The air was thick with the acrid smell of sulfur and burnt meat. When the SWAT team kicked down the door, they froze. They stared in horror at the charred remains scattered across the floor. I was sitting on the sofa, calm and collected. Under my feet lay the bodies of Mr. Henderson’s parents. The officers swept the room, checking for secondary devices, before training their rifles on me. "Hands on your head! Do not move!" I slowly raised my hands, my voice steady. "Officer, two of my classmates were in the bathroom when it went off. Can I go check if they’re dead, too?" The veteran detective walked in, took one look at the hellscape, and glared at me. "Do you have any idea what you've done? Don't think being a minor will save you from this." I shook my head. I never planned on running. Chapter 1 I was taken to the interrogation room. No matter what they asked, I didn't say a word. Not until a uniformed officer entered to report. "We've confirmed forty bodies at the scene." I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. Forty. I didn't miss a single one. Perfect. The detective slammed his hand on the metal table. "Julian! You arrogant little psychopath! How can you smile right now?" "Tell me, why did you detonate that bomb? Do you realize you just destroyed over thirty families?" I nodded. "I know. That's why I didn't run. I sat there and waited for you. I did it all. I built the bomb myself." "Wrap it up. There’s nothing else to say." The high school principal rushed in, trembling as he pointed a finger at me. "Why? Why would you do this?" "If it weren't for Mr. Henderson, you wouldn't even be in school! He pulled you out of that abusive house!" "Your classmates... they knew you were the youngest. They pitied you. They took care of you. And you... you’re worse than an animal!" The old principal, nearing retirement, was choking on his rage. Behind him stood Dr. Sarah Evans, the school psychologist. She was the only person, besides Mr. Henderson, who had ever shown me kindness. I looked at her. "I'm sorry, Dr. Evans. I didn't mean to drag you into this mess." She looked conflicted. "Julian... your psychological evaluations were always normal. You’re a healthy, brilliant kid. Is there something we don't know? Please, tell the truth." "Maybe... maybe it could help mitigate your sentence." I grinned. Dr. Evans was so kind, trying to save me even now. I shook my head slowly. "There’s no secret story." I looked back at the detective. "I just wanted to test the blast radius of my homemade explosive. I wanted to see if it really could wipe out everyone in that house." "I've confessed, officer. Anything else?" "You monster!" Chapter 2 The detective roared, looking like he wanted to strangle me right there. I looked at him provocatively. I knew he couldn't touch me. "The evidence chain is solid. I even kept the receipts for the chemicals. What's the hold-up?" "Why haven't you closed the case?" The heavy steel door swung open. A man with an imposing aura walked in. He sat on the edge of the table, staring right into my soul. I straightened up. "You must be the boss. Is there anything left to discuss? I admitted to everything." The man kept his face stone cold. "I'm Detective Miller, head of Major Crimes. I’m taking over." His eyes were sharp, like a hawk scanning for prey in tall grass. I nodded. "Ask away." "Why did you kill them? Your principal and teachers say Mr. Henderson and your classmates treated you like family. You have no motive. Unless there's something they aren't telling us." I shrugged. "No hidden motive. Like I said, I just wanted to test my bomb." "They were good to me. That part is true." "How were they good to you?" Miller pressed. I counted on my fingers. "They brought me breakfast. They tutored me. They fought for me to stay in school. The whole class even crowdfunded my living expenses." "Mr. Henderson contributed the most." Chapter 3 "So you killed Mr. Henderson and his elderly parents?" "Yeah. I was afraid he'd be lonely in hell." The officer taking notes in the corner snapped his pen in half. "Captain, this kid is a textbook sociopath. He’s crazy. There’s no point wasting time. Let's book him." Miller glanced at the officer. "Is that how you conduct an investigation? Sloppy?" "If you can't dig for the truth, turn in your badge." The room went silent. Miller’s authority was absolute. I sat up a little straighter, facing Miller. Miller called Dr. Evans back in. "You said he passed his evaluations?" Dr. Evans looked at me with fear now. I smiled gently. Who wouldn't be afraid of a mass murderer? "Yes," she stammered. "His mental health was stable. He showed no signs of antisocial personality disorder. If he had, per school policy, we would have intervened. I was sure he was fine." Miller frowned, looking back at me. "So, why, Julian?" "I suggest you come clean. If there are extenuating circumstances, it could save you from the needle." "The needle?" I laughed. It sounded like a joke. "In this state, mass shooters get the chair or the injection. I killed forty people. You think there’s a loophole for that?" "Detective Miller, I’m not a three-year-old. Don't lie to me." Dr. Evans stepped forward, desperate. "Julian, you’re a genius. You know right from wrong. How could you do this? Just tell us why. Is there a chance?" I shook my head. "I don't need a chance." "If I wanted hope, I wouldn't have built the bomb in the first place." Miller gritted his teeth. "What happened today? What made you light the fuse?" Chapter 4 "You're human, Julian. I don't believe you did this without a trigger." I furrowed my brows, pretending to think deeply. I tapped my fingers on the metal table. "Today was college acceptance day. I got into the State Teachers College. We agreed to celebrate at Mr. Henderson’s house." "When we arrived, Mr. Henderson’s parents had prepared a feast. Better than Thanksgiving." "I was the youngest, so they sat me right next to Mr. Henderson." I spoke calmly, pacing the story like I was describing a family movie night. "Someone suggested we needed champagne. They sent me downstairs to the convenience store to buy it." I smiled, remembering the scene. "I stood downstairs and pressed the button on the remote. The boom... it was beautiful. The windows blew out. Black smoke poured into the sky." I got excited, gesturing with my cuffed hands. "The whole apartment complex ran out screaming. I walked back up. The room was black." "Luckily, the neighbors weren't home. Just my class." Dr. Evans frowned. The pity in her eyes was replaced by disgust. "Some were in pieces. Some were just charcoal statues. You couldn't tell who was who." "When I walked in, Mr. Henderson was still holding his wine glass. He didn't even have time to scream." "My bomb froze him in time forever." Tears of excitement welled in my eyes as I recounted the masterpiece. The silence in the interrogation room was suffocating. Miller slammed the table. "Enough! Tell me why!" "Julian, stop acting. I know there's a reason!" He was pushing me. Forcing me to say it. I pouted like a petulant child. "Why does there have to be a reason?" "If there isn't one, do you want me to make one up?" My casual tone, coming from a mass murderer, was terrifyingly innocent.
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