An Eye For An Eye: The Rise Of Cassius Lucas

He... He cut me!

Sophia stepped back while Adam moved forward, raising his hand to hit Lucas. But Lucas was faster. He caught Adam’s wrist in midair and twisted it.

Adam shouted in pain, struggling to free himself from Lucas.

“Let go of my hand!” Adam cried out.

Lucas looked at him angrily.

“You were my best friend, Adam,” Lucas said. “ But instead of supporting me, you betrayed me and cheated with my girlfriend. Are you even human?”

Adam’s face paled, looking guilty.

“As if that wasn’t enough,” Lucas continued. “You went ahead and ruined my law degree. Everything I worked for is gone within a few minutes. ”

“Please leave me alone, Lucas” Adam pleaded, trying to push Lucas away with his free hand, but he couldn't.

Without hesitation, Sophia went to the kitchen. A moment later, she returned, holding a sharp black knife in her trembling hands.

“Let go of him, Lucas” she ordered, her voice shaking as she took a few steps toward Lucas. “Accept your fate, Lucas, and leave him alone.”

“Hope you guys know you are in my hostel?"

Sophia moved forward a little with a mocking smile. “So? Just accept your fate, loser!”

Lucas raised an eyebrow.

“ My fate?” he asked rhetorically “The one you ruined? You want me to just accept my fate and walk out? Just like that, Sophia?”

“I’m not joking with you, Lucas,” she warned, taking another step toward him.

Meanwhile, Adam was gently pulling out a small needle he hid inside his left trouser. Without hesitation, he pierced Lucas’s hand, making him cry out in pain. Lucas released Adam at once and blood started oozing from the wound.

Lucas moved back a little, clutching his injured hand.

Adam quickly stepped back, positioning himself behind Sophia as she kept the knife pointed firmly at Lucas.

“Ahh,” Lucas groaned in pain, bringing out a handkerchief from his pocket. He quickly pressed it against the bleeding wound, trying to stop the blood.

“Let’s go, Sophia,” Adam said, holding her arm firmly. “We need to get out of here before this lunatic completely loses it.”

“Do you guys think you can hurt me, betray me, and just walk out like nothing happened?” Lucas asked, blood oozing from between his fingers.

“You broke my heart,” he continued, his voice shaking. “You both did. I thought I had people who cared about me. I thought I had love. Loyalty. But I was wrong.”.

“Lucas, look at you,” she said, pointing at his bloodied hand. “You’re bleeding, you’re angry, and you’re saying things you’ll regret.”

She stepped forward, lowering the knife a little.

“ Let us walk away right now before you make things worse for yourself.”

Lucas looked at his bloodied hand, then slowly raised it, holding it up for Sophia and Adam to see.

“This?” he said, “this is nothing. The real wound was never in my bloodied hand. It was in the trust I had for both of you. Do you think this ends with this? No! You will feel the pain you brought here before you walk out of that door”.

“Keep threatening us, and the Disciplinary Committee will deal with you. Do you really want to add assault, intimidation, and harassment to your list of problems?”

Lucas stepped forward , stopping just a few inches from them.

“Stay back!” Sophia yelled, raising the knife again.

“Lucas, don’t do anything stupid,” Adam said, hiding behind her like a frightened child.

Suddenly, Sophia lunged forward, but the knife swung out too far. Lucas grabbed her wrist, twisted it sharply to the side, and the knife clattered to the ground.

“Leave her alone!” Adam shouted, lunging forward and slamming into Lucas. Both of them tumbled to the floor, while Sophia stumbled to the side, trying to regain her balance.

Lucas stood up with the knife in his hand, breathing heavily. He took a step forward, smiling gently.

“You know what?” Lucas said. “Now that the knife is in my hand... you guys won’t leave this room without getting hurt.”

Sophia's eyes widened as she took a few steps back.

“Lucas, don’t,” she said, raising her hands. “You don’t want to do this.”

“After everything you’ve both done to me?” Lucas muttered.“The betrayal. The lies. You think I’ll just let you walk out?”

Adam took a slow step to the side, his hand behind his back. He spotted a small piece of broken mirror lying near the wall. Keeping his eyes on Lucas, he lowered himself, pretending to brace his knees. Then he grabbed the shard and hid it in his hand.

Lucas took another step forward, holding the knife more tightly.“Tell me why I shouldn’t make you feel a part of the pain I’ve felt.”

Adam stood up, gazing at Lucas. He quickly pressed the sharp side of the mirror shard against his forearm and blood started oozing from his arm.

“Lucas… don’t,” he said. “You don’t want this.”

Lucas turned towards him.

“ What …….”

Before Lucas could finish what he was saying, Adam suddenly rushed at him, grabbing his hands with force. Blood from Adam’s arm smeared across the knife handle and stained Lucas’s fingers.

"Ahh—" Adam faked a groan and staggered back, as if he’d been pushed, then fell hard on the floor.

Sophia rushed to him, kneeling beside him. “Adam! What happened?”

Adam held up his bleeding arm. “He… he cut me.”

Adam took out his phone from his pocket with his uninjured hand. He pointed the camera at his bleeding arm, making sure the blood was visible. Then, he turned the phone toward Lucas, who was still holding the knife in confusion.

"Got it," Adam muttered, laughing mockingly.

Without hesitation, he tapped on the school’s disciplinary hotline and called.

“This is Adam,” he said, intentionally shaking his voice. “I….. I came to talk to Lucas after I heard he cheated in his final examination… but he’s gone mad. He grabbed a knife and attacked me. I’m injured.

“What? That’s not—!