Chapter 1

He walked, slowly towards the school gates, rain bouncing off of his already drenched shoulders and his head lowered. He felt the cold soak into his pale skin and his black hair paste itself to his forehead. Katsumi looked up wondering if the rain would stop and if it ever would for him. He just wished it would end. He was tired, so tired. The black circles around his eyes told that story easily enough.

He set one foot into the school ground when a monstrous force slammed into his shoulder and the sound of a group giggling echoed through him as his stumbled to his knees, unluckily in a puddle. He winced at the graze which marked his hands, looking down at them he saw the small droplets of blood fall out of his hand and mix into the puddle below. He wiped off the dirt off of his hands with his damp sleeves. His eyes met with the person who did it, not like he didn't have any idea who did it. He was no stranger to him as he swore that this group watched and waited for him just to do that, no matter the weather, the worst was when the ground was dry and he felt every rock scrape his skin.

'Awww did little Katsi fall again?' He asked, turning over his shoulder looking at the pair of girls behind him. Fuji was the common culprit, he was a big guy in comparison to Katsumi. His body appeared tall and bulky compared to his own physique. Katsumi didn't deny the idea of being in his position, he was envious, he only dreamed of being that strong, confident and possibly even happy with himself.

Katsumi quickly redirected his gaze to his sleeves, he grabbed them and rinsed them of the water, he hated the feeling of wet sleeves. Listening to the girls almost irritating laugh, he climbed off of his knees only to feel a large foot on his shoulder, pushing him back down. Katsumi let out a small cry under the pressure as he felt eyes on him, mocking him. He felt his hands resub merge themselves under the water as he fell back due to the strength Fuji was applying to his already bruised shoulders. He felt stones sink into his fresh grazes, Katsumi yelped at the disgusting feeling.

Fuji got to Katsumi's level ensuring none of his uniform was sunk in the puddle. "Katsi, buddy-", He paused taking time to look at Katsumi's fearful expression. "You look mucky today", a grin appeared of Fuji's face as he grabbed the back of Katsumi's hair and pushed it into the puddle. Luckily , it wasn't deep enough to submerge his face. Tears ran down Katsumi's face, yet again. The impact of the concrete was strong enough to bust his nose, blood oozing out of it into the puddle. He could taste the blood, the mud and the far from clean water as he gasped, the pain was almost unbearable.

Katsumi hurried down the halls, paranoid about who was going to jump out at him next. The smallest noises set his nerves on edge. He felt his breath get heavier every time he took a step. He was just hoping he could reach the library. He was closer with each step, he only ever felt safe in the library. Ms. Yura, the librarian, knew everything from the troubles at home all the way to the troubles at school, she was like the mother he never had. They'd always converse about the new series of comics are coming out or how awesome the hero is in a specific story.

Katsumi made it into the library and let out a sigh of relief. "Good morning, Ms. Yura", Katsumi said, scuttling over to the fantasy section of the library.

"Good morning", Ms. Yura replied, with a warming smile painted on her face which slowly turned into a slight frown upon seeing Katsumi, soaked and bearing a bloody nose, which was smudged all over his face. She grabbed something from under the desk and rose from the office chair. One hand had a towel and the other had a bag in it, Yura set the bag of the table in front of him and draped the towel over his head. She ruffled his head with the towel, slowly drying his soaked hair and went on to wipe his face, taking care not to put too much pressure around his nose, it was already bleeding enough.

"Uhmm... th- thank you" Katsumi let out, as she was wiping his face down. "What's in the bag may I ask?"

Ms. Yura furrowed her brows. "I'll tell you if you tell me who did this". She pointed at his nose, concern growing in her eyes. "Was it Fuji again?" She sighed, " No matter how many times you tell that boy he never listens". Katsumi simply nodded in response. "Hope you haven't eaten this morning, open the bag", she said finishing up drying him and patted him on the head.

Katsumi reached for the bag and carefully opened it, revealing a bento box. "Ms. Yura, you shouldn't ha-"

Yura cut him off by shushing him, "Listen for the past few days you've eaten nothing but bread, please just enjoy it."

Lunch time came rather fast, it tends to go by quickly when in the library but the dreaded half an hour was next. That morning the Fuji asked Katsumi to meet him on the roof at 12 and considering Katsumi's position at that time, he really couldn't refuse. Katsumi made his way up the stairs, his heart almost in his throat.

What are they going to do to me?

They're going to hurt me!

Someone please stop them...

I'm weak

I'm pathetic.

On each step thoughts flooded him. Drowning him until he made it to the top. He fearfully opened the door to the roof to be met with 5 people. The usual 5 bullies. "Good afternoon, bread shuttle", one said cracking his knuckles. This guy was almost a giant, he towered over Katsumi. Katsumi's body shuddered and shook with fear, cold sweat ran down his face and his mouth was unbearably dry, he took one step back. He examined his surroundings panicked and anxious and realized quickly there was no way out. The boys were no smaller than Fuji and in the middle of them all, there he sat. His grin almost covering his face and he simply clicked his fingers...

With that small gesture a one sided war broke out, 3 guys jumped on Katsumi, applying all of their weight onto him, crushing his fragile body. He flailed and wailed as they clutched his arms, exposing his torso, rendering him completely helpless, then another took one big run up and struck his stomach. Katsumi felt his food work its way up his throat and onto the culprit, gasping and clutching onto ever breath. The man stood up with pure disgust on his face ,"You repulsive bastard!" With that he kicked him in the chest. Katsumi Wheezed and choked on his breath, feeling his ribs almost crush on impact . He was winded and after two hits his world was already going black. The boys cackled at their friend covered in vomit and egged him on to hit him again and again... And again. Katsumi was clinging to his consciousness as he begged them to stop, through his laborious gasps for air.

His body already began swelling, bones were broken and a lot of blood was lost. He was weak, he was broken and most of all he was in pain. He wanted it all to go away. He couldn't even cry anymore, he physically didn't have the energy. He hung there, limp, almost like a lifeless doll, he couldn't even find the strength to lift his head.

The two large boys released Katsumi only for him to fall to his knees once more. His eyes blacker than before, in fact they weren't black, but purple. His blood covered his face. Fuji rose from the roof wall and smirked, standing over Katsumi once more. Katsumi looked him in the eye this time and didn't look away, in fact he sat there, rage brewing within him for the first time in his life. An unknown flame was lit within him, one stained in hatred.

Fuji took one step back and glared at him, "You dare to even look at me like that", he was clearly not threatened by him and spat on Katsumi. He walked over to the edge of the balcony and looked down, smirking. "That fall shouldn't kill you, right?" he asked, a toothy, sadistic grin beaming at Katsumi. With one swift motion he grabbed the boy by the neck of his shirt and dragged his broken body almost lifeless body to the edge of the wall.

"Hey! Hey, You're taking this too far!" His friends yelled at him... But it was too late.

Katsumi fell. He could still see Fuji's smile. Katsumi was conflicted he was going to die, he always wanted that, right? He should be thankful his prayers were answered, right? So why was he feeling like this? He felt like he wanted to live, he wanted to be like the heroes in the book. He just wanted to be strong. For the first time in his life he begged, "Someone please help me".. His tears fell upwards clashing with the rain drops. "I...I don't want to die", he thought as he fell

Thud

He heard the sound, he heard the screams of the people who saw him, he heard his bones crack and his ribs crush. His body coated in blood and his body evidently mangled, he felt it but yet felt nothing, no pain no emotions, just nothing. He knew he hit the floor, was he dead? Suddenly he heard something else, no someone else amidst the screams of horror and the rainfall.

"How can a soul as special as yours be shrouded by such darkness? You poor soul..." A voice faded into silence. "You won't die today, but I want something in return...."