Three

The warm summer afternoon that once seemed so pleasant now felt heavy and suffocating. The birds' chirping that usually comforted Aiden now seemed to be mocking him in his misery. Aiden got off the bus and headed to the hospital on foot, not even knowing where to get the money anymore. He didn't know what to do, the only thing he could think of doing was going to the hospital.

As he walked, Aiden noticed a group of five people walking towards him. He didn't think much of it and continued on his way, but as they got closer, he could see that they were looking at him menacingly. Before he could react, the group of people rushed towards him, pushing him to the ground. Aiden tried to fight back, but he was too weak and disheartened to put up a strong defense. The attackers saw this as an opportunity and started to hit and kick him mercilessly. Their laughter filled the air as they watched him suffer.

Aiden's screams for help rose into the sky, sending away the birds from their nesting tree. His cry was unheard and unresponded to as the entire place was void of passerby. He was left to fend for himself, helpless and alone.

After what felt like an eternity, the attackers finally stopped and ran away, leaving Aiden lying on the ground battered and bruised, his heart shattered into a million pieces. As he lay there, he couldn't help but wonder why life was so cruel. Aiden's body ached, struggling to catch his breath. He could feel the bruises and cuts all over his body, but the pain was nothing compared to the fear that was now consuming him. As he closed his eyes writhing in pain, he could see their faces twisted with rage and their fists flying towards him. The sound of their laughter echoed in his ears, and he felt like he was reliving the attack all over again.

Aiden could feel the weight of his mortality bearing down on him, and he began to truly fear if this was the end for him. Even in that moment, all he could think about was who would take care of his sickly grandmother and gentle grandfather. "Amby..." were the words that he forced out of his mouth even as every breath he took felt like a battle. He wished she could just pity him and grant him one more chance, but that was only if he lived. As the pain and fear intensified, Aiden began to slowly come to a realization of just how fragile life could be, all blended together in a confusing jumble of emotions.

His mind began to curse Amby, it began to blame her for this misfortune, her selfishness. She ruined him, and he hated her in that moment as his death crept slowly towards him. Maybe he would never have been able to see things like this if he wasn't attacked. His helplessness and the fact that he was dying and no one gave a damn about it vexed him as much as it scared him. A new level of hatred was birthed in his mind as he cursed everyone, the gangs, selfish Amby.

A seething rage started to build up inside him. The thought of the gang members who had attacked him filled him with a fierce desire for revenge. The thought of the attackers laughing and celebrating as they mercilessly beat him made his blood boil. He could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins, and the pain in his body seemed to fade away as he focused all his energy on the idea of getting payback.

Only that it just wasn't a mere coursing of adrenaline.

Something spectacular, something extraordinary, something that was out of the common sense happened to Aiden in that moment.

Suddenly, words appeared in front of Aiden's eyes, and he could hear a soft robotic tone reverberate through his ears.

[Do you want to avenge yourself]

[Do you seek to stand on top of the world with fame, riches and glory]

[Do you want to make your enemies tremble at the sight of your might]

A near-death hallucination maybe.

But Aiden did not care, he was filled with so much rage and desire to live that he groaned his answers with all his last breath.

[You have activated The Vengeance System]

[Host is 99.99% compatible with 'The Vengeance Systsm