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ARC: Back Attack Land
The water was still pouring with force, but it was no longer warm. The bathtub had slightly overflowed, and the small room was thick with steam.
Akos lay there, slumped in a semi-conscious state, his head tilted to the side. The skin on his back was bright red, marked by the scalding water that had been battering him for hours.
Slowly, his eyelids began to flicker. He opened his eyes with great effort, the dim morning light filtering through a tiny window. With a slow, trembling motion, he reached for the faucet and tightened it until the flow finally stopped.
He stood up slowly, letting out a stifled groan. His head felt like it was about to explode from the pain, while his back was still "seething."
Wrapped in a towel, he stepped out of the bathroom and stood in the middle of his home.
It was a small, modest apartment—a single open space where the living room, kitchen, and bed were all squeezed together, a constant reminder of the harsh reality of life in Sinish.
He approached his bag, which lay discarded on the floor. He began taking out his belongings: some clothes, items he always carried with him, and an old watch. He placed them carefully into a small pouch on his desk.
He pulled on a pair of gray trousers and a black short-sleeved T-shirt. As he pulled the shirt over his head, the pain caused him to buckle. He pressed his hand against his forehead, trying to piece his memory back together.
"What happened to me yesterday?" he whispered, his voice raspy. "I blacked out... Argh, my God..."
He went to the mirror and turned his body slightly. He stared at his back. The mark from the hot water was there, a vivid reminder of the previous night—but he felt as though something else, something much deeper, was burning beneath his skin.
He was hungry. He needed to eat to stay on his feet.
He walked to the tiny kitchen, took two eggs from the fridge, and placed a pan on the gas stove. Pulling a lighter from his pocket, he ignited the flame with a dry click. He added a bit of oil and a dollop of butter, swirling the pan until it melted and coated the surface.
Crack. The first egg broke against the rim of the pan. Crack. Then the second. He sprinkled some salt while simultaneously sliding two slices of bread into the toaster.
From his bag, he pulled out a bottle of pre-made orange juice. He cracked it open and poured it into a glass. A few minutes later, his plate was ready: two sunny-side-up eggs and two pieces of crispy toast.
He sat on his small chair and began to eat quietly, staring into the void. The silence of his home was the only thing keeping him sane before he had to step out again into the dangerous streets of Sinish.
As soon as he finished his meal, Akos stood up and cleaned everything. He washed the plate, the pan, and the glass with care, dried his hands, and strapped his black watch onto his wrist.
He threw on a cardigan and stepped out into the streets of Sinish.
As he walked through the narrow alleys, his instincts suddenly flared, warning him. From a balcony high above, a heavy iron bar snapped loose and began falling rapidly toward him.
Akos looked at it for only a fraction of a second. With a movement so swift it was hard for the human eye to track, he managed to dodge it. The iron bar crashed onto the concrete behind him, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Akos looked up: the house the bar had fallen from was old and dilapidated. No one lived there. Without saying a word, he kept walking.
He continued until he entered the ALPHA district. There, he saw Jin helping an elderly woman with her groceries. The woman gave him a sweet as a thank you.
Jin spotted Akos and called out to him. They began walking together.
"Good morning, Akos!" Jin said, reaching out to pat him on the back.
Akos gritted his teeth, his expression twisting sharply from the pain.
"What's wrong?" Akos asked, as Jin quickly pulled his hand away.
"I can see you're in pain... is something wrong with your back?" Jin asked concernedly.
"I fell in the bathtub, blacked out... I don't remember exactly, but I felt like someone was talking to me," Akos replied.
Jin lowered his gaze.
"I don't know what's been going on these past few days, some strange things have been happening to me too. But okay... let's talk about SINISH. The city is becoming dangerous; there are many gangs now."
"I remember the battle from two years ago... it was massive. So many gangs involved, and the streets turned into rivers of blood. I don't know if the same things will happen again."
After walking for a while, they reached the school. It was still early, and the hallways were almost empty, with only a few people around since most were already in their classrooms.
As they climbed the stairs, Jin turned to Akos. "Look, there are many members in our class who don't accept you as leader yet. But don't stress, they're all good people deep down."
When they pushed open the classroom door, the silence became heavy. Many eyes stared at them with a cold and composed gaze.
As Akos and Jin stood at the entrance, Luno stared at them intensely, his eyes full of suspicion. At the other end of the classroom, Oz and Bliss had started a test of strength, arm-wrestling to see who could bend the other's hand. Around them, Naoto, Sora, and Solon were watching, ready to intervene.
Luno stood up and began walking threateningly toward Jin and Akos. But before he could get close, Cairo stepped in front of him, placing his hand on Luno's chest.
— "Stop what you're doing to everyone, Luno," Cairo said firmly.
Luno looked at the hand on his chest and then at Cairo with a fierce gaze. He threw Cairo's hand away with rage.
— "You won't tell me what to do!" he shouted.
Riko immediately stepped into the middle, trying to calm the situation.
— "Keep your cool, guys. Don't fight among yourselves," he said in a reassuring voice.
— "Argh, I don't understand how you can accept a stranger in a single day!" Luno erupted. "How do we know if he's an enemy or an ally? The guy doesn't even speak!"
Jin smiled ironically. — "He annoys you, Luno, because you can't stand his composure against your words."
Cairo turned to Akos. — "Then you tell us. What are your goals? You seem very distant."
Akos looked everyone in the eyes. His voice was frozen.
— "I don't know what makes you want to kill each other for a position. It's just a leadership. I don't know why you think you are something big... it's just a gang."
Luno turned bright red with anger. — "EEE! What are you saying? Do you realize what you just said? Don't think that because you won at some game, you became somebody!"
Akos, with a completely cold gaze, replied: — "If you want the position that much... take it."
The class froze. No one expected such an answer.
Cairo, angered by Akos's indifference, slammed his fist against the wall with force. — "Do you think our gang is like the others? No! Here everyone, the weak and the strong, are on the same level. We are family here!"
Ronika intervened, looking at Akos. — "If he speaks like this to threats, what will he do in action?"
Riko tried again. — "I know you are all filled with stress and anger, but he is a new member of our family. We must show respect."
Luno turned to Riko with contempt. — "Look who's talking! The one who cooks in the kitchen every day thinks he's somebody. Go back to your kitchen, man, you should be ashamed of being a boy!"
Sora stood up abruptly. — "What do you mean by that?"
— "I mean that the kitchen belongs only to..."
Before he could finish the word, Ronika threw a pen at him with force. Luno moved his head to the right to avoid it, and the pen ended up with Solon, who caught it in the air.
— "You've crossed the line, Luno. Better close your mouth," Ronika said sternly.
Naoto sighed. — "I don't know when Akos came and changed you all like this. Just calm down a bit."
Akos looked Luno in the eyes without moving. — "Your face and your words belong to a small child. Not to an eighteen-year-old."
Luno clenched his fist, ready to explode. But before things got worse, Riko made a quick decision. He grabbed Akos by the hand and led him out of the classroom into the hallway to avoid the confrontation.
The Back Alleys of SINISH
The scene shifts.
Yuma, the leader of the BRAVO gang, stands there drinking. At his feet lies a boy covered in blood, hiding his face. Yuma kicks him brutally.
A man approaches: "Sir, everything is set for the attack."
Yuma smashes the bottle and steps out of the alley with a twisted smile. Behind him stand 59 members of the BRAVO gang.
"Listen up! Today we crush ALPHA. I want you all vicious. Do you understand?"
"YES, LEADER!"
Yuma grins at his right hand, Yurezo.
"Everything is ready. Our strike will be so fast and wild, they won't know what hit them."
"It'll be the craziest attack yet, Yuma. Even DELTA and ECHO will hear about us," Yurezo replies.
"That's what I like to hear! LET'S GO SURPRISE THEM! HAHAHA!"
As they march, the wind picks up. Yuma, with his blue hair, shades his eyes to see a figure blocking their path.
"Who the hell is standing at the exit of our territory?"
It's Reino Shino. Tall, hands in pockets, perfectly calm.
"No way! Shino?" Yurezo shouts.
Reino looks up with a smirk. "Sorry for ruining your surprise... Haha!"
Yurezo fumes. "How did he figure out our plan?" Before he can react, Yuma lunges with a powerful kick, but Reino calmly ducks and avoids it.
"I see you're all alone," Yuma says.
"Don't worry. I came alone because I am the one who protects my family. I take the full weight before it ever reaches them."
"Drop the stupid talk and think about how you'll end up," Yuma sneers.
"I'm waiting," Reino replies. "You are the invaders."