Chapter 1: Crash
Elias: "Mom, it's Sunday today… I'm going out for a little ride."
Julia: "But Elias, didn't you promise to help me clean the house today? You've been putting it off all week!"
Elias: "Yeah, Mom, I did. But today I just want a little break. I'll help after I come back."
Julia (teasing, hands on hips): "This boy never listens! Be back on time, or no games later! And don't even think about sneaking around."
Elias (grinning): "Okay, Mom, don't worry."
He steps outside, takes a deep breath, feeling the crisp morning air. For a moment, he closes his eyes and lets it fill him—freedom, just for a little while.
Elias (muttering to himself): "Finally… after staying up late gaming last night, I needed this. Where should I go? Ah, McDonald's, maybe a café… and maybe I'll meet girls my age there too. Double bonus! Hahaha."
His gaze drifts to his dad's bike, parked in the driveway.
Elias: "Dad didn't take the bike to the office today… looks like I'm lucky!"
A small thrill runs down his spine. He sneaks back inside quietly, careful not to alert his mom, and grabs the keys. Heart racing with excitement, he slips outside.
Elias (to himself, whispering): "I've ridden bikes with friends before, a little ride won't hurt. Dad isn't using it anyway… it's just one day."
He climbs onto the bike, feels the throttle beneath his hands, and starts it. The engine roars, filling the empty street.
Elias (shouting, adrenaline surging): "Woohoo! I've never felt so alive!"
Caught up in the rush, he accelerates a bit too fast. The wind stings his face, his hair flies back. As the turn to the café road approaches, a woman suddenly steps into his path. Time seems to slow.
Elias doesn't brake.
The bike collides…
The woman, who is visibly pregnant, and Elias both collapse, unconscious. Elias is thrown a short distance away.
A crowd quickly gathers, gasps fill the air. Panic spreads. People rush to help, shouting, some pulling out phones, others calling for an ambulance. The smell of burning rubber and the metallic tang of blood fills the street.
Time passes. Elias' eyelids flutter open.
Elias (hoarse, weak): "I'm awake… but why can't I see from one eye? Why… why is it dark?"
Julia (grabbing his hand, voice shaking): "Silly, what have you done! It's good you're okay. Who told you to take the bike? Your dad will be furious when he finds out!"
Elias (voice trembling): "Mom… did I lose an eye?"
Julia (forcing a smile, but eyes worried): "Yes, dear. And you have scratches all over, and your left elbow… it's fractured."
At that moment, Damien Mercer bursts in, his expression torn between relief and fear.
Damien: "Son… son! Are you okay? Thank God it wasn't worse. I… I can't believe this happened."
Elias (guilt flooding him): "I'm sorry, Dad… I took your bike without permission. Maybe this is the price I had to pay."
Damien (sighing, kneeling beside him): "No, son, don't think like that. You're hurt now—you need to rest. Accidents happen. What matters is you're alive."
Just then, Finn, Elias' 10-year-old younger brother, rushes in, face pale, eyes wide with worry.
Finn: "Brother… I was so worried! I… I thought I lost you!"
They embrace tightly. Finn's tears soak Elias' shoulder.
Elias (trying to soothe him): "Finn… don't blame yourself. This… this wasn't your fault. I made the mistake."
Elias (turning to his parents, voice shaking): "Mom, Dad… what about the woman I hit?"
A nurse enters quietly, holding a clipboard.
Nurse: "The woman you hit is pregnant. She's in critical condition in the ICU. Doctors are doing everything they can."
Elias' face pales. His stomach twists, nausea rising. In his head, he whispers:
Elias: "Have I… become a murderer?"
Nurse: "Your eye is damaged and your elbow fractured, but she suffered serious internal injuries. The medical team is trying everything to save her and the baby."
Julia (looking at Damien): "Damien, should we help them?"
Damien (calm but firm): "Yes. This was our son's mistake. We'll do whatever we can to help them, to make amends."
Elias closes his eyes, heart heavy. The reality of how a split-second decision can change lives weighs on him.
Elias drifts into uneasy sleep. In his dream, the accident replays, distorted and bloody. Every detail is exaggerated: red stains, metallic smells, echoes of panicked voices. A cold, whispering voice breaks the silence:
Voice (sibilant, chilling): "I was born from you. Thank you for creating me… but now, I have only one goal: your destruction."
Elias jolts awake, heart hammering. In front of him stands a towering, strange figure—dark reddish, skeletal, long-limbed, with glowing red eyes, leaning slightly, whispering:
Azrael: "My name is Azrael."
Elias' breath catches. Fear, guilt, and confusion collide, and the first real sense of horror grips him—his world is no longer safe.