(BEEP! BEEP! BEE–CLICK!)
This time, Ethan hadn't turned off the alarm.
He suddenly opened his eyes. Everything around him was filled with dust and smoke, and a violent wind was hitting his face. He squinted his eyes and instinctively pulled the blanket over himself, trying to protect his face. He had no idea what was happening.
After a while, the wind stopped, and the fog slowly began to settle. Ethan carefully lifted the blanket and froze at what he saw.
He was in the middle of a desert.
About sixty meters ahead, massive pyramids stood tall. And right in front of him… someone was there.
Confused, Ethan got out of bed and slowly walked toward the man. As he got closer, he noticed the man's eyes were glowing red. Strangely, he felt no fear at all and kept walking.
" Welcome, Ethan…"
Ethan stopped right next to him and stared at his face.
"This… this is the terrifying creature that appeared in my room…"
The man let out a faint chuckle.
"Me? A creature?"
"So you can read my mind… Where are we?"
"Home."
With his red eyes, he gazed toward the pyramids. They stood there silently for a while, examining them. Then the man turned back to Ethan and fixed his gaze on him with his towering height. Ethan still didn't feel fear. Not even a shiver.
" Who are you?"
"The King of Gluttony."
"What kind of name is that? Are you one of the Seven Deadly Sins?"
The King of Gluttony pointed at the ground with his thin hand.
"Dig."
Without questioning it, Ethan began digging into the sand. His hands didn't shake at all. It was as if fear no longer existed within him. Soon, a scroll emerged from beneath the sand, wrapped in a red ribbon and sealed.
Ethan picked it up, broke the seal, removed the ribbon, and started reading.
"Spiritual Contract: Two souls in one body… Gluttony and an ordinary human…
What does this mean?"
" You and me… an agreement…"
Suddenly, he appeared behind Ethan and placed his hand on his shoulder. His sharp claws instantly carved deep cuts into Ethan's skin.
" In exchange for helping me, I will transfer a portion of my power to you."
"What do you mean? What power?"
"At night, you will become far stronger…"
A smile slowly formed on Ethan's face. In his mind, there was only one word: opportunity.
"What kind of help are you talking about?"
"Revenge."
"W-what…"
The King of Gluttony turned his gaze back to the pyramids.
"You may use my powers until sunrise."
Just an hour ago, this being had frozen Ethan in fear. Now it was standing before him, offering a deal.
Ethan wasn't going to accept—
" I ACCEPT!"
"Very good… yes… yes, yes…"
"But on one condition. You will not take control of my body."
The King of Gluttony smiled and looked straight into Ethan's eyes. He extended his hand.
" Accepted… unless I am forced to.
Ethan shook his hand."
A violent wind erupted once again, filling everything with smoke and dust. The King of Gluttony slowly began to fade away. Ethan kept staring at those crimson eyes until they completely disappeared.
Ethan opened his eyes and immediately got out of bed. The sun was about to set. The date was October 10th.
He looked at his reflection in the mirror. His face was the same, but something inside him felt different. He felt fearless.
Then he noticed three claw marks on his back. The wounds had already healed, but the scars remained.
As the sun slowly set, Ethan's body temperature began to drop. The scars on his back started to expand. He felt himself growing stronger. Finally, the sun completely disappeared, and the room became ice-cold.
Ethan's eyes began to glow red. A faint yet terrifying voice whispered into his ear. In the mirror, the King of Gluttony appeared.
"Your time has begun…"
"Heh… heh… HAHAHA!"
Ethan felt incredibly powerful. Faster. Stronger.
A black mask covered his face. He opened his window, jumped from the rooftop, and headed toward Anacostia.
There was only one thing he wanted to do with this power.
" A hero! This power granted to me… I will use it for good!"
7:30 PM
Ethan had arrived in Anacostia. Crime rates were extremely high here. As he moved through the area, his sharp ears caught a sound.
" Help! STOP!"
Ethan sprinted at full speed and reached a narrow alley. A drunk man was harassing a girl. The moment Ethan saw her, he recognized Mia. The girl he met on the bus.
Without hesitation, he charged like a wolf.
"AAAARGH!"
With glowing red eyes, Ethan slammed into the man, shattering his ribs.
" Agh!"
(BANG!)
The man pulled out a gun and fired at Ethan's head. Ethan dodged instantly with inhuman reflexes, then slit the man's throat.
He felt no fear. No pity. Someone was dying in front of him, and he felt nothing.
The man choked on his own blood. The last thing he saw was those red eyes.
Ethan turned to Mia. She screamed and ran.
"N-no… NO!"
She vanished into the darkness, terrified. Ethan was about to follow—
"Stop…"
That voice again.
Ethan kept running, but at the end of the alley, two police officers stood with their guns raised.
"Don't move! Stop right there!
Ethan panicked."
" I-I didn't do anything, officer, I was just trying to—"
" Shut up! Hands up!"
He raised his hands. His claws were long and sharp. One officer stepped forward with handcuffs.
"Get on the ground!"
"Please, officer, I—"
(BANG!)
A bullet struck Ethan's head, and he collapsed instantly.
The officers approached cautiously. One reached for Ethan's mask.
"I warned you, bastard—"
(SHKK—CRACK!)
"AAAAA!"
Ethan's body moved on its own. He expelled the bullet from his skull, instantly healing the wound. He grabbed the officer's arm and snapped it.
The temperature dropped even further.
" A-AAAH!"
"Dad, what's happening?!"
The second officer fired three shots.
(BANG! BANG! BANG!)
All he saw were lifeless, glowing red eyes.
Ethan grabbed the injured officer and tore his body in half.
The remaining officer tried to run.
The red eyes were faster.
"Stop! Please! I have two kids!"
Ethan snapped back to reality. The glow in his eyes faded. He lowered his claws and fled.
He returned home, climbed to the roof, and entered through the window.
He had achieved what he wanted.
But he had killed an innocent person.
He felt nothing.
He removed the blood-stained mask, hid it under his bed, and lay down, staring at the ceiling.
" I… I'm innocent… I—"
He broke down, hitting himself repeatedly.
" King of Gluttony… You did this. YOU DID THIS!"
End of Chapter 3