GOM: GOD OF MINE

Between a dense and dark forest in the early evening, numerous military tents stood tall, surrounded by men armed with swords and spears.

A man, likely the leader, sat on a large stone, using it as a makeshift chair. He was deep in discussion with his higher-ranking officers when a soldier approached and served him a cup of steaming tea.

He took a sip—then immediately spat it out.

"Blaah! What the hell is this? You call this tea?" he bellowed, throwing the cup to the ground in anger.

The soldier who had served him froze in fear as the leader shot up from his seat, grabbing him roughly by the collar.

"Do you even know who I am? Serving me something this disgusting... I should have you executed for this," he snarled.

Before the situation could escalate further, a calm voice interrupted.

"Forgive this poor soul, my lord, for I have brought you something you've been eagerly waiting for," said an unknown figure, draped in red cloth with his face hidden behind a fox mask.

The leader's grip loosened as his attention shifted. He let go of the trembling soldier and turned to the masked man.

"So, you're back," he said, his tone laced with curiosity.

Scene Change (SC)

A lively classroom, filled with wooden benches and a large blackboard. The air buzzed with the cheerful chatter of students.

Yanatoh and Yotah sat at the last bench in the first row, while Yoshi occupied the last bench in the middle row.

Their young, beautiful teacher stood at the front, writing on the blackboard. In neat handwriting, she wrote two words: Focus Test.

"Alright, my dear students," she said, turning to them with a smile. "Today, we'll be having a focus test. It's simple—one student will read, and the rest must stay focused on their words. When their turn ends, the next person will immediately continue from where they left off. This will help sharpen your concentration."

She clapped her hands together. "So, are we ready?"

"Yes!" the class responded in unison.

"Very good. Minisha, let's start with you. Open your books to page eight—'My Life, A Mess'—and begin reading," the teacher instructed.

"Okay, ma'am!" Minisha said before starting.

The classroom fell silent as the students listened intently, their eyes following her words.

Well... most of them.

A quiet whisper broke the silence.

"Oi, Yoshi."

Yoshi turned slightly, raising a brow. It was Yotah.

"What?" Yoshi whispered back.

"Let's play Tic-Tac-Toe," Yotah said, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he slightly lifted his notebook.

"What?!" Yoshi almost choked. "Are you out of your mind? She'll kill us if she catches us playing in her class! Don't be fooled by her looks—she's scary!"

Yotah smirked. "Oh, come on, don't be such a scaredy-cat. She won't even notice."

"It's too risky," Yoshi whispered nervously.

"Relax. Even Yano is in." Yoshi gestured toward Yanatoh, who nodded slightly.

Yoshi sighed. "Fine. But you better keep up with the lesson—just in case."

"Don't worry, we've got backup," Yotah grinned, pointing at the kid sitting in front of them—Mura. The boy sat with his arms folded, book open, and glasses resting on his nose.

"Alright, how are we playing? Tic-Tac-Toe is a two-player game, but there are three of us," Yoshi questioned.

"I already figured that out," Yotah said smugly. "Instead of a 3×3 grid, we'll make it 4×4—16 boxes. And instead of just X and O, we'll add a C."

"A bit complicated, but whatever works," Yoshi said, nodding.

"Alright, since you agreed to play, I'll let you start," Yotah said.

"Okay. Put an X in the second row, second box," Yoshi instructed.

Yotah quickly marked it down.

"Alright, here you go," he said. "Now it's my turn. I'll place an O in the last row, bottom box. Yanatoh, what's your move?"

As they played, their teacher's sharp gaze slowly drifted toward them.

"What are these kids up to?" she thought, narrowing her eyes.

The game had reached a critical moment. Yoshi stared at the board, carefully calculating his next move.

"This game is a mess," he thought. "But wait—I see it now! It's Yanatoh's turn. Both Yotah and I have a chance to win, but it all depends on what he does next. If he blocks me, Yotah wins. If he blocks Yotah, I win. This just got interesting."

Both boys watched Yanatoh intently, their eyes burning with anticipation.

After a moment of deep thought, Yanatoh made his move—blocking Yotah.

Yoshi grinned victoriously. "Yes! I won!"

But before he could celebrate, he noticed something strange.

Yanatoh and Yotah's smiles had vanished, replaced by expressions of pure terror.

Confused, Yoshi turned his head ever so slightly—only to come face-to-face with their teacher standing right behind him.

Her face was cast in shadow, but the ominous aura she radiated was enough to make his blood run cold.

"Yoshi~" she cooed sweetly.

His entire body stiffened.

He turned back toward his so-called friends, silently begging them for help—but they quickly averted their gazes, betraying him in an instant.

"Yoshi~" the teacher sang again, her voice sickeningly sweet.

"Y-yes, ma'am?" Yoshi stammered, standing up.

"Why don't you continue reading for us?" she said, her bright smile not reaching her eyes.

Yoshi's heart dropped.

She knew.

"Come on, Yoshi, I know you can do this," she encouraged with a smile.

"Y-yes, ma'am!" he stuttered, scrambling to grab his textbook. He desperately flipped through the pages, sweat forming on his forehead.

Meanwhile, Yotah, feeling guilty, whispered urgently to Mura.

"Oi, Mura! What page are we on? Mura!"

No response.

Yotah nudged him.

Mura's glasses slipped from his nose as his head tilted slightly.

Yotah's eyes widened.

"He's SLEEPING?!"

Yoshi was doomed.

The teacher, still smiling, tapped her fingers on the desk.

"Yoshi, my dear, could you hurry up a little?"

"Y-yes, ma'am!" Yoshi gulped.

His hands trembled as he frantically tried to figure out the right page. Meanwhile, Yotah peeked at another student's book and saw page 62.

He quickly signaled Yoshi.

Yoshi's eyes lit up.

"Page 62—got it!" he thought.

Confidently, he opened the book and began reading.

"The moon was dazzli—"

The teacher suddenly cut him off.

"You're seven chapters off."

Yoshi froze, horror washing over him.

Scene Change (SC)

Yoshi stood outside the classroom, holding two buckets of water as punishment.

Flashback: Yotah had rechecked the other student's book—only to realize it wasn't the English textbook. It was a philosophy book.

End of flashback.

Yoshi sighed heavily.

The school day ended, and students began heading home. Yanatoh and Yotah stood in the schoolyard, chatting with friends.

"Oi, Yotah, what are you doing next Sunday? Wanna go fishing?" one of the boys asked.

Yotah grinned. "Yeah, why not? What about you, Yanatoh?"

"I—"

"Oi, Yotah! Yanatoh!"

A familiar voice, filled with anger, cut through the air.

They turned.

Yoshi stood behind them, his expression dark, shadowed by the setting sun.

"You two are having fun... without me?"

Yotah took a step back. "Hey, Yoshi, you are here?, Iook I really tried! Mura was sleeping—I swear!"

Yoshi took a slow step forward. locking eyes with them.

"I... I will kill you."

Yotah's face turned pale. "No, Yoshi!"

Yoshi lunged at them, a wooden pencil gripped tightly in his hand.

Panicked, Yanatoh and Yotah turned and ran.

"He's gone insane! Is he really trying to kill me over that?!" Yotah gasped.

He glanced over his shoulder. Yoshi was gaining on them—fast.

"What the hell?! How can he run that fast?! If he keeps this pace, he'll catch me soon!"

He turned to his side—only to find that Yanatoh had already sprinted far ahead.

"You damn traitor!" Yotah cursed.

"Oi, Yotah!" Yoshi called.

Yotah ran for his life.

Up ahead, the narrow village streets opened into a wide town square, where a massive crowd had gathered.

Yanatoh, still sprinting at full speed, saw the crowd too late.

"Not again!" he muttered in frustration, trying to slow down.

But his momentum was too strong.

He crashed straight into the crowd, slipping between the legs of startled villagers. His small body tumbled forward until—

THUD!

He landed face-first on the dirt ground, groaning in pain.

Then... something warm splattered onto his face.

His vision blurred, not with darkness—but red.

His breath hitched. Slowly, he opened his eyes.

A man stood before him—his body falling, a deep sword wound across his chest. Time seemed to slow as the man collapsed onto the ground, right in front of Yanatoh.

A pool of crimson spread beneath him.

Yanatoh's wide eyes darted to his hands—stained with blood.

Terror gripped him.

He wiped his eyes, his fingers trembling as he stared at the red smeared across them.

He looked up.

A man on horseback sat motionless, gripping a bloodied sword. His face was partially hidden by the dim evening light, but a deep scar ran across his cheek.

The village fell into silence.

Yanatoh's breathing turned shallow.

Everything had changed in an instant.

3

To Be Continued...