CHAPTER 5 : TASTE OF SUCCESS

“Wh- Where am I?

“Can’t see anything. It’s all black

“Ah yes I remember… I.. remember… they… they chopped off my head…. those bastards

“Huh?! What’s this

“No- these… these can’t be. These are not my memories!”

Ashwa was shocked, confused and terrified as a flood of memories rushed into his mind.

“No tha-that’s not me… this can’t be… I-I…killed all of them”

Ashwa remembered everything. He remembered the mass genocide which he performed on the Skeletal island. Slicing off heads with long nails, ripping multiple hearts within a fraction of second, tearing humans from limb to limb and crushing the skulls of innocent beastmen – Ashwa remembered it all.

That face was nowhere near human. Its smile stretched wider as the mound of corpses rose higher. Yet, this smile wasn't sadistic; rather, it emanated from a particular sensation coveted by all at least once in their lives. A student exerts their utmost in an exam to grasp this sensation; a footballer nets a goal in a match to attain it; a musician dedicates endless hours to find it in their performance; an office worker tirelessly toils, longing for its embrace. This sensation is the feeling of tasting success.

After recalling such a distressing experience, it's reasonable to assume that any normal individual would suffer severe mental anguish and potentially succumb to trauma and guilt soon after. However Ashwa was anything but normal.

All of a sudden he heard a voice…

“Did you enjoy the show?”

“Who …who said that?”

"I? I am you. Why not cast your gaze upon me?" With these words, he stepped closer. To Ashwa's surprise, it was the same demon who was responsible for this disturbing experience. It was Ashwa himself, but in his demon form—the form responsible for killing innocent beings, the form responsible for his death penalty.

“You…You did all this. You demon. You made me kill those innocent people”

“Kekekekeke… how long must you wear that mask?” the demon laughed

“What ?” Ashwa asked with a mixture of fear and anger in his voice.

“Maintain your composure. I am well aware of your true nature.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Oh did you forget it that quickly? Have you forgotten everything abou that day two years ago?’ The demon taunted

Ashwa’s face completely changed, the face filled with anger and panic became expressionless. With utter seriousness, Ashwa replied ‘”Why do you have to remind me of that?” His eyebrows furrowed, eyes lit up, and that triumphant smile derived from tasting success returned as he continued, “After all reminding that day always brings a smile back to my face. That was the first time I truly tasted success. Hahahahahah…hahahahaha” Ashwa erupted into a maniacal laughter.

The incident took place two years ago. Like the present, Ashwa was used to be an average kid back then too. But unlike the present, he had no friends, or to be more precise, he didn’t felt the need to have one. This made him almost invisible in the class. Naturally, he became an easy target for the school bullies. Getting mocked and getting beaten up became quite natural to him. He complained, his parents complained, but nothing happened to those boys. Apparently one of them was the principle’s nephew. Ashwa decided to quit the school and made up his mind that when he would go to the new school, he would make a lot of friends even if this friendship won’t be a true one. It will be only for him to survive.

The day finally arrived. This would be his last day at school. But ironically this was the first day of a new transfer student. She entered the classroom and sat at the desk beside Ashwa which always would be otherwise empty. With her beautiful blonde hair, her tall figure, and angelic she looked like a natural beauty. She took off the pair of glasses covering her blue eyes and said “Hi my name is Mili. What’s yours? Would you like to be my friend? The class was silenced. Many including the principal’s nephew were jealous to think that such a beautiful girl would sit beside a wimp like Ashwa.

Ashwa nervously spoke, “Um – are you talking to me?”

“Ya who else!”

This was the first time someone asked him to be her friend. Ashwa was both confused as well as delighted. Of course he accepted it without a second thought. Even though, this was his last day at school., he wanted to change , even if it’s a tiny bit.

Mili was a confident, cheerful and brave girl. Despite some awkward moments, she was able to communicate with Ashwa at ease. Ashwa gave her previous class notes. During the lunch break he showed her around the school and they ate together at the school cafeteria. And just like that within a span of a few hours they became closer than strangers. Even if they had hell-heaven difference between their personalities, Mili had a lot of fun spending time with her new friend.

"Hey, it was a great day. Thank you for all your help, Ashwa," Mili waved her hand. A sad Ashwa nodded his head and responded, "Yeah," knowing that it was the last day of his school. "I wish I could see her tomorrow. Wait, maybe I can convince my parents and tell them that I made a new friend today, and because of her, I didn’t get bulli—"

“Hey looser let’s go inside the classroom. Now that everyone is left we can have some fun” It was Daniel”s voice, the nephew of the principal and the leader of bullies.

But Ashwa had no reason to respond to that. He ignored him and walked passed him.

“Oh yes my uncle told me you are leaving the school, too bad, guess we will miss you. Boys guess we need to find a new plaything to kill our time”

Hearing Daniel’s words the other bullies standing beside him rejoiced with laughter.

Ashwa didn’t look back.

But then Daniel said , “Oh I know. Hey how about that new chick? Um what was here name again? Yes Mili. Maybe we can have some different kind of fun with her.”

This made the other bullies excited.

“Oh yes can’t wait”

“I have already thoght of twenty seven ways to play with her”

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

“Just thinking about it makes me har-“

“Take that back” Ashwa whispered

“Huh? What did you say?”

“I said TAAAKEEE THAAAAAT BAAAACK YOUUU FUCKKKING ASSHOOOOLES” Ashwa turned around and roared. He sprinted towards Daniel and punched him right across his face, with all the strength of his body gathered into a single fist. After taking such a powerful blow to his face, even a tall and well built boy like Daniel couldn’t hold his ground. He fell to his knees. His nose began bleeding, two of his tooth already broken from the impact.

An angry, frustrated and injured Daniel screamed “YOU FUCKING SON OF A BITCH. Guys bring him to the classroom.”

Ashwa never fought this hard in his entire life. He struggled and tried his best. But one against five never results in your favour. Especially if you have an average body like Ashwa. A kick to his balls, an uppercut to his chin and multiple punches to his chest and diaphragm was enough to put him down.

Daniel stood up again. He stepped on Ashwa’s face, while the rest of his gang continued to kick him. Kicking him was not enough for Daniel as the previous punch was still hurting his pride. He used sticks, then iron rods and Ashwa screamed his heart out in pain and anguish. But it was not enough. He took out a sharp knife from his pocket and said, “I will make you feel so good that you would never forget this day.”

“Hey boss. Aren’t we going a bit too far?“

“Shut up fucker. It’s not like I’m killing him; I’m just teaching him what happens if someone messes with me”

"Now, let's start, shall we?" With these words, Daniel gently grasped Ashwa's right hand, though his intentions were far from gentle. It was coated in blood and sweat from Ashwa's desperate confrontation. Daniel, staring at it, remarked, "This is the filthy hand that touched my face, right? Let's take a penalty." Daniel seized Ashwa's ring finger with his left hand and drew his right hand, holding the knife, closer to it. Just as he was about to proceed, someone shouted, "STOP RIGHT THERE! What do you think you're doing?”

Ashwa immediately recognized this voice and turned his head towards the doorway and saw his one and only new friend standing there. “Mi-Mili what are you doing here? You shouldn’t be here”

Mili ran towards Ashwa, took out her handkerchief and wiped the blood from his face and said “Are you alright? I forgot my book in the class. So I came back.”

“Are you guys even human?” she rolled her eyes towards the bullies.

“Look who’s here? Hey guys hold her down. Once I deal with this shithead, we will have some fun sweetie.” Daniel said leering at her hips.

“Don’t you dare! Mili run out of here. Don’t worry I will be fine.” with these words Ashwa got up. After being beaten with sticks and roads all over his body, he could hardly move himself. But looking at Mili’s face was enough fuel to fuel him strength.

But still he was no match for Daniel. Daniel targeted his already agonized legs, again resulting in Ashwa’s fall. But what surprised Daniel the most was the things happening with Mili.

Four towering men, each with bulging muscles, found themselves grappling with a lone girl. Swift as lightning, she expertly struck one with her right leg, aiming horizontally at his knee, while her knee found its mark in the diaphragm of another.

Ashwa asked “What?How”

“Oh I forgot to tell you, I am a black belt” Mili said with a hint of a cute smile on her face.

A furious Daniel with knife charged towards her. With a deft movement, she intercepted his charge, using her right leg and his own momentum to send him crashing to the ground, the blade clattering from his grasp as he tumbled in defeat.

As Daniel fell, the knife flew from his hand and landed dangerously close to Mili's feet. Without hesitation, one of the other bullies lunged forward to grab the knife. But Mili swiftly kicked the knife away, sending it spinning across the ground.

In the chaos, however, one of the bullies, blinded by rage and panic, made a reckless move. With adrenaline coursing through his veins, he made a wild grab for the knife, his aim awry. In his frantic attempt, the blade found its mark, accidentally piercing Mili's gut.

Time seemed to slow as Mili staggered back, a gasp escaping her lips. Ashwa screamed her name in despair. The bullies, stunned by what they had done, froze in horror at the unintended consequence of their actions.

“Idiot! Now you have done it. Now not even my uncle can’t get us out of this mess.” Daniel exclaimed before running out of the classroom. His lackeys including the one who wielded the knife followed him to the corridor.

Unable to walk because of his pain, Ashwa crawled his way towards an already down Mili.

Ashwa cried ; “Why did you do that? Why did you risk your life for someone you barely know ? We are not even that clos-“

“You are my friend.” Mili interjected, her pain clearly visible in her voice.

“Ashwa gently embraced her and said, “Just keep hanging there I will save you.” and dialed the ambulance.

“We are lucky that the hospital is close by. It will get here in five minutes.” Ashwa sighed

“You know there is another reason I saved you” Mili whispered

“What’s that” Ashwa inquired with curiosity.

“Let’s just say, it’s to get a certain kind of satisfaction.” Mili replied cryptically.

“Satisfaction?”

“How do I put this? You know, there is a feeling that everyone yearns for once they have completed something they like. I think every person is a slave to that feeling. For me that feeling has always been helping and saving people. Whenever I help someone in need, I get a sensation of accomplishment. Maybe this is what people call the taste of success.”

Ashwa was taken aback. "Do you believe even someone like me could experience that sensation one day?" he asked, his eyes gleaming with hope and excitement.

“Of course. As long as you have something-anything that you enjoy… completing, it will feel you with joy and satisfaction.” Mili said with a gentle smile.

“Anything I enjoy?” Ashwa delved into a deep thought, and after thinking something he looked back at Mili. But his expressions were strange as if his mind was somewhere else. His facial muscles slackened, jaws dropped and his eyes looked concentrated, focused on a certain direction- the knife still lodged inside Mili’s abdomen.

A confused Mili asked “Is something wron-”

But before she can even finish her sentence Ashwa grabbed that knife and began twisting it inside her guts.

“Augghhh! What are yo- AUGHHHH!” Mili screamed in pain.

Hearing Mili’s words had unlocked a certain instinct in Ashwa’s mind that he himself wasn’t aware of. As tears began to trickle down his cheeks, Ashwa murmured to himself, “I don’t know…I don’t know why … but THIS FEELS SOOO GOOD” Ashwa’s face completely shifted. While still crying, he was unable to contain the radiant smile widening on his face. The same grin he would wear after the massacre on the skeletal island in the future.

“PLEASE STOP” Mili begged merely hanging onto her life. Ashwa took out the knife of her body for an instant, only to start stabbing her instead, again and again at the same spot, as if he were in a state of flow. Once, twice, thrice and more, he couldn’t even count the number anymore. He didn’t even notice when Mili’s painful voice echoing in his ear finally diminished. All he could think about was to attain the feeling of being accomplished. He had finally discovered the sensation Mili mentioned, something which would fill him with joy. That was the day, he discovered his taste of success.

Ambulance arrived, soon followed by the police. The first day of the transfer student became her last day on Earth. The bullies were arrested, charged with murder. The incident was printed on newspapers, broadcasted on televisions, used in the tug war in politics. Ashwa was interrogated. In his statement he said ; “They have been bullying me for a long time.. and now they killed my friend. I called the ambulance and tried to relief her by taking the knife out, but I couldn’t … I couldn’t save her.”

Days passed, months passed, and finally, two years elapsed. Ashwa had moved on from the incident of that day, or so it appeared to those on the outside. However, within his mind, Ashwa was in constant turmoil, battling himself, doing all he could to erase the memories of his past. Instead of feeling guilt or remorse, reminiscing about those memories always replenished him with joy and fulfillment. Sometimes, they filled him with intriguing thoughts—thoughts of repeating his actions. How fascinating it would be to take a life again.

However, with a shard of humanity still left in him, he lacked the courage and power to express himself. Yet, after the events on the skeletal island, these conditions would converge. He would be granted the power that would make him a being worse than a demon.

CHAPTER 5 END

SOMETHING EXTRA BEFORE THE NEXT CHAPTER

Character’s name : Mili

Age : 16 (dead)

Hobbies : Gardening and Karate

Favorite Food : Ice cream

Character’s name ; Daniel

Age : 18 at present

Current hobbies : cleaning prison toilets (yes he actually enjoys it)

Favorite food : Prison food (yes he actually likes it)