Something is burning and for once, it's not fire. Just my lungs. I've been running now, for like what feels like at least an hour. The Security Bureau has long since disappeared from my sight. I'm sure that there's no one following me but I have to keep running. I've already had to hide from multiple Security vehicles that have gone past me, but thankfully, the darkness of the evening helped me. I needed to find shelter for the night, then go out and find my parent's house tomorrow. Though it would be easier to make it there tonight. I continue walking, until I stumble upon the steps of the Neo Domino City Library. Thankfully, the library was still open for another 30 minutes. I grab all my hair and pull it over my left shoulder, in an attempt to cover my marker as best possible before entering the building. I walk straight to the back of the library where I can see the light of computer screens. If not for my time at The Cacoethes Movement, I wouldn't have too much knowledge of computers. But thankfully, in the time I was there, I became a natural at using one. One could even say that I was better at using computers than most people.
I sit down in front of the computer with my backpack on the floor. I'm relieved to see that you don't need a library account to log into the computer. Instead, the login code is posted on a sticky note on the side of the computer. I grab my backpack from the floor and pull out the crumpled piece of paper with my parent's address written on it. After logging into the computer, I pull up a map of Neo Domino City online and type in the address of the library and my parent's house, so that it gives me a map of the directions I should be taking. I flip over my piece of paper, grab a pencil and quickly scribble a map down as I don't really have money to waste on printing out a map in the library. The computer approximates that the walk to my house should only be a little over 45 minutes. Which surprisingly isn't bad at all, considering how much I have to walk around in the satellite.
As I am looking up and down from the computer trying to scribble the map, a pop up advertisement appears on the side of the internet browser. I don't pay much attention to it at first. Then, familiar pointy blonde hair catches my eye and I stare at the ad in awe. It's Jack Atlas in all his glory. Not only has he been stalking my memory but here he is, but why would he be in an advertisement in the city? The ad is for a duel coming up at the Memorial Circuit, Duel King Jack Atlas is facing off against a duelist named Dragan. I wonder how he got into the City. How he got so famous considering he is from the Satellite, and how he is competing in a riding duel when he has never ridden a D-Wheel before? So many questions about Jack were flooding my head. The last time I saw him was when I was running away from my home. Anyway, he would have never left Yusei, Kiryu, and Crow. Right? I quickly exited off the webpage to stop my thoughts. Jack would never do anything bad to his friends.
"The library will be closing in ten minutes," says a generic ladies' voice over the library speakers. That rips away any chance I have of finding anything else out about Jack on the computer tonight. Which is probably a good thing, I can't let feelings I have for him or any of my other friends stand in my way of achieving my goals. I quickly finish drawing my map and log off the computer and make sure everything is in my bag and look at my map. It's not perfect, like me, but it will do the job to get me home.
If not for my map, I would have been lost ages ago, knowing my sense of direction. I've gotten to the end of my map that I've drawn and successfully found my parent's street. Now, it was only a matter of finding the correct house number. Once I find the number, I look up at a house that I swear is too large to belong to my family. I always imagined my parents were middle class working citizens, but this house told a different story. It was two stories, with large glass windows, and a large garage coming off from the right side of the house. What is strange is that the light coming from the window of a room on the second story of the house. Both of my parents are dead, and apparently, records say they still own the house. Maybe the light had been on since my mother decided to take me and run for the Satellite. But how could a light stay on for almost 18 years? Surely it had to go out by then, I won't worry too much about it. I was more anxious about just getting into the house that I lived in as a baby, and what I would find once I got inside.
I slowly approach the door and ring the doorbell, just to make sure no one comes to the door. I wait five minutes before deciding, for sure, that no one was home. But now, I have to find a way to get in without making the neighbors suspect that I'm breaking in. Plus, is it really breaking in if your family owns the house? I decide that it should be fine, and go with the obvious choice of just making sure that the door isn't unlocked. Of course it's locked. So, I check any other doors and windows along the ground floor of the house. Nothing. I stand in front of the front door again, contemplating climbing the house and seeing if any of those windows are unlocked or if I can pick the lock on the front door. That's when I notice that there isn't even a keyhole on the front door. Instead, it's replaced by a carved symbol that matches the one on the front of the signet ring my mother left me as a baby. Maybe it wasn't only just a necklace, but also a key? I take off the chain from around my neck, pressing the ring into the carving on the door until I hear a small click. I slowly reach for the handle and open the door. I remove my necklace from the carving and slide it back around my neck, before fully entering the house. I continue to open the door, until it taps the wall letting me know that it's open all the way. I'm home.
The house seems surprising tidy, but it's still covered in a thick layer of dust. That lets me now that it definitely hasn't been lived in a long time. I search for a light switch by the door, flipping it on once I find it, and close the front door behind me. The light flickers a few times before coming on. I'm still unsure of how the electricity is still working in here, but I don't want to question it too much. I set my backpack down by the door and take my shoes off. Then, I slowly move further into the home until I reach a table before the house opens up into the sitting area and the rest of the house. I suppose this would be the table where you would keep your keys, wallets, or glasses. But, it was also covered in family photos, The photos ranged from from before I was born till the my father died. You can barely see them because of the dust covering the photo. So I pick up the photo in the center and use my sleeve to clean the layer of dust covering the photo. Tears quickly form in my eyes. My mother. My father. Me. A family. My family. It's a family portrait where my father is holding baby me up in his arms and my mother is holding onto my father's arms. They are looking at me and they look so happy, like I'm the missing piece of their puzzle. But now, my puzzle has missing pieces and I can finally see them with my own eyes. I love them and I miss them. My legs are getting weak and before I know it, I've fallen to my knees, and the tears that were falling are now sobs and I can't even see the picture anymore. I press it to my chest and wrap my arms around it, giving a hug to the parents I never got to know. Why did I deserve this? In what universe is it okay to take away a child's parents and for them to end up being a monster? This moment is my reassurance, this is my proof. I'm never meant to have a happy life, because nothing in life is fair. The things you love in life can kill you, or at least make you want to kill yourself.
The Zero Reverse. The thing that most Psychics blame for their problems. For once, I can see eye to eye with them. If the Zero Reverse didn't happen, My dad wouldn't have died, my mom wouldn't have run away with me and die, and most importantly, I wouldn't be a Psychic monster. Maybe what they say is right, the Zero Reverse was the catalyst for the era of Psychics, If we didn't mess with the universe by making that machine, the world wouldn't have to deal with monsters like me. But the Zero Reverse isn't what made Psychics evil. The Psychics choose to use their powers for evil and revenge. They are the reason that Psychics have a bad image in the public eye and we all end up looking like monsters. Now those Psychics deserve to leave this Earth faster than anyone else. Without the Zero Reverse, I wouldn't have met Martha, Jack, Yusei, Kiryu, Crow, and everyone that was my reason for living before I becoming a monster. But I've already let them go, just like I let the Zero Reverse go. I decided to run away from them and my problems, because all I wanted to do was save them. They are not the reason I'm like this. The Psychics are. If they had never tried to take revenge, I could have lived without being a monster. They deserve to die, and I'm sick and tired of trying saving people. This horrendous world and the Psychics within it deserve to burn. I'm not letting anything or anyone stand in my way anymore.
I always knew my life had a purpose. This is it, what I had been doing all along. The right thing to do was take my revenge on the Psychics for filling this world with evil, and there is no turning back now. They choose to use their powers for terrible things and so will I. I will continue on their tradition of being a monster. For this is what they made me out to be. My breathing begins to quicken with all these thoughts running through my mind. My head begins to whirl, and without realizing I am gasping for air. It feels impossible to breath and black is creeping into my vision. I can't stop it, no, I don't want to stop it. I let it take me over, I don't struggle. My vision lessens. I see red, I feel fire. It consumes me, and for once, I let it. The struggle is over for now, I've hit the floor. This must be rock bottom. No one can stop the monster inside me now and I plan to wake with the intention to consume this world in fire. My fire.