I Am Dead

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The Pain

Hurried footsteps echoed through the dense woods, accompanied by the relentless sound of ragged breathing.

He leaped over a fallen log, instinctively dodging an incoming arrow. It struck a nearby tree, triggering a sudden explosion that sent him tumbling to the ground.

Bang!

His body crashed onto the dirt, his silvery hair collecting dust as he struggled to regain balance. Lifting his gaze, his sweat-drenched face was revealed, his brown eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"Weak brat."

A taunting voice rang out behind him, loud and clear.

They're here again. They finally caught me.

Acting on impulse, he snatched a small rock and spun around, hurling it toward the voice with all his strength.

But before it could reach its target, the rock disintegrated into tiny fragments, melting into nothing.

"Huh?"

Rey's eyes widened in shock. He was finished. There was no way he could outrun all five of them—not after running for over an hour.

None of this would have happened… he thought bitterly.

If I hadn't stepped into that room, I wouldn't have discovered their secret. They wouldn't be after me like this.

His heartbeat pounded erratically.

There was no escape now.

One by one, five figures emerged from the shadows of the woods, stepping forward as if they had been waiting all along for the perfect moment.

Just seeing them sent a wave of fear through him. The sheer aura radiating from their bodies was overwhelming. If he weren't such a weakling—if he weren't so unlucky—he might have been able to face them.

But he wasn't.

He was no different from an ordinary citizen. The only difference was that he had awakened.

"You still don't get it, do you?"

A young man spoke, his posture radiating authority. He was undoubtedly the leader of this squadron.

His jet-black hair gleamed like silk, and his cold, piercing gaze sent shivers through anyone beneath his rank. His voice, laced with venom, sliced through the eerie silence of the forest.

"A weakling like you could never escape me."

A smug smirk stretched across his face, his icy demeanor unwavering.

Rey's vision blurred with unshed tears. The man standing before him wasn't just anyone—he was the son of one of the strongest individuals in the country.

A Law Breaker.

Rey knew exactly what was coming. His chances of survival were slim, and that chance was dwindling with every passing second.

Because before this man, nothing could stop him.

"Boss, I say we don't spare him this time," another voice chimed in from the gang. "He knows too much."

"Big Uncle will be furious if he finds out about the accident," a brunette-haired young lady added, standing beside their leader.

James Foreman.

James chuckled softly, as if amused by their words.

"No one said this brat was leaving alive anyway."

He turned his cold gaze back to Rey.

"You're just a weakling. No one in society will remember you, so killing you won't be an issue."

No.

I'm dying here.

The thought slammed into Rey's mind, making him swallow hard. He shifted into a defensive stance—an utterly useless one, even to the untrained eye.

The gang burst into laughter, mocking him.

That only made him cry harder.

Finally...

I'll be freed from this cruel reality.

I'll finally escape the title of 'weakling.' Maybe someone else will have to take it up in my place.

"Finish him."

James's voice was barely above a whisper, but the order was clear.

In an instant, one of the men vanished from their formation—only to reappear right in front of Rey.

"Goodbye, asshole."

The dagger plunged into Rey's chest.

The sickening crunch of bone echoed through the air.

His eyes widened in agony. Pain crashed into him like a tidal wave, forcing blood from his mouth. The unbearable torment made him regret his entire existence.

He collapsed to the ground, his trembling hands clutching his bleeding chest as crimson liquid oozed out, refusing to stop.

"Nicely done," James murmured, a wicked smile stretching across his face.

He stared down at Rey's dying form and let out a dark chuckle.

"I guess the secret is perfectly sealed now."

He crouched down beside him, his smirk never faltering.

"Don't worry about your sister. I'll take care of her."

Rey's bloodied body trembled. Even in death, he wouldn't allow anything to happen to his sister.

With the last strength left in him, he grabbed James's hand just before he could stand up.

"Please…"

"Don't touch my sister," he finished, just before a jaw-breaking punch landed on his face, sending him crashing downward—lifeless.

James stood up, a smug smirk lingering on his cold face.

"I want the secret perfectly sealed. Leaving your sister alive might be another issue for me," he finalized, turning around and beckoning for his team to follow.

They left the lifeless body to rot in the depths of the woods.

Even though he had just killed a man...

It didn't mean anything to him.

No one was going to punish him.

No one punished the strong and the rich.