Timeless Resolve: Rdiger's Journey

I was standing in the rain. I couldn't move and my eyes were not blinking. I was in a daze; an absolute state of confusion and astonishment. I didn't know how to process it all. All I could think about was that I had been given so much responsibility. A life altering amount of power. And now, just like that, it was gone.

My mouth remained agape as the rain pelted my face with a fury only nature could conjure. My eyes were open so wide that they hurt with every drop of rain that fell into them. My hands were shaking uncontrollably from one side to the other causing me to look away from the sky and stare at the pavement beneath me instead. And there it lay, silently mocking me for my naivety and stupidity for believing for even a second that this world would be mine to conquer.

"Chris," I said out loud to myself as if trying to wrap my mind around his name alone would be enough to justify what he had just done before me. "How could you do this? How could you do this to me?" I screamed louder than ever before while still refusing to blink or move a single muscle. A pedestrian walking by stopped when he heard the noise, but after noticing my stillness continued on his merry way while looking back occasionally to make sure I wasn't going to jump in front of him or something equally as bizarre. As he walked away I glared at him with such hatred that if he could have seen it he surely would have run back and called the police for help. My rage intensified as he disappeared into the distance, but soon faded when I realized that this was not his fault, nor anyone's fault really besides my own for being stupid enough to believe there was good in people anymore.

But why would Chris betray me? We were friends since we were kids! He couldn't have known about my powers until today! Things started making sense though when I remembered how we met up at school before lunch earlier today. He told me he had something important to tell me, but when we sat down together, he seemed nervous and unsure of himself, so he asked if we could walk instead, which was very unusual for Christian who always seemed so confident and composed whenever we talked together before, especially when talking about something he considered important or even secret like today apparently should have been too according to Christian's request that he wanted whatever he had to say "between us," which is why he opted against walking inside where we'd be more comfortable and quiet enough for him to tell secrets privately without anyone overhearing us despite never having cared before about anyone else hearing our conversations together either.

Once outside, Christian explained that while walking home yesterday evening from soccer practice, some guy approached him asking if he knew Rdiger Schulz and if possible, whether it would be possible for them to meet somewhere privately so they can talk "about some things." After Christian told him where I lived and offered up my phone number for additional contact information in case anything urgent should happen, the man thanked him and disappeared without saying another word, leaving Christian extremely confused about what just happened, explaining that "the guy seemed nice enough, so why did he leave so suddenly without explanation?"

Not long after the man left, Christian received a text message on his phone from someone named "Bill" asking whether they could meet near where Christian lives instead of at my house since Bill had recently moved into an apartment nearby where Bill also worked sometimes during his free time as a janitor, so Bill preferred meeting at his place rather than mine since it would give them more privacy when talking privately together. This is why Chris agreed immediately because Chris never worried too much about doing simple things like letting strangers into our home even after only knowing them through text messages alone.

That evening, Chris allowed Bill into our house while Chris made dinner because Chris never questioned things like letting strange men into our house at night. Christian, oblivious to the events unfolding downstairs, was upstairs asleep in his room. Bill returned with two extra men who entered our home quietly without knocking or ringing our doorbell first, but also without weapons or any signs of malicious intent. They carried with them only small flashlights.

By the time dinner finished cooking, Chris didn't notice anything unusual either, as he descended the stairs and joined everyone at the table, where they began eating happily. They chatted casually, asking questions like "What took you so long?" And "Why haven't you served the food yet?" making Chris feel guilty and apologizing profusely.

As Chris stepped away from the table briefly to retrieve more food, Christian, now awake, went downstairs to see what was happening, only to witness the three strangers in his home. Suddenly, everything became clear: Why Christian never warned me about what happened last night! Why Mr. Bill arranged a secret meeting between us today!

In that moment, Bill shouted, "Attack now!" giving away their plan