Ethan- The Rise Of A Villain Or A Hero?

connection with past

Ethan’s P.O.V. (Continued)

BOOM…..

The explosion ripped through the building like a beast unleashed, trembling the ground beneath me at once.

The sound of the shattering of glass everywhere, mixed with the loud explosion and the thunderous sound of concrete cracking, exploded my eardrums.

I jerked my head when the ringing sound in my ears intensified.

The world went silent around me, leaving that ringing sound only.

I held my head with both hands, whimpering in pain, jerking my head furiously to get rid of the sound.

It took a few seconds……. or maybe a minute……. to subside.

The first thing that I noticed was the trace bar on the screen.

98%

“Damn it.” I cursed and hit my head a few times before starting to run my fingers again.

“You want me, huh? I paid the price for what I have now. Are you ready to pay the price, too, huh?” I muttered, jerking my head again and again.

Outside the buildings, there was another level of chaos.

It was the kind of chaos that we only see on the news after an explosion happens anywhere in the world.

Furious screams, cries, and thousands of thudding running feet rushing out blindly through smoke and fire….

Even the room in front of me was on fire.

With an arrogant smirk, I used his prints against him and sent a parting gift.

I traced him back with his lead, uploading my self-made destructive code to its firewall, staring at that tiny window constantly.

My code tore through the connection, embedding itself deep into his system like a parasite.

99%

I hit enter as soon as the trace bar showed the number.

A narrow escape, but I was now safe because that tiny window flickered for a second and then vanished from the screen.

Despite the chaos outside, I was calm and ready to escape this place at any time.

I covered my head with the hoodie and glanced at the tiny button at the top-right corner of the laptop.

“Thanks for being with me tonight, buddy, but my survival matters the most,” I murmured monotonously before pressing the button and throwing the laptop without hesitation before standing up and running towards the staircase.

The laptop wasn’t just an advanced machine but also had a self-destruction mechanism.

I noticed it the second I opened the laptop.

In any other situation, I would have kept this laptop with me, but it could be the only way to trace me later.

With danger still lurking for Iris and Walter, I couldn’t take this risk.

I rushed down the building but stopped at the darkest corner behind the only wooden door.

The whole place was now brightly lit by the flames of fire.

I saw their frightened faces clearly.

They were running like headless chickens….

To save their lives, they didn’t hesitate to push the people around them.

They crushed the fallen people under their feet cruelly with only one thought in their minds.

Save your own life…

This is the cruel face of a human being…

In the state of chaos and panic, their own selves matter the most…

I grabbed a handful of dirt and wet cement from the broken wall and smeared it across my face and on my clothes.

I removed the cap, threw wet mud there, and then, taking advantage of the chaos, rushed into the crowd.

My present exterior blended me into the crowd well, and I did what everyone else was doing.

I kept my head low, pushing them here and there while looking for a safe exit.

No one looked at me. They just ran with me.

Because for them, I was one of them…

Another gambler inside the den and now a terrified body, trying to save his life.

I matched their rhythm and panic.

I didn’t rush towards the dark alleys among other buildings or blocks.

I just followed the crowd.

Smoke burned my throat as I forced myself to cough, lowering my head further, letting the dirt and sweat mix on my skin. My eyes watered naturally.

Perfect disguise.

“Move…. Move.” Someone yelled aloud, pushing the crowd with brutal strength.

I also staggered, but it didn’t stop me. Two men beside me fell on their stomachs, but no one stopped to help them get up.

Neither did I.

Sirens wailed in the distance, growing louder with each passing second.

Red and blue lights flickered against the smoke-filled night.

I guess the broadcast worked impressively.

I got no notification from the system, but I was sure that I completed the mission.

I destroyed the den, didn’t let myself get caught, and escaped safely.

All the conditions are fulfilled.

At the junction of the streets, the crowd scattered in different directions.

I knew where to go from there.

I followed the crowd there but slipped into a dark corner without being noticed.

I didn’t stay there; I chose a dark, narrow alley.

I walked slowly in the beginning, and then I walked faster, ignoring whatever I crushed under my feet.

Only when the noise dulled behind me and chaos became distant did I stop.

My legs finally gave in.

I leaned my back against a damp wall, slipped down, and pressed my knees to my chest, which was rising sharply as I sucked in air like I had been drowning all the way here.

I clasped my hands tightly over my knees and pressed my forehead on them.

I was shaking, but not from fear.

From the overload of information that I received through the system.

Among all those information, I also saw something that I didn’t remember where I had seen, but I had seen it when my father was alive.

Who was that man with rings???

How did he find me so quickly and give me a run for my life?

That familiar cold and mechanical sound…

Where did I hear it before?

The task was completed, but it left so many unsolved questions for me.

I looked up when I heard a faint cracking sound.

The system screen appeared again..

This time, it was blue…

[Mission accomplished.

………..Cash reward credited to your account]

[Admission for siblings – you will receive the confirmation letter in two days]

.

.

[Emergency Protocol Cost: Applied]

A sharp pain stabbed through my skull.

.

.

.

[Emotional Repression - +8%]

My fingers dug deeper in my hair, but I felt something snapping inside my head.

I stared at the screen silently while trying to suppress the pain, reading every word clearly.

I closed my eyes again and gave my body to surpass the pain.

In a few seconds, the pain disappeared just like it appeared.

Far away, the sirens screamed louder, reminding me that the world around me is still moving.

My phone was at home.

But I am sure that I got five million according to the system.

Five million…..

A big amount…

I should have felt something—satisfaction, victory, relief—anything….

But I didn’t. I was calm…. Way too calm for a teenager….

I felt more like a predator on the hunt who loves the chase.

Something was wrong with me, but I had no time to dwell on what was happening to me.

If….. if….. this den had any connection with my father, then my siblings were still not safe.

I closed my eyes one more time, letting the silence around me calm my nerves.

The smell of damp walls assaulted my nostrils, but it also brought some peace to my mind.

My heart was still beating steadily.

I slowly opened my eyes and stood up while taking support from the wall.

The hunt has begun, and I don’t know what is coming to me next.

For my siblings….

I don’t care if I become a monster…

Because to fight a monster, you need to be a monster…..

I pulled the hoodie cap over my head, thrust my hands inside the hoodie pockets, and started walking my way.

I was about to exit the alley when I paused.

A flicker….

{The same fingers with rings drumming at the top of a wooden table……… a faint music buzzing in the background}