Chapter 2: Inner Thoughts

The city's bustling streets seemed to hum with the energy of life, but Apathy walked among the living as if he were a spectre, an observer of emotions he no longer possessed. His heart was devoid of love, his spirit untouched by joy, and the embers of his anger had been extinguished.

The city's neon lights cast surreal, shifting colours upon his pale features as he traversed the winding alleys. His thoughts, a turbulent storm of doubt and determination, took him back to the pact he had made with Lucifer. It was a deal struck in the darkest of hours, one that had left him with an unquenchable thirst for power.

The memory of the man, an imposing figure who seemed to dwarf the very shadows, lingered in his mind. his aura of overwhelming power had left Apathy awestruck, and his philosophy of ruthless ambition had etched itself into the boy's thoughts.

Apathy's journey was only beginning, and the path he had chosen was fraught with uncertainty. The consequences of his pact were an enigma, and the city of Newhaven, with its endless opportunities and hidden dangers, held the promise of a life he had never imagined.

Apathy walked through the labyrinthine back alleys of Newhaven, each narrow passageway veiled in shadows and echoing with the distant sounds of the city. The desolation and anonymity of these alleys were his companions, providing him with a degree of solace amidst the chaos of the metropolis.

As he turned a corner, he found himself face to face with a group of menacing figures. The thugs, their faces etched with a cruel familiarity of the streets, blocked his path with grim determination.

"Look what we got here, boys," one of the thugs sneered, his voice dripping with malice. "A lost kid wanderin' into the wrong alley."

Apathy's heart remained unresponsive, his emotions buried beneath layers of cold detachment. His expression was devoid of fear or defiance as he regarded the thugs with a dispassionate gaze.

The leader of the group, a burly figure with a scarred face, advanced menacingly. "You got anythin' worth sharin', kid? Or you just gonna hand it over?"

Apathy's response was far from what they expected. With a casual click of his fingers, an eerie, dark flame danced to life incinerating one of the thugs his screams sending a shrill down the their spines. The thugs, momentarily taken aback, watched in disbelief as Apathy's fingers ignited another with an otherworldly fire.

The scarred-faced leader hesitated, but the thugs surrounding Apathy made a grave error in underestimating the boy. In a flash, he unleashed the flames upon two of the thugs, searing their clothing and leaving them screaming in pain as they collapsed on the ground the blaze melting their bones.

The others, now realizing the gravity of the situation, lunged at Apathy with makeshift weapons, intent on overpowering him. Apathy's transformation had given him strength and a level of control over his newfound powers.

he incapacitated the remaining thugs, breaking bones and inflicting injuries, not stopping short of causing lasting harm. The alley was left in silence, save for the moans of the injured thugs.

Apathy's transformation, it seemed, had unlocked not just raw power but a ruthless self-preservation instinct. He walked away from the alley, leaving the wounded thugs to nurse their wounds and bury their friends, his actions serving as a warning to those who dared to cross his path.

The events of this encounter would be a prelude to the dark journey he had embarked upon, where the consequences of his newfound power would continue to shape his path forward through this world.