Ringgg!
"...."
The school bell rang for a few seconds. It would be the final school bell that Julian Thorne would hear for the next three months.
He stood quietly as a crowd of students rushed past him. They ran down the brick staircase, heading toward the buses.
It was the middle of spring. Patches of green grass were decorated with colorful flowers, and the air felt a little moist. Still, just the right amount of warmth to be comfortable. A comfortable wind blew through.
"Everyone's so excited. For what? Three months will pass, and we'll all be back in this... stupid school, anyway," he grumbled. Very silently.
To describe Julian's life, it was boring. Filled with lazy days, watching people live better lives than him, and sulk in sadness. Then go home and…
After waiting for the crowd of kids to clear out, he finally decided to walk back home.
His house was not too far from the school. He didn't have to cross any roads to get there, either. Just a silent stroll on the sidewalk.
Julian was a scrawny, pale boy. Black strands rested atop his head, unkept. Stray strands obscured his vision.
He would always wear dark-tinted glasses to conceal his sharp, scarlet eyes. If he didn't, he would get odd looks. A naturally stern face like that, to add to his red eyes, would naturally get that.
Julian sighed.
I don't wanna go home. My mom is always nagging. But where else can I go? It's not like I have any friends. Ultimately, I can only-
"Julian!"
A familiar voice called out to him. His head snapped toward the other side of the street. On the sidewalk, a trio of boys stood.
Adam, Ian, and Ivan.
"School has ended!" Adam exclaimed.
"Though our rivalry hasn't ended!" Ian added.
"We'll never forget all the times you've beaten us!" Ivan roared.
The three boys were younger.
Ah. I forgot about these kids. They're here too. Everyone's living. I am far too self-absorbed, huh?
Julian grinned. He slowly shook his head.
"You kids. Growing up a little, you think you've garnered enough power to defeat the Demon King?" he chuckled. Raising his hand to his face, he slowly lowered his tinted glasses. Red eyes shone.
The three boys were alarmed.
"To think he would activate his ability so early..." Adam shuddered.
"That's improper technique," Ian noted.
"Unless... he's saying he can beat us so fast, he won't even need to-"
"Adam! Ivan! Ian! Come back inside! I told you kids not to play with that... neighbor!" the voice of a mother yelled out from an open door.
The three kids lowered their heads, reluctantly listening to their mother.
"..."
Julian placed his glasses back on.
This is the life forced upon me. Scorned... seen as a monster. I always forget that I am truly and utterly alone in this world.
As he continued his venture, it began to rain.
Pitter. Patter.
Julian didn't bring an umbrella. There was no forecast of rain. He groaned loudly. His white shirt began to stick to his skin, and everything was all uncomfortable.
"Is my life always gonna be like this?" he cried out.
His fists were balled. He stared into the sky.
"What's up with that kid…?"
"Is this the edgelord syndrome people talk about?"
Julian ignored the whispers and stares from windows. He ran. And then he slipped, tumbling down onto the stone sidewalk.
He scraped his knee; the fabric of his jeans was torn. Blood began to trickle, though it wasn't a lot. He still winced in pain, squeezing his eyelids tight.
"Aaah…" he groaned.
Slowly. He got up. Limping.
The heavy rain caused a layer of mist to hover above the ground. Obscuring vision. But through that mist, he saw something.
The bright headlights of a white sedan.
In front of that, a young boy waddled forward. Trying to catch his white ball that rolled onto the road.
Julian watched quietly as it came forward.
It's crazy…
Everything that I've done has led up to this single moment.
If I hadn't run and slipped…
Perhaps I would've never had to face the trauma of seeing this young boy die… I'm nowhere near fast enough.
…
Maybe…!
Julian's resolve hardened. His limp turned into him standing upright. Two, heavy steps. He took two heavy steps.
A third step was taken. He mustered up all of the strength that he could. A boy like him who had never worked out in life, there was not much to muster.
Fssh!
His foot kicked up water. He soared through the air, catching the boy in a grasp.
Julian did not land gracefully. He tumbled, rolling onto the other side of the sidewalk. Tightly, he held the child.
No… no way.
That was the most heroic thing I've ever done..!
"You alright… kid?" Julian asked.
"Get off my child!"
Julian's head shot up to locate where the sound was coming from. After the adrenaline wore off, and he regained his logical thinking, he realized that something like this was going to happen.
He spotted the woman who called for her child.
"!"
He dropped the child.
Julian's eyes widened. The red in his eyes became all the more apparent.
"A-a demon!"
The woman's grip tightened. She aimed, and Julian cowered. He barely raised his arms, before she fired.
Pow! Pow! Pow!
Three bullets cut through the air. His right leg was hit. Then his chest. Finally, his throat.
The woman grabbed her tear-filled child and ran away, while Julian collapsed to the ground. He reached for his neck, feeling at the fresh hole, blood gushing out of it. It wasn't a subtle trickle.
Help…
He couldn't scream. Couldn't breathe. His throat was filled with blood, and he choked, weakly. His lungs were filled with blood as well and collapsed.
Every time he tried to breathe, his shattered rib scraped the insides of his chest.
This… this is what I get for trying to be heroic.
I guess fate didn't like that. It was me or that kid, huh?
It's… not my responsibility to change fate.
Ahh… this hurts so bad.
Julian's body lay on the stone sidewalk. Water diluted the blood.
If I ever got a second chance to live my life… agh… that kid is gonna die definitely.
…
Who am I kidding..
I'm the type to save him every single time.
Julian's eyes slowly closed shut.
He was dead.