Soren's Undoing - II

With careful steps, I inched towards him.

“You…it was you…”

He maintained that same awful smile, not saying a word. I forcefully grabbed him by the shirt and stared into his eyes.

“You did this!”

“...I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, finally speaking. “What exactly did I do?”

“Don’t play dumb! The note that the vandal left said, ‘All that I touch turns to gold.’ It was referencing Greek mythology—the Midas touch! You left that note!”

He raised his eyebrows. “Is that what it said? Must be a coincidence.”

“Stop screwing around! Why are you doing this? Just for your own amusement?”

He didn’t respond.

“You won’t be able to walk away from this,” I said. “I’ll make sure that everyone finds out the truth.”

All of a sudden, Midas grabbed my hand, the one that was clenching his shirt.

“You might want to let go of me. This will only worsen your situation. It isn’t only your future at stake here, you know. Your reputation is too.”

I shuddered.

“...Who did you tell?”

He grinned.

“Nobody at all. News will spread, with or without a messenger.”

Slowly, I loosened my grip on his shirt and let go.

“...What are you? A devil?” I questioned.

“How perceptive of you,” Midas said, walking off. “Goodbye, Soren.”

As he left, I thought of anything I could do to stop him. There had to have been some way to see through him and save myself from this hell.

But there just wasn’t.

It was like some unstoppable force had chosen me to be its victim. Midas’s scheme against me was just fate’s way of delivering my undoing.

There was still a part of me that was tirelessly searching for any method to prove my innocence and make it known that he was the one who was truly at fault. I thought of every possibility, and considered every angle.

Gritting my teeth, I punched the wall in front of me.

“Damn it…”

I knew the truth. There was no escape. I couldn’t even be hopeful anymore. Despair had won.

There was no place left for me here. If I went back to class, I’d just be stared down by the scathing eyes of my peers. It would be difficult to bear. I would feel guilt for something I didn’t even do.

I couldn’t go home, either. How was I supposed to face my parents like this? What would I tell them? I doubt they’d even listen to my alibi.

I had no other option. I just had to leave here and find some place where I could rest for a little. That was all I wanted. Rest.

Pulling myself up, I headed for the exit. It would be the first time in my life that I ever ditched school.

***

I sat under a tree at the local park. My head rested against the hard, scaly bark. It was rather uncomfortable.

With a deep breath, I closed my eyes and attempted to calm myself.

I just want to sleep…

That was how I would process all this. Resting was the only way for these short-term memories to become long-term ones. Once they did, I would finally be able to look at them without an emotional lens and figure out what to do next.

So I sat there and steadied myself. Minutes passed.

I can’t…

I opened my eyes with a tinge of anguish. I just couldn’t fall asleep.

There was so much to be unhappy about. I cursed so many things. Fate, Midas, my peers, the principal—everyone. I wished that they’d all just disappear.

Just how unlucky was I? Why was it that I saw no way out of this? Was there truly nothing I could do?

Every time I tried to forget what happened and just accept it, the scene of my humiliation came to the front of my mind as if it were taunting me. I had to take slow, shaky breaths in order to keep myself from losing my composure.

I had put more time into school than anything else. What I always wanted was success. I prided myself in the fact that I was doing everything I could to ensure a future where I made my parents proud and lived a life that was worthy of my efforts.

And yet…in one day, it all crumbled down. One day was all it took for the labor of my existence to be deemed worthless.

I looked up at the sky. The tree’s leaves sheltered me from the sunlight.

If I accept the claim, the punishment might not be so bad.

I want to dispute it, but…I have no faith that I’ll win.

There was really no point in thinking about it any further. I was playing a game where I’d already lost.

…Why is it that I feel so powerless?

I hated that I was sharp enough to see that there was no light at the end of the tunnel. I hated that I couldn’t let myself feel hopeful.

It just seemed like there was no meaning in what I had been doing all this time.

I continued to sit there and shoulder a weight that I so despised to carry. And while doing so, I noticed the soft rustle of footsteps in the grass.

I looked up and was met with the warm glow of a face touched by sunlight.