Prologue: Chapter -1

All things are a cause of one thing. Everything that happens is an effect of one specific event. Much like an earthquake, with falling monuments and cracking foundations all stemming from one major shift in the world, a single epicentre - Ried Simmons, unbelievably, became an epicentre at one point.

Because of one thing he'd done, a series of unforgettable, unexpected events soon after crashed down on Ried's seemingly self-proclaimed boring life, leaving him to have to spring into action and cause more absolute mayhem.

Ried had been interviewed, when it all had ended. He'd been asked in plenty of detail, plenty of variations of the same question: Why'd you do it? Why'd you run along with it, make it worse? Why'd you continue to destroy the very morals of our nation's core values? Ried always had and probably always will respond with the same kind of thoughtful pause at first as if forgetting after each and every time that he answered a question like this.

"Umm, it's sort of... Cascading failures, really,"

"What'd you mean?" Would come out as always, fumbling confused like a drunkard looking for the restroom. So, it was to be expected from Ried that this follow up would most definitely rear it's obvious head.

"Well," he'd pause to jerk his head some way as if to think on it, "it's like, you know, I already did what I did, see? And, a-and, I could've confessed and faced... cruel repercussions for it," he placed a hand palm out to the air in front of him, "or," Ried drew out, swerving his head to the other side, "I could get away from it all and just go to... wherever I wanted and felt like, doing whatever I wanted or felt because I was never in one place for too long and yet, I wasn't always on the move. I wasn't too predictable, but also not too unstable for me to be a top suspect, you know?" Ried leaned forward to fold his hands in between his knees.

"And, the hospital? How did you do that, then?" The interviewer asked, "How'd you escape, making it seem like you'd been snagged?"

"Ah," Ried had known this question would return to the top of America's top burning inquiries of the world, "I'm afraid some things have to stay to myself, you know, for a rainy day of some sort?" He shrugged, sounding apologetic enough

However, his epicentre of cause and effect never ceases to make things happen as it had always done in history, and the history of Ried Simmons.

Even when it all had ended, it had never ended truly. Every time Ried had been caught, hed escape somehow, worming his way back onto the streets to continue setting this grusome legacy for grnerations to tell.

"Despite what people say," Ried's childhood friend, closer than a brother, started, "Ried absolutely loathes the spotlight. Nothing had changed about that. The only reason he seems comfortable is One, he's become really good at acting over the years - I've seen it; I've been astonished by his developed skill to fake a smile or force a laugh. Two, he loves to talk about being smart. He absolutely thrives in a simple environment, he does. He-... He can articulate everything because you didn't," The now young man adjusted in his recently needed wheelchair, rubbing the scar on his hand. That part of Noah's life was broadcast all over the country. It was a moment everyone secretly regretted, although, the two main roles were slightly less ashamed of admitting it.

"He's not like this," Ried's father tried, "He's a genius, sure. And, did he dream of doing something exciting, yeah, but doesn't everyone at one point?"

"Are you suggesting that anyone is absolutely capable of becoming a stone-cold killer, Mr Simmons?"

"My son is many things, but a stone-cold killer is not one of them...!" Mr Simmons retorted agitatedly. He rubbed his face.

Ried, just by opening his mouth, had caused all of this. He's one of the youngest, most successful, destructive epicentres in history. One of the most subtle ones, too.

When he was younger, Ried was introtuced to a particular character trope: Beware the Nice Ones. He had never thought that he would be able to do any of that, but that day, one he'd remember for the rest of his life. He still had nightmares, those kids, the gunshots, the birds jumping from the trees with the loudest crack, it sounded louder than the explosion of his gun the third to fifth time, sounded louder than his empty scream when the shattering glass trickled anywhere it could possibly reach. Louder than his father's voice when he'd said, Noah was in the hospital; the police scanner with his sister's crying voice; the loud dog barking at the wall next to his room, followed by a crowd of men and women rushing to break it down; the choking sound of another boy in the bathroom, slapping his hand to the tiled floor until finally...

No matter how many times he's called a monster, inhumane, and impossibly dangerous, Ried will always go back because he has to. Always, no prisoners, no one was safe. He felt the thrill of getting away that not even the realest, most seemingly danger ridden escape room could supply him with.

Even so, he was always a man of his word, from the very first dangerous, venom laced threat he'd given, to the very last. When he promised he'd be back in the game, he would be back in the game. Where he'd end up getting arrested next was a mystery and an exciting adventure for all. But, it would happen one way or another. All have yet to see the end of Ried Simmons...!