“…”
“Silence again, huh? Fine, I have no problem with the answer you’ve chosen.”
The Sphinx appeared back on the chair.
“Remember how you are feeling right now. You aren’t thinking logically, right?
“If you could, those fake lives wouldn’t have mattered to you.
“Your emotions are clouding your judgment.
“They are the reason why you can’t let go of your experiences of those visions—”
“Start the third vision.”
The Sphinx chuckled.
“As you wish.”
…
The belt hit Neo’s arm.
He stifled his scream.
“How many times have I told you, Dios Kingsley!? We do not act like those lower class scums!
“So tell me, why did you start a fight with your classmates for no reason!?”
The man, his father, continued to hit Dios.
He was strong.
Far stronger than a child like Dios.
Still, Dios did not apologize.
He believed he was correct for what he did. He fought the bullies because they hit his friend.
Dios did not say anything to his father.
He knew the man would not listen to him.
“You are special, Dios. You mustn’t fall into the wrong path.
“Fighting like thugs isn’t what you should do,” the man caressed his head after the beating.
Dios nodded.
He returned to his room.
Melino?, his little sister, was waiting for him.
She cried when she saw him covered in blood and applied first aid to his wounds.
Life was not easy on Dios.
Although he was born in the influential family of Kingsley, his family never treated him as a ‘human’.
They treated him like some kind of a trophy — or a machine.
A machine they had to make sure it turned out perfect.
They would beat him, they would give him lectures, force him to learn things he would never need his life.
Melino? took a look at his tomorrow’s schedule.
“You have an appointment with a pianist and an archer? How many sports does it make this now?”
“Seven.”
“Wow, my brother is going to win the next America’s Got Talent.”
Both of them chuckled.
“Dios, come with me. I found a nice place yesterday.”
He followed behind his sister.
After moving through the mansion, they came across an old room.
Melino? opened the door and entered.
The room was covered in cobwebs and dust.
She removed the photo hung on the wall and showed him the door behind it.
“…How did you even find this?”
“I saw mom entering it a few days ago.”
Melino? flashed a smug grin.
Dios patted her head and she giggled.
Unlike the rest of the family, Melino? treated him like a person.
She always tried her best to cheer him up.
The two entered the hidden door.
After following the downward stairs, they stepped into an ancient looking hall.
Sculptures, jewels, weapons.
The place was filled with treasures.
Dios and Melino? felt they’ve entered a dragon’s lair.
“I think I can swim in that much gold. Hurray!”
Melino? picked up a few jewels and wore them.
“How do I look?”
“Beautiful, my lady.”
“Hohohoho, you have a way with words, my knight. I’m impressed.
“As a reward, you can take anything from my personal vault.”
The siblings laughed at their own antics.
While Dios was looking around, he came across a glass cabinet.
A silver cube rested inside it.
“What are you doing?” Melino? questioned.
Dios gasped when he realized he was trying to open the cabinet.
“N-nothing. Let’s go. We’ve been here for quite a while. They’ll start searching for us.”
He stared at the cube as he left the place.
Years passed and Dios became a university student.
His life was still fucked up due to his family, but he learned to focus on the happy times.
Everything was good.
Until it wasn’t.
“What the hell?”
Dios stepped out of the crashed car.
He was bleeding all over, but he ignored his wounds and tried to help the driver out of the car.
Suddenly, the driver groaned.
It spun its head in the opposite directions and tried to bit Dios.
“What!?”
Dios’ body reacted before his mind.
He punched the driver’s head with his full strength.
He was a moment late to realize he had failed to hold back.
The driver’s head exploded.
Before Dios could feel the guilt, the headless corpse moved.
“W-what? Why is it moving?”
He backed away.
Strange noises entered his ears.
Looking around, he noticed people with peeled or cracked skin, walking around, groaning, and biting others.
“Zombies?”
A sense of excitement surged through Dios’ heart until he recalled Melino?.
“Shit!”
He dashed towards his home.
On the way, he noticed people becoming infected if just a drop of zombie blood or saliva fell on them.
However, it did not happen with everyone.
Dios was one such example.
He jumped over the gates of Kingsley mansion with his inhumane agility.
The place was filled with zombies.
Dios crushed them without holding back.
Making sure he did not kill them would only waste his time.
To him, his sister was worth more than all of their lives combined.
Dios did not find her even after searching the whole mansion.
Suddenly he heard a shout.
He bolted towards the room and noticed the photo that hid the door behind it had been removed.
“The voice came from there. I’m sure of it.”
He entered the secret vault.
Melino? was inside.
A sense of relief washed over Dios’ heart.
She was alive.
He noticed Melino? holding the silver cube in her hands and crying.
“Melino?!”
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. It’s my fault. It’s my fault. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
She continued to mutter the same words.
Dios grabbed her shoulders and shook her.
“Melino?! Snap out of it!”
She turned to him, her eyes swollen from crying.
“I didn’t know this would’ve happened when I touched it.
“It… suddenly opened.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
“Open what?”
“Th-this.”
She showed him the silver cube.
One of its sides had disappeared and he could see the hollow area inside.
Dios did not understand what was happening.
Before he could say anything, he sensed someone entering the secret vault.