"You are a cursed child." The call has been a surprise for him, the young boy. He turned his head towards the source of the sound, and found a group of kids stared at him with ridicule. All of the kids in the group seem around eight years old, just like him.
"This is…"
A long forgotten scene of his past played before him. Zuyuan saw himself right above his younger version. In the bright, luxury ballroom, he was surrounded by his cousins and relatives, as they watched him with disgust.
"Would you please go die?" said a little girl with a red dress, as she put her hand on her hips.
"This place doesn"t want you." another boy, with a cute face, warped his face with an expression full of loathe.
"Yeah, just go away and die!"
"Why are you even here? You son of a rapist!"
"Rapist blood flow in you! Probably you are a rapist too!"
"Yeah, he will be a rapist when he grows up!"
"Rapist! Rapist!"
"Rapist!"
"Trash of society!"
Soon, the rest of the kids started to shout in unison as they threw rotten eggs they had prepared for him. Their words became vicious as the time pa.s.sed until when the adults around them began to notice it, but none helped or stepped out to stop them. In fact, all of the people in there started to laugh, as if they were watching some entertaining show.
"No… please.. Stop.."
Zuyuan watched helplessly as he saw his younger self on his knee, curled up in a ball and cried. He reached out his hand in desperation, only to see his hands, body, everything of him was transparent, with him being shackled in the air, and wasn"t able to move in the slightest.
A little girl with hair as red as blood, came out from the crowd and walked to the boy. The boy noticed as he raised his head and murmured pitifully, "Sister…"
She raised her leg and suddenly kicked him right in his face. Then, she spat on him and said, "You are a disgrace, through and through."
"Pfftt, hahaha."
"Look, he was so hopeful a moment ago, hahaha."
Laughter echoed as everyone began to laugh merrily.
"Curse you all!"
In the air, Zuyuan tried to curse them, but his voice didn"t come out at all, Zuyuan was only able to howl in his mind as he saw the hated scene of his life.
Shortly, cracks appeared in the air as everything around him fell apart. The scene was destroyed as another scene arised from the darkness. This time, Zuyuan found his younger self was walking in the middle of the jungle. His clothes were still that expensive suit he wore from the ballroom party. This time, the boy has his clothes ripped apart, with his right arm broken at an unnatural angle. His face was full of bruises, as both of his knees sc.r.a.ped and bleed profusely.
The boy dragged his wearied body, as he cried and cried until both of his eyes became red. He murmured again and again, without his voice that was so hoa.r.s.e.
"Why… why…"
His body was covered in mud, and the only noises he could hear were some crickets around him. And then, his leg tripped from the scattered branch, as he fell to the ground and hit his head on the rock.
"...Uhhh…"
Lying down, the boy gazed at the sky that was covered with the tree"s canopy. It was sunset, but the sun couldn"t penetrate the tree"s leaves, it only gave the place a surreal, bluish color around him.
"Why have you forsaken me, mother!!"
The boy yelled at the top of his lungs to the sky, as frustration began to sink so deep into his heart. He ignored the howls of many kinds of animals that were disturbed with his shout.
"NOOO!!"
Raising his body, Zuyuan found himself woke up in the room he rented for the night. Looking around, he realized that all of that was nightmares.
Putting both of his hands on his face, Zuyuan began to cry silently as tears welled up on the corner of his eyes.
"Uhhh… uhhh…"
Curled up and he started to hug himself, he buried his face on his knee as he whispered very softly.
"Master…"
*******
[Your chosen soul link has been a.s.similated!]
A few minutes to let out whatever was left in his heart, Zuyuan"s eyes focused as he spoke, "Summon the Soul link."
[Summon the chosen link: XB11.]
[Commencing…]
Circle of blue light started to emerge from the ground In front of Zuyuan, and it started to shine. Then, faint lights began to arise from thin air and gather in the circle. Soon, the particle of lights merged into a shape that was humanoid.
"We meet again, Master."
Stepping out from the circle was XB11, with its hand gestured at its chest.
Nodding, Zuyuan said, "First of all, would it be okay for you to explain this Soul contract thing?"
"Gladly, master." replied XB11 as it continued, "The Soul contracts that were happening right now were a result of a contract by me, As the Requester, to the Death System."
"The Requester is a being that will contact the Death System to request an aid in aiding them into revenge, battles, war, or anything of the like. But of course, the being"s race must be in Death System jurisdictions or affiliated with the system, if you may say."
Knitting his eyebrows, Zuyuan quietly asked, "So… your request is…"
"The destruction of the Rograst race that was invading my planet. The Death System would only accept any request, that"s as long as the action would involve a lot of deaths." said XB11 as its eyes started to glow mysteriously.
Leaning his body to the wall, Zuyuan said, "Then, what did you exchange for the Death System"s help? What have you offered?"
Staying quiet for a minute, XB11"s eyes began to dim a little as it replied, "The Death System is what the human"s race calls a devil contract, Master. It feeds on souls."
Raising its hand on its heart, XB11 continued, "I have offered my soul."