The day that changed my life forever
Life is like a piece of fabric, and people are like the individual strands of string that makes up the fabric. The lives of all people are interconnected. Sometimes, a person can push an event to you, affecting you and your life so much that one’s world is turned upside down, whether by accident or deliberately. My life had one such event that left its mark even until now.
That day was like any other. I was doing one of my tens of thousands obligations towards my school life, namely studying. Sitting there, with my book on the table and pen in hand, I was every inch the stereotypical nerd.
Bad luck comes in many forms, and in my case, a school bully. I cursed under my breath. Not Him.
“Hey Nerd! Yeah you!” Michael Barnes, the school’s winning footballer shouted. I looked at him coolly but at the same time hesitantly. Any sudden moves, any wrong words at the wrong time, and I would be expecting myself under the weight of several sport jocks.
“Yes?” I said.
“How’s studying, Grave?”
“Not bad, Barnes.”
There was a sudden moment of silence. I had called the sports star, the rising star of the school team, tomorrow’s football player by his last name. This was a crime beyond compare. How could I, a lowly nerd, call the King of the School by that?
“You’re dead, Daxam Grave!” Barnes shouted.
At his command, an army of football jocks came and attacked me. I was punched, kicked, spat at, and at one point asphyxiated-all to suit the Leader’s needs.
“Stop. We’ll continue tomorrow.” He said abruptly. He gave the signal and the jocks stopped. Before he went, he gave me another kick just for good measure.
As I watched them walk away, I gave another curse. Jocks. Natural born bullies. I tried to stand up but failed due to the pain. I felt exhausted, and let out a moan.
Without warning, a boy suddenly jumped out from nowhere, appearing before me. With his brown hair and black clothes, he looked every inch the wild man. As I regarded the boy, he looked at me with his brown eyes.
“Daxam Grave? Come with me.”
Too exhausted to argue, I let him help me up and support me. He carried me to a van, where I was allowed to rest. Even though I didn’t know that boy, I felt safe. As I entered the van, the boy sat opposite me. He gave a signal for the driver to drive.
“Daxam Grave. Orphan. Adopted by Emilio and Agnes Grave. 17 years old. Single.” The man spoke suddenly. I nodded, taken aback.
“Who are you?” I asked.
“You will soon find out.” Came the curt reply.
I was carried to an unknown place, the journey full of twist and turns. It was impossible to see where I was going due to the tinted glass. The van stopped and I got down. The boy led me to a room with dim lightning. I had to focus to see things in the murky darkness.
“Ah, observing his surroundings. How excellent.”
Another man whom I have never seen before materialized from the shadows. He had a slender but athletic build. His age, from sight, put him at about 30 to 35. I frowned and repeated my previous question.
“Who are you?”
“My name is Mikhail Desserovich. Current leader of the Brotherhood of Delta.”
I fell silent for a while as I digested this information. Why was I brought to a secret brotherhood?
“You must be curious why you’re brought here. Let me explain.” Mikhail said. I fell silent to let him continue.
“There are two histories of the world. One is the history of which we all know. Another is the secret history, one which only a select few are chosen to know.”
“A major chapter in the secret history is the formation of the Brotherhood of Delta. This Brotherhood was created during the era of Ancient Greece by Aesop. Before he died, he created this Brotherhood to change the world for the better.” He continued.
“Over the centuries, many young men have been chosen to join the ranks of the Brotherhood. We change history. What may happen, has happened or is happening are caused by the Brotherhood’s will.”
“Essentially we are the nannies of the world, protecting it from harm. By bribery, assassination, talk or threats, we accomplish our goal.”
“Now, you were chosen for one reason-your profile. You have debating skills, yet unhesitant in using force. Most importantly, you have a bent will. Witnessing your parent’s death….certainly a powerful driving force. ”
As Mikhail said this, I nodded. True. My will was bent a few years back, making me unstable.
“You will be in Dusk society. From there, you will rise from the ranks and who knows; maybe one day you might even be sitting here welcoming new acolytes.”
I was allowed to return home by van, but from that day onwards I had a second life. Not even my adoptive parents could know that I am a member of Dusk. I had to hide, and change the world bit by bit and silently, working in the shadows.
A year has passed since my induction into the Brotherhood. The world has certainly been changed, though not always necessarily for the better. I have done many wrong things, all to protect the name of the Brotherhood. But it was not only the world that was changed. Even I have changed. From the hesitant boy to a stone faced member of The Brotherhood, I have evolved. And today, my life will take another turn.
Now I stand in front of my former mentor Mikhail, with my gun drawn and on his head. He chuckles, undeterred. Even with a Walter PPK pistol trained on him he still laughs. As my fingers near the trigger, I ask for only one thing.
Lord, give me the courage change the world with my finger.
