104 Psychic Hunter (2/2)
His body continued to wriggle in pain due to agony while his consciousness arrived at a world where there was nothing but blue.
”Kid, consider it as your honor for you to suffer under my hands,” A male voice sounded inside the world of blue.
Zed's consciousness was in the form of a projection of his body. He was in no condition to think ab out the voice. All he cared was returning his consciousness back to the body.
He needed to regain his sanity, or at least loose consciousness completely, in order to activate Cosmic Spark. This state of half-consciousness was the most dangerous for him.
”It is useless to struggle,” the voice from before said, ”Why don't you revisit your memories instead?”
Thousands of memory fragment arrived in the world of blue. They were like multiple giant screens projecting movies.
Movies of his life.
Zed could do nothing as his consciousness forcefully entered one memory fragment after the another.
------
Four years old.
In a ruined building somewhere in the slum.
”You can't even get enough money!?” The brown haired caretaker kicked on Zed's stomach.
”Sir, there were not enough almsgiver but too many beggers like me,” Zed's eyes were full of tears, ”I would get more money tomorrow.”
”Useless bastard,” The caretaker dragged Zed to another room and said, ”No food for two days.”
”Please, sir,” Zed begged, ”Please forgive me for today's mistake.”
He was already hungry enough and he didn't think he could handle another two days.
”I would never repeat this mistake,” Zed pleaded further by knocking over the caretaker's feet.
”You think I am being cruel by this punishment?” The caretaker separated Zed from his feet and said, ”If not for me you would have been dead.”
”I know, sir,” Zed tried to pacify the caretaker, ”You have been only kind to me.”
”Kind?” The caretaker started laughing, ”I know you feel I am cruel to you.”
”Sir...”
”If you want to blame someone then blame your mother,” The caretaker's face carried multiple expressions: anger, longing and even lust, ”She promised me money and resources for protecting you from their clutches. I did what she asked by risking my life but she went back on her words.
”Instead I lost my powers protecting you! So stop blaming me for being cruel! Blame your mother and father for abandoning you!”
”Mother and father,” Zed muttered in his heart, ”just why?”
----
Nine years old.
”It is even worse than horse piss,” The caretaker threw a bottle of whiskey on the wall, ”Is this how you show gratitude to someone who saved your life?”
”S-sir, this was the best I could get,” Zed backed away trembling in fear, ”I would buy another one in a few days.”
”Few days?” The caretaker dashed ahead and caught Zed by his hairs, ”I have to wait for days?!”
What followed was a series of beatings which resulted in a swollen face and broken bones.
Zed sat down in a corner crying.
”Mother and father... What crime I have done for you two to leave me in his hands?” Zed thought with bitterness, ”If you didn't want me, you should have just killed me.”
”I can't let this continue,” Zed wiped his tears after few minutes, ”Otherwise there would be no end to this. The only one who could help me is myself and not anyone else.”
He stood up from the floor and eyed the sleeping caretaker.
”Just wait,” Zed's eyes were filled with sinisterness not suiting his age, ”Maybe in a year or two or three, but I would definitely express my gratitude to you for saving my life.”
He stepped towards the wall and started clearing the mess the caretaker earlier created.
”Mother and father,” Zed threw the broken glass pieces outside the building, ”I hope you two rot in hell.”
-----
In the world of blue, Zed's consciousness screamed in agony as more memories resurfaced. He was reliving the torture the caretaker and the slum overlords put him through in the past.
Hunger, physical injuries, loneliness, and cold.Every negative experience in the first ten years of his life was haunting his consciousness.
A sigh ringed inside the world of blue and the memories temporarily stopped invading Zed's consciousness.
”You had a pitiful and tragic life,” the male voice from before said.
”Pitiful?” Tragic?” Zed started laughing even with all the mental pain, ”I am alive so how can I be pitiful and tragic? Just because of a few bad experiences?!
”My life is full of what I have always wanted! Women, riches, and vanity!
”I have lived a life which few people in this world can boast! So if anything, I should be glad and proud of my achievements no matter how short my life was!
”And yet you call my life as pitiful and tragic?! Are you sure your brain is not rotten, you shitfaced dimwit?!”
”Kid, calling sensual pleasures as achievements?” the voice sounded offended, ”And even using rude words? You truly don't know what is good for you.”
He has even given him temporary relief but yet the kid dares to curse?
”Cocksucker, forget about my good and instead pray for your good,” Zed used all his strength to mutter the words, ”You better hope that I am entangled in the memory loop forever.”
Zed realized the psychic attacker wanted to trap his consciousness inside the memories. This would result in unbearable strain on his brain.
In the best case scenario, he would go in a coma and in the worst case, his brain would be in a vegetative state for the rest of his life.
”Oh?” The voice was intrigued by his words, ”What would happen if you survive this?”
”Nothing much but you can rest assured that your fate would be truly pitiful and tragic,”Zed's voice was filled with madness, ”So for your own sake do your best.”