1 •Let The Blood Out
In the dead of the night, a solitary room remained illuminated, even as the clock struck midnight. A young man, Krev, was engrossed in his studies on a digital tablet, his earphones blocking out the world. The music was loud, drowning out the voices of his family that were echoing from the adjacent hall.
A question flashed on the tablet's screen:
「
When was the first mutant discovered and which type of mutation occurred?
A. 2021 [Deletion]
B. 2124 [Substitution]
C. 2074 [Substitution]
D. 2132 [Insertion]
」
Krev chose 'C' as his answer, but the option turned red, indicating a wrong choice. He sighed, thinking,
'Still not accepting the truth, huh?'
Seeing his answer was incorrect, he opted for 'B', which turned green. A cool breeze blew through the room, coming from the open window on his right.
Before he could proceed to the next question, his left ear was seized. He turned around to see his father forcefully removing his earphone. His father, a delusional man, started shouting:
"Don't ever listen to these b*tches, only I care about you. I want to see you succeed, make your name in the medical world, and make me proud. Those two b*tches took everything from me, you're the..."
'Ah, here he goes again. Delusional Old Man just die I want you out of my life.'
Krev's father was none other than his father, the 'b*tches' he was referring to were his sister and his mother. Krev silently endured his father's rant while the tablet screen went blank. His father's words meant nothing to him.
"Yes, papa."
"I knew you were the right one to go with, don't be like that dumb moron and make something of yourself. If you need any money, I'll be there for you."
'In the end, money can't solve everything, I want to get out of this house...'
Suddenly, a woman's voice echoed from the main hall.
"Hey, where are you running to? Answer my question and let him study, tell me what..."
His father left the room, and Krev put his earphones back on, resuming his music. A few months ago, he had visited an ear clinic due to hearing problems. His eardrum was weak and could rupture any moment.
The doctor had advised him not to use earphones much, but without music, he couldn't concentrate. When the doctor asked him about his earphone usage, Krev had evaded the question.
How could he tell the doctor that he played songs at maximum volume to drown out his family's fights? But even after the doctor's advice, he didn't give up on earphones, his goal was to escape this house... even if his eardrum ruptured.
He clicked on the <next > button to move onto the next question, which was a chromosome frequency-related mathematical problem. He took out his book and started noting down the important information given in the question.
Just as he finished writing, water drops started falling from his notebook, but it wasn't the rain. It was tears. He looked up to see if the ceiling was leaking, but it wasn't.
'Ah'
It was his tears that were falling on the notebook. He was only three months away from his life-changing exam, and he was crying on his study table. He felt a sharp pain in his heart, this pain wasn't because of any wound or disease. This pain was left by his family, as the days went by, the pain increased and all he did was hear his family's rants all day.
The pain had been locked away in his heart until the lock broke and he finally felt the pain.
"Argh, it hurts. Why? What is this sudden pain?"
Just then he remembered the words of his father, sister, and mother.
"Look Krev, even if your father and I divorce after your exams... I hope I'll see you again."
With a smile on his face, he said,
"Sure mom."
"Must be easy for you, all you've to do is study and father is supporting you anyways so your life is set. Man, I envy you."
"Haha"
"Those two witches destroyed my life... if only I didn't marry her. Don't believe in what she says , I'll be always here for you. That sister of yours lost the chance I gave her and now she's blaming me for her failure, you've to be a a doctor at Mutant Corp. Okay?"
After giving him the same answer over and over for a year, the boy again said,
"Yes, papa."
Even though he always agreed to his family's demands and replied with the the answer they desired to hear from him, what he really wanted to say was different.
"Sure mom."
'Sure'
"Haha"
'Then why don't you study?'
"Yes papa"
'Shut up, you crazy old man.'
As mentioned before, the boy's name was Krev, a 19-year-old boy preparing for his medical examination. Tears that were welled up in his eyes started raining on the notebook below, he reached for his heart and tried to calm his fast heartbeat.
But it didn't work, of course it didn't. When it came to emotions, even the strongest person feels weak, his heart throbbed with pain. All the moments he agreed to what his family said like a puppet came rushing into his mind.
He stabbed the pen in the study table as he screamed,
"Stop! It f*cking hurts. Stop and let me live a a peaceful life you f*ckers. Why can't you just"
'I was wrong the whole time , do those three really care about me? Or are they just using me? What am I to them? Was I just a way to complete papa's dream? Was I just born to meet my mother's expectations? Did I exist to get rid of my sister's frustration? Just why am I still here?'
"If so , then am I a good boy?"
Krev closed his notebook, took his earphone off and walked towards the hall where three people were arguing. With every step he took, he thought to himself,
'I was a a good boy, right? I was meant to be good enough, at least better than my sister. Did I meet their expectations?'
"Why did you meet him again? Didn't I tell you that I'll slit your throat if you meet him again? Give me that mobile here, I'll kill that b*stard this tim-"
"You say that everytime but don't do sh*t."
"You, shut up. Don't always defend your mom just cause she supports you , once you believe in her you'll get bet up too. If I hadn't married her this b*tch would've been sold by her own brother. I saved her and this is how she rep-"
"Papa, was I a good boy?"
The angry expression on the old man's face melted away and he started smiling.
"Of course you are, don't listen t-"
"Mom was I a good boy?"
The crying woman who sat on the couch washed her tears away and said ,
"Yes , once you get enrolled in the Mutant Corp. be sure to meet me again."
"Shut up, don't tell him what to do."
"Sister, was I a good brother?"
"No, you are the sh*ttiest I could ask for. By the way, why are you asking these questions, is the pressure catching up to you now?"
"Hahahaha"
'Right , what was I even hoping? These guys are not even close to what family is , it was my fault to think that we could be together.'
Krev continued laughing and took the black pen he was writing with out of his pocket , removing its cap he threw the pen aiming for his father's- no the old man's throat.
'Keuk'
In the next moment the pen was stuck in the old man's throat and he spat some blood out , brown jacket he was was wearing was now covered with blood. While all this was happening his sister and mother who were watching couldn't move as they were frightened by his actions.
Krev didn't stop laughing and ran to take his pen out of the old man's throat, he saw that the old man was struggling as fell on the ground. Krev kneeled and took his pen back while saying ,
"Hahaha. Old man isn't it funny that the pen which was supposed to make my dream come true , is now taking it away from me."
In the final moments, Krev found himself questioning his worth, his identity, and his role in his family.
Recalling the pen that had been thrust into him, a memory surfaced from the old man's past. It was a gift he had given to Krev on his birthday, a pen inscribed with a message of hope and dreams.
"May your dreams come true and may you become a medical professional at Mutant Corp. This pen is a gift from me, I hope it aids you in achieving your dreams."
Those words echoed in his mind, stirring a whirlpool of emotions. Tears welled up in his eyes, a silent testament to the weight of his memories.
"Ha-ha-ha. You remember those words, don't you?"
A choked laugh escaped his lips as he tried to form the words, but his voice was stolen by the very object that had given him a new purpose.
"Keuk, Keck..."
His attempts to speak were cut short, his vocal cords rendered useless by the penetrating pen.
"What a sturdy pen, isn't it? To pierce through your skin and leave such a mark, it's quite the pen."
×-×-×
Mutant Headquarters, City S.
"Sir, we've detected an enlightenment event."
