Chapter 9

Kairus

What did he dream about when he was a kid?

All he could remember when he was a child was a man always screaming in front of their faces, ridiculing every mistake they've made. And when he became quiet, the next thing would happen will be a brutal torture to his siblings–it's when they repeat their mistakes or did more terrible in the eyes of him. 

When they're so weak that they close their ears from hearing screams of despair.

When they're soft-hearted, freeing animals in the cage, and unchain people in the basement.

When they can't endure seeing kids their age dying in front of them.

When they can't take a single stab to a man's face.

When they can't cut the limbs of a pregnant woman, butcher them like pig meat, then show how they destroy the fetus in front of the mother while its long navel was still connected.

But those were just the beginner's challenges. What Kairus wanted was more…

Those who could run in false hope…

Those who could fight back until they lost their will and begged…

And those who were stronger, so he could slash his scythe a hundred times on a moving object.

Even though many times his conscience asked him to stop, his body betrays him, finding the savor feeling killing people, seeking thrill and satisfaction from it.

Just like drugs.

There was one time when one of his siblings asked him what their dream was. Out of curiosity, he asked for advice.

"What should be my dream?"

"Kairus, my dear, you only have one purpose in life…."

~

The Trojan Civil Guards were trying to figure things out, hoping for back ups. But their radios only responded to them with beeping sounds.

"Sshhh… Quiet. I'll explain the rules. The safety vests you are wearing were actually bombs! But what's exciting is, not all of them are! This is going to be fun, I swear! It's like a guessing game whether you've a bomb installed on you or none!"

All the workers, students and teachers panicked to remove the safety vests but it was locked.

"Hey! If you remove it, I'll make you explode!" The voice from the speaker froze everyone. "To those who managed to remove them earlier, congratulations! You are promoted as a spectator! Now let's start the first game: The boat is sinking! Group yourself into four!"

The students scattered like an ant, trying to form their group with anyone as long as it's four. 

"I'll explain the mechanics of the game before I count to ten. One, those who fail to have four groups will explode! Only if you have a bomb installed in your body. But if you don't have one, then, you're lucky! But there's a big but! Everyone in a group must have the bomb! If one of you is bombless, then your group will only be counted as three! You'll explode! Now I'll start the counting!"

The surroundings shut in the dark, then the light bulbs blinked in red every second.

"10…"

They started weighing every vest, judging the bombs in a short time with panic. 

"9…"

The Civil Guards tried to help since they were trained for bomb searching.

"8…"

Some chose to be alone, risking thinking that they might be bombless. If they wrongly formed a group of four, they would explode along with the bomb.

"7…6…"

Some were frozen. Some panicked to try to go outside. 

"5…4…"

Some were screaming, stubbornly trying to take out the vest. And it exploded.

"3…2…"

Some haven't worn the vest, like Lirio.

"1"

Kairus eyes widened in surprise as they screamed in unison, echoed in every corner of the factory, only the sounds of explosion shut their voices when their limbs tore apart in impact and burnt.

Those students who formed five or lacked one member had the same fate. The blood danced everywhere, slapped on flyer parts, to their faces, and bathed on the floor.

The students shouted as they witnessed the gruesome deaths around them. The radio released loud maniac laughs. 

"Four is the number of passengers that can ride in Kright Flyer. So that me, Cai, Mama and Papa can sit as we took them home from the stars" the terrorist said cheerfully, but her voice turned into rage, "But Dutchel reduced it to two so their customers will spend more! How are we supposed to sit together, then? You're an idiot, Dutchel! You're an idiot! You deserved to lose a tooth for this one!"

"Aaargh!!!" an old man's voice escaped not only from the radio, but it seemed to come from the tinted glass-walled mezzanine a bit far above them. All of them looked in that direction, as if watching a stage in front of them.

"Look what've you done! They are dying because of your sin! You're the real monster here and not me! Oh," her mood suddenly calmed and she giggled. "A huge spoiler almost slipped on my mouth."

The nostalgic feeling of seeing others blood, hearing their screams of despair. Thrill rushed throughout his body, trembling in excitement, rapid thuds dominating his chest. 

"What should be my dream?"

"Kairus, my dear, you only have one purpose in life."

A gust of wind emanated from Kairus as he summoned a scythe through his own blood. 

"Become the greatest killing machine I've raised. Let this world regret treating me as trash because Malvado blood runs to me!"

"I'm your killing machine, Papa. And I want more!"

His eyes then turned to the abyss and a horde of crying souls arose like thick black liquid from his back. From a single moment, he forgot his promise to Akaesha.

Without a warning, he flashed to the mezzanine, the glasses were broken, sharp pieces shattered in the air, as if slowed down with him while Cleora holding a radio inside was staring at him in surprise. Beside her was an old man in the wheelchair wrapped with bombs, blood ran from his mouth.

"Why don't I host the game instead?" he said as he landed on the floor.

Cleora's black eyes sparkled in enthusiasm, and her bustle skirt got disheveled by the sudden gust of winds the lad brought. "Wow! Your eyes! You're just like me! What kind of game do you want to host, then?"

He licked the blade of his scythe. "I'll count one to ten and you should hide. Once I found you," he then whirled his scythe to adjust his grip. "I'll take your soul."

Cleora felt betrayed for a second, but a smirk was chosen to paint on her lips. "Have you forgotten?" She raised the bomb controller. "Your friends' lives is at my ha–"

The scythe swung on her neck, her neck slid on the floor as the fountain of blood spluttered around, wetting the hostaged man.

Kairus pointed to her in fun. "Huh! Haha! You're just a talk!" 

Then her body suddenly shrunk and formed a young boy.

Kairus eyes widened upon remembering the missing student the Civil Guards were talking about. This distraction was enough to calm his sclera into white and back his purple iris.

"W-Why is this happening to me?" the man cried. "I'm just a mere employer here. I'm not Sir Dutchel!"

The static sound suddenly crumbled on the radio, then followed by a pitchy giggle. "Hey! There's a boomer in the Factory Branch! What a waste! But the game can't end just yet! The airport branch still hasn't figured it out!" Same tone, same voice, it's the same person who's talking.

-inkofdeath