บท 2: Prolouge

Growing up in a bad neighborhood really does a number on your psyche. It makes you selfish and makes you learn that nothing will change about your situation if you don't do anything to change it. At the age of seven, I got into a fight with a kid in the playground because he took my ball. My first fight taught me I loved fighting and I was damn good at it. But I also learned if you beat someone strong his followers or victims of bullying start looking up to you. Apparently I had gained followers, which only lasted till when the kid brought his bigger brother to beat me. And my 'followers' didn't even help. That beating showed me how life is unfair and you have to use everything to your advantage. After I knew what to do, I beat up three of my previous "followers" and practically forced them to follow me around. Then I made the follow the kid's big brother around. Then when they told me the times he was alone, I waited at one of the places he frequents my 'followers' and when I saw him I used a brick to ambush, as soon as he went down, I made the other kids beat him too, to make them as much of an accomplice as I was, hence cementing their legacy. The euphoria that came fro a successful operation made all the nervousness evaporate.

After that, I successfully established my first group, using my first followers to gather more like-minded people. Though we didn't go around beating people, instead focused more on getting to know the ins and out of the neighborhood. Like neighboring middle schools and the groups present there. After getting to know more them I planned the weakest group of our own middle school and from there I kept on repeating my process gathering followers and in one year I took over my middle school. I started my own illegal trade with toys and sweets and junk food, selling them overpriced may have made customers mad but a little threat kept them in line.

After cementing my position I started attacking known groups in other middle schools. For leading people, you need charisma, image, and ability to back up your words. Though you also need to be able to differentiate between your followers. The nobodies, who are there as cannon fodder, the arrogant fools, who know how to throw a punch but are just putting up a facade. Finally, there are those who look the best scenario, who are just waiting for your downfall so they can strike you. To keep all those in line I learned after my first beating to hold everyone in such a web that they will have no choice than to help you because whatever is coming for your head will aim for them too.

It's like a parent manipulates their children to go to bed early or the monster under the bed will come to get you.

By the time I had graduated from middle school, my clutches were already deep in all high schools apart from juniors and seniors, by this time my notoriety was an all-time high. After getting into high school, the process changed I started making my followers make the kids buy school uniforms and bags from specific companies, which earned me some big commission. This ticked of the senior gangs and dropouts who wanted an in on this. This sparked a big gang war, which I needed because I knew to establish a system, I need to destroy the old and devour it. And I thrived in this chaos taking on six-seven people alone cemented my position. Though what worried me was someone bringing guns because I didn't have any way to secure myself. No matter how many followers I have, in the end, they are all kids, nobody will stand at my side if other side starts bringing guns.

It wasn't like I was afraid of anything. It was just I have so much to live and strive for, during this young will be too troublesome. My dream was evolving too, first I wanted to take care of myself but (orphan), then after that it went on from taking control of my school to take control of this city which became a state and finally now onto the country like a try mafia don. The insatiable human greed.

Though it looked like my worries were for naught, as a few shows of absolute brutality and cruelness dissuaded the other vultures. That's how I spread my web through all the high schools in my city. Our organization started providing transports, organizing events. Getting some of the graduated seniors into the police got me a limited supply of ammunition and a few handguns, which helped me to start taking complete control of the city from within. Yes, I also shot people, by any means it doesn't mean I killed them, I just shot them in the knees or hands. It's not like I didn't have any problem with it, I knew growing up in pursue of my dreams I might have to kill people but killing someone at this stage might raise some question about a dead body. and I still dont have any high ranking officers for my backing. So, in the end, it was only unnecessary risks.

The only reason my followers were with me throughout this debacle, is not because of some bullshit like comradery, nothing like that. It was their belief in me "my rule is absolute", they knew if they ditched me know, I will still crawl back up and ruthlessly destroy them. My time in this city taught me this friendship is just an illusion. My favorite fanfic said it best "When you are too smart, you make others envious and feel stupid in comparison. When you are too good-looking, you make others around you seem plain in comparison. Too charismatic? Others around you are dull and lifeless by default. Too athletic? Others no longer seem to stack up. When you outshine everything and everyone around you like a burning supernova in the wake of a candle flame – 'friendship' or an illusion of it is pointless. To stand at the top is to stand alone. Below you and behind you are rivals and competitors forever cast in the shadow left by your light"

Oh yeah during high school I was introduced to the wonderful world of novels and fanfics. One of my therapeutic exercises was for was imagine myself in that position and what I would do differently and more efficiently, I think this where I tell I got shot through my chest while going to the next meeting. Can you imagine, when you become so high-profile that you have snipers after you?

So finding myself in a child body was what pushed me to rethink my life.