Vincent Agius

Thirteen years ago, in a distinguished city, a well known grand event was being held. The city the event was going to take place in was wildly known for its splendid appeal.

The city was about to commemorate its hundredth anniversary. Its rising fame and special events were too much to refrain from.

Many visitors throughout the world planned to visit as its world-renown splendor enticed people of all ages. There were going to be parades, attractions, event decorated resorts, and even lucrative discounts to a very famous amusement park with the intention of celebration instead of profit.

Like many children of his age, the twelve-year-old Vincent begged his parents to go. Traveling to the amusement park by plane, land, or sea was every child's dream. After a few promises to study harder and increase his grades. Like many others of his age, the young boy's wish was granted.

However, the event quickly changed its course. From a memorable event jampacked with happiness and cheers, it became unforgettable from death and despair.

A mysterious green fog suddenly enveloped the city and dispersed as quickly as it arrived. Tens of thousands of people looked at each other with a puzzled expression, thinking it was just part of the event.

Unfortunately, this strange phenomenon wasn't part of the event, and the mystery wasn't over. Instead, it was just the beginning.

The sudden mysterious fog caused a massive infection. With it, a huge death toll arrived. The people infected by this fog started to mutate with the sudden DNA change it brought in their bodies.

Some people grew scales, some produced green blood, and others even became unrecognizable as humans beings. From humans to plants, no living lifeform was spared. Vincent and his parents were part of these unfortunate people.

Ninety percent died horribly while the rest survived. Whatever horrible scenes their unfortunate eyes laid upon, the nightmares were there to stay in their soul.

Vincent was among the few survivors with no negative mutated side effects. The only noticeable change in his body were his eyes as their color changed to green. Soon after, he fainted in his infected dying parent's arms as they protected him until their last breath.

In the end, Vincent blamed himself. The wish to visit was their cause of death. As such, he considered his spoiled desire was the reason. Doing so, he shunned those around him.

Getting tested daily in a special hospital lab and becoming an orphan didn't mend his aching, broken heart. Instead, it made it worse.

Two years later, Vincent trusted no one. Listened to no one, and not even the psychiatrists knew how to help. His self-blame was too strong to fix.

One day as he visited the special lab for the usual checkup. A person sat next to Vincent, waiting for his name to be called. The man would sometimes wheeze and let a faint cough wiping his mouth with a handkerchief.

This action grabbed Vincent's attention as he got a glimpse lifting his brows in shock. On the handkerchief was blood, but it wasn't normal. Instead, it was green and gunky like old paint, showing he was an infected survivor like him.

It was a fateful encounter where Vincent met Kevin, a library owner. By being noisy and showing a superhero comic, he slowly changed Vincent the more the two met.

Kevin's warm smile was slowly melting the frozen heart of the fourteen-year-old Vincent.

Thirteen years after the mysterious infection that killed tens of thousands of people, Vincent Agius became 25 years old. He became a skinny young adult with short brown hair and unique green eyes.

After the fateful encounter with Kevin and for almost half of his life after, Vincent became an otaku nerd addicted to heroic stories with no halt. Be it reading or watching any kind of media. His eyes couldn't stop but watch.

Only by becoming an otaku could he forget his sadness, strange dreams and fully immerse himself in heroic stories of any kind. He liked heroic stories the most because of one thing, for their portrayal of hope and the power to change one's fate.

From one extreme to another, yet this reading and watching journey had no end.

It took a while for the addicted Vincent to learn self restrain. Kevin and his family had a long and challenging month. But in the end, they taught the hardheaded Vincent how to set his boundaries.

In the present day, the gentle breeze of the winter wind was cool lightly brushing against his face.

It was a special day for Vincent as he hummed a joyous tune waiting for the traffic lights to display green. His destination was the library Kevin and his family owned.

While he waited for the traffic lights to turn green, an old lady approached. She placed a heavy bag on the ground with a slightly hunched back, waiting beside the tall young man.

Huffing a few breaths, she looked up, and after taking a glance at the familiar figure, she recognized who it was. It was their young tenant her son Kevin brought in.

Nine years ago, at the age of sixteen, Vincent accepted an arrangement made by Kevin and the authorities. The arrangement was under the intention of keeping a close eye on two infected patients with ease. It allowed him to leave the orphanage and live in the apartment complex owned by Kevin's family.

Vincent lived next to Kevin's family after this. Although separated by a wall, Vincent wasn't alone. Kevin, his mother Tessy, and his wife Trisha visited while treating him like family.

Later as he grew older, he stopped attending his online school. It was a special school that monitored and taught survivors through the safety of their homes since it was yet unconfirmed whether a person could mutate for the better or worse.

Vincent would sometimes help Kevin's family at the library to exchange cheap rent and a small wage while receiving a special government fund for mutated people. A nice bonus for the shy introvert Vincent.

"Hello Vincent, it looks like today will be sunny. Are you heading to the library? " Tessy said, returning a smile at his cheerful face.

Vincent turned his head while recognizing the familiar elderly voice. It was old Tessy; she was currently patting her back with a heavy-looking bag beside her leg. A delicious aroma of food rising from the bag caught his attention, forcing him to take a peek.

"Good morning, Grandma Tessy. Let me hold that bag for you. It's for aunt Trisha, right? " Vincent remembered it was Sunday as his excitement nearly made him forget.

The library had a long day open, but his mind was elsewhere. Every Sunday, Tessy would bring food to her daughter-in-law since after a year ago, Kevin had passed away from the side effect of his infection.

It was a hard time for both their family and Vincent to cope with their loss. The lives of three precious people in his heart were lost, which took a hard toll on his heart.

Trisha and Tessy had a hard time supporting Vincent. Kevin's loss resurfaced a few horrible memories, but together they overcame the sadness by supporting one another.

One thing kept Vincent on edge. A promise the late Kevin made a few years before he passed away.

A year ago, Kevin had completed a book with five heroic tales with the promise to give Vincent the honor of being its very first reader.

Unfortunately, the next day he was discovered dead alone at the library in a very mysterious way. Kevin had become older, was riddled with scars and wounds not made from any regular blade. His wife, Trisha, kept the book he wrote locked in a safe while she read the book from time to time.

A year passed, and today was the anniversary of his passing. Nothing happened until this day, so Trisha decided it was safe to hand the book over to the person it's intended.

*Beep Beep

The light turned green. Vincent carried the heavy bag of food for the old Tessy while a delicious trail food accompanied them to the library.

"Thank you, my dear. Trisha went to the cemetery early this morning and forgot her food as usual. " Tessy knew why Vincent acted so energetic. Trisha told her the day before.

"Vincent, did something nice happen? You look thrilled. " Tessy heard Vincent humming as he walked alongside her. He seemed happy yet impatient to arrive.

"You noticed, haha, can you believe it! After all this time, aunt Trisha finally found Kevin's book, and now I can read it. " Vincent said as he excitedly skipped a few times, forgetting the bag of food in his hand.

When Tessy heard of this, she sighed in relief, revealing a gentle wrinkled smile. Her daughter-in-law had finally started walking the path of recovery and return to her usual self. Being sad and unmotivated all the time helped no one.

"Grandma Tessy, we're here, ohh I'm so excited I can barely hold! " Vincent arrived at the entrance of the library and stopped. After quickening his pace and nearly forgetting old Tessy trailing behind him, Vincent had to wait for the old Tessy to reach him.

He took a good look around and caught a faint glimpse of a silhouette behind the library entrance door. In front of him was an old building, and its quaint charm attracted visitors. Some tourists loved to visit and take pictures while others enjoyed its view.

Heading inside, Trisha entered their sight as she was waving at the two. On her counter was an electronic kettle already boiling and three cups ready to be filled.

No customer was in the library, allowing Trisha to relax. Well, she had sneakily changed the closed sign to rest for the day and change it back before they arrived.

"Aunt Trisha, is the book here? " Vincent placed the bag of food on the counter and impatiently asked for the book.

"Settle down, boy, drink some tea with us first, then you can later leave with the book. " Trisha said as she took out the book.

Trisha teased Vincent by waving the book in front of him a few times with a sly smirk on her face. After enjoying her tease, Trisha hid it once again.

"My dear, let's enjoy a cup of tea. " Tessy insisted, forcing the impatient Vincent to sit with them.

After spending an hour together, Trisha finally gave him the book he desired. Vincent inspected every nook and cranny with a puzzled frown after receiving the book.

It looked quite old, and its pages seemed aged. Not only that, but the handwriting was written with green ink.

The words had a faint trace of uniqueness as if the pages weren't written with a pen. Perhaps with a quill was the correct answer, he believed.

"So is this the book Kevin wrote? " Vincent was in doubt. 'Was it written a year ago?' He thought

"Yes, without a doubt, it was the book in his hands. " Trisha didn't inform Vincent of Kevin's exact death. She simply told him how Kevin was taken to the special hospital because of an urgent critical condition, and that's where he passed away.

Vincent lowered his head and gulped, preparing himself to read the first sentence. Soon he skimmed the first page as an innocent smile appeared on his delighted face.

As Kevin once promised and told him, it was a world with magic and monsters.

"Then I will take my leave, aunt Trisha, thank you. " Vincent gave Trisha a quick impatient hug, then happily left. With the book in his hand, Vincent couldn't wait to read it in one day. Doing an all-nighter was a common occurrence for the heroic story lover Vincent.

"Looks like you changed your mind." Tessy sipped a cup of tea while revealing a warm smile. She was happy for her daughter-in-law, then she continued, "Vincent took it hard too... but seeing his face, it looks like everything's all right. "

Trisha nodded quietly, agreeing with her comment, and raised out a faint smile.