. Now you'll see how strong we are."
Without thinking twice, all five boys charged at him. But he didn't flinch or run. He stood there heroically, clenched his fists, and then punched.....
———————
Some time later, both boys lay injured and covered in dust—the one who was bullied and the one who tried to save him. They both stood up.
"Thanks for saving me… If you want, I can give you my new comic," said the innocent boy with gratitude and a smile.
The brave boy smiled widely.
"No, it's okay. I was just saving you from those bastards. After all, you helped me get my ball back from that grumpy lady. Don't you remember?"
"Yeah, I remember… My name is Noah Williams. What's yours?" said Noah.
"Ron… Ron Smith. Nice to meet you, Noah. One of my cousins' last name is also Williams. That means we're brothers," he laughed.
"I will also save you one day. It's my promise" said Noah enthusiastically.
"No… you can't," said Ron in a blank tone, his smile disappear.
Noah was shocked by Ron's reply and his sudden change in mood. Before Noah could ask "what," Ron started melting like clay left too close to fire for too long. Noah was terrified. Suddenly, the whole world collapsed into darkness. Noah became an adult. He couldn't see anything except his hands. He looked around in apprehension.
Suddenly, he spotted a man wearing a wooden mask and a red cloak walking toward him. He tried to outrun him but tripped over something. Noah noticed what he had fallen on—it was Ron's corpse, just like the last time he had seen him. Beaten badly, with one eye gouged out.
Ron grabbed Noah's leg and started screaming:
"You could have saved me!!! You could have
saved me!!! You could have saved me!!!"
Terrified, Noah tried to run, chanting, "Sorry, sorry, sorry." But before he could do anything, the masked figure slowly approached, pointed a gun at him, and—
BANG!!!
Noah woke up from his dream. Still lying down, he breathed heavily, trembling. He smelled something—something delicious—from the kitchen. He stood up to see what it was and saw Emma microwaving spaghetti.
"Sorry about that. You could've woken me up to microwave it," Noah apologized.
Emma noticed him. She had a bandage on her cheek from the knife injury she got at Ron's house.
"It's okay. I didn't want to annoy you, and after all, I slept in your home without your permission," Emma chuckled softly.
Outside Noah's apartment door, there was a mini speaker attached, recording every sentence Noah and Emma said. Outside the apartment stood a man wearing a hat that hid his face. He spoke into a walkie-talkie:
"Lord… they're still here. We're waiting for your order."
——————
"I have a meeting. Just watch them. Soon I will give the order, and then… do whatever you want to do with them. But if, before receiving my orders, you use your small brain and make your own decision, you won't even get a tombstone—because hyenas don't even leave bones."
Lord Yin leaned back on his golden throne. He wore a mask—different from the regular ones—a white wooden fox mask without ears, painted with three red stripes on each cheek. Wearing a dark green jacket and jeans and light green t-shirt. He held a walkie-talkie in his hand, then placed it down on the throne. A masked figure standing beside him picked it up.
In front of him sat Ron—injured, missing one eye, unconscious, and tied to a chair. Beside Ron were the two who had invaded his house: the green-eyed receptionist on the right and another masked figure on the left.
Lord Yin spoke calmly:
"You didn't follow my orders. Instead, you gave another person knowledge of our existence. I am disappointed. Your fate has now been sealed."
Lord Yin stood up from his throne.
The masked figure on the left tried to apologize:
"Lord… we are sorry!!! We will try our best!!! Please give us one more chance—"
Before he could finish, Lord Yin took a gun from a masked figure standing behind him and—
SHOOT!!!
The masked figure on the left collapsed to the ground. Blood flowed from his head, spreading across the floor.
The green-eyed masked figure became terrified. Lord Yin looked at him and spoke calmly:
"I have kept you alive, Alice, because you have potential, and I don't want to lose it. You are not mindless like him. But remember—even a strong tree falls when it is chopped down multiple times. I hope you understand."
He paused for a moment.
"I am going for a special talk. So the superior will give you your next order"
He looked at Ron.
"Let the superior handle him. His loyalty and kindness toward his friends will be important for Project Perfection."