BACK TO PRESENT
A fifteen-year-old boy with blue hair walked through the school grounds, a gloomy expression resting on his face.
As he passed the basketball court, a sudden cough caught his attention, making him stop and turn to the source of the sound.
A boy around his age was on his knees, his head bowed. He wore glasses and clutched his stomach, clearly in pain.
There were three other boys surrounding him.
One of the boys- a blonde- crouched down and grabbed him by the collar.
"Apologize. Right now." He barked, arrogance and superiority clear in his voice.
"I... I'm sorry." The boy's voice trembled as he whispered.
"Huh. What was that. I didn't hear you can you repeat yourself?"
"I... I'm so sorry. Please... Forgive me. It won't happen again." He said again and louder this time.
The blondie grinned, releasing the boy's collar and stood up.
He snapped his fingers as the other two boys held him by his arms and lifted him off the ground, both grinning arrogantly, like spoiled young masters accustomed to getting their way.
The blue haired boy—Desmond—looked at them for a while with an uninterested expression and turned around, walking away.
"We're gonna teach you a lesson to make sure you show respect to your superiors next time, you powerless brat!"
Desmond stopped when he heard those words.
The blonde guy punched four eyes in the stomach.
The guy gagged.
Another punch followed.
Then another.
Then another.
Then a fifth blow, making the guy coughed up blood.
"How is that? Hurts, doesn't it?" The blondie sneered. "Maybe next time you'll think twice before running your mouth."
He pulled back his fist and threw it, aiming for four eyes' face, but before it could connect—
BAM!
A fist connected hard across his cheek.
He stumbled sideways—his expression shocked rather than pained—and fell.
The other two boys stared in shock.
The person standing where their leader had been...
Was Desmond.
"Why don't you guys pick on someone your own size, huh?"
Desmond immediately turned toward one of the boys holding the victim, fist pulled back.
The guy was slow to react as a punch slammed into his face, making him release his grip and stumbling backwards.
Desmond ducked, just in time to dodge a punch from the third guy and drove his fist into the guy's stomach.
BAM!
Before he could even show any pain, Desmond spun and kicked him across the side of his face—SMACK—sending him staggering away.
Four eyes dropped to the ground, looking up at Desmond.
For a brief moment, he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
So cool...
Desmond turned toward the three boys.
"So you guys go around picking fights with people who don't bear an Onyx, huh?"
His eyes narrowed. "Pathetic."
The blondie slowly got back on his feet. "Haven't your parents ever taught you not to stick your nose into other people's business?" His grin returned.
"Besides, you're in no position to talk." He pointed toward the guy in glasses.
"You're no different from him. You're powerless too, aren't you, Desmond?"
His grin twisted in arrogance and superiority.
The type that makes you want to punch him so hard that his face would disfigure.
"Shut up!" Desmond spat, his teeth clenched and fists tightening, subtly.
The blondie snapped his fingers and in response, the other two lunged at Desmond.
The first boy reached him and threw a punch. Desmond raised an arm, knocking it aside, then drove his elbow into the boy's jaw.
The second guy approached from behind, ready to attack...
But Desmond was ready.
He twisted around and drove a back kick into the guy's stomach.
THOOM!
As the boy stumbled back, Desmond grabbed the first one—who was on his knees caressing his jaw in pain—by the hair.
The second guy attacked again.
But right at the point of no return, Desmond brought the guy he held in the way as the guy—gratefully—took the punch which was supposed to be Desmond's dinner.
"M... MATT!" The second guy stuttered as his buddy in crime went staggered sideways and fell.
Desmond moved forward before the second guy could recover from his shock, spinning around and landed a kick to the side of his face, sending staggering after his buddy.
Then he turned around, eyes trying to the find blonde guy but he had vanished.
"He's gone?" Desmond asked, lowering his guard slightly.
Or that's what he thought.
"No he's not." Four eyes tried warning him buuuut...
Too late...
WHAM!
A metal rod suddenly struck his head from behind.
He staggered, groaning in pain as he held his head, turning around to see the rod floating in the air.
"What the... Telekinesis?" Desmond groaned in pain, blood trickling down his forehead.
"No, that's not it." Four eyes yelled, pulling everything he could into get up but failing.
Like his legs weren't listening to him.
"It's camouflage."
Desmond scowled but before he could react, the rod dropped to the ground.
He could hear footsteps but couldn't tell where exactly it was coming from.
Like it was coming from everywhere at the same time.
Desmond kept turning his head, trying to spot them but it was all...
"FUTILE." The blonde guy's voice sounded out as a rock suddenly slammed into his side.
This one made him go down, hand clutching his rib, jaws tightly shut in pain.
He looked around frantically but the other two boys were nowhere to be found.
"Be careful!" Four eyes warned him.
"They all have the same ability."
Desmond's eyes darted around.
Nothing.
Then—
BAM!
A fist slammed into the side of his face, making him fall sideways, catching himself with his arms before he could fall to the ground.
Another pained groan escaped him as he tried getting up but another floating metal rod slammed into his stomach.
"Garrrh—"
Another pain filled groan...
Immediately after, he went down on both knees time, clutching his stomach as he coughed violently.
"Dammit!" He thought.
The guys weren't giving him any space to recover.
Something struck him in the back making him drop to the ground.
Before he could even try to move, another blow slammed into his stomach.
Desmond curled up, desperately trying to protect himself.
Despite all that, his expression didn't show any sign of pain.
It was pure irritation.
Irritation at the fact that they were right beside but he couldn't perceive them or where their attacks would come next.
Then, one by one, the three boys deactivated their abilities.
"How does it feel huh? Painful? Or do you want more?" The blonde guy, went down, throwing a mocking gaze at Desmond, same as the other two who surrounded him.
"Let me tell you something." He yanked Desmond forward by the collar to gaze directly into his eyes.
"Don't go picking fights with people who are willing to risk their lives on the battlefield to protect useless weaklings like you and four eyes."
"Can't you see? This world is now a battlefield and only those who are blessed like us get to step into the light while pathetic weaklings like you have to hide behind or backs out of fear. Fear of falling prey to the forces of darkness."
Desmond's face twisted, rage bubbling up inside him while Blondie kept blabbering.
"You know perfectly well that we can choose to protect you or not but you're still trying to fight against us. Open your eyes Desmond. This is reality. You can't always go around daydreaming that we'll still fight for you even you defy us, do you? Do you?"
Then—
"Scum."
Blondie's smile disappeared.
"Huh? What was that?" He said, voice slightly agitated.
Desmond noticed it, a grin gracing his lips.
"You're all a bunch of scumbags."
"The only thing you're always thinking about... is your yourself. Going around... playing hero... just because you got lucky and was born bearing an onyx? Don't... make me laugh." He snickered, his grin turning mocking.
"The battlefield isn't a platform where you get to show off to the world just what awesome powers you have. You think you're strong just because you've gotten a cool ability? How dumb can you be?"
"What?" Blondie spoke, brows furrowed, jaws clenched so tight that his might snap.
"That mentality will get you killed before you even know it, Blondie." Desmond continued, tilting his head slightly.
"Look at you." His grin widened
"You were struggling to beat me..." He paused.
"Me." His eyes narrowed. "Someone who doesn't even bear an Onyx."
The blondie's fists tightened.
The look on his face felt almost satisfying to Desmond.
Just one more push.
"You are..." He steadily raised one hand, grabbing Blondie's arm as he added in a low but taunting tone.
"WEAK!"
Blondie's snapped, his face twisting with rage as his hand flew, a fist slamming into Desmond's face.
BAM!
Desmond crashed to the ground.
"Shut up!"
The other two joined him Blondie, throwing kicks on him.
"Shut up!"
Another kick.
"Shut up!"
And another.
"Shut up!"
Again
"Shut up!" He kept saying as they continued their assault.
Four eyes tried tried to stand but legs gave out and he collapsed back onto the ground.
"Stop." He muttered, tears flowing down his face.
"Please...stop it." He said again, a bit louder this time but they completely ignored him and kept their assault upon Desmond.
"Please stop." He literally shouted this time, desperation lacing his voice
"Hey! What's going on here?" They turned their attention towards it direction of the voice.
There, a green haired guy ran towards them with a bunch of other guys following him.
"Phil." Four eyes said, a sigh of relief escaping him.
"Shit! Let's get out of here." Blondie said, delivering one last kick to Desmond before he and the other two turned invisible, their footsteps fading away.
"Tch. They got away." Phil frowned as he got to Desmond's side. "Take them to the infirmary now." He ordered the other boys who obeyed him.
"Those bastards. Always causing trouble just because they think they're better than everyone else."
A few hours later, Desmond exited the infirmary, still with the gloomy look on his face.
He looked okay despite the brutal beating he received earlier.
Probably a healer's handiwork.
He glanced left, spotting Phil who was leaning against the wall.
Phil turned, offering a small, tired smile.
Desmond held his gaze for a long, silent moment before looking away.
"Hey Des. You okay?"
Desmond said nothing.
He simply nodded and tried walking away, but Phil placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.
"Come on Desmond, don't let his words get to-"
"I said I'm fine." Desmond cut Phil off sharply and shook the guy's hand off his shoulder.
Phil stayed silent for a few heartbeats, hand still hanging.
Then his hand dropped to his side as he watched Desmond walk away, worry etched on his face.
— —
The sun had receded, giving way to the moon as darkness settled over the city.
Unlike the bustling streets elsewhere in Amsterdam, this particular street was quiet.Some of its buildings were rundown, and most of the residents appeared to be asleep.
Only a handful of windows remained illuminated.
Through the quietness, Desmond treaded along the street with his head slightly bowed and a grim look on his face.
He gave out a slow, exhausted sigh.
"And at the end Phil had to come and save me... Again." He said, looking up ahead.
"I'm weak. I still can't believe Phil has gone that far ahead of me. We both aspired to be like him for different reasons. Like Taro. The first and greatest warrior to have ever lived on this planet." He sighed again.
"But it looks like I'll never be able to turn that dream into a reality...while Phil...his onyx manifested in him at an early age."
He stopped walking and looked up at the night sky.
"I started working out at age 7 hoping to become stronger than Phil once my onyx manifested in me. I thought if I started putting in effort earlier, I'd have more advantage."
He lifted one hand as if trying to reach out a grasp a star.
"I could see it... That bright blue light. Right in front of me."
His palm closed, fist clenching hard.
"But I could never get close to it, much less embrace it. The distance between us never changed..."
Bringing his hand down, it landed on his forehead.
"So I tried to forget about it. I convinced myself it wasn't important. An illusion."
"But the harder I worked, the farther Phil kept getting ahead of me. I was so caught up in trying to surpass him that I didn't notice it until I found out last year that I didn't possess an Onyx."
Tears began swelling up in his eyes.
"That was when I noticed... How stupid I had been. That light I could never reach was my dream."
A bitter chuckle escaped him as tears formed in his eyes.
"I can't catch up to him. Not in a million years because I..." The tears started flowing down his face. "Even after everything I've done... I'm still so weak."
He went down on his knees, biting his lips to prevent himself from screaming.
But the tears streamed down anyway.
He clenched his chest so hard as he drowning deeper but then...
"HEEEEELLP. SOMEBODY PLEASE. HELP ME."
His head snapped up almost immediately, eyes trailing up ahead.
Most of the lights in the apartments around went on one after the other.
Without giving himself time to think, Desmond got up and ran toward the alley where he'd heard the cry.
Immediately he got there, he froze, eyes going wide as his back broke in a cold sweat.
There, standing nearly seven feet tall was a wolf-headed creature covered in dark fur. A black robe draped over its massive frame, and a suffocating killing intent radiated from it.
"Shit! A dar-tandemon?" He thought as he watched on.
His gaze locked on to a small girl standing back against the wall right in front of the demon.
Her bright red eyes were wide in fear, tears formed at the corners as her body just kept quivering like a piece of paper in a storm.
Desmond couldn't move. His trembling legs refused to obey him, and he clenched his teeth so tightly that his jaw began to ache.
"There's no warrior here. What should I do? I can't just jump in. I don't bear an onyx. I'll die if I try, it's crazy."
The demon started lifting up deadly katana, crimson eyes boring a crushing fear into the girl as it grinned, flashing rows of its sharp, saw tooth.
"No. I have to do something. I can't just stand aside and watch this happen, I won't allow it." He thought but his body was still refusing to move.
"Come on move dammit."
The demon raised its sword higher, blade glinting under the moonlight with promise of bloodshed.
The girl went down, covering her head with her hands as the gnawing fear refused to leave her be, body still trembling.
"Someone... Anyone... Mom... Big brother!" She said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Please... Help me!"
"No. I won't stand aside for something like that to happen." As he said that his veins started popping up on his skin.
"I won't let all my hard work go in vain."
His legs finally moved, just slightly... But that was all he needed.
"I'm going to put all that training to use. Right here, right now."
He suddenly lunged toward the dar-tandemon, his feet carrying him as fast as he could run, fist clenched tight.
"Even if I don't bear an onyx..."
Then he leaped forward as he got closer, fist pulled back, ready to strike at any moment.
"I won't stand aside and watch this happen right before my eyes."
He got to the demon within a flash and with every ounce of strength he could muster, he swung his fist.