EASRS: The Cycle of Hatred I
Chapter 1
XX/XX/1995
Franta City, United States
The night hung heavily over the quiet suburbs of Franta City, stretching endlessly beneath a sky swallowed by clouds and pale moonlight.
Rain fell slowly.
Not in violent bursts, but in a steady, whispering rhythm—droplets tapping against rooftops, sliding along wooden walls, dripping from rusted gutters. The small suburban houses lining the road seemed almost abandoned beneath the thin veil of mist rising from the wet pavement.
Streetlights flickered faintly.
Their orange glow reflected off the rain-soaked asphalt, turning the narrow streets into long, trembling mirrors.
Somewhere far away, music drifted faintly through the damp night air.
A soft, melancholic rhythm.
"Night Cover."
The sound blended with the quiet hiss of rain and the distant hum of engines traveling along the empty highways of the American West.
Then—
Two bright headlights pierced through the darkness.
A 1990s sedan tore through the empty road, its tires slicing through shallow pools of rainwater as it sped recklessly past the silent houses.
Inside the car, the atmosphere was completely different from the quiet world outside.
The air was thick with the smell of cheap alcohol.
Spilled liquor soaked into the fabric of the seats.
Empty bottles rolled across the floor whenever the car swerved too sharply.
At the wheel sat a young man gripping the steering wheel with one hand.
His fingers were tight around the worn leather, yet his posture showed none of the caution one would expect from someone driving on a rain-slick road at night.
His blond hair, parted roughly down the middle, had fallen messily across his forehead. Every few seconds he brushed it aside with his right hand in an impatient gesture.
Under the faint glow of the dashboard lights, his blue eyes shimmered with reckless excitement.
The red flush on his face betrayed the alcohol already burning through his veins.
His white T-shirt was stained where liquor had spilled down his chest earlier. His worn blue jeans were damp with rain and alcohol alike.
Despite it all, he looked energized.
Wild.
Alive in the most dangerous way possible.
His build was solid—broad shoulders and muscular arms like a high school football player, the kind of athlete who relied more on strength and instinct than discipline.
He was roughly 175 centimeters tall, but the way he carried himself made him seem larger.
This was Erwin.
And right now, he was driving far too fast.
The speedometer needle crept higher and higher as the car raced through the rain.
With his left hand gripping the wheel, his right hand blindly searched beside him for something rolling around the seat.
A bottle.
When his fingers finally found it, his grin widened.
Without slowing down in the slightest, he lifted the bottle and took another long drink.
The burning liquid slid down his throat.
He laughed loudly.
Outside the windshield, rain streaked across the glass in chaotic lines as the wipers struggled to keep up.
Beside him sat a girl who looked completely out of place in the chaos.
Her reddish-orange hair fell in loose curls around her shoulders, slightly frizzy from the damp night air. A scattering of faint freckles dotted her cheeks, giving her a youthful appearance.
Behind a pair of thin-framed glasses, her soft blue eyes followed the road ahead anxiously.
She wore a simple white button-up shirt, layered under a loose green cardigan that looked slightly oversized on her slim frame. Below that, a short black pleated skirt rested neatly over her knees.
Even sitting in the passenger seat of a speeding car filled with drunken boys, her posture remained strangely composed.
She was shorter than Erwin—probably around 163 or 164 centimeters.
Her name was Jenny.
And right now, she looked deeply unimpressed.
Her arms were folded across her chest as she watched Erwin steer the car with one hand while casually drinking with the other.
Rain hammered softly against the windshield.
The engine roared.
The car sped deeper into the night.
Finally she sighed and spoke.
---
Jenny
> "I'm fine, you know…"
Her voice carried a mixture of resignation and stubborn loyalty.
> "I'm staying here with you anyway."
---
Erwin glanced at her for half a second before taking another careless drink.
His laughter echoed inside the car.
---
Erwin
> "Oh come on, give it a rest already…"
He smirked.
> "Miss Jenny W. Kendy."
His tone carried playful mockery.
> "Our genius honor student worrying about us again?"
---
Suddenly—
Two massive arms wrapped around both of their shoulders from behind.
The smell of alcohol grew even stronger.
A loud, booming laugh exploded inside the car.
---
Jones
> "HAHA!"
A huge head suddenly appeared between them.
The man in the back seat leaned forward, nearly crushing both of them under his massive arms.
He was enormous.
Dark-skinned, broad-chested, and easily around 185 centimeters tall, his presence filled the cramped car interior.
His hair was cut into a rough blond buzz cut, and his eyes glowed with the reckless energy of someone deep into a drunken high.
---
Jones
> "Live a little!"
He shouted with drunken enthusiasm.
> "We're young! Who cares about school or any of that garbage?"
---
Jenny wrinkled her nose.
The smell of alcohol inside the car had become suffocating.
She turned slightly toward the window, watching rain streak down the glass.
Moments later—
The car slowed.
Then rolled into the parking lot of a lonely roadside gas station.
The neon sign above it flickered weakly.
Several massive freight trucks sat parked nearby, their engines rumbling quietly in the cold night.
A few old intercity buses rested beside them like tired beasts after a long journey.
Inside the station building, a small bar area glowed dimly with yellow light.
Truck drivers sat inside drinking cheap beer and talking quietly.
When the car finally stopped—
Erwin opened the door.
And immediately vomited violently onto the concrete pavement.
The sound echoed unpleasantly through the quiet lot.
The gas station employee standing near the pump grimaced in disgust.
Meanwhile, Jones staggered toward the pump laughing.
---
Jones
> "Fill it up!"
He slapped the metal pump with his palm.
> "Don't worry—I'll pay!"
He laughed loudly.
> "HAHA!"
---
The pump numbers climbed steadily.
$7.80
$12.40
$16.70
Jones watched them with growing concern.
Finally the machine stopped.
$19.50
His smile disappeared.
He dug into his pockets with irritation while muttering to himself.
Behind him, Jenny gently patted Erwin's back as he leaned over the pavement.
Jones glanced over his shoulder.
---
Jones
> "What did you drink tonight?"
He snorted.
> "Gasoline instead of water or something?"
---
Then—
Erwin suddenly stopped moving.
His body froze.
Slowly, he lifted his head.
His eyes widened.
Across the parking lot…
Near the dimly lit restroom building…
Someone was standing there.
A girl.
The wind rustled softly through the night.
Rain dripped from the roof.
And in the faint yellow light—
Her eyes glowed a strange deep red.
Erwin slowly raised his finger and pointed.
His voice fell to a quiet whisper.
---
Erwin
> "…Do you see that girl with the red eyes?"
---
The rain continued falling.
And the girl did not move.
---
[To be continued]