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║ Aapka swagat hai!
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║ Bhasha badli jaa rahi hai...
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║ Language Adjusted!!
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"What the hell is this? Where I am?"
Before Dev could speak anything more, a blue-coloured semi transparent game like screen appeared in front of him. It's screen size was bigger than a monitor's.
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║ WELCOME !!
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║ Do you want to become a member of
║ SYSTEM OF NEXUS?
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Screens were flashing before him, like he was in a VR game or webnovel of fantasy worlds. Dev was from a planet — Earth. There, no magic, no superpowers, no elves and other fantasy beings like dragon. Only humans and other magicless species.
"I was supposed to die, then what's this?"
Hesitated and confused, Dev stepped backward, but the screen followed him, no matter where he tried to move. Around him, there was empty darkness extending endlessly. A faded light whose source was unknown — was lighting his surroundings to few metres
"Why is this following me? I'm not his master!"
Ray rushed behind, trying to escape from the system. But the screen was also one feet away from his face, little tilted.
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║ Do you want to become a member of
║ system of nexus?
║ Accept or Deny?
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"Hey, stop playing with me!, I want to go home!"
Dev's voice carried a crying voice, like a little baby shouting. Well, a baby can't shout, but Dev was helpless.
"Home? Where? You call that hell, a home?"
A voice resonated deep, like every particle in air clashed each other, it wasn't a normal wave that reached Dev's ears. Like a phone, he was hanged for few seconds, eyes widened, body still like statue.
Suddenly, Dev's eyes flickered, it was hard to tell what was happening over his face. What kind of emotion he was giving out, but it was sure that he understood in which condition he was.
"Don't you remember, what happened with you before you came here?"
As that unknown voice's words echoed in Dev's mind, for a moment, he focused his brain to clear the fog over his past memories. Slowly, memories flashed in his mind.
*****
In the noisy night, where everyone was busy in their own work & interest, few students were bullying Dev in corner of a street, there was no light or bulb there, only headlights of passing cars through highway was lighting it.
Three or four students, Dev wasn't sure about how many students were there, but he was under one of student's shoes on earth. Crawling in attempt to free himself from pressure of leg of one of the student, he was continuously screaming.
"Shut his mouth!!"
Student who was pressing down Dev's neck on earth commanded another student. Another few students came and started to kick him like he is a cement bag.
There was no one there except these kids who weren't even in high school. Bullying students nowadays is part of Gen Alpha. At least here, where Dev lives.
"I haven't done anything! Let me go!", he was crying continuously, desperately trying to cover his waist through hands so that he will not get any serious injury on backbone.
"You thought that complaining to teacher will make you free from us, die!!"
One who was rubbing his shoe over his head, spoked in harsh and rough voice, trembling with anger.
They kept striking on him, other students were enjoying this, not everyone had anger for him, they were here for fun.
"See! This is your worth!", the student who was rubbing his shoe, retreated his leg backward, but again he pushed his leg with all his strength and kicked his head from front, nose bare, sound wetted with blood echoed in the silent street, but lost outside of street in noise.
The burst of blood from his nose that followed the brutal sound spattered on their face. Screaming was gone now, Dev was silent, his legs wide open, his chest no longer moving, eyes closed automatically.
One of the boy stepped backward, his heart was going to blast out of fear, guiltiness. "Devis, who said you to kick him this hard on his bare face, I'm going..."
Without saying anymore, he ran from there.
"Why he ran?" Devis said, beiny confused.
Another student knelt and put his fingers under his nose, and realising something, he whispered, his voice coming out in gaps of heavy breaths.
"He's dead, I don't know but he's not breathing!"
Suddenly everyone stepped backward.
"Devis, I'm already late, my father said to come early, so I'm going... See you later..", another student ran.
Devis was now alone with remaining student who sat down. Devis' body was trembling with fear, he was shaking, same for student next to him.
"Aadi, you also know I didn't kicked him that hard, that this bastard will die, check again, he must be pretending to be dead."
Adi replied, "No, he's really da—dead."
"Hey, Dev, stand up, don't pretend to die, I know you are alive, I swear— I will not bully you again..."
Devis was trying to comfort himself, tears filled his eyes, not in sympathy, but in realisation that he just did a murder.
The student before him stood and with a pretending look of natural face, he stepped toward road, his hands in his pockets like nothing happened.
"Devis... he's not pretending, but you need to pretend like nothing happened. Leave him, I'll see you tomorrow in school. Don't forget to get rid of bloody shoes."
*****
"Do you still want to go there? Even after you know how you ended up here. You are already dead, so it's impossible to return." The unknown voice was trying to get answer from Dev.
Dev was still lost in his memories. He was only 14 year old, studying in 9th grade. He was good at studies but physically a little child can beat him. He always falls sick, or say he have freindship with diseases.
His family... he only have his grandfather, his mom and dad left him. His grandpa wasn't rich but a middle class man who was still working in the age, when he should rest.
"Boy, if you accept the System Of Nexus and becomes his member, you can live your life again, but this time you will have strength. As encourager of system, I am asking last time..."
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║ Do you want to become a member of
║ system of nexus?
║ Accept or Deny?
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"Accept!!"