Chosen

Right after waking up, I feel a strange sensation. I have no idea what time it is, but it doesn't matter. My time has probably come, and all that's left is to accept it. Anyway, if I'm going to die, I want to eat something first. I get out of bed and head to the kitchen. My house has only three rooms. The first room you find upon entering the house is the kitchen, the bedroom is to the right, and in front of the kitchen is the bathroom door.

Looking more closely now, the kitchen is a mess. There are unwashed dishes and stuff on the table. How did I not notice this when Liz was here? Damn, I like to have things organized, especially in the presence of others. Why am I like this? I shouldn't care about what others think, yet I care more than I should.

I start washing the dishes and organizing things. While washing a glass, I notice it was a gift from Marcia.

When I was seven, she gave it to me as a birthday present. I remember that day perfectly. I was playing with Liz at her house when Marcia left and said she'd be right back. I waited, and when I least expected it...

"Mr. Lucas! Open the door now!"

The sound of banging on the door and the shouting make me lose my train of thought. Damn, who is it now? I open the door and find Mayke, Maicon's son.

"What do you wa-"

I don't even have time to react; I'm hit squarely by a punch. It feels charged with something, anger. I fall to the ground, and the only thing I see is him. Mayke is one of my childhood "friends." He's Maicon's son, and I hate him so much.

"How dare you say that about my father in front of everyone? You idiot, useless, you've never been anyone in life."

While being insulted, he doesn't waste time and starts throwing punch after punch. As I'm being hit, the only thing that comes to my mind is his white clothes. He wears white from his shoes to his shirt.

Maybe that's why I hate him so much. I've always liked the color black, and he likes white. Opposite colors, opposite feelings, opposite people.

With each punch I receive, I can see his white dress shirt changing color, red. The purest and truest color, the only color that just by seeing it, you understand what it is about: Pain, blood, chaos.

"You're going to die today, Lucas. So you learn never to insult my family."

However, amid all this, I feel nothing. Everything I've been through in my life is just... emptiness? I've never liked goodbyes. Dying like this is for the best. I prefer this to spending weeks recovering, only to delay the inevitable.

I close my eyes. I'm prepared for what's to come. I've always known I wouldn't last long in this world. I was a good person, but the damn world makes you evil just for not fitting into their standards.

"Die! You're a nobody."

Goodbye, world.

Suddenly, Mayke stops beating me, and when I open my eyes again, I'm alone.

"What was that? An illusion? No way, there are no wizards around here. Where is Mayke?"

When I stand up, I go straight to the bathroom and look at myself in the mirror.

"How come?"

I don't see any marks from the blows or blood. For the first time in a long time, I feel extremely handsome. My straight hair falls over my forehead, my dark eyes without dark circles. My hair is so beautiful and well-groomed. What happened here?

Without wasting time, I return to the kitchen and see that the things I was washing are clean. Not only that, but next to them is a note. As I get closer, I can read what's written.

"Dreamer boy, you are my hope for this world. Meet me at the great tree."

Upon reading this, I start to feel an extreme itch on my right wrist, and when I look to see what's happening, I see the symbol of Dante, our god, on my wrist. The same green X symbol is there. Engraved on me.

I try to wash my arm, but I can't get it off. It's like a tattoo.

"What the hell is happening?"

He passed through here and marked me. What do I do? Desperation rises in my mind. Should I tell Liz? No, it might be dangerous. While my head is full of doubts, I look to the side and see the clock showing seven forty-five at night. Without thinking twice, I know what I'm going to do.

"Well, I have nothing left to fear. All that's left is to go there."

As I leave my house, I feel a strong wind hit my face, and looking at the sky, I see clouds forming. It's going to rain.

I look around and notice that all the houses are locked; I'm the only person outside. My house is the last on a street, and around this street, there are other houses made of bricks with wooden doors. The city's economy has regressed since the recent events.

Anyway, I take a deep breath and head towards the great tree. The great tree is located at the city's entrance. As I walk there, I see several memories of mine while walking and looking at the houses.

I find Ander's house, the old man who found me and brought me here, Liz's house. After passing these houses, looking to my right, I see Marcia's old establishment. All burned down... It feels like it was yesterday. I feel like crying, but I hold back and move forward. I can't lose focus.

Upon reaching the city's entrance, I finally stand before the great tree, which is about twenty meters tall. There are so many things on my mind: where is Mayke? Why are all the houses locked? What happened?

As I reach the spot, I see someone under the great tree. Getting closer... No way, I find a hooded figure, staring at me intently.

"Hello, human."