The Mystic Retribution

CHAPTER 1

Ryan slowly regained consciousness back to the realm of the living. He probably may have been unconscious for about two hours. Ryan found himself bound to a chair with hands behind his back and legs strongly tied with a rope. The gloomy atmosphere of where appeared to look like a cave, had the horrifying aura of the Dracula. “Where am I? Where is this place?” he thought to himself.

With a blurred vision, Ryan could barely see the three solitary figures that sat about five meters away in the dimly lit cave chatting loudly about their sexual exploits. One of the figures, who had barely uttered a word finally spoke up, “After we put an end to this menace still taking a nap over there, I will like to completely devote my attention to Luna”, he said. As if to seek for an approval from his peers, he slowly raised his head up and continued. “Luna is the hottest girl in school and I think I am in love with her. I believe we will make a …” “Luna, the new girl?” a deep voice sharply cut in. “Of course!” the quiet of the three retorted.

An awkward silence immediately ensued with an exchange of glances by the other two figures. Like an echo, a deafening laughter suddenly erupted between the two as they rolled on the floor. Immediately, Ryan recognized the laughter of one of the three and the voices of the other two individuals. Who in Silverlake Academy wouldn’t recognize the annoying laughter of Astrid and the preying voices of Orion and Damien, the twins? They were popularly known as the ‘Notorious 3’. They usually derived joy in bullying other students and seeing them in pain. “Why?” This question remains on the lips of every student and till date, remains unanswered. It may be the affluence of their family that buys them the kind of immunity they have, or their intimidating 6’6 physical appearance, everyone to their opinions.

Ryan and his best friend, Jake had always been the center target of their erroneous actions. On one particular occasion, Ryan had taken permission from the Mathematics teacher during an ongoing class to go answer the call of nature. As he walked majestically through the well-lit sterile hallway of Silverlake Academy, he met Jake who was also heading to the white house. Unknown to them, there was an impending doom awaiting their innocent selves. The Notorious 3 were surreptitiously hiding at the corner and before Ryan could exchange pleasantries with Jake, Boom… They were completely drenched from the water balloons that had just hit them.

Immediately, the hallway bell rang signaling the end of the class. The empty hallway was soon filled and to everyone’s surprise, there was Ryan and Jake standing mute in a completely messed up hallway. As if that wasn’t enough, the Notorious 3 had hidden some water balloons in their bag packs. There was nothing that could save them from a week’s detention as every piece of evidence pointed them as the culprits of School vandalism.

Despite the personalities of the Notorious 3, they make girls dance to their tunes just by casting a stare into their souls. They are not to be blamed though. Which girl wouldn’t go head over heels for a guy whose physical presence commanded attention? The facial features, sharp jawlines framed a perfectly symmetrical face, adorned with expressive eyes that hold intensity capable of igniting a spark in the coldest of hearts. The dark falling tousled hair that adds a touch of rugged charm. The broad shoulders form a powerful frame, drawing the eyes to the well-defined contours of the chest and arms. The only difference in their physicality is the eyes least one would think they were siblings. Astrid had blue eyes, Orion, brown, and Damien, black. These are features possessed by ‘Henry Cavill’. Even a guy would be ready to be gay for them.

Damien could no longer stand the continuous annoying laughter of Astrid and Orion and exclaimed, “What the f*****g hell is funny right now you morons!” That caused them to laugh even more. After about five minutes of pissing Damien off, they got a hold of themselves. Orion spoke first.

“I think we all know that the word ‘love’ cannot be found in your dictionary. Girls are like toys to you and if there is anyone to fall in love among the three of us, you are definitely the last on the list.”

“Moreover, Luna is a whore,” Astrid reinstated. “Permit me to ask, Mr. Knowall, how did you come about such conclusion?” Damien asked sarcastically. “Well, what can I say? Hmmm… as a friend, I wanted to be sure Luna was a keeper since you spoke quite highly of her. With a few hundred dollar notes and some lines from ‘Quantum Rizz’, I got her to pray with me on the bed for two nights.” Astrid said as he repeatedly raised his eyebrow at Damien.

Orion’s eyes widened in shock at what he had just heard and struggled to hold his laughter. On the other hand, Damien was boiling with rage and red with anger as he battled with his emotions and the reality of what Astrid had just told him.

He very well knew Astrid was not bluffing and within the Notorious 3, this was a normal thing, ‘Battle of Supremacy’. There was nothing he could do about it rather than plot his own revenge.

Ryan was caught up in the ongoing discussion that he forgot he was still tied to a chair in the middle of nowhere with the Notorious 3. “What could they be doing here? NO! The question should be what am I doing here with them?” Ryan thought to himself. Like a thud of a heavy hammer, a sharp pain from the swelling on the back of his head reminded him immediately on what had occurred some hours earlier.

(FLASHBACK)…..

It was a weekend, a sunny Friday after the intense eight-hour lecture, Ryan had been invited by his girlfriend, Zara for a dinner with her family. Zara was the only daughter of one of the richest families in Halcyon Bay, the Greystones. Her family had the biggest estates and one of the largest shares of investments in the city. To top it all up, Zara was an angel in human form.

Her face, a symphony of delicate features, bore the grace of a timeless muse. High cheekbones accentuated the soft curve of her cheeks, radiating gentle warmth. A pert nose led the way to lips that seemed to hold the promise of untold stories, painted in a shade that echoed the soft blush of dawn. Yet, it was not just the external aesthetics that defined her beauty; it was the kindness that illuminated her gaze, the laughter that danced in her voice, and the empathy that embraced every soul she encountered.

Zara had long tried compelling Ryan for a dinner with her family but to no avail. Ryan would always capitalize on his multiple weekend shifts to thwart her request. The truth was that Ryan was petrified at the thought of meeting the most influential family he had an idea of and concerned whether he would be accepted or not. However, on this day, a different scenario unfolded.

After classes, Zara hurriedly walked up to Ryan. “Hey damsel,” Ryan said with a big smile on his face. “Shhhhhh! I thought we agreed to keep our relationship a secret.” Zara said as she looked around. Ryan, looking dejected said, “I am sorry! Sometimes, I just can’t help it. “When do we have to stop pretending and tell everyone the truth?” “Not long! After dinner with my family today, we can make it official. I have a secret I would like you to know too.” Before Ryan could reply, Zara cut in “Lest I forget, before you give me your usual weekend shift excuse, check your e-mail, you have been excused for the weekend shifts by your managers.” That left Ryan bewildered at how she was able to do that. In the different places he worked, as long as you aren’t dead, there is no excuse as to why you should not report to work.

In that moment of confusion, a black Rolls Royce with tinted windows arrived at where they stood. She hopped in, winded down the windows and yelled, “See you circa 8pm! Don’t be late!” Off the car drove leaving behind a gust of dust. “How powerful could this family be?” Ryan thought to himself as he majestically walked to the foster home, where he resided.

Ryan could not contain his joy as he enthusiastically anticipated the big secret Zara had in plan for him and the thoughts of being referred to as ‘Zara’s Man’ overwhelmed him with gladness. Jake, who was Ryan’s only friend and roommate, helped him in picking up a smart wear for the occasion. Jake could also be heard giving a lecture to Ryan on the best ways to woe a lady. Close to the allotted time for the dinner, Jake offered to take Ryan on his mini scooter in which he repudiated. “You can barely sit comfortably on that scooter, you fathead! If I need you, I will place a call.” Ryan jokingly said as he headed for the bus station.