"I don't understand how he does it, honestly."
They were really talking about me...No, about the owner of this body.
"I thought he was dead already, what's he doing here?"
This one hit me so bad that I wanted to reply but before I could do that, we were interrupted.
"Shut up, all of you!" Miss Diana said as she walked into the place. She was followed by a young man richly dressed.
Seeing the man, the others forgot about me entirely, each forcing a smile in his direction.
"Sir, which one do you prefer?" Miss Diana asked him.
"Let me see," the man said and came to where we are standing.
I quickly took some steps forward so the man could see me.
I don't know but if it as they claimed, I wanted to grab the man's attention even more than the others wanted.
When the man came to where I was standing , he glanced at me briefly and was about to pass but I immediately grabbed his hand, shocking him and every other person in the room.
"Jeremy, what are you doing?" Miss Diana whispered. "Let him go immediately!"
I ignored her and held the man even tighter.
I didn't want to speak... I hadn't said a word to anyone and they didn't feel anything awkward about it which meant that it's either the boy doesn't talk much or that he was mute.
"Let go of his hand!" Miss Diana persuaded me but I shook my head.
I looked up at the man, our eyes met instantly. I said nothing but my eyes said a lot. The man gazed at me for a what seemed like an eternity and after that, he removed my hands.
"You always tend to be ahead of yourself, now see..." Someone whispered behind me and began to chuckle.
I clenched my fists, obviously angry.
I was about to turn around when the man spoke up.
"He's quite fascinating... I'll take him."
His words were brief but after it came silence that roamed around the room for what seemed like an eternity until Miss Diana spoke up.
"Are you sure about this, sir?" She asked the man. "There are beautiful girls here."
"No, he'll do," the man replied and was about to leave.
"You surely are blind, like the others!" One of them said. "Can't you see how sick he is? What will a dying thing do for you?"
Everyone in the room paused, then the man slowly turned around.
"Who said that?" He asked, glancing around.
"Ehm, sir..." Miss Diana wanted to speak but before she could continue, a girl walked out from the line.
It was obvious that she hated the owner of this body so much and I wondered why.
"I did," she replied to the man, earning a few gasps from the others.
"You are quite bold," the man said. "But unfortunately, you are going to pay for it."
No one knew what he meant by those words until they saw the girl strangling herself. But unlike them, I think I saw something.
"Hey, what are you standing there doing?" The man asked me and began to walk away.
I left them... The others, and followed the man out. Behind me, they were crying and calling the girl but she was far too gone.
Outside the place, a car was waiting.
Didn't know cars existed in this world until now.
"Before we proceed, I want to ask you a question," the man said, halting just before opening the car.
I gazed up, meeting his gaze.
"Are you ready for this?"
I was kind of expecting the question.
I was of course, ready. I've had enough. Enough of the continuous bad treatments... Enough of my bad fate, and I was ready to change my destiny for good. This was why I desperately sought his attention — to leave that sick place for good.
"Do you not know how to talk?" He asked after staring at me for a while. "Well, from the looks on your face, it seems to me that you are ready. I just hope you don't regret your decision someday."
'Regret my decision?' I thought, scoffing.
It was the last thing I'd ever do — regret my decision.
Whatever... I was ready to do it as long as I escape the bad fate prepared for me.
"Enter, let's go," he said and opened the door.
After boarding the car, he drove off.
The journey was silent.
The man didn't speak, and I didn't either. The car hummed along the empty road, and the world outside blurred into darkness. Once or twice, I sneaked a glance at him. He looked relaxed, one hand on the steering wheel, the other resting on the door, like he had all the time in the world.
I sat still, my hands pressed tightly against my lap.
Even if I wanted to say something, I didn't know how to begin.
Minutes dragged on like hours.
After what felt like forever, the car finally slowed. I leaned forward slightly, curious.
The headlights illuminated a worn-out building standing alone in the middle of nowhere. From the outside, it looked like an abandoned bar — the sign hanging loosely, creaking against the wind. Dust and age clung to the wooden walls, and most of the windows were boarded up.
The man parked the car at the side and got out without a word. I followed quickly, not wanting to be left behind.
He pushed open the door of the bar with a low creak, the hinges complaining. Inside, it was just as dead. Tables and chairs were scattered around, coated with dust, but someone had tried to clean a small path through the mess.
The air smelled of wood, old beer, and something else... something metallic.
I didn't see anyone inside, but I felt eyes on me.
The man led me across the room, his shoes tapping sharply against the cracked floorboards. I followed close, glancing around but saying nothing.
He stopped in front of a massive mirror hanging on the far wall. It looked out of place — too clean, too perfect compared to the rest of the room.
He stared at the mirror for a second, then without warning, pressed his hand against a corner. There was a click — faint but sharp.
The mirror groaned and shifted slightly, revealing a hidden entrance behind it.
A narrow staircase spiraled down into the dark.
The man turned to me. His expression hadn't changed once since we met — cold, unreadable.
"This is where it really begins," he said quietly. "Follow me."
He disappeared into the passageway, and without hesitation, I stepped after him.
The mirror slid shut behind us, trapping the faint light outside.
In the darkness, I tightened my fists again. My chest pounded hard, but it wasn't fear.
It was excitement.
I was finally leaving the sick fate they prepared for me... and stepping into something new — something dangerous.
And I was ready for it.