[BOOK 1] More Than This

4 Years Ago

It was dark outside the building where darkness started to embrace the whole world while the sun was kissing the Earth in her full glory. Moon can be seen afar as if he was peeking on the sun as they played hide and seek.

The two story building where the walls were painted with creamy white wall, maroon colored roofing and the gutters were of chocolate brown. The secluded place was far from the busy side walk where horns can be heard.

No distraction.

Nothing!

The inside of the building was also painted with dark green. That isn't even an abandon building but they make sure to paint it as if it is one. The cracked along the walls as if it is some kind of a ruin of thousands of years aged building at the left side of the city.

Inside the building where screaming and crying can be heard from the neophytes that are being tortured to quit. There's also a little hint of laughter that can be heard inside. Fifteen boys aged 18 years old, naked, was lining up with their eyes fully blind folded, legs were slightly parted in nearly foot away from each other and hands covering their capital as if their life depends on it.

"Say it one more time!!" from behind the line of fifteen blindfolded boys, someone has shouted.

"We love Alpha Beta Phi!!" they shouted it in unison up to fifth times. Other's just force it to avoid any further painful hit from the wooden paddle.

"Number 1, step forward," Ordered by the other boy from behind them.

"Yes master!" the boy who was about 5'7 in height and has the smallest body built among them panting from the hit he incurred immediately complied.

He was thoroughly blindfolded as if darkness is the only sanctuary he can have. Laughter filled the whole room when he trembled clearly with his whole body shaking.

"Who among of those idiots at your back do you wanted to quit?" another voice from behind has asked.

The boy did not answer the question and another hit has kissed the back of his thigh. He just hissed while gritting his teeth through the contact of the wooden paddle in his bare skin. Another full swing strike kissed the back of his thigh and he screams out loud. He wanted to curse and kill the one who strikes him but he suppresses himself from doing so.

"Answer!" Another voice said.

"No one master." And another one full swing strikes has kissed the back of his thigh and he hissed again. Pain can be seen through his face where bead of sweats rolling from his forehead to his chin while carefully holding his capital with his two hands.

"Who are your friends among them?"

"No one master." He answered. If he wanted them to survive he has to betray them once and they will betray them again for their own sake. Though there are four among them whom he didn't know, he still answers it with a lie.

"Liar!"

He was almost deafened at the contact of the man's hand on his cheek but he still stood there. Did he just slap me? He asked himself and he got the answer since he felt it again in the other side of his cheek. Great! He slaps me twice.

"Did your parents teach you how to answer when someone asks you a question?" the stern voice of the man speaking into his right ear sends chill to his spine and make him shiver to the sound of his voice.

Before he could answer, he felt three successive full swings strikes in the back of his thigh that makes him hissed louder and harder. He almost cries to the pain he felt.

Three hours more and he can't feel his legs anymore; his voice has become hoarser as the time passed. He screams his lungs out every time the wooden paddle got its contact to his bare skin. He can feel the blood dripping from the cuts he has at his thigh. He is ready to give up but he think of his best friends who are at his back, he can't leave them and make them suffer as much as he can, so he decided to stand still and endure the pain from the hazing.