Levi sank into the warm sand, the salty breeze tugging at his hair as he pretended to watch the waves roll in. His eyes, however, couldn't resist wandering. The girls strolling along the shoreline drew his attention, their legs sun-kissed and glistening under the afternoon sun. "Oh…" he muttered under his breath, almost to himself. They looked so fresh, so alive, and the way the wind caught their skirts made his stomach twist with a mix of desire and frustration.
Levi was popular at school, not because of grades or achievements, but because of his looks. He didn't come to class for education, he came for the attention, for the girls.
It was the weekend, and he, along with his two friends, Evan and Isaac, had decided to hit the beach.
"Levi!" they called from behind, raising a bottle of champagne in the air and waving for him to join them, but levi ignored them. The spot where he was sitting was perfect, the only place that gave him a clear view of the girls walking by, their skirts lifted by the breeze, the way the sun hit them making them look impossibly tempting. Nothing else mattered right now.
"That perv" Ethan annoyingly whispered, letting out a long sigh behind him as Levi ignored their calls, his gaze fixed on the girls strolling by.
Levi's eyes landed on a particular girl, and for the first time, he noticed that she was staring back at him. The way her curves hugged her beachwear, the slit of her dress rising from her thighs to her waist—it made his pulse spike. He could feel himself already reacting. "Sexy…" he muttered under his breath, barely able to contain the hunger in his gaze.
"Hey," she said, sliding in close to him.
Levi, wanting to look calm and collected, gave a casual nod. "Hello," he greeted, his voice smooth.
Her eyes flicked across the beach, scanning for someone, but Levi didn't care. All that mattered to him was the way she looked, the heat building in his chest, the thought of… smashing.
"You come here often?" she asked, her eyes flicking across the beach as if scanning for someone.
Levi smirked. "Not really… just enjoying the view." He let his gaze linger on her, deliberately. She laughed softly. "Funny… I was thinking the same thing."
For a moment, there was silence, the sound of the waves filling the space between them. Then she stood up, brushing sand off her shorts. "Let's take a walk. It's too nice a day to sit still."
They started walking, the noise of the crowd fading behind them. Soon, they had passed the throngs of beachgoers and found themselves alone, the soft crash of waves the only sound around them.
Levi let out a low chuckle under his breath. "Yes… finally alone," he muttered, a dark grin tugging at his lips. The thought ran through his mind, unfiltered and eager: I can smash.
Levi opened his mouth to ask her name, but before he could, a shadow stepped out from behind a nearby dune.
"Emily!" the figure shouted, his voice sharp and commanding. She turned to him, eyes gleaming with satisfaction.
"We had an argument just a few minutes ago," he continued, rage etched across his face, "and now you're out here hanging with some guy?"
Levi's gaze flicked to the man's arms. Gang tattoos snaked up his skin, and suddenly Levi felt a flicker of fear.
"This is a misunder—" Levi began, his voice shaky, but before he could finish, a sharp punch connected with his face, sending him reeling.
Emily didn't even flinch at the punch. "Oh, come on! You were making it so obvious I mean nothing to you!" she said looking at her boyfriend , grinning like she owned the world.
Then, leaning just a little closer to Levi, she deliberately swayed her body on levi making sure her chest rubbed his romantically, letting every move scream, making her boyfriend freeze in disbelief. "Let me have a little fun!" she teased, clearly enjoying how angry her boyfriend was getting.
Levi's expression shifted as it hit him. She didn't care about him at all. Every move, every teasing glance—it wasn't for him. It was all to make her boyfriend jealous, and Levi had just been the unwitting pawn in her little game.
Her boyfriend's anger reached its peak as he stormed toward Levi, fists clenched. "How dare you!" he growled, closing the distance with every step.
Levi froze, completely confused. All he had wanted was a little fun, and now this chaos was crashing down around him.
Before he could even react, the guy grabbed him by the neck and began raining punches.
Emily didn't flinch: in fact, she seemed thrilled. Her plan was working perfectly—she'd managed to infuriate her boyfriend. She laughed wickedly, the sound ringing over the crashing waves.
"Hahaha! I thought you said you didn't want me anymore!" she shouted, completely ignoring the fact that Levi was taking a brutal beating.
The boyfriend had reached his breaking point. With a flash of motion, he pulled a gun from his waistband, aiming it straight at Levi's chest.
"I won't let you have her!" he shouted, voice raw with rage.
Levi froze, disbelief hitting him like a wave. What…? he thought, eyes wide. He had no idea what was happening.
"Wait! Wait! Wait!" Levi screamed, panic clawing at his throat as he instinctively raised his hands, his brain scrambling to make sense of the chaos around him.
Then came the gunshots—BANG! BANG! BANG!—echoing across the beach.
Levi barely had time to react. Pain exploded in his chest, and his world tilted violently. The bright sunlight, the waves, the sand—they all blurred together in a dizzying swirl. His vision darkened at the edges, and a metallic taste filled his mouth as blood surged, warm and frighteningly real.
Levi fell to the ground, struggling to catch his breath as blood streamed from his chest. He was on the verge of death when a red portal suddenly opened before him.
A man stepped out, dressed in black, his eyes glowing with an otherworldly light.
"W-what's this?" Levi gasped, barely able to speak as he fought to stay conscious. "Is this… the afterlife?"
The figure came directly in front of Levi, letting out a wicked smirk as he stared directly at Levi while he struggled to breathe.