The Paralyzed Man's Revenge

Cold Asphalt in Glencoe

"Don't touch her! Julian, I said don't touch her!"

Arthur's voice was hoarse, cracking amidst the roar of rain hitting the freezing Glencoe asphalt. He tried to drag his body, but from the waist down, he felt like a stiff block of wood. Only his fingers clutched at the sharp gravel, leaving a trail of blood on the wet road. His heart shattered watching Julian torture his little sister.

"Oh, you want me to stop, big brother?" Julian laughed, his voice shrill amidst the sound of the highland wind. He stood over Lily's tiny body, which trembled with fear. "But Daddy said we have to clean up all the trash today. Right, Dad?"

Arthur looked up with difficulty. There, in the Rolls-Royce parked just a few meters from him, the back window slowly rolled down. Alistair McAlister's face emerged from the warm darkness of the cabin. His eyes were cold, devoid of any trace of pity.

"Finish it quickly, Julian," Alistair said flatly. "Your sister is already waiting at the restaurant. We don't want to be late for the celebratory dinner just because of this trivial matter."

"Daddy... this is your wife! This is Mom!" Arthur screamed, pointing at his mother who lay motionless a few meters behind the car. Fresh red blood flowed from Eleanor's head, mixing with the pooling rainwater. "You let them kill her? You just stood there?!"

Alistair sipped his crystal glass before answering. "She hasn't been my wife since she failed to give me a perfect heir. Look at you, Arthur. Paralyzed, useless. Your mom has failed, and failure must be eliminated."

"You bastard! I'll kill you!" Arthur roared, but his attempt to get up only ended with his face falling onto the rough asphalt. Arthur had been paralyzed since birth; he only spent his time in a wheelchair.

"Hahaha! Look at this, Arthur! The paralyzed hero wants to kill someone!" Julian exclaimed gleefully. He shifted his gaze to Lily, who was silently sobbing. "You know, Arthur? I hate seeing your sister constantly crying. How about we give her a real reason not to be able to run from me?"

"Julian, don't!"

"Listen closely, dear big brother!"

Julian lifted his heavy leather boot, then with full force, he stomped it right onto Lily's shin. A horrifying crack split the night's silence, followed by Lily's shrill scream, which was immediately cut short by excruciating pain.

"One more," Julian mumbled, then slammed his heel into Lily's other leg.

"Enough! Stop it! Please!" Arthur cried, his tears mixing with the rain. He saw Lily pass out, the little girl's face deathly pale under the dim streetlight.

"Why are you crying, Arthur?" Evelyn Vance stepped out from the other side of the car, gracefully adjusting her fur scarf, one hand holding an umbrella. She looked at Arthur as if he were dirt on her expensive shoes. "You should be grateful. We let you live so you could see how the real world works. Power is the only law."

"You demon woman, Evelyn," Arthur hissed. "You poisoned my father's mind."

"Poison?" Evelyn smiled sardonically. "I merely gave Alistair what he always wanted. A strong son like Julian, not a cripple like you. Julian, come on. We're done here."

"But Mom, I'm not done playing with his face," Julian protested, pointing at Arthur.

"That's enough, Julian," Alistair cut in from inside the car. "Let him rot here with the corpses of his mother and sister. No one will find him here until morning. If he's lucky, hypothermia will kill him first."

Julian spat at Arthur. "Goodbye, loser. Enjoy your cold night."

The car door closed with a thud that felt like a hammer striking Arthur's heart. The car engine roared, its tires splashing muddy water onto Arthur's face as the luxury vehicle sped away, leaving a chilling silence in the vast highlands.

Arthur fell silent. His breath hitched. He stared at his mother's pale hand, then shifted to his broken little sister. Darkness began to creep in at the edges of his vision. The pain in his heart was far more agonizing than the paralysis in his legs.

"God... if You're there... please help me...."

There was no answer from the gray Scottish sky. Only the sound of the rain growing heavier.

"Anyone... I'll give anything... I want them dead... I want them all to rot in hell...."

Suddenly, a sharp red light flashed before his eyes. The light wasn't lightning, but a transparent digital screen floating in the air, emitting a cold, suffocating aura.

[Vengeance Sovereign System: Pure-level hatred detected.]

Arthur was stunned. He blinked, thinking he was hallucinating on the verge of death.

[Host Condition: Critical. Spinal Nerve Paralysis: 95%.]

[Contract Offer: Do you wish to trade your remaining humanity and soul for power beyond human logic?]

The voice echoed directly in his head, cold and mechanical, yet offering such a tempting promise. Arthur stared at the red screen, his eyes now gleaming with vengeance.

"Anything..." Arthur whispered, his voice barely audible amidst the storm. "Take my soul... take everything... just give me a way to destroy them."

The screen vibrated, its color shifting to a deep blood red.

[Contract Accepted. Initiating Vengeance Sovereign System Integration.]

[Warning: This process will be extremely painful. Do not die, Arthur McAlister.]

Suddenly, a pain unlike any human had ever felt pierced the base of Arthur's spine. He looked up at the sky, his mouth wide in a silent scream as a black light began to envelop his body amidst the darkness of Glencoe.