10. The First Act of Revenge

The night was cold. The air was full of the smell of wet concrete and old trash. Far away the streetlights blinked. They made long shadows on the narrow alley. Somewhere far from here the city kept moving. It did not care what was happening in this dark and hidden place

Ethan stood in the dark. His hood pulled low over his face. He watched

The boy in front of him had no idea what was coming

Jake

One of them

One of the boys who laughed while Ethan screamed

One of the boys who kicked him. Spit on him. Hurt him

Ethan's fingers moved

His body felt full of something new. Something cold. Something strong

And tonight he would use it

Jake leaned on the wall. He looked at his phone. He did not look worried. He had no reason to worry

Because in his mind—Ethan was dead

Ethan took one step forward

The soft sound of his foot on the ground made Jake lift his head fast

"Who's there" Jake's voice was loud but Ethan could hear fear under it

Ethan did not answer

He let the quiet grow. He let the fear rise

Jake frowned. He stepped back. He looked into the dark "Yo if this is some joke—"

Then he saw them

The eyes

Red and glowing in the dark like fire

Jake stopped moving

His breath caught in his throat

His body shook a little

"No…"

The word was quiet

His phone dropped from his hand. It hit the ground hard

"Y-you're d-dead—"

Ethan took another step

Then one more

Each step made Jake more afraid

His heartbeat was fast. Wild. Loud like drums

He tried to move but the wall was already behind him

He had nowhere to go

"No no no…" Jake said. His voice cracked "This—this isn't real—"

Ethan kept walking

He did not blink

He did not speak

Because he wanted Jake to feel it

The same fear

The same panic

The same heavy terror Ethan felt that night

Jake's breath was loud. His hands scraped the wall behind him

Ethan heard it

The moment it happened

The moment the fear won

The moment Jake knew he could not run

He was stuck

Ethan lifted his hand

Jake pulled back. He closed his eyes tight

But Ethan did not touch him

He did not need to

Because the power was not only in his body

It was also in his mind

And now—

It would go into Jake's mind too

A dark wave moved from Ethan's fingers. No one could see it but it was there. It wrapped around Jake's head like cold ropes

And then—

Jake's mind snapped

He was back

Back in the old dorm

Back in the worst place

But this time—Jake was the one on the floor

His ribs hurt

His skin felt like it was on fire

The kicks came fast. Hard. Never stopping

Laughter filled the air

Mean

Loud

It echoed everywhere

"You're nothing"

"You're weak"

"No one will ever care about you"

Jake tried to get up. But his body would not move

The pain was too much

His chest felt tight

His breath shook

He gasped. He grabbed at the air like he was drowning

And for the first time—

Jake knew

He felt it

The pain

The fear

The hopeless feeling that eats your soul

In the alley Jake's real body shook. His hands pulled at his hair. He wanted to run from the pain inside his head

But he could not

Because Ethan did not let him wake up

Not yet

Not until he hurt

Not until he broke

Jake screamed

His body jerked

His face was wet with tears

His lips shook. His chest moved fast

His real voice was soft. Small. Broken

"Please… please… s-stop…"

Ethan watched

His hands tight

His breath slow and quiet

He thought it would feel good

To see one of them beg

To see one of them cry

But all he felt was… empty

Jake looked weak

So small

Was this really one of the boys who beat him

Who laughed while he bled. Who called him trash

Ethan stepped closer. He bent down near Jake

Jake's body twitched

Ethan leaned close

His breath was cold on Jake's ear

"You took everything from me"

Jake sobbed

His head moved a little. His mouth opened and closed. But no words came

Ethan's red eyes turned darker

"Now it's your turn"

He moved his fingers—

And the nightmare stopped

Jake's body dropped. He fell like a doll onto the cold wet ground

His eyes were blank

His face was wet with sweat. His breath came in short gasps

But he did not move

Did not talk

Did not scream

Because Jake was broken

The first one had fallen

Ethan stood up. He looked down at the boy who once made him cry

He should have felt proud

He should have felt joy

But instead he felt… empty

Like something was still gone

Like a part of him was still in that old dorm

The system spoke. The voice was smooth. It sounded happy

"The first step is complete"

Ethan said nothing

He just turned away. He walked over Jake's body and stepped into the night

Tomorrow the next one would fall