Chapter 1: Death by Madman

Inside an old, abandoned factory, fifteen young men stood in front of a single person—a tall young man with dark, short hair and sharp brown eyes. He looked around 20 years old, well-built, and clearly not afraid.

One of the delinquents sneered, "Bastard, now you’re gonna get your ass beat."

A tanned guy with blonde hair and a muscular build stepped forward, his lips curling into a cold smile. "Lucas, you really thought you were some kind of boss, huh? Going against us like that?"

Lucas, the dark-haired man, stood at the center, surrounded.

He grinned.

"Asher, you think I’d obey you like a dog? You couldn’t even take me down with two or three guys, so now you brought the whole damn crew?"

Asher’s smile vanished. He growled and lunged at Lucas. The rest followed.

It turned into a wild brawl. Punches were thrown, dodged, blocked. There was no form—just raw, chaotic fighting.

Lucas fought hard, but it was one against fifteen. Blood ran from his nose and mouth. Bruises started to swell on his face and arms.

Still, he grinned like a maniac, refusing to back down.

As Asher raised his fist for another blow, a hand suddenly grabbed it mid-air.

A brown-haired boy appeared beside him, smirking. "Damn, sorry I’m late. Looks like your ass really did get kicked."

He drove a fist into Asher’s gut, sending him stumbling.

Then, from the factory entrance, another voice shouted, "Yo, Luca~ I’ve come to party!"

A third guy charged in and jumped into the fight.

Lucas shouted, "Damn you guys are late! Mark, you bastard—I’ve been fighting these fuckers alone!"

Mark, the brown-haired boy, laughed. "Not my fault. Blame Jurius!"

"I heard that!" Jurius, the third boy, grunted as he exchanged punches with four opponents. "Just shut up and fight!"

With the arrival of Lucas’s two friends—Mark and Jurius—the brawl intensified.

It was now three against fifteen.

Still, they fought like madmen.Not stepping back.

But numbers didn’t lie.

After a long, brutal battle, the three friends lay on the cold concrete floor, their faces swollen, bruised, and bloody.

Asher stood over them, panting, his face bruised but victorious.

"This is what happens when you go against us," he sneered.

The other tired delinquents laughed as they left the factory, limping and dragging their feet.

Only Lucas, Mark, and Jurius remained, groaning in pain.

Lucas sat up slowly. "Get up, you idiots. You’ve shamed me today, getting beaten like that..."

Mark mocked him back, "If we hadn’t come, your ass would be in a hospital."

Jurius stayed quiet for a moment, then muttered, "Let’s go. I still have an assignment to finish."

Both Lucas and Mark widened their eyes.

"FUCK! The assignment!"

"Shit, tomorrow’s the deadline!"

Bruised and aching, they all groaned and limped out of the factory.

Mark and Jurius were his best friends. Always ready to stand beside him whenever going against anyone.

As they walked together, chatting despite the pain, Lucas muttered, "Well... my turn’s here. See you guys tomorrow."

They waved goodbye.

Lucas turned onto a quiet, empty road leading to his apartment.

Only a few people were out at this hour. The street was nearly silent.

Suddenly, his phone rang.

He glanced at the screen: "Mom".

He smiled and picked it up.

"Hey, Mom."

"Lucas! It’s been a while. How are you? Everything okay? You don’t even call me or your dad anymore..."

Her voice was warm and caring.

"Sorry, Mom. Been busy with studying and a part-time job. I’m fine, really."

He lied through the pain, wiping the blood off his face with his sleeve. His body ached all over. Studying in another city, living alone, and constantly getting bullied—he really missed home.

"Come home during your vacation," his mom said gently. "We miss you. Your little sister’s been asking about you nonstop."

"Yeah, Mom. I miss you too. I’ll definitely come back... and I’ll bring gifts for Lara. She’ll love them."

He spoke with a soft smile, walking slowly, unaware of the man following him.

Behind him, a hooded figure had been tailing him for a while.

Suddenly, with a quick step, the man raised a steel rod and—

CRACK!

"Aghhh!" Lucas screamed as pain exploded through his skull.

His phone clattered to the ground.

His mother’s panicked voice screamed through the speaker: "Lucas?! Lucas, what happened?!"

Lucas collapsed onto the road, groaning, blood running down his head.

The hooded man stared down at him with a crazed expression and a manic smile.

Lucas recognized him—Rony, a second-year civil engineering student. One of the guys who used to try bossing him around.

Lucas had humiliated him once at college in front of everyone. Rumors said Rony’s girlfriend dumped him afterward, and even his own friends began mocking him.

Now he was here—with murder in his eyes.

"What the hell are you doing, Rony?!" Lucas gasped, clutching his bleeding head.

Rony grinned madly. "She left me because of you! Because of you, my life turned to shit! You ruined me, you bastard!!My girlfriend started to date another man,my friends started to mock me and also bullies me bastard.All because you"

He swung the rod again.

And again.

Blood splattered onto the empty road.

Lucas’s vision blurred. Pain surged through his body. He tried to lift his hand, but it was useless.Rony had become crazy and mentally unstable.It was known to many people but never in his dream Lucas had thought that this man will actually try to kill him.

His eyes began to close.

Beside him, his phone lay on the ground. His mother’s voice still echoed in desperation.

"Lucas! Answer me, please! What’s happening?!"

As darkness closed in, Lucas thought of her.

His mom.

His dad.

His little sister, Lara.

He had so much left to do.

So much he hadn’t said.

He just wanted... to see them again.

His life was not bad.Loving family and understanding parents.They were not rich but not poor either.He wanted to spend nice time with his family during upcoming vacation.

But he couldn’t.

And then—

Slowly

He died.