Chapter 114
KILL ME (2)
Yohan's voice came out in a raw, broken gasp, barely more than a whisper. "What... what are you saying?"
His hands trembled slightly, as if his body refused to believe the moment was real. Slowly, shakily, he pulled himself off IAM, staggering back like he'd been punched in the gut.
IAM rose to his feet in one calm motion. The difference between their states—one composed, the other teetering on collapse—was painfully stark. Towering over Yohan, who had dropped to his knees, IAM didn't speak at first. He brushed the dust off his pants with slow, deliberate motions, as if clearing away something far more than dirt.
Then, he reached out his hand.
"Take it," IAM said in a deep, gravelly tone that felt heavier than stone. His voice was steady.
Yohan blinked. He looked at the hand for a long moment, wide-eyed and silent. There was something vacant in his expression, like a man caught between reality and nightmare. Then, almost as if in a trance, he took the hand.
IAM pulled him up—not harshly, but firmly. Yohan stumbled slightly, catching himself, and when he looked up, he found IAM staring into his face, eyes locked onto his mismatched gaze.
That blue eye...
Gohan.
That blue was unmistakable.
IAM narrowed his gaze slightly.
It was the same shade.
Now that he looked closer, he could see it—more than just the eye.Without a doubt, this was Gohan's brother.
It had to be his brother.
IAM's face didn't change, but the breath he took was slower.
Without a single word, IAM reached slowly into his hoodie, his hand disappearing beneath the fabric. The onlookers tensed. For a moment, no one dared to breathe.
When his hand emerged, it was holding something.
And it shimmered.
Gasps filled the night air, soft and sharp, as the weapon caught the light. People leaned forward involuntarily—not just out of shock, but awe. They were entranced. The sleek surface gleamed like something out of a dream. Its shape elegant, its form near divine.
KASSARA.
IAM looked at it for a beat, his face unreadable.
Then—
A humorless smile stretched across IAM's face.
To think this would be your first use, he thought. And maybe... Your last...
Then, without hesitation, he placed it firmly into Yohan's hand. The weight of it made Yohan's arm dip slightly.
IAM guided the barrel—gently—until it was pressed against his own forehead. The cold metal kissed his skin.
His dark eyes met Yohan's mismatched ones, locking them in place.
"If it makes you feel better…" IAM said in a voice as calm as death itself, "Kill me."
Silence.
Then—
"Wait, you don't have to do this!"
"This is insane!"
"Don't be stupid!"
Voices broke out from the others—urgent and frantic—but IAM didn't flinch. He didn't even blink. He simply let go of the weapon.
Yohan was now the one holding KASSARA.
And IAM stood there, unmoving.
"What... are you—" Yohan began, his voice hollow.
"You said you hate me," IAM interrupted softly. "So shoot me. Right now."
"But... bu—"
"Do it." IAM's voice was like steel. He stepped forward just half an inch—just enough to press the gun harder into his skin. "But it won't bring your brother back."
Yohan's expression shattered into something raw and furious. His face twisted with the weight of so many things—loss, pain, guilt, rage. His grip on KASSARA tightened, his hand trembling violently.
Reuel's voice cut through the air, sharp and commanding. "Wait—stop! Have both of you lost your damn minds!?"
"Do not interrupt," IAM said coldly, without even turning to look.
"You..." Yohan choked, his voice rising. "Do you wish to die?! I swear, I will do it! I will!"
He stared hard at IAM, expecting something—fear, flinching, maybe even regret.
But IAM's face remained carved from stone.
Yohan's breathing became ragged. He felt himself slipping—past the point of reason, past grief, past everything.
The gun in Yohan's hand began to shake. And so did he.
The gun felt too real in his hand.
I'm going to kill him, he thought. I'm going to actually do it…
The barrel remained at IAM's head. Every second stretched into eternity. No one moved. The night itself seemed to pause, caught in suspended dread.
Yohan's arm trembled, sweat beading down his temple.
Then—Yohan's hand began to lower.
Just slightly.
Barely an inch.
But it was enough to make everyone exhale.
Until IAM grabbed Yohan's hand again—snapped it back up, forcing the gun against his forehead.
"DO IT!! KILL ME, YOHAN!" IAM roared, his voice thunderous and commanding, shaking Yohan to his core.
Yohan gasped, almost sobbing. "I… I can't do it! Let go of me!"
"KILL ME, YOHAN! AFTER EVERYTHING—YOU SAID IT YOURSELF! YOU HATE ME!"
"NO! NO… NO, I CAN'T… LET GO!" His voice broke, and hot tears spilled from his eyes.
"KILL ME!"
"LET GO!"
"DO IT!"
"NO!"
"WHY WON'T YOU DO IT?!"
"BECAUSE I'M SCARED!" Yohan screamed, face twisted in agony."I'M SCARED OF WHO I'M GOING TO BE IF I PUSH THIS TRIGGER!"
To the others watching, it no longer looked like Yohan had a gun to IAM's head.
It looked like he was the one being held hostage—by a phantom weapon,something no one else could see.
"GODDAMMIT, YOHAN—KILL!"
"NO! LET—"
"GOOOOOOO!!"
The final cry echoed like thunder, and then—silence.
IAM just stood there, chest rising and falling slowly, staring into Yohan's tear-soaked face.
Then, without a word, IAM chuckled softly.
It was hollow and humorless.
He let go of Yohan's hand. KASSARA slid easily back into IAM's own grasp.
Yohan turned away instantly. He couldn't bear to face him any longer. He stumbled toward one of the mini transport cars parked nearby, his legs like jelly.
Others followed him quickly, murmuring quietly, eyes wide with disbelief. One of them glanced back at IAM as he helped Yohan into the vehicle.
"I… I'll take us back to the dorms," he said in a low, stunned voice.
But his eyes lingered on IAM. There was something new in them now.
Shock... Disbelief.
And fear.
Because anyone who could so easily offer up their own life like that—
They must be a madman.
The car engine hummed to life, and then they were gone, leaving behind a cloud of silence.
Reuel turned sharply to IAM, fury and fear in his voice.
"You… are you fucking crazy?! What if he actually did shoot you?! What would you have done?!"
IAM began walking toward the other mini car, slow and unhurried. He climbed into the passenger seat without looking back.
His voice came out flat and distant.
"Nothing. I'd be dead."
Reuel let out a disbelieving laugh, sharp and short. "You… you are actually insane."
IAM didn't respond. His eyes stared ahead, unfocused. His thoughts were already elsewhere.
No one said another word.
Eventually, the mini car pulled away.
The road back to the dorms felt quieter than usual. Even the city's distant hum seemed to hold its breath.
And so, the eventful first day at Hope Academy came to a close.
In silence.