Inside a dimly lit room of a two-story house.
Mars put the star-pupiled eyeball inside a cubicle-shaped box and closed it.
“Agh…” He touched his chest, which was beating like hands on a drum. “It feels better now, but what the hell was that feeling…”
Knock, knock—loud knocking came from the locked door.
“Brother, open up!” Mercury screamed from the other side.
Mars was about to stand up to go open the door, but then a voice echoed inside his mind.
‘Don’t; he wants to steal your future away from you…’
Mars stopped, and after a few moments of thinking, he sat back down and turned back to the box.
“Who are you?” He asked while talking to the box. “What do you want from me?”
‘I am the Eye of Shimon. Nice to meet you, Mars Ares Godfriend, son of Sun Godfriend.’
‘It even knows my father’s name…’ Mars thought. ‘Well, this is my father’s eye. Did this eye also talk with my father?’
‘I did.’ The eye replied immediately, as if it could hear his thoughts. ‘He wasn’t a very nice person to talk with.’
Mars was shocked and confused.
‘What do you want from me?’
‘Nothing, but I can give you something… wonderful.’
‘And that is?’ Mars asked, but there was a seed of doubt within him. He felt very suspicious.
‘A wonderful future.’ The eye replied. ‘I once belonged to Ancient Grounded God known as Shimon. He had the ability to alter and change other people’s fates.
‘However, he was a hideous person and liked to torment others. He was the pinnacle of evil. Yet, once he got banished into the Banished Realm, I freed myself from him and escaped from the Sword of the Pale God, barely…
‘I have changed many owners, and my last one was your father.’
‘How did my father die?’ Mars asked with an aching headache. ‘We found him one day lying dead on the bathroom floor. D-don’t lie, I know you had something to do with that!’
‘I like you, Mars; therefore, I won’t lie.’ The eye said. ‘He couldn’t handle my power. He was only my owner for two years, and yet, all of his life energy was drained.
‘It could be because of his excessive smoking and drinking that he was already in poor health. Still, it was a short time, even for someone like me. I expected him to last at least five years.’
‘So… you killed him?’ Mars asked painfully.
‘I didn’t ask him to become my owner.’ The eye replied. ‘Your father killed my previous owner in some drunken bar fight.’
‘W-what?’ Mars’ eyes shook in surprise. ‘H-he killed someone?’
‘Trust me, it wasn’t the worst thing he had done.’ The eye said, ‘Your father became very reliant on my ability after he saw what I could do, but he only touched a little bit of the surface.
‘I am much more than just a luck giver.’
Mars stayed quiet.
He remembered two years ago when his father came with one of his eyes changed into a star-pupiled one. Whenever they asked what that was, he beat them up. It was clear he didn’t want anyone to ask him about it.
Ever since that day, his father returned later and later from work. He always smelled alcohol and had a youthful glint in his eyes, as if he was back in his youth.
‘I am a wonderful creation that can help anyone rise to the top of the world. Yet, most of my owners used me to fulfill their desires for women, alcohol, and money, just like your father.’
‘I always knew my father wasn’t the greatest human being alive, but this is…’ Mars’ eyes flashed with pain.
‘That’s where you come!’ The eye said gleefully. ‘You are different from others!’
‘You can truly change the world. I am tired of helping clueless fools achieve their tiny greeds. I desire something much grander!’
‘A-and that is?’ Mars asked hesitantly, but his heart started beating faster.
‘You can change the world.’ The eye said with a hypnotizing tone. ‘You can make a difference that will last eons.’
‘Change the world…’ Mars thought to himself.
He wanted that.
He wanted to be important.
This was a golden ticket to make a real difference.
Knock, knock—the knocking sound turned much louder as Mercury’s shouting intensified, and he soon started kicking the door.
“Ugh…” Mars turned to the door with a hostile gaze.
‘You aren’t powerful enough to defeat your brother yet!’ The eye said hurriedly. ‘Escape through the window. Escape this island. You can become much stronger than your brother with my help!’
‘B-but…’ Mars looked at the box with a hesitant look. “This is my life. I-I have never left this place before.”
“Mars, who are you talking to?!” Mercury shouted from behind the door and knocked loudly. “Please open, for fuck sake!”
‘You can’t make any difference if you lose me here!’ The eye pleaded. ‘To truly make a difference, you have to set sail!’
Mars pondered thoughtfully, sweat dripping down his face.
In the end, he hesitantly nodded and picked up the box from the ground. “A-All right, where will we go?”
‘To the harbor, steal a ship from there.’
‘S-steal, what if I get caught?’ Mars asked in shock.
‘You have to learn one thing: you can’t make a single difference if you play nicely. From now on, you will kill, steal, and do whatever it takes to survive. You hear me?’
Mars’ hesitant eyes flashed with a blank look, and like a robot, he nodded.
“Okay…”
‘Good, now go.
‘Soon enough, your name will even reach the sky!
‘Mars Ares Godfriend, you will change the world!’
…
Back in the present time.
Mars’ hazy vision cleared up, and he could see his former crew members circling him, striking him with their attacks.
‘Mars!’ A fading voice echoed in his mind.
‘The eye? It’s you?’ Mars shook his head. ‘I am in trouble. I’ll die.’
‘You can’t! No matter what, do not go down!’ The eye screamed in panic. ‘Survive, fucking survive!’
“Raaaaah!” Mars screamed loudly and threw a quick punch that landed on Jake’s face. The fire-coated punch caused an explosion that sent the Starborn flying away.
“H-he can still move?!” Ambrose asked in shock, as it was clear that Mars was infected by the poison that was supposed to kill an ordinary person within seconds.
However, Mars was far from ordinary.
Mars summoned several fireballs and tossed them everywhere. As they landed on the ground, they exploded and sent Black Heart members flying away with burn wounds.
“Silver Death!” Leon suddenly slashed through Mars’ waist with his insane speed. Yet, when he turned his gaze back to his blade, it was slowly melting away.
Those golden flames destroyed his sword as well.
“Cursed…” Leon dropped his swords and turned to Mars with his fists. He wasn’t familiar with unarmed combat, but he was ready to fight if needed.
Mars spread his arms around, and the golden flames circled around him, creating a dome of flames. It was impossible to enter this dome without getting severely burned.
“You all die… by the Sun.”
The dome expanded, slowly burning every inch of the island as it continued to expand. At this rate, if no one wanted to get burned, they would have to leave the island.