Chapter 006- Echoes of radiance

"Eat" he ordered.

"H-huh?" The only thing I muttered.

There was a moment of silence as I looked at him. As I traced his face, he's got that usual bad boy look but there's no denying that this bastard is handsome. He also had a piercing on his left ear.

"I said eat bitch." He ordered again.

"O-okay." I replied and started to unwrap the food, opened the cola and started to eat.

There were still no words coming from his mouth. This is extremely awkward.

"Hey. Did you ever felt severe pain? Like your body was like on fire?" Marco suddenly asked, his tone was casual but I could sense some anger.

The question jolted me. It was precisely what I had experienced earlier by the riverside.

"I-.." I was about to answer him when he cut me off with a dismissive wave. "Whatever. it's a drag. Don't think about it"

Marco stood up and gathered the remaining snacks into the plastic bag. "And don't think I'm being friendly," he spat his eyes into a narrowing slit. "I only bought this crap with your crap money. Consider it a loan payment."

As Marco turned to leave, he threw one last, scathing look at me. "Get yourself ready for Monday. We're just getting started." His voice was a dark promise, sending another shiver fear down my spine.

I just sat there, numb, eating what he gave me. The food tasted like ash in my mouth but I had to eat it, mom gave me that money for my weekly allowance. My mind raced with thoughts of what horrors were waiting for me this Monday.

The trauma of the days I was being bullied by them replayed to my mind like a broken player, each memory reminded my body of the pain I had to endure.

I felt my body shaking. I tried to calm myself but to no avail, nothing happened. I relaxed myself and breathed slowly but deeply. Thankfully it helped.

I touched the areas where the cuts and bruises were used to be. I bit my finger, cursing myself for being this weak and fearful to them. I felt a warm liquid on my chin, it was blood. I didn't notice that I had bitten it harder.

I may have healed physically but mentally and emotionally, I did not.

After finishing eating the food. I decided it's better for me to come home.

___

When I arrived home, my mind was still in a haze of exhaustion and dread. As I opened the door, the darkness inside greeted me like an old friend. The house felt unusually cold and silent, the air heavy with the absence of my mom.

"Mom must still be at work" I muttered.

I navigated my way to the darkened room without turning the lights on. I made my way to my bedroom. Sa familiar surroundings provided little comfort. I made my way to my room with ease and headed straight to the bathroom.

Here under the harsh clear of the single bulb, I began to inspect my body again.

I am amazed, astonished. I can't believe that the bruises and injuries from earlier were gone. I traced my fingers over the unmarked skin, bewildered.

Marco's question suddenly popped up in my mind. What did he mean by that? Did he also experience what I experienced?

Suddenly a sharp pain gripped my chest stealing my breath away. I gasped for air clutching my chest as if that could somehow elevate the agony I'm feeling but to no avail it didn't do anything.

The pain spread rapidly, a burning sensation that coursed through my veins igniting every nerve.

My vision blurred as I stumbled backwards gripping the edge of my sink to steady myself.

I tried to cry out but no sound escaped my lips. The pain was overwhelming and suffocating. My heart pounded erratically, each beat sending waves of fire through my body.

Desperation clawed at me as i looked up to the mirror I wanted to know what was happening to me, to my body. Hoping for physical evidence that I can base on.

What i saw made my blood run cold even though my body felt like it was on fire. My eyes glowed with an eerie greenish-blue light, and the veins beneath my skin pulsed with the same luminescence, tracing a web of light across my body. Panic surged through my brain intensifying the pain that I'm feeling many times over. I cant believe what I saw and couldn't believe what was happening to me.

Am I dying?

My legs buckled as I crumpled to the floor, my breaths were coming shallow rugged gasps. Suddenly everything around me darkened and the last thing I saw was the glowing veins before I passed out.

The bathroom light flickered, casting a ghostly pallor over his prone form. The house remained silent, oblivious to a strange transformation place within its walls. As alex lay there, unconscious, the glow slowly faded, leaving behind only the boy and the mysteries yet to unfold.

In many places around the globe the mysterious thing that happened to Alex was being experienced by many, in there people began to post about it online and they shared the same symptoms. Some believe that they were sick in others believe that they're evolving with the main reason being the radiant light. Debate course through the internet in the span of a few hours.

Scientists could not explain what was happening be it the radiant light or the "disease" or "awakening" that some people experienced. It caused panic around the globe thinking that it was an epidemic that could wipe out humanity.

Religious believers believed that it was the judgement day, that God is reclaiming the earth, that those who experienced the pain will be condemned in hell.

Some started to worship the radiant light calling themselves the "radiant people."

Many were confused and didn't know what to do fear creeped into their minds.

The people started to post on the internet calling the hysterical happening "radiant global crisis" , "the end of humanity", "purging" "the judgement day" and many other names.

What is happening to earth? How did this happen? Why did this happen? Is this the start of the end or start of a new beginning?