Curse of the Future

My name is Nuj. I'm just a regular 17-year-old guy living in Tokyo, going to high school like anyone else. At least, that's how it looks on the surface. But there's something about me that no one knows—not even my family.

I can see the future.

It's not like in the movies where I see everything that's going to happen. No, my visions come in flashes—quick glimpses right before something dangerous is about to happen to me. It’s saved my life more times than I can count. I used to think it was a blessing, a gift from fate. But now, I know better.

This power is a curse. And I’ll tell you why.

“Alright, Mom, Dad, I’m heading out!” I called as I grabbed my shoes at the door.

“Be careful!” my mom replied from the kitchen.

“Wait, you forgot your bag!” my younger sister, Fuki, shouted as she ran toward me with my schoolbag. Just as she was about to hand it over, she tripped.

I saw it before it happened—a flash of her falling forward, about to crash into me. In an instant, I stepped aside and caught her.

“Whoa, be careful, Sis,” I said, helping her regain her balance.

She laughed nervously. “Sorry! My bad.”

I shook my head with a smile. “You’re always in a rush.”

With my bag slung over my shoulder, I headed out. On my way to school, I met up with my best friend, Nira.

“Yo, Nuj! Did you get enough sleep last night?” he asked, yawning as he walked beside me.

“Yeah, I guess. What about you? How’s your part-time job?”

“It’s going alright. Not much to complain about, but it’s tiring as hell.”

We laughed, chatting about random stuff as we made our way toward the school gates. The streets were busy with the usual morning rush. People rushing to work, students hurrying to class—just an ordinary day.

Then it hit me.

A vision.

In my mind, I saw a cargo van speeding down the street. The brakes weren’t working, and it was heading straight for us. I saw myself and Nira stepping onto the road, completely unaware of the danger. The van wasn’t going to stop.

I snapped out of it just in time.

Grabbing Nira’s arm, I pulled him back onto the sidewalk.

“Whoa! What the hell?” Nira exclaimed, just as the van roared past, missing us by inches.

His eyes widened in shock. “Holy crap! That was close! How did you know the van was coming so fast?”

I hesitated. “Let’s just say I have good instincts.”

He gave me a curious look but didn’t press further. “Man, that was insane. You saved our asses.”

The rest of the day went by like normal. Classes, assignments, and the usual school routine. After school, Nira had a suggestion.

“Brooo! Let’s hit the mall. I need new shoes, and you’ve got good taste. Help me pick something out.”

I chuckled. “Alright, sure. But we’re getting bubble gum ice cream afterward.”

“Deal!”

We made our way to the mall and browsed through the stores. Nira tried on a few pairs of shoes while I gave my honest opinions.

“Thanks for helping me out, man. I can never decide on my own,” Nira said as we left the store.

“No problem. Now, let’s get that ice cream.”

As we sat down with our cones, I felt it again—a sharp, pounding sensation in my head.

Another vision.

This one was more intense. Flames. Smoke. Screams. An explosion ripping through the mall. People running for their lives. And Nira... lying on the ground, motionless.

My heart raced as the vision faded.

“Hey, you okay? You look pale,” Nira said, noticing my expression.

“Yeah... I’m fine. Just... stay here, okay?”

“Wait, where are you going?”

Without answering, I sprinted toward the section of the mall I saw in my vision. It was an abandoned shop—closed for months. The shutters were down, but I found a side entrance and slipped inside.

The shop was dark and dusty, but I knew what I was looking for.

There. Hidden behind a pile of boxes.

A bomb.

I knelt down and examined it. My hands trembled as I traced the wires. Red. Yellow. Green. Which one?

Another flash. A vision of the bomb detonating if I touched the green wire.

“Not that one,” I muttered.

With careful precision, I cut the yellow and red wires. The timer stopped. The bomb was defused.

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.

“Yo, Nuj! What the hell are you doing here?” Nira’s voice echoed from the entrance.

I quickly stuffed the bomb into my backpack and turned around with a forced smile.

“Oh, uh... I thought I lost my watch. I was just looking for it.”

Nira frowned. “In a closed shop?”

“Yeah... why not?” I shrugged.

He shook his head, clearly confused but didn’t question me further. We left the mall, and I made sure to dump the bomb in an abandoned scrapyard on the way home.

When I got home that evening, everything changed.

The front door was slightly open. My heart sank as I stepped inside.

Blood.

Streaks of it across the floor. The scent of iron filled the air. My hands trembled as I walked further in.

“Mom? Dad? Fuki?”

No response.

In the living room, I saw them.

My parents. My sister. All of them... gone.

Their lifeless bodies lay on the floor, brutally murdered.

On the wall, a message was scrawled in blood:

"You did this to yourself."

I collapsed to my knees, my mind spinning with grief and despair. Tears blurred my vision, but one thought burned in my mind.

The people who planted that bomb... they did this. They knew about me. And now they had taken everything I loved.

Grief turned into rage. The sadness in my heart hardened into something else.

Determination.

I wasn’t going to run from this. Not anymore. If my power could help me avoid danger, it could also help me track them down.

They took my family. Now, I’m going to take everything from them.

For some, power is a gift.

For me? It’s my weapon.

And I’m going to use it.