𝐉𝐮𝐣𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐮 𝐊𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐧: 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬
By: AnonWriterzzzz
Chapter 4: Incarnation of Malice
Orlando, Florida, USA
September 4th, 2024
6:20 AM
On the front steps of the Genesis Children's Home, Shin and Principal Shaw speak over the beautiful rising sun.
Shin: "A trip? To where?"
Principal Shaw: "I shall explain everything to you when we get there!"
Shin: "You never make me miss school for training. What's so different about today?"
Principal Shaw: "Once again, I shall explain everything to you when we get there!"
Shin: "Uh huh..."
The two step into Principal Shaw's BMW, but right as Shin takes his seat, he notices broken glass scattered all over the driver's seat floor. He looks up to see the shocking sight of the driver's seat window completely smashed out. Shin forms an extremely confused expression on his face. He sits down and places his backpack on the passenger seat floor. He speaks up about the weird sight.
Shin: "Hey... Why the hell is your window broken?"
Principal Shaw: "Uhhhh... Oh, this? Pesky bikers, I'll tell you! One of them got angry at me for honking at him for jaywalking, so he approached my car and smashed my window out. Can you believe it?"
Shin, under his breath: "Bikers...?"
Shin closes the passenger seat door, and Principal Shaw drives off. Instead of making the usual right turn Shin would make to walk to school, Principal Shaw takes a hard left, yanking the wheel. The inertia of the maneuver causes Shin to jolt to his right, and his face presses against the window.
Shin, in terror: "AGHHH!"
Principal Shaw stabilizes the car, and Shin sits back upright. Something's off, I can say it with certainty now... thought Shin. Principal Shaw's driving was usually flawless, as were most of the qualities of his life, but today was different. Running stop signs, speeding in a neighborhood—this wasn't like Principal Shaw. They continue the drive for another 15 minutes and arrive at a dark alleyway in the beat-up part of town. It was your run-of-the-mill ghetto alleyway, complete with trash everywhere, large green industrial dumpsters, and a stench so bad you couldn't even recognize what it was—a smell so bad it's unique. They both exit the car in uniform, and Principal Shaw walks around the car to Shin's side.
Principal Shaw: "All right, go on down there."
Shin: "But... You said you'd explain everything when we got here?"
Principal Shaw: "Uhh, no, I did not."
Shin: "Yes you di— You know what, fine, maybe this is another one of your /extravagant/ training exercises."
Shin scoffs at Principal Shaw and puts his hands in his pockets. He begins slowly walking down the dark alleyway, paying attention to his surroundings to try to figure out what Principal Shaw was planning here. The alley stretched ahead like a narrow window, its walls drenched with moisture that reflected the dim glow of a weak streetlamp. The stench of mildew clung to the air, sharp and sour. Each step he took echoed off the walls, louder than it should have been, the sound bouncing back at him with heavy silence. He looks back one more time to get confirmation that this was actually an exercise, only to find Principal Shaw gone. He probably went back to the car, waiting for me to find whatever he's put in here, Shin thought nervously. He slowly turns back to the sudden appearance of a black void in front of him. The seemingly long alleyway had just turned into a dead end. He frantically turns around once again to see the same black void behind him as well. He was now trapped in the middle of the darkness, with only a dim wall light illuminating a few feet in front and behind him.
What the fuck? What's going on? Shin began to panic, adrenaline pumping through his muscles. His mind was racing, trying to make sense of what was going on. Then, all of a sudden, a deep, echoing, terrifying voice slowly emerged from the black void.
?: "You are struggling to carve out your own destiny, are you, bearer of the Six Eyes? It must be suffocating... living under the shadow of the legacy you can never escape. But I... can offer you freedom."
Shin, frantically looking around: "Who the hell are you?! Show yourself!"
The voice softly cackles at Shin, almost like it's toying with him. Suddenly, black tendrils shot toward him—faster than Shin could react. Before he could even blink, they wrapped around his neck. His throat ached as the air was cut off. His hands clawed at the tendrils, but they wouldn't give. His vision became blurred, darkening at the edges. He couldn't breathe or think. Where's my Infinity? Why couldn't it stop this? Shin groaned in pain, all he could do was listen as the footsteps grew louder and louder. Then, a tall, pale-white man took a first step into the dim light. Shin looked in horror as the figure revealed itself. The man had long, black hair, a slender build with an angular face. He had black cracks coming from his eyes that spread over his face. His eyes were blackened out, with only white irises illuminating his cold gaze. He wore a black, torn-up garb that dragged on the floor. He stepped close to Shin, separating himself from Shin's face by only a few inches.
?: "Boy... are you naive... Is this your first time facing death?"
Shin: "I asked you a question... Answer it!"
The man began to chuckle under his breath, the chuckle turning into loud, evil cackling. The sound was terrifying, filling the empty void around him, echoing through the nothingness.
Rogin: "The Incarnation of Malice. I am Rogin, rightful ruler of the Heian, and I've come to offer you your destiny. Betray your clan, join forces with me to restore this world to its rightful state. I see greatness in you, Six Eyes bearer, greatness beyond the constraints your lineage places on you."
Shin, his voice straining: "Oh yeah? And what if I refuse?"
Rogin, chuckling: "See for yourself..."
Rogin lifts his long, slender hand and places it on Shin's face. Suddenly, Shin's eyes roll to the back of his head as he loses his sight. Shin is then transported to the top of the SunTrust Center, the tallest building in downtown Orlando. He opens his eyes and sees a concrete floor, then slowly looks up. His mouth opens in pure shock and fear. The world was engulfed in flames. Shin's heart skips a beat as the vision overwhelms him. Orlando lays in ruins right before him, a burning wasteland where the skyline had once stood. Fire tore through the city, consuming buildings as if they were nothing but kindling. The sky was black and orange, laced with thick and choking smoke, The heat pressed hard onto him, and the stench of burning metal and flesh clogged his throat. In the distance, skyscrapers toppled as if they were built on water, crumbling into the inferno below. The sound of it—the screaming, the sirens, the roar of the flames—filled his ears until it felt like his head would split in two. And through it all, he saw the civilians, the non-sorcerers, their faces twisted, their bodies silhouetted against the flames as they ran, but there was nowhere to go. Nowhere to escape. Only destruction. Shin looked to his right and saw Rogin observing the vision he had created. His hands were behind his back, and his face had a twisted smile on it—he was proud of what he was seeing. This infuriated Shin.
Shin: "STAY AWAY FROM MY HOME, YOU SICK MONSTER!"
Shin's voice cracked as the words escaped his mouth. He charged at Rogin, fists clenched, rage and desperation fueling every step. But even as his fist sailed through the air, he knew—somewhere deep inside—that he was powerless. Rogin continued smiling as he summoned a black portal in front of Shin. He immediately fell into the portal and began falling deep into a black void. Shin screamed as loud as he could, but nobody could hear him, not even himself. After a few seconds of freefall, Shin began to feel as if he was about to hit the floor. He shouted as he closed his eyes and tried to brace for the fall.
Shin suddenly woke up in the same alleyway he had arrived in. He shouted in terror as he was expecting to hit the floor. He was slumped against the wall next to the large green garbage bin he had seen when he first walked through. He looked around, trying to find Principal Shaw or his car, but both were nowhere to be found. Shin's heart was still racing even though the alley was empty. He pressed his fingers against his neck, wincing at the bruises. They were real and painful. He stumbled back against the wall, eyes darting around the alleyway. Is it over? Is Rogin gone? he thought. He squeezed his eyes shut, but the image of a burning Orlando was seared into his mind. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake it. And worse—Rogin's voice still echoed in his head, tempting him with that same promise. He got up and exited the alley the same way he came. He could still smell the horrid stench of the trash, and he could hear police sirens in the distance. Normal for Orlando. It was dark outside. Is it still morning? Is it night? thought Shin. To him, it had felt like 20 minutes had passed since he first entered the alleyway. He began walking down the street as he heard the sirens growing louder and louder. Then, flashing blue and red lights of a cop car painted the alley in disorienting flashes. Shin squinted against the brightness, his breath still ragged from the vision. The cop car passed Shin and continued for a few more meters when the car suddenly braked. The car reversed to where Shin was standing, and the police officer quickly exited the car and looked at Shin, then back at a photo in his hand, then back at Shin.
Police Officer: "Shin Collins? Is that you?"
Shin didn't respond, instead, just staring at the police officer. The officer's eyes widened as he scuffled to patch into his radio.
Police Officer: "Dispatch, this is Officer Henderson responding to the 10-65 on Shin Collins. I've found him on 5th Ave, alone and uninjured. Over."
The radio began blaring with unintelligible voices, and the police officer listened intently. Once the voices coming from the radio stopped, the police officer quickly made his way around the car to Shin's side.
Police Officer: "Shin Collins, I need you to come with me. I will guide you to my patrol car now."
The police officer grabbed Shin's arms and tried to guide him to the police car as if he were a blind man. Shin aggressively snatched his arms back in frustration.
Shin: "I'm not blind. I can get to it myself."
Shin approached the cop car and gripped the door handle of the backseat. He pulled it open and hopped inside. The cop watched in confusion, and rushed to the driver's seat. He closed the door and disengaged the parking brake. He turned on the sirens and made a 180 turn, heading down the way he came. The police car made a left and began driving to the Orlando Police Department. While on the ride, Shin spoke up to the police officer, having a very important question to ask.
Shin: "Excuse me, officer, what time is it?"
Police Officer: "You don't know what time it is? It's 11 PM..."
11 PM?! I was out for 16 whole hours? thought Shin. The rest of the car ride was filled with silence. The police officer focused on driving while Shin tried to process what he was going through. He couldn't get the image of the destroyed Orlando out of his head. Blood, fire, destruction everywhere. Eventually, they arrived at the police station. The officer got out of the car and opened the door for Shin. He led Shin to the entrance of the police station, and they walked through the heavy steel doors. At the front desk, Shin saw a worried Principal Shaw, speaking to the desk clerk and signing some paperwork.
End of Chapter 4
Character Profiles:
Rogin, Incarnation of Malice:
Age: 1000+
Height: 210 CM
Weight: 90 KG
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Black
Cursed Technique: ?
Update Log:
9/12/24: Cleared up a typo about Shin running to the driver seat in the 2nd to last paragraph.
9/15/24: Removed vulgar language