I Want to Die, But I Am Immortal

A cruel smile spread across Anderson's face. "What a brilliant idea Lily," he said. He turned to the principal. "Get Sophia," he demanded.

The principal was growing more and more frustrated. These children were running his school.

"Principal sir did you not hear us?" Lily said her voice dripping with a false sweetness. "We were attacked. You could be held responsible for this."

The principal sighed in defeat. He turned to one of the teachers. "Get Sophia and bring her to my office," he said.

The scene shifted to the principal's office. Nine teachers were trying to tie Adam to a chair. But he was too strong too fast. He easily broke free of their grasp every time they tried to restrain him.

"What are you doing Adam?" James shouted his voice filled with a mixture of fear and frustration. "Do you think your parents would be happy to see you acting like this?"

The mention of his parents made Adam's blood boil. He turned and glared at James his eyes burning.

James saw the flicker of rage in Adam's eyes and misinterpreted it as a sign of his own success. He felt a surge of confidence. He looked at the other teachers.

"I know Adam," he said his voice filled with a false sincerity. "He's just upset. He's been through a lot."

He then gestured for the other teachers to let Adam go. They were hesitant their faces a mixture of fear and disbelief. But they trusted James. They released their grip on Adam.

Adam stared at James a silent promise of death in his eyes. You're next James, he thought. He stepped back and sat down in the chair the teachers had been trying to tie him to.

The teachers started to move towards him again their ropes at the ready. But James stopped them. "Don't worry," he said. "He's not going anywhere."

He thought his words had calmed Adam. He thought he had broken him. But Adam was just using him. He was playing along to buy himself some time.

The principal's office door opened. The principal walked in followed by a teacher and Anderson. Anderson's nose was broken and bandaged. His friends followed behind him their faces bruised and swollen.

Anderson was scared of Adam but the thought of his father's impending arrival gave him a false sense of courage. "You're finished Adam," he said. "You made a big mistake. If you had just minded your own business I would have left you alone. But you had to interfere. You had to get between us and Sophia. Now you'll see what my father does to you."

The door opened again. A female teacher walked in with Sophia behind her. Sophia had seen Adam take down her tormentors in the cafeteria.

The fear she had felt for them for so long was gone replaced by a new sense of strength and defiance. She walked straight to Adam and stood behind him a silent show of solidarity.

The teachers were stunned by her actions.

Lily stepped forward. "Did you think you could hide behind a boy and be safe?" she sneered at Sophia. "No. Your life is about to become a living hell. We're not just going to target you anymore. We're going to target your family your little sister."

Sophia looked at Adam. He was watching Lily and Anderson his expression calm and unreadable. He was a predator observing his prey. And they had no idea of the danger they were in.

Adam did not react. Sophia saw his calm demeanor and decided to follow his lead. She knew he had a plan.

The principal's office door opened again. Two police officers walked in. They saw Anderson and his friends their faces bruised and swollen. Then the commissioner walked in. He went straight to his son.

"My boy who did this to you?" he asked his voice filled with a father's concern.

"Dad it was him," Anderson said pointing a trembling finger at Adam. "His name is Adam."

The commissioner turned and looked at Adam. He froze. The police officers who had come with him also froze. They all recognized the boy who had walked out of the bloody clubhouse.

"Dad I want you to give him the harshest punishment possible," Anderson continued his voice a pathetic whimper. "I don't want you to just put him in jail. I want you to kill him."

The teachers were terrified. James was disappointed. He had hoped to kill Adam himself and collect the bounty. But he knew he could not do anything in front of the commissioner.

Something unexpected happened. The commissioner walked towards Adam. Anderson and Lily smiled a triumphant smile. They thought Adam was about to get what he deserved. But then the commissioner fell to his knees his forehead touching the floor.

"Please spare my son," he begged.

Everyone in the room was stunned. "Dad!" Anderson screamed.

"What are you looking at?" the commissioner yelled at his officers. They rushed to Anderson's side and forced him to his knees as well.

The commissioner looked at Adam. "I apologize on behalf of my son," he said.

Adam was surprised. He had known the commissioner was afraid of him. But he had not expected this. He had not expected him to bow down to him.

The commissioner was thinking about the big families. He knew that if they found out his son was involved with Adam they would kill him. His son was the only thing he cared about in this world. His son and his money. He would do anything to protect them.

Adam understood this instantly. A slow smile spread across his face. He stood up from his chair. The teachers and the principal were speechless. Anderson was a mixture of confusion and rage.

Adam stood in front of the kneeling commissioner. "You made a big mistake commissioner," he said his voice a low dangerous whisper. "You sent your son after me."

The commissioner realized then that the bounty on Adam's head was not just about his power. It was about his intelligence his cunning. He had found his greatest weakness his one vulnerability. He cursed his luck. He cursed his fate. Lily was also confused.

She did not understand what was happening. Her father was a rich and powerful businessman but he was nothing compared to the forces at play here.

But she did not have the kind of power that Anderson wielded.

"Keep my son out of this," the commissioner begged his voice a desperate plea. "I'll give you anything you want in return."

Adam paused for a moment considering the offer. It was not a bad idea. A slow smile spread across his face.

"Alright," he said. "I'll forget what happened between me and your son. But in return..."

Everyone in the room was already stunned. James was the most confused of all. He could not understand what was happening. He felt like he had missed a crucial piece of the puzzle.

"...I want to show these people a living hell," Adam continued pointing at Lily and Anderson's friends.

The commissioner looked at them then back at the floor. He let out a long slow breath. "Whatever you do to them," he said his voice a low resignation "I'll make sure it doesn't go public. And the police won't take any action against you."

Lily was speechless. The principal was horrified. James was finally starting to understand the true power dynamics at play. Sophia stood silently behind Adam her expression unreadable.

Adam knelt down in front of Anderson. "If you ever look at Sophia again," he said his voice a low dangerous whisper "I'll drag you down to the same hell that your father knows so well."

Anderson was terrified. He looked at his father's face and saw a fear that he had never seen before. He realized then that Adam must be from a very powerful underworld family. But he had heard that Adam's parents were dead.

Everyone in the room came to the same conclusion. Adam was a member of a powerful underworld family a family that even the police commissioner was afraid of. Lily's face was a mask of pure terror.

"Anderson! Uncle! How can you say that?" she screamed.

"Shut up you foolish girl!" the commissioner roared. "Anderson and I have no relationship with you that would make me risk my life for you."

Normally Anderson would have defended her. But this time he said nothing. He just sat there in silence his eyes downcast.

Lily was stunned. She was even more shocked by Anderson's silence.

Adam stood up and looked at Lily. "What did you say?" he asked his voice a chilling whisper. "You were going to make Sophia's life a living hell? Get ready all of you. If I don't make your lives a living hell then my name is not Adam."