Bound By Fury:The Forced Path

"EVERYTHING BEGAN THAT DAY MY LIFE TURNED A MESS AND MY LONG JOURNEY FOR REVENGE STARTED!"

Standing at six feet tall, his frame was fit.His black hair was neatly combed, often falling just above his eyes, giving him a boyish yet refined look. His dark eyes were warm and expressive.

His face was clean and youthful, with smooth, even skin and no scars to mar his features. He had a faint, natural charm to his appearance, amplified by the subtle, kind smile he wears.

Dressed in casual, simple clothes—usually a plain shirt and jeans.

Akira was tired but pleased, mopping the sweat off his brow as he ran the last few steps toward his house, after yet another workout at the gym.

Something was off as he neared his home.

Black cars were parked in front of the driveway, cars that he had never seen before.

Without giving much thought, he sprinted to the front door with a feeling of dread gnawing at him.

He flung it open and froze.

The air hung thick and heavy in the room, tense, as though holding its breath in preparation for a storm. Lying on his back in the middle of the living room floor, his father was covered in blood pooling around him.

His mother was hardly breathing, shallow gasps heaving her chest, yet otherwise unmoving on the floor.

Standing over them were three men.

STARS.

It was unmistakable, an aura of power visibly radiating from them.

"Mom,Dad"

"NOOO!"

Akira's voice cracked, his body shaking as he dropped to his knees. His mind was numb with horror and anger.

Finally, one of the STARS was regarding him, his cold eyes glinting with humor, locking gazes with Akira.

"That's what happens when you mess with things you shouldn't… just like your father did."

Something snapped.

Akira's fists curled into balls so tight that his knuckles turned white.

He was past thinking now, blinded by rage.

"WHY?! "

"Why did you do this?

He screamed, his face a mask of tears.

"What did they ever do to you?"

"YOU BASTARDS!!"

Akira bellowed, charging them with every last ounce of strength in his body.

But he was a just normal human Akira was not an awakened.

The gap in their powers was too incredible to fathom.

In the blink of an eye, one of the STARS had grabbed him by the throat, effortlessly hoisting him into the air.

Akira kicked wildly, his hands clawing at the man's grip, but it felt like steel.

"Let me go!"

"You're fucker!"

He gasped, desperation flooding his voice.

The STAR sneered, tightening his hold until Akira's vision blurred from lack of oxygen.

"Pathetic"

The man whispered coldly before slamming Akira into the wall.

His body hit the surface with a sickening thud, pain exploding through his ribs.

Panting, Akira could hardly move; his mind was swimming in a daze of anger and powerlessness.

Through the pain, all he could see was his parents lying there, broken.

"No… no… please… Mom!"

"Dad!"

He coughed out, panic rising to his chest.

One of the STARS stepped back, nodding to the others.

"Your life is worthless now, boy."

"Disappear from this place if you want to live,"

Another added, oozing disdain from his tone.

"Forget about them."

"Forget?"

"How can I forget? "

"They're my family!"

Akira yelled as his anger sparked a flicker of strength within him.

The STARS had begun to walk away, the sound of their footsteps loud in the silence, but Akira was beyond reason.

His eyes flashed red as he leveraged himself off the ground, shaking, his voice hoarse with hate.

"I… will… kill you!"

Akira shouted hoarsely, desperation and anger seemingly oozing from every word.

"I swear I'll find you, and you'll NEVER be able to run from me!"

He looked back; his smirk sent chills down his spine.

"Good luck with that… if you live long enough."

"Why do this? "

"What do you gain from hurting them?!"

Akira shouted, breaking his voice, desperation laced in his words.

"Is this what it means to be a STAR to have power??"

"To kill like this ?"

The STAR erupted into a dark chuckle.

"You need to learn this boy"

"Innocence means nothing in this world."

"Power is all that matters."

With that said, they were gone, leaving Akira to his shattered world of pain and anger.

"NO!"

Akira screamed into the void, the weight of his loss crushing him.

"I won't let you get away with this!"

"I'll make you pay for every drop of blood!"

As the silence droned on, filling the room, Akira fell to his knees, his senses overcome with grief.

"I will find a way."

Then he fainted.

Akira sat up in bed abruptly, his body covered with a thick layer of sweat, heart beating.

The smell of disinfectant wafted through his nostrils-the beeping of his own heart monitor the only thing adding insult to the injury of his confused state.

His head pounded as his body tried pulling himself up into a sitting position, the last events of that night dropping into his remembrance like an incoming tide.

Hiroshi entered the room, long a trusted friend to Shiro Shoto. 

As Hiroshi entered, his tall, wiry figure brought an air of calm upon the space.

Akira's eyes fell to a well-groomed figure standing before him.

Behind the wire-rimmed glasses was a glassy glint that reflected back to Akira, as Hiroshi had neat black hair in place and a face that harmoniously let traces of quiet wisdom shine through.

His face was solemn, deep furrows around his features from care and sorrow.

"Akira"

Hiroshi whispered, taking a seat beside the bed.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through this."

Akira fought to focus; his voice shook with urgency.

"What happened?"

"My family?"

Hiroshi took a deep breath and spoke, the weight reflected in his eyes.

"Your father did manage to find something big about some organization called 'Nightfall.'

"It's an organization comprised of demonic humans with deplorable ambitions."

He stopped, scrabbling for his words.

"Your father was onto one of their caches."

"They silenced him."

This hit Akira almost like a real blow to the chest. His breathing was now rough gasps.

"NO NO NO NO NO"

"What about my mother?"

"Where is she?"

Hiroshi looked painfully away.

"I'm so sorry, but now. she has been reduced to a comatose state."

"We did call in a STAR with healing expertise, but so far, she hasn't stirred.".

"The trauma she has experienced is severe."

Akira's heart was racing.

"What do you mean?"

"What happened to her?"

Hiroshi's voice came out low, almost at a whisper.

"From what we have pieced together, it appears she was abused in a manner so heinous it's almost unimaginable.

"They even...raped her before forcing her to eat the poisonous plant Evil Aeia."

"WHAT?!"

Akira felt his world crumbling even further.

His hands clasped the sheets, the knuckles white from anger and despair.

"How is this possible?"

"Please tell me this is a dream!

"Please!"

"Akira…"

Hiroshi's voice was a mild reprimand, but the anger boiled over inside Akira.

"To my father!"

"To my mother!" 

He slammed his fist against the bed.

"I'll make them pay, I swear I will!"

"On my whole begin i swear i will dedicate only to kill them" 

Hiroshi laid a pacifying hand on Akira's shoulder.

 "You gotta know, Akira."

"The ones responsible are über dangerous."

"Others who fought them are already dead."

"They are above everything you can go up against."

Akira emphatically shook his head. His eyes seared with determination.

"I don't care!

"I'll find a way!"

 Hiroshi let out a pained breath, knowing how grave in weight his next words were. 

"Your father's fortune is all yours now."

"You can live a life which others can only dream about."

"But don't waste your life for revenge."

"It is the road to further pain."

"I do not care about living comfortably, "

Akira growled back in a low, intense voice.

"I do care about making them pay for doing what they did to my family."

"I will not stop until I get my revenge."

Hiroshi stood up; his face a mask of reluctant resignation.

"I cannot stop you if you so choose this path. "

"But remember, Akira-revenge will devour you."

"Do not let it destroy you"

"You have to find balance."

"I'll find my own balance,"

Akira said, his eyes ablaze.

"They've taken everything from me. "

'They'll pay. "

"You can't understand what this feels like."

"I may not fully understand,"

Hiroshi said in an even tone,

"But I know a heart full of vengeance will turn to darkness. "

"You are still young, your life ahead of you."

"Then let me choose my path!"

Akira snapped, frustration brimming over.

"Don't try to guide me away from this. "

"I need to do this-for Mom and Dad, for myself!"

Hiroshi confronted his feelings and nodded slowly.

"I respect your resolve, Akira."

"Just… promise me you'll think before you act.

"I only hope you find a way to channel this anger into something more than just hate."

"Thanks for caring" - Akira replied

"Call me if you need anything,"

Hiroshi said as he left the room, casting a last look over his shoulder.

The door slammed shut, leaving Akira to his mind.

He bunched his fists because his heart started pounding furiously in anger and determination.

His way was now predictable.

All in good means, he would avenge on behalf of his family.

And with this restored resolution he muttered to himself in whispered,

"I'll find them. I'll make them pay."