At the Orphanage
Rio sat alone; there was no one by his side.
While the others ate their meals amidst the loud chatter of friends, Rio remained crouching on the staircase steps, silently immersed in the pages of his book.
"Hmph... what a boring life they live."
Is making friends truly that enjoyable?
Rio never cared about building relationships, nor did he care about any living being on this planet. If someone were to drop dead right before his eyes, he would see it as nothing more than an ordinary event—nothing new, and nothing worthy of a reaction.
He was cold. A coldness so profound that people rumored he hadn't smiled in ages—a time so long that he had completely forgotten the very concept of a smile.
His hair was black, darker than the bleakest night, its tips ending with faint blue touches that melted into whiteness. His eyes were a deep crimson color, like a crimson moon, and he was born with a rare condition that made his sclera completely black. His skin was pale with an absolute purity, like the skin of a vampire—a paleness that illuminated his face more than the moonlight itself.
He sat there, lost in his thoughts, contemplating the concept of friendship. Why did everyone chase after it so desperately?
His train of thought was broken when a girl sat down next to him. Rio cast a fleeting glance at her—a glance devoid of any interest—his eyes were cold and distant, and then he returned to his own worlds.
The girl flared with rage at his deliberate and easy ignorance of her.
"What is wrong with this guy? Is he looking for a fight? He is provoking."
She extended her hand and greeted him, but Rio did not respond. He did not move a muscle, nor did he spare her a single glance. He muttered to himself:
"Ah... I am curious to know what it feels like to have a friend."
Her anger multiplied, and her veins were on the verge of bursting.
"Is he mocking me? I swear he inherited this attitude from one of his parents. A person cannot naturally develop this level of non-focus!"
After a while, Rio finally turned to her and said:
"Listen, you annoying little girl... what do you think about becoming my friend? I would like to experience this feeling."
The girl screamed:
"An annoying little girl?! Is this the way you ask for friendship?! I've had enough of you! I tried to be your friend, but you don't deserve it!"
She exhaled in anger and hurried away from him.
Rio blinked his eyes in wonder:
"Huh? Is this not the right way? I described her as what she truly is. Where is the mistake?"
He was genuinely puzzled; he had read in a psychology book that honesty is the foundation of any friendship.
The orphanage bell rang, announcing bedtime.
"Finally... the best moment of my life."
Rio headed to his room, filled with a quiet happiness.
"Finally, it is time to sleep."
Sleep was the only thing that granted him happiness.
He opened his room door with a wide smile—but it vanished in the blink of an eye. His features shifted into a freezing coldness, weighed down by a suppressed sorrow.
The room was in total chaos.
Trash was scattered everywhere, and his mattress was torn and thrown aside. His pictures were hanging on the walls, with insulting and harsh phrases written over them.
Rio clenched his fist with hidden anger.
"It must be him again."
Rio was a constant victim of a group of bullies, those whom no one in the orphanage dared to confront. He cleaned his room in silence... and went to sleep.
The next morning, Rio woke up full of energy, and as soon as he went out, he faced them again. Rio grew up during the worst days of his life; outcast, abused, and rejected. Without a single friend.
And one day—
While he was being bullied as usual, a boy suddenly stepped forward, standing as a barrier between Rio and the bullies, with signs of disgust on his face.
"Get out of my sight. Just looking at you makes me nauseous."
It was clear that the bullies did not want to confront this person, so they fled in fear.
The boy helped Rio stand up and said to him:
"You need to learn how to defend yourself. You have to hit back!"
"But... these hands were not created to hurt anyone."
Despite his occasional harshness, Rio still possessed a kind side; that is the core of his contradiction—a demon on the outside and an angel on the inside.
The boy looked at him in bewilderment:
"Listen to me well. The world does not pity the weak. If you believe otherwise, then stay like this and take beatings for the rest of your life. Is this what you want?"
"No... I don't want that. And I don't want to hurt anyone either. I fear hurting someone... I don't want anyone to suffer because of me."
"And why do you fear hurting people?"
Rio looked at him and said calmly:
"Why hitting? Will it bring me any benefit? It won't benefit me at all if I take revenge for what they did. What will happen after that? Nothing... One of the psychology books says that if a human falls into the vortex of revenge, they won't come out of it except more broken than before. So tell me, why should I expose myself to such a thing?"
Adam was shocked by his answer and fell silent, not knowing what to say.
Rio completed his words:
"Whoever becomes sad because of me will distance themselves from me further... and I don't want that. I just want someone by my side. Anyone."
The boy's features softened:
"What do you think about me being your friend?"
Rio's eyes widened, he laughed softly and whispered to himself:
"Finally, I will experience the feeling of friendship. I never expected that words full of emotions would actually work. He fell into my trap...!"
Rio didn't truly want someone by his side; he didn't need anyone. He had grown up completely alone without anyone and lived by himself. What he wanted was to experience the feeling of having a friend, not someone to share his life.
The boy approached and hugged him gently:
"I will stay with you. Your sadness is my sadness, your weakness is my weakness, and your courage is my courage. From today, you are my brother—and I am yours. My name is Adam. I promise you that I won't let you need anyone anymore."
Rio broke down weeping, burying his face in Adam's chest like a child clinging to his mother.
But behind that mask of sadness, there was deception.
Days passed, and their bond deepened until they became like a single soul in two bodies. This time, Rio did not succeed in preventing himself from feeling a genuine desire to share his life with Adam. He no longer saw him as an experiment for a feeling, but truly saw him as a brother.
Adam, what did you do to make Rio's coldness shatter?
He defended him, protected him, and did the impossible just to see even a faint smile on Rio's face. He always stayed with Rio during meal times, breaks, and every moment; he never left Rio alone. Furthermore, Adam was somewhat introverted, so he was also excited to be with Rio.
Rio was also a very kind person with Adam; he understood Adam and knew who he was, knowing him more than Adam knew himself. Their friendship was not like any ordinary friendship; it extended far beyond that. They were like brothers.
Adam never hesitated to do the impossible for his sake. He always used to tell him:
"Listen carefully, Rio. From today, you are my soul. This means that when I die, do not think I am gone. As long as you are alive, I cannot truly die—you are my new soul. When I die, I won't be dead. I will just sleep for a while. I will stay with you even then. I will protect you and help you. I will never leave you. No matter what happens."
Rio smiled quietly: "I understand."
Adam suggested an idea to Rio:
"Rio, what do you think about me training you in some martial arts?"
Rio answered him quickly:
"Sure, why not?"
Adam said:
"You didn't even hesitate."
Rio replied:
"Why should I hesitate? It's true that I don't like to hit anyone, but I must learn how to fight so I can defend myself at least."
Adam stroked his head gently: "Good... good, well said."
Rio looked away in embarrassment because Adam was treating him as if he were a child. He said shyly:
"Let's just start the training."
Adam said with excitement, his eyes gleaming:
"Ooh, I didn't expect you to be this excited. Come on, let's go."
Adam pulled Rio by his arm and ran with him toward the outdoor courtyard. They stood outside. The weather was very sunny and hot.
"What good weather for training, isn't it, Rio?"
"..."
A long silence prevailed. Adam turned around to find Rio lying flat on his face.
Adam panicked:
"What's happening, Rio? Are you okay?"
Rio answered him weakly, as if he were an old man on the verge of death, and muttered words in a low voice. Adam didn't hear him, so he brought his ear closer to him to hear him clearly.
"What are you saying?"
"The weather is too hot, some water please." Rio extended his hand, asking for help.
Adam said while placing his hand on his chin as if thinking:
"Hmm, hmm, I understand. Let's begin the training."
Adam walked past Rio, pretending he didn't care. Rio remained stuck in his position, shocked by what Adam did, and screamed in anger:
"Didn't you hear me, you bastard?! Bring the damn water!"
And he grabbed a water bottle and threw it at Adam's head.
Adam turned to him while gritting his teeth, his eyes turning red and the veins on his face looked on the verge of bursting. Rio sweated in fear, knowing he had done the worst thing in his life, and thought to himself:
"I am going to die!"
Adam advanced toward Rio with heavy steps and extended his hand toward his head. Rio closed his eyes. But the surprise was that Adam stroked his head gently and gave him a water bottle to quench his thirst.
"Drink, my dear."
And he smiled spontaneously, as if he hadn't been a monster a moment ago.
Rio didn't understand anything, but he didn't care and took the water to drink.
Rio stood up on his feet and began to jump energetically. He ran around Adam four times with vigor and shouted:
"Yooshhh! I am at full energy, let's begin!"
And he turned his back to Adam.
Adam stepped forward and struck him hard on his back, knocking Rio to the ground. Rio turned his head and was about to speak, but Adam struck him again.
Rio received several strikes to his body, away from his face and areas sensitive to hitting. Adam's strikes were highly precise, as if a needle threading a string.
Adam spoke and said:
"First step in fighting: you must never give your back to anyone. Failed. Second step: you must not wait for your enemy to speak with you. If you see them in a position of weakness, pour blows upon them. Failed. Third step: self-defense. Failed!"
Rio understood that Adam had already begun the training.
"Again!"
Adam poured several strikes on Rio once more. Rio smiled and said:
"I know that move, I've already seen it!"
He evaded his attack and the entire barrage of punches. He began to respond to Adam with the exact same strikes, as if he had copied them. However, he was still a beginner, so he received some punches and failed to evade and copy others.
Adam smiled and said:
"Copying strikes and evading, partially succeeded!"
Rio stood in a fighting stance and extended his hand, gesturing for Adam to come forward. Adam granted Rio's request and advanced with another barrage of punches.
This time, Rio had already understood Adam's fighting style. He analyzed every step and everything, and began to think and analyze his area as if he were a computer. Rio was not fighting with his hand, but with his mind. He knew that defending against Adam's barrage was not strong at all, so he decided to make use of his surroundings.
He grabbed a large board and slammed it against the ground with force to form a wind carrying dust. That wind headed toward Adam. Adam stopped, closed his eyes, and left himself exposed to the enemy.
Adam realized what Rio was trying to do, so he exited the dust cloud quickly. However, he fell into Rio's trap when he came out fast without paying attention to his back.
Rio jumped onto him and said:
"You left your back exposed!"
Adam smiled and responded with a strike, saying:
"You shouldn't rejoice in your victory so quickly on the battlefield."
Afterward, they completed their training. Rio trained for an entire month with Adam on martial arts.
"Rio, are you hungry?"
"Yeah... I'm hungry."
They went to buy food. They were enjoying their time on the way together; smiles never left their faces. After a period of walking, they reached a building inside of which was a restaurant that had recently opened. But before entering, they heard the sound of thunder, and rainy clouds began to form.
Adam:
"We must hurry; it looks like it's going to rain."
They entered the building, amazed by its design and architecture. But the building was not stable; there were still some pillars that needed to be secured so the building wouldn't collapse. Rio and Adam began walking around the building for a bit before going to eat, and when they finished and walked on their way to the restaurant...
The building collapsed!
Fortunately, they were close to the exit. Adam pushed Rio away to save him. Rio fell outside the building and turned his head quickly, fearing for Adam. The debris was already falling on Adam, devouring his lower body.
Rio did not move a muscle; he didn't know what to do. His breath suddenly tightened, and he began trying to calm down and regulate his breathing. His teeth began to chatter from fear. It was true that Adam saved Rio, but the price... was his life.
Rio tried desperately to lift the debris off Adam, panic devouring his mind.
"Wait! I will get you out! Please don't die, Adam! I will save you!"
Adam extended his hand weakly:
"Stop... I am already dying. My lower body... it's gone. I don't feel anything. The debris is the only thing holding my body from collapsing. The moment you lift it... my body will split into two halves. And then, Rio... why are you sad? Didn't I tell you? I cannot die as long as you are alive. Don't forget, I will just sleep a little. I won't die as long as you are alive, Rio. I will stay with you..."
Adam extended his hand to feel Rio's face one last time. Rio held Adam's hand gently and quietly, placing it on his cheek. He didn't speak; he only moved his head, saying yes. Adam understood him and smiled at him weakly and wearily.
And he said to him:
"Rio, I haven't said it to you before, but I think I must tell you now. Can you listen to me for a bit?"
Rio was already weeping while holding his hand tightly, terrified of losing him:
"Yes, I will listen to you."
Adam said:
"I truly enjoyed my life with you, Rio. Thank you for everything. I have never felt the same happiness in my entire life as I felt with you. I still want to stay with you more, I don't want to die. My brother, my friend, my dear, please do not be sad for my death; that will never let my soul rest. Please smile, don't let a smile and happiness leave you—"
His words were cut off by Adam's coughing and spitting of blood.
Rio said in a sorrowful tone:
"Enough, do not speak more."
The last sentence Adam uttered before death claimed its sovereignty:
"I truly loved you from the very depths of my heart, Rio."
His hand fell. His eyes closed slowly. And death claimed its sovereignty.
It began to rain slowly, and the rain grew heavier with time. The sounds of police and ambulances began to be heard. Rio didn't hear anything; he felt he was in a void with nothing to do. His eyes went dark.
He found himself sitting amidst a vortex of accumulated sadness that had all come out at once. His mind knew that his heart was so exhausted to the point that tears were useless to overflow the negative emotions.
Rio wanted not to be sad—but that was impossible. His pain was beyond description. He cut himself off from food, his health deteriorated, and he stayed by Adam's grave, weeping without cessation.
"Why? Why does death exist? Why does it take the ones I love and doesn't take me? Why does it rob me of everything?"
Ten years passed since that incident. But to Rio, it was as if it had happened yesterday.
Rio met a girl named Hina. She was delicate, polite, and kind—resembling Adam in her goodness. She asked him to call her his "sister," so joy finally returned to his heart. She used to listen to him, comfort him, and restore light to his life.
Until that day—
While Rio was returning from the restaurant, he heard what he wished he had never heard.
Hina laughed out loud:
"It was truly hilarious! When he was crying while telling me his life story—I would burst out laughing the moment he left the room! He was weak and pathetic!"
Her friend laughed:
"It seems the plan succeeded. We only wanted to manipulate his feelings. I didn't think you were this skilled."
Hina replied mockingly:
"Rio was easy to manipulate. He is very weak."
The bags of food fell from Rio's hand. Betrayal overflowed from his eyes like a river. Anger clashed with sadness in his chest.
"Really?.. Are you joking with me?"
Hina became flustered: "It's... it's just a joke, Rio."
He approached her slowly. In a voice colder than death, he whispered in her ear:
"Then... I will joke with you in my own way."
He plunged a wooden chopstick directly into her eye.
Hina screamed in unbearable pain: "You bastard! What are you doing?!"
She tried to run away, but he grabbed her. She screamed for help, but her friend fled.
While running, the friend looked back to see Rio staring at her with his red eye as if he were a demon. Terror planted itself in her heart and crawled through her entire body like a poisonous snake wrapping around you slowly, capable of killing you at any moment. She understood the message from Rio's gaze and fled without stopping. Panic consumed her heart, and she didn't even think about saving her friend or reporting it; she only cared about her own life.
Rio whispered quietly: "Look... she is gone. Isn't that wonderful? We are siblings, and we must stay together. Let's play."
Hina begged him, but he answered coldly:
"Don't tire yourself... the world has already stolen mercy from me."
In the end, he raised the wooden chopstick to kill Hina, but he stopped. He hesitated. He stood up, turned his back to her, and said to her:
"Go. There is no use in revenge; it brings me no benefit."
The truth slapped him; his mercy was greater than his anger and emotions. Despite everything she did, he still loved her and did not want to kill her; he was incapable of it. He did not want to turn into a villain because of just one person.
His body was on the verge of exploding like shrapnel. A conflict between his mind and his heart—each of them wanted the opposite, while a part of him wanted peace and the other wanted revenge.
Peace triumphed.
Rio screamed in despair and fell to the ground, extremely exhausted, weeping like a child.
"Hina! I don't want to be alone! Why did you do this?"
Hina was hearing Rio's words and seeing his sadness, and she truly felt regret, but she ran far away from him. Rio screamed at her in anguish:
"Why, Hina? Why? What exactly did I do? Why did you do this?"
Rio's words were piercing Hina's cruel heart, penetrating her hard crust to reveal regret.
Hina thought while running:
"Why did I do that? What is the benefit? Why?"
Hina blamed herself, but she denied everything and kept fleeing, saying:
"There is no use in regret now. He was the one who was weak, so let him bear the results of his weakness."
Rio had hope that she would actually return to him; he kept holding onto a shred of hope that she would come back. But when he saw her leaving and disappearing from the horizon, he knew she would never return.
He let out a single scream, releasing all his suppressed pain inside him. His heart finally broke.
"Please... just let me live in peace. Why did you do that? Why... I am sorry... I am sorry... please come back... don't leave me..."
He still loved her despite everything. But the truth was clear... she had left him.
After he finally calmed down under the rain, he raised his gaze to the sky.
"Adam... what do I do now? You were my strength. And now you're gone. I have nothing left."
Ten Days Later...
Rio learned that the building collapse incident was orchestrated by a gang that carries out riots. When Rio found out about this, he never calmed down and did not sit still; instead, he immediately began running everywhere, searching for them or even for a single member of theirs.
But he found no one.
And one day, Rio found the gang that killed Adam. He stared at their building with glances dripping with suffocating murderous intent.
"The final round of the game of death begins now."
He entered. One of the guards stopped him: "Who are you? Do you know where you are? Get out of my face, you—"
His head fell to the ground. Rio severed his head with blinding speed and extreme precision, cutting it as one cuts soft paper.
Rio found a gathering of them...
Rio moved swiftly among them; he didn't speak, he didn't stop. He launched forward at high speed, slaughtering them one by one. But he faced immense difficulty against them; they were a group, unlike him, who was only a single person. He received several very harsh blows to sensitive parts of his body and fell to the ground; he was about to pass out.
But he remembered Adam at the last moment. His heart and mind could no longer see anything besides the desire for revenge for his brother.
He attacked them again. Rio was receiving multiple strikes that would kill and drop humans quickly, but he endured and stood in the midst of his blood, refusing to fall for the sake of his brother's blood.
Someone kicked him in his stomach with force, sending Rio backward. He coughed blood and hunched over for a moment from the intensity of the pain. He remained silent for seconds... then slowly raised his head.
There was no longer any hesitation in his eyes. He rose once more and rushed toward them without mercy. He began to completely crush them without pity, repeating:
"This... is the price of Adam's life."
He had developed terrifyingly during those ten days after Hina's incident. He had set a goal before his eyes, which was to avenge Adam. He trained and never stopped training; rather, he also used to kidnap criminals who troubled humanity and all creatures, and he would experiment by killing them. He killed in large numbers, doing so to make his mind accustomed to shedding blood without feeling nausea or fear.
Furthermore, he wanted to reactivate his hand so it would be capable of cutting a human head easily and quickly after hiding from his training for a long time. His prior training with Adam also aided him in developing at a faster pace.
Rio remembered a moment from the past with Adam during training:
"Rio, I want to be honest with you about something."
"What is it, Adam?"
He answered him:
"Let me tell you, I am by no means an ordinary trainer. I have learned several martial arts that target the most precise and sensitive areas of the human body, to a degree that it makes you look as if you are cutting a head like soft paper."
Rio answered him:
"And why are you telling me this?"
Adam said:
"I will teach you everything within a month. I will make you strong enough to crush bones with your hand."
After the ten days passed and his training period concluded, Rio was able to capture one of the gang members and interrogated him until he spoke their hiding place.
...
In the Present
He walked out drenched in blood.
Then—a white light.
A car driven by one of the members surged toward him out of nowhere.
Time stopped. His memories—the happiest moments of his life—flashed before his eyes. He saw his parents and Adam before his eyes, extending their hands to him. Rio did not go to them; instead, he smiled a faint smile, realizing that everything before him was an illusion, and said:
"What an irony of fate... do you want me to be happy now before I die? What is the use... when happiness leads to nothing but death? That is a fake happiness; I do not want it."
To be continued...