CH. 1- Marcus Scott
I woke up in a bright white room with no memories of the place. I do not even know where this place is. But I am very impressed by how well crafted it is. I think the room was made of quartz base on how smooth the surfaces are. I might also be wrong, as I am not an expert in carpentry. This place was spotless. This place's janitors must be good as not a speck of dust or dirt can be found around, but the room had almost no content. However, it was not completely empty as a clean stainless table was placed in front of me. I am also not alone in this room, as a man wearing a suit similar to a man in black character was sitting across the table facing me.
“Umm, excuse me. May I know where I am?”
Surprisingly, the man answered me, but he didn't give the answer I wanted, and he just answered. “You are in our office.”
“Wait, mister, is this a kidnap for ransom. Even my grandpa is a former CEO he hasn't much that money.”
“Shut up! Fool!” The man yelled with a terrifying voice. Probably he raised his voice cause he was annoyed by my face, which I'm already used to.
“Sorry, sir. But this is illegal. So I suggest you should release me before the cops bust me out.”
“Kid, this is not a kidnap for ransom thing.”
“Then what do you call tying me up in a chair with a rope, sir?”
“It's called interrogating kid.”
“What the hell did I do?”
“I guess let me remind you.”
The man then picked something from his suit coat pocket. What he grabbed was his smartphone, and he showed me an image. The image of a beheaded person, base on the image, was in my house's kitchen. But after he showed me that image, my memories suddenly snapped. I recalled that I was the one who slashed the man's head off. However, I also remember that the head did not belong to a man but a monster.
Let's return to the time sixteen hours ago to know what exactly happened. I cannot believe that such a creature of nightmare would exist. And I cannot think that my grandpa's stupid hobby would save me from death.
Sixteen hours ago…
I'm Marcus, age 16. I'm in my last year in high school. And my college life is just a year away. I live in a small town in the state of Pennsylvania. This town is pretty much dull; nothing interesting happens here. However, it might be tedious here, and I prefer this way of life.
Girls? Do I like them? No. I prefer to stay away from them. I do not hate them. It's my own decision not to speak with them. Or am I just a loner? Thinking about these things makes me sorry to myself.
I look at the window of my classroom, which showed my reflection. The black hair, brown eyes, average body weight, and looks are neither attractive nor ugly. I even look at the regular orange shirt with long black sleeves. This description shows I'm just an average high schooler.
*BRRRING!*
“The school bell rang, guess it's time to go home. Wait, today is the day Grandpa is coming home. Also, it's the premiere of an anime. I better-come home early today.”
I immediately pack my thing in my sling bag as fast as possible after putting my stuff in my bag. I immediately walked away from my desk. But while on my way to our classroom exit, My path was blocked by the hottest girl in my class.
“Hey, Marcus wanna come to Jeric's party.”
I looked down at the floor and avoided the girl. I immediately rushed out of the room without giving a single word.
“Oh my God! Why did you even attempt to invite that loser, Carol?” A black-haired girl who was just a few steps away from Carol asked.
A redheaded girl then spoke, “Carol was just sorry for the dude, who is known as the loner in our class. Also, Carol is running for the student council. So she is doing an early campaign to earn voters.”
“Girls, let's just go home so we can go to Jeric's house early.”
I was walking on the roadside while having these thoughts. “The hottest girl in my school invited me to a party. However, I know all of my classmates are rotten to the core. They only come near me when they need something. But how does it feel to have a girlfriend.”
After fifteen minutes of walking, Marcus arrived at his house. Marcus's family has a salary in the higher end of mid-range earners. However, his parents had already last away, and he is currently living alone with his grandfather. But Marcus rarely sees his Grandpa, a large tech company's retired CEO. Who now enjoys traveling the world and collecting antiques.
After entering the house, Marcus immediately started to prepare dinner while waiting for his grandfather. After an hour, Marcus heard the house's doorbell. He directly walks toward the door, opening it without hesitation, which revealed an older man in his sixties.
“Marcus, my boy!” Excitedly yelled the older man who hugs Marcus.
“Grandpa, welcome home.” Marcus greeted. “Could you please release me, Grandpa? It's hard to breathe.”
“Oh, sorry about that.”
As his Grandpa releases him, Marcus immediately offers him to have dinner. “Grandpa, you're just in time for dinner.”
Marcus's grandpa then started to have tears dropping from his eyes. “Oh, as expected of my grandchild, who loves me unconditionally.”
Marcus immediately cringes at his grandpa's ugly crying face, which the neighbors noticed. “Just get inside the house, grandpa.”
“Ok, but before that, could you help carry those things inside the house.” His grandpa immediately points at the boxes place in their front yard.
“How much money did you spend on those antiques again?”
“Those things are cheap; I only spent about a hundred grand.”
“I see... A hundred grand, eh?” Marcus asked with a suspicious look on his face. His grandpa suddenly started to sweat after seeing Marcus's gaze of disbelief.
“Fine! I give up, Marcus!”
“That was easy, so how much did you spend?”
“I paid three-hundred grand overall cause all of these items have been illegally shipped.”
Marcus suddenly walked to the packages and carried everything. But instead of going to the house, he called for a taxi passing by. He immediately put the boxes in the cab.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING!”
“Returning them, these things already overcrowd our house. And you have been blowing your money on these useless things.”
“STOP THAT!” Yelled Marcus's Grandpa, who dashed toward the cab—stopping Marcus from loading the boxes.
“Grandpa, you must return these things to where you bought them.”
“I refuse! I worked hard for these things to get shipped here!”
The cab driver had enough of the two. Causing him to yell, “Will you two stop! I am working here! Jesus Christ, people these days are filled with idiots.” After that, the cab just took off and left Marcus and his grandpa.
The two continued to argue for about an hour. The argument came to an end after Marcus and his grandpa agreed on a deal. The deal states that his grandpa can still buy antiques but should be less in price and quantity. Only one antique per overseas traveling, also he has to buy Marcus some game or otaku merchandise, so Marcus would continue in doing maintenance to the antique collection.
After that, Marcus brought the boxes inside. The two of them had dinner first before unboxing the antiques.
“Marcus, my boy, aren't you lonely?” Suddenly asked Marcus's grandpa, as he finishes his dinner.
Marcus paused for a few seconds before replying. “Why do you ask, gramps?”
His grandpa suddenly had a severe expression written all over his face. “I've been thinking that I've been leaving too often to travel the world. And my time is almost at its limit. So I thought it's about time for you to look for a girl and get married.”
“NO! I'm sixteen!”
“B-but.. ”
“No buts, grandpa. You know well that eighteen is the legal age. Plus, I'm still in high school.”
“You know, Marcus, those cartoon girls speaking Chinese that you watch on your computer. Are not real and will not marry you and will not take that virginity of yours.”
“They're Japanese, not Chinese. And how dare you… tell me the sad reality.”
Marcus's grandpa suddenly stood up from his chair after finishing his dinner. He then gazes at Marcus, “My boy, I'll be leaving again.”
“When are you leaving? Next week?”
“Now, my boy or I will be missing my flight to Africa.”
Marcus had a confused expression written all over his face. After hearing his grandpa. “Wait, what!?”
His grandpa immediately walked out of the kitchen. But before leaving the kitchen area, he glanced at Marcus. “My boy, I had transferred money into your savings account. It has your allowance and leisure money there. Also, some are for the house utilities. I'll be back in two months.”
After saying that, his grandpa immediately left the house. He was leaving Marcus alone once again. But Marcus was not sad about this, as he is already used to it. Marcus immediately cleaned the table and washed the dishes. He immediately went to his room after he finished his chores. But while on his way to his room Marcus stumble on the unopened boxes.
“Grandpa's newly bought antique collection. I forgot to unbox and organize them.” Marcus squatted to open the boxes laid on the floor.
The contents of the first box he opens shocked him. “What the f**k!” No wonder this was shipped illegally, as this is already considered a deadly weapon.”
I immediately grabbed the box's content, which was a single-edged sword. My estimated length of this sword is somewhere between ninety to one hundred centimeters.
“This is quite heavy. Also, this blade is quite oversized. What kind of country would use such a weapon. It seems unreliable to swing. But I can see this thing might cut two heads in one slice. The hilt seems made out of metal and wood.”
I then looked back at the box and saw the sheath made out of wood. I put the sword back to its sheath. But my otaku sense was saying to try to swing the blade once. I walked to an open area near the kitchen near the exit to our kitchen.
Marcus then started to act like he was some anime protagonist. “I am the lone samurai that shall defeat all of the evil. And you shall taste my blade.” Marcus immediately removes the sword from the sheath in an anime fashion.
But he did not expect the blade to be heavy. This action almost cost him his toes, as it nearly misses his feet. After seeing the sword's danger, Marcus immediately put it back to its sheath.
“Phew! That was close! I should put this thing away.” Marcus suddenly heard his phone ring causing him to pick his phone. “Wait! It's already eight pm! Only fifteen minutes left before I'm going to miss the one hour premiere episode of that anime.”
Marcus immediately dropped the sword on the floor and dashed towards his room. “God damn it, I hope I still have time to prepare snacks. Whatever the show is more important.” When Marcus was gone, the sword's wooden sheath started to have a turquoise glow.
Meanwhile, a man of Southeast Asian or pacific islander descent walked around the neighborhood. He was sweating a tine, and his eyes did not even reflect the light he was looking at; his veins started to become visible. He even started to drool. This man immediately rushed towards a spot where no one can see him.
“It is near. I never thought that I would feel it's presence after hundreds of years. But that thing has no wielder. No westerner can wield such a weapon. So its means it's time to destroy that cursed Kampilan.” Spoke the man as he slowly transforms into a hellish creature.
He started to crawl on all fours; his lower body became a giant dog, and his tongue began to extend. Wings of crow grew behind his back, and his sweat suddenly turned into oil. And a horrible stench similar to a dead body of a rat filled the air. The man immediately flew toward a house, making his sound as quiet as possible. But the entire neighborhood heard the flapping of wings that they only thought was a giant bird passing by.