12 July 1958
The morning streets were quiet as a dark Volkswagen Beetle rolled steadily along the road.
Behind the wheel sat Locke, driving with his usual calm precision.
In the back seat were Samuel and Teufel, though the world knew the boy by another name now.
James Ford.
James sat upright, wearing a neatly pressed school uniform. His posture was straight, his hands resting quietly on his lap. His face showed no excitement, no fear—only a quiet, controlled calmness.
Samuel glanced at him with a small smile.
"You're looking awfully calm for someone going to school for the first time," he said. "Aren't you nervous? Or excited?"
James looked out the window for a moment before replying.
"Yes, it's something I've never experienced before," he said in a steady voice. "But being nervous or excited won't help in any way. So I think the best option is to remain calm."
Samuel chuckled softly and leaned back against the seat.
"You really aren't like other people."
The car continued down the road until, after several minutes, it finally slowed to a stop.
They had arrived.
James stepped out of the car and looked up.
The school building towered before him.
It was large and elegant, surrounded by a wide campus. A broad open field stretched across the front, and beyond it lay a carefully maintained garden filled with trimmed bushes and tall trees.
Everything about the place spoke of wealth and privilege. One glance was enough for anyone to understand that this was a school meant for the children of rich families.
Yet James's reaction was different from when he had first seen the mansion.
There was no visible surprise on his face.
Samuel stepped out beside him.
"Are you sure you'll be alright on your own?" he asked. "If you want, I can walk you to your class."
James shook his head slightly.
"Don't bother. I'll be fine."
He paused briefly.
"Anyway… goodbye."
Samuel gave him a small nod.
Locke restarted the car, and the vehicle slowly drove away.
James watched it disappear down the road.
Then he turned toward the school entrance.
It was 7-B, right? he repeated silently in his mind.
He stepped inside.
The corridors were mostly empty.
He had arrived about fifteen minutes early, and only a handful of students had come so far.
James walked quietly through the hallway, searching for his classroom.
After a short while, he found it.
Class 7-B.
He placed his hand on the door and pushed it open.
Inside, only four students were present.
Two boys.
Two girls.
One girl sat on a bench near the window while the other stood beside her, speaking with a boy who had messy hair. The fourth student sat alone at the back desk, reading a book.
The moment James entered, the room fell silent.
All four of them turned their heads.
They stared at him as if something about him felt strange.
James remained standing for a few seconds, meeting their gazes without expression.
Then he walked calmly toward an empty desk in the middle row and sat down.
The boy with the messy hair looked at him curiously.
"Oh, you're—"
Before he could finish his sentence, the classroom door suddenly opened again.
Several students rushed inside at once, filling the room with chatter and noise.
A moment later, the teacher entered.
He was a young man, probably in his late twenties, with a friendly face and calm demeanor. He carried a register under his arm, which he placed on the desk at the front of the classroom.
As he looked up, his eyes landed on James.
"Oh," he said. "You must be the new student."
He gestured politely.
"Please stand up, boy."
James rose from his seat and walked to the front of the class.
Whispers spread quietly among the students as they watched him.
The teacher smiled kindly.
"Go ahead," he said. "Introduce yourself."
James turned to face the class.
His expression remained completely neutral.
No smile.
No nervousness.
No excitement.
Just a quiet, almost cold calmness.
Some of the students began whispering to each other, clearly unsure what to make of him.
After a moment, James finally spoke.
"My name is James Ford."
His voice was steady and emotionless.
"I am twelve years old."
He paused briefly.
"And from today, I will study with all of you in this class."
Another pause.
"I look forward to it."
The words sounded almost forced, as if he had simply arranged them in the most proper way possible.
For a moment, the classroom remained silent.
Then the teacher began clapping politely.
A few seconds later, the rest of the class followed, though their applause sounded hollow and insincere.
James returned to his desk and sat down.
The teacher opened the register.
And the first lecture of the day began.
Throughout the lecture, Teufel, known in the classroom as James Ford, remained completely silent.
He neither spoke to anyone nor turned to look at the students around him. His eyes stayed fixed either on the board or on his notebook.
For some of the students, that silence felt… unsettling.
There was something strangely calm about him.
Too calm.
Occasionally a few students glanced at him and quickly looked away again, as if unsure how to approach him.
Time passed slowly.
Then finally—
RING!
The sharp sound of the lunch bell echoed through the classroom.
Instantly the room exploded with noise.
Students began talking, laughing, and pushing their chairs back. Some rushed toward the door while others opened their lunch boxes.
Many of them headed straight toward the cafeteria.
James quietly opened his own lunch box.
He was about to begin eating when someone suddenly stepped in front of his desk.
It was the boy with the messy hair.
Behind him stood the two girls from earlier and the quiet boy who had been reading a book at the back.
The messy-haired boy stretched out his hand confidently.
"James, right?"
He grinned.
"My name's Tyler Burbunt. And these two cuties are Rose and Jill."
Both girls waved happily.
"And the nerd you're seeing over there is Alan Trevor."
Alan adjusted his glasses awkwardly.
"H-hi."
James looked at Tyler for a few seconds.
Tyler kept smiling.
"Nice to meet you, buddy," he said. "Wanna be friends?"
There was a short silence.
Then James slowly reached forward and shook his hand.
"Yeah. Why not."
Tyler laughed happily.
"That's my boy!"
Rose clapped her hands lightly.
"Oh! Then he's part of our group now!"
Jill leaned closer, examining James's hair with curiosity.
"Really? Wow."
She tilted her head.
"James, what do you do with your hair? They're very cute. Can I touch them?"
Before James could respond—
Both girls suddenly started touching his hair.
They patted his head with obvious amusement, almost like they were playing with a small child.
James remained completely still.
Alan cleared his throat.
"So, James… what are you interested in?"
But Tyler quickly interrupted him.
"No, no, no. We should introduce ourselves properly first."
He placed a hand on his chest proudly.
"Let's start with me. Like I said, I'm Tyler Burbunt. I'm the vice-captain of our class sports team."
He puffed out his chest.
"I can play pretty much anything, but football is my favorite."
Then he leaned closer and whispered dramatically,
"And if anyone bullies you… just tell me."
Rose crossed her arms.
"Well, I don't have that many hobbies," she said casually. "Sometimes I play baseball. But I don't really like girly stuff like makeup or dolls."
She shrugged.
"And sometimes I do gardening."
Jill nodded in agreement.
"I'm pretty much the same as Rose. No girly stuff."
She flexed her arm slightly.
"I usually work out."
Then she rolled her eyes.
"And for some reason, everyone in our class keeps saying I'm the most beautiful girl here."
She sighed dramatically.
"I've rejected almost every boy who confessed to me."
Then she pointed at Tyler and Alan.
"Except these two."
Tyler blinked.
"Why us?"
Jill shrugged.
"You never confessed in the first place."
Alan nervously adjusted his glasses.
"Well… my turn, I guess."
He hesitated before speaking.
"I'm not really good at sports or studies. I'm average at both."
Then his eyes lit up slightly.
"But I do like history, geopolitics, and scientific topics."
Tyler burst out laughing.
"Yeah, that's why you're a nerd!"
Everyone chuckled.
Then they all turned to look at James.
James thought for a moment before answering.
"Well… to be honest… I don't really have any interests."
The four of them froze.
"Really?" they said together in disbelief.
Before the conversation could continue, Alan suddenly looked toward the clock.
"Guys, look at the time!"
His eyes widened.
"If we don't hurry to the cafeteria, we're going to starve!"
Tyler snapped his fingers.
"Oh right! Let's go."
Then he turned to James.
"You coming?"
James nodded.
The five of them left the classroom and began walking down the hallway toward the cafeteria.
As they walked, James suddenly slowed down.
Something had caught his attention.
Near the corridor wall, three older boys—clearly high school seniors—were standing nearby.
They were laughing loudly.
On the ground in front of them lay a boy wearing glasses.
The boy looked badly injured.
His glasses were broken, lying beside him on the floor.
Written across his shirt with a marker were cruel insults:
"Go and die."
"You piece of shit."
"Go to your mama."
James stopped walking.
He looked at Tyler.
"What happened to him?"
Tyler barely glanced at the scene.
"Don't bother," he said casually. "You'll see this every day."
He shrugged.
"They're our senior bullies."
"They do this to him all the time."
Rose frowned slightly but stayed silent.
Tyler continued,
"To be honest… sometimes they do worse."
James listened quietly.
"They force him to put his mouth in an unflushed toilet," Tyler said.
"And they record videos of him doing it."
Alan looked uncomfortable.
"There are… other things too," Tyler added. "Things we don't even want to imagine."
He sighed.
"The teachers don't do anything."
"Those bullies' parents have political connections."
Tyler shrugged again.
"So yeah. Don't bother, James."
He started walking again.
"No one knows who their next target will be."
James remained standing for a moment longer.
He looked at the boy on the floor one last time.
The boy's face was filled with anger.
Not helpless anger.
But the kind of anger that only needed a single spark to ignite.
James noticed it.
And suddenly—
He smiled.
A quiet grin appeared on his face.
Then he turned away and followed his new friends toward the cafeteria.
cafeteria of the school was exactly what one would expect from a place meant for the children of the wealthy.
It was enormous.
Long rows of polished tables stretched across the hall, while bright counters lined the walls. Various stalls offered almost every kind of food imaginable—sandwiches, pastries, fruit, meat dishes, and warm soups.
Many of the items could simply be taken without payment.
Luxury had its privileges.
Students filled the room with chatter and laughter as they carried trays and gathered with their friends.
Tyler Burbunt, Rose, Jill, Alan Trevor, and Teufel, known here as James Ford, entered together.
Jill glanced around the crowded hall.
"So… where do we sit?"
Tyler scanned the room, his eyes quickly searching for an empty table.
"There."
Near the far corner of the cafeteria, a table stood unoccupied.
They walked over and sat down.
On one side of the table sat James and Jill.
Across from them were Alan and Rose.
Tyler sat in the middle.
Rose seemed slightly annoyed by the seating arrangement, though she said nothing.
Jill leaned toward James with a playful smile.
"Want me to feed you, James?"
James replied instantly.
"Absolutely not."
Jill burst into laughter.
But across the cafeteria, several boys suddenly turned their heads toward their table.
The shock was visible on their faces.
He rejected Jill?
It was practically written across their expressions.
James ignored them.
Instead, he turned to Tyler.
"Why do those bullies only target the boy with glasses?" he asked calmly. "There were others there too. And even if the teachers do nothing… shouldn't his family take action?"
Tyler leaned back in his chair.
"Well… the truth is he isn't rich."
James looked at him.
Tyler continued.
"Yeah, you heard me right. He studied at another school before this. His grades were extremely high, so he received an offer to study here for half the tuition."
Rose quietly added,
"He only pays fifty percent of the fees."
Tyler nodded.
"And he doesn't have a father."
He lowered his voice slightly.
"His mother works multiple jobs just to feed him and pay the school fees."
Alan sighed.
"So if they try to complain or take legal action… it would only make things worse for them."
James absorbed the information silently.
Then he asked another question.
"What about our teacher? He seemed very kind."
The moment those words left his mouth, the group's mood changed.
Tyler and Rose looked down.
James noticed the sudden discomfort.
Alan hesitated before speaking.
"Well… not many people know this," he said quietly. "But his family used to be… involved with the Nazis."
The room felt colder.
"His father had a very high position in **Adolf Hitler's army," Alan continued.
Rose whispered,
"Don't tell anyone we told you."
Alan quickly added,
"He says he's not a Nazi. He claims he's actually a communist now."
Tyler shrugged.
"But nobody really knows the truth."
James stood up from his chair.
"I'm going to the restroom."
Without another word, he walked away.
⸻
The corridor outside the cafeteria was quiet.
As James walked, a grin slowly appeared on his face.
"I knew it," he murmured to himself.
"The moment I saw him, something felt wrong."
He continued walking.
"That smile… that kindness…"
His grin widened.
"Fake."
He pushed open the restroom door.
Inside, in the far corner, sat the boy with glasses.
He was alone.
His broken glasses lay beside him on the floor.
His shoulders trembled as he cried quietly.
James's grin deepened.
"My luck is good today."
He approached slowly.
Then he crouched beside the boy and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Just how long will you allow this to happen to you?" James asked calmly.
The boy looked up in confusion.
"Who… who are you?"
"You don't need to know," James replied.
He leaned slightly closer.
"What matters is that you are allowing yourself to be humiliated."
The boy clenched his fists.
"You know nothing about me," he said angrily. "You think I'm letting this happen because I want to?"
James tilted his head.
"You asked who I am."
His voice became softer.
"Perhaps I don't even exist."
The boy blinked.
"Maybe I'm simply… a part of you."
Silence filled the room.
"A part of you that wants this to stop," James continued. "Perhaps your mind created me because you needed someone to show you the path."
"M-my mind… created you?"
"It's only a possibility," James said calmly. "But in every possibility… you must act."
The boy shook his head.
"I can't do anything."
James's eyes sharpened.
"Yes, you can."
The boy looked at him.
"Kill them."
The words fell like stones.
"Kill the ones responsible for your suffering."
The boy trembled.
"No… I can't… My life… my mother's life…"
"It has already been ruined," James interrupted.
His voice grew colder.
"Everything I am saying… is what you truly want to hear."
The boy's breathing became heavier.
"You want them dead."
James leaned closer.
"That is your true nature."
"You created me because you needed someone to tell you the truth."
"A… part of me?"
"Yes."
James grabbed the boy's head and forced him to look directly into his eyes.
"Look into my eyes," he whispered.
"Repeat after me."
"KILL."
The boy's lips trembled.
"KILL."
"KILL."
"KILL."
James repeated the word again and again.
"KILL. KILL. KILL. KILL. KILL."
Slowly—
A smile appeared on the boy's face.
"KILL… KILL… KILL… KILL…"
His voice grew louder.
"KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL!"
James released him and stood up.
The boy remained on his knees, still whispering the word again and again.
James turned and walked out of the restroom.
A quiet grin rested on his face as he returned toward the cafeteria.
⸻
A few minutes later—
The three bullies entered the restroom.
One of them laughed.
"Well, look who's here."
"Our little dog."
Another sneered.
"What's with that creepy smile?"
"Maybe he wants to put his face in the toilet again."
They laughed loudly.
"Come on," one of them said. "Let's give him what he wants."
They grabbed him by the collar.
The boy slowly raised his head.
His eyes were empty.
"I understand now," he said quietly.
"He wasn't part of me."
The bullies frowned.
"Who?"
The boy's smile widened.
"He was my God."
Suddenly—
He pulled a pen from his pocket.
Before anyone could react—
He drove it straight into one bully's neck.
Blood burst across the wall.
The boy began laughing.
Wildly.
Uncontrollably.
⸻
Back in the cafeteria, students suddenly froze.
Screams echoed through the corridor.
Nobody moved.
No one dared to approach the source of the noise.
The screaming continued.
Then suddenly—
Silence.
Only laughter remained.
A teacher finally gathered the courage to investigate.
James watched him walk past.
And smiled.
Moments later—
The teacher reached the restroom door.
He looked inside.
Then he screamed.
His legs trembled violently before he collapsed to the floor.
Blood covered the walls.
The floor had become a dark red pool.
Three lifeless bodies lay scattered across the room.
And in the center—
The boy with glasses knelt in the blood.
Looking toward the ceiling.
Laughing.
Over and over.
"God… God… God…"
James watched from the distance.
Still smiling.
Chapter ends
To be continued