"David, age twenty-one, Nice name you got there," the prison guard muttered as he scanned the file.
The boy sitting on the other side of the bars didn't respond.
David's head was lowered slightly, but His sclera were bloodshot, veins crawling, redness burning against the pale white, They were hollow, Shattered.
The guard studied him for a while, His body battered, then leaning against the bars.
"Murder, huh?" he said, flipping a page "One count, Someone like you… killed a people, I've been doing this a long time, son, I can tell when a man kills because he wants to, and when a man…"
He stopped, his voice lowering.
"doesn't."
He reached through the bars, a heavy hand landing on David's shoulder "Don't worry you'll be out in 2 and half years, The cctv Saved you."
David didn't flinch, he smiled But it wasn't joy, it was broken, His lips cracked upward.
his mind replayed the week before.
---
One Week Ago
The sun was sinking into the sea, painting the beach in orange, The waves lapped softly at the sand, David and Angelica sat side by side on an old wooden bench, shoulders brushing.
Her hands fidgeted with the hem of her dress, Her voice trembled when she spoke.
"David… if you want to marry another woman—" Her words broke off.
David turned his head "I know what you're about to say, But no."
Angelica blinked at him.
"I'm not marrying anyone but you," David said, his tone slicing through her doubt "Even if you can't… even if you'll never have children, I don't care, You're Angelica, You're the only one I want."
Her breath hitched, Her eyes overflowed, She broke down right there on the bench, burying her face against his chest.
David wrapped his arms around her tightly, like she might vanish if he loosened his grip even for a second, He kissed her forehead softly.
---
Later That Week, Evening
David stood outside his small home, briefcase in hand, exhausted but smiling, The key turned in the lock.
"I'm home-" The words stuck in his throat.
The house was dark, Silent, He frowned, stepping further inside, His hand flicked the light switch.
The room illuminated, And his world shattered.
Angelica lay on the floor, Her once-bright eyes were now hollow, staring at nothing Blood stained her dress, pooled beneath her body, Her hands were limp, pale.
David froze, His briefcase hit the floor with a heavy thud.
"...No…"
He stumbled forward, falling to his knees beside her, His arms shook violently as he pulled her into his lap.
"No, no, no, no!!! Angelica! Look at me, please, don't do this! H-hey, you're joking, right? This is a joke!"
Tears streamed down his cheeks, dripping onto her lifeless Body, His words came out cracked, shredded by grief.
His shaking hands dug into his pocket "L-look… look what I bought…"
A small velvet box, Inside, two silver rings gleamed faintly under the light "Our wedding rings… Angelica, see? We-we were supposed to…"
His voice collapsed, His forehead pressed against her chest, his body trembling "You can't leave me like this, You can't…"
Then, his phone rang.
His trembling hand picked it up, He answered.
A familiar voice came through, with mockery "Hey, David, Remember me? It's Mark, Your bestie."
David's breath stopped, His eyes widened, veins bulging.
"Anyway… how was my gift? Did you like it?"
David's body stiffened, a snarl breaking out His bloodshot eyes.
"MARK!!! I SWEAR-"
"Relax," Mark interrupted, laughing softly
"I'm at our old school, Come meet me, I'll be waiting, Let's have some fun, I'll humiliate you… just like you humiliated me."
The line cut.
David's hand shook violently as the phone slipped from his grip.
---
The Hospital
David's footsteps echoed as he carried Angelica's lifeless body into the emergency ward, His voice was broken, begging the doctors, though deep down he already knew.
They rushed her away, but he didn't wait for the inevitable words, He couldn't His body moved on instinct, rage drowning grief.
By the time the doctors called after him, David was already gone.
---
The School Grounds, Night
The once-familiar schoolyard, Floodlights lit the area.
More than two hundred men stood in black jackets, steel pipes and chains in their hands.
At the center of it all stood Mark, leaning casually against the basketball pole, smirking like a king awaiting his challenger.
David walked in through the gates, His eyes were dead, but burning, His fists clenched so tightly blood dripped from his palms.
The crowd parted slowly, murmuring, watching him approach.
Mark clapped mockingly "Well, well, Look who actually showed up."
David's voice was low, ragged "Why?"
Mark tilted his head, amused "Why? You still don't get it?" He spread his arms wide.
"Because of you, David You ruined me, You left me with nothing, And now? Now I'll take everything from you, Starting with her."
David's teeth ground together, His eyes glistened with tears.
"You killed… My Angelica…"
Mark's smirk widened.
The army of two hundred stirred, weapons raised.
David's knuckles cracked, His bloodshot eyes locked onto Mark with a fury beyond reason.
The night was about to drown in blood.
Mark's voice cut through "Go!!!"
Two hundred men roared in unison.
David stood his ground, His chest was tight, his breath uneven, but his fists clenched so hard his nails dug into his palms, His eyes bloodshot, burning locked on the wave of bodies rushing at him.
The first man came swinging.
David threw his fist forward, but the man blocked it cleanly, A split-second later, a fist drove into David's gut with the weight of a hammer.
The impact stole his breath, His body lifted off the ground and collapsed backward into the dirt, He gasped, clutching his stomach.
Mark laughed, his voice booming across the yard "You thought I'd bring just thugs? No David These men are fighters, athletes, Trained And I gave them one order don't let him breathe, Beat him until he begs me!"
The crowd roared again.
David coughed blood into the dirt, His head spun His ribs screamed with pain, But his body refused to stay down, He forced himself up, swaying unsteadily, his chest heaving.
The second attacker reached him, boot swinging up, the kick smashed into David's face, His nose burst, blood splattering the ground as his body staggered back.
His vision blurred, But he planted his foot He refused to fall.
The man smirked, stepping forward for another strike, David's leg snapped up low and sharp, kicking into the man's ankle,
Crunch!
The man yelped, stumbling, collapsing awkwardly to the ground.
Another fighter lunged from the side, David twisted, teeth gritted, and slammed his fist into the man's face, Blood sprayed, the man dropped.
The others slowed for a moment.
David wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, smearing blood across his cheek, His shoulders heaved His knees shook, But his eyes blazed with something deeper than rage, something that terrified even the brave men before him.
He wasn't fighting for pride, He wasn't fighting for survival, He was fighting for her Revenge.
The mob descended again.
David threw himself into the fray, fists cracking against bone, kicks smashing against flesh He fought with desperation.
But he was only one man.
A fist slammed into his ribs.
crack!
he gasped, the world tilting sideways, A knee drove into his back, A pipe swung.
splitting his eyebrow open, blood gushing down into his eye.
Still, he fought.
His knuckles split open, blood dripping from them as he battered another man's jaw, He stomped a knee sideways, sending a fighter screaming to the ground, He roared as he smashed his forehead into another man's nose, collapsing him instantly.
He was swarmed, grabbed, dragged down, beaten with boots, fists, chains, Each impact rattled his bones Each breath was harder than the last His body bruised, swelling, skin tearing.
Seventy men.
By the time David collapsed to the ground, his chest barely moved, His lips were split, his eyes swollen nearly shut Blood pooled beneath him, mixing with dirt His arms trembled as he tried to push himself up but collapsed again.
Mark's laughter echoed "Look at you! That's it, David, That's the face of a loser I know."
Angelica's face flashed in his mind, her tears on the beach, her smile as she hugged him, her lifeless body in his arms.
His chest heaved, His blood-soaked hands clawed at the ground.
"No" he whispered, voice breaking "Not yet…"
His memories came like waves, her laughter, her voice teasing him.
"I'm not marrying anyone but you."
David's teeth clenched, His body shook.
And then, slowly, painfully, he rose.
His legs wobbled, His ribs screamed But he forced himself upright, his blood dripping down his chin, his swollen eyes narrowing into a glare that pierced the mob.
His voice was hoarse "I won't stop here."
The fighters froze for a moment, Even Mark's smirk faltered.
David stood tall, beaten but unbroken, his broken body now carrying a strength that wasn't just physical, it was something deeper, Something unshakable.
the intensity of his gaze, The air around him seemed to crackle with an unseen energy, the luminous green radiating outwards.