Chapter 1: a villain of class and style

It was a very satisfying feeling that Hobbies Kraft was experiencing at the moment. The sense of accomplishment, of finally taking the big leap forward to change his future into the direction that he felt was right for him, made him happy and drew a honest smile on his normally rather expressionless face. He felt like he had finally gained control over his life.

He just stood there on the podium for some time, simply savouring the moment. Then he took a deep breath and left the stage.

“You know,” Hobbies Kraft said with a tone in his voice that sounded like that he was about the tell a long and personal story, which indeed he was, while demonstratively interrupting his own words by taking a sip from his glass of brandy.

The rather bitter taste filled his mouth, and he immediately wondered how people could enjoy drinking this stuff. Yet he tried his best not to let his face express his distaste while swallowing the liquid. He had an image to build, after all, which was the sole reason he had started drinking brandy in the first place.

The ice cubes in the glass were pushed around and caused a faint clinking noise when he put it down on the table as he resumed talking, starting again from the beginning.

“You know... Life is crazy. It's so full of unexpected turns and events. You can plan ahead as much as you want, but ultimately that will be of no use. I also made plans, back then. Before this whole “revolution of the mind” stuff that changed everything. And come on, who the hell could predict such a thing happening?” Hobbies paused, resting his gaze on his conversation partner, trying to retain a friendly, hail-fellow-well-met expression. He hoped that the hours in front of the mirror had paid off, but his counterpart's reaction or rather lack of thereof kept him in the dark about it.

Once Hobbies decided that the pause in his speech had reached the perfect length, he continued.

“So I've made a lot of plans back then. Crazy plans. I thought of countless ways to repay the things that had happened back then. You know, life wasn't pretty... enjoyable back then...” He hoped that the bitter and cynic emphasis he had put into this words had completely eliminated every faint hint of an emotion that could be laid out as a weakness.

Obviously, I still make plans, given the whole “end of the world”-thing...” A smirk briefly flashed on his mouth. “But you know what's the difference today?” Hobbies' eyes were fixed on the person opposite of him, and his face lit with conviction and a startling self-assuredness. This time though, the expression was completely genuine. “Today,” he continued, “Nothing can stop me from actually accomplishing my ambitions.”

The room the two men were in was lit by a dimmed ceiling lamp emitting a warm and comfortable light, while a little desk lamp on the small coffee table between the two occupied armchairs was additionally illuminating the scene from below, drawing subtle sinister shadows on Hobbies' face. At first he had wondered if such a light setup was really necessary, but now he noticed how much it added to the general atmosphere. Once again he was glad he had watched that one youtube guide on how to be a successful villain and put its teachings into practice. When you're threatening to destroy the world, you need credibility, you need to be taken seriously, and you need to be respected.

It was no easy job, but Hobbies Kraft was aware of this. He had prepared himself, had made a plan, and this plan was working out perfect at the moment. He continued talking.

“Magic they called it. Ha, magic! It's funny how quickly they let go of their scientific approach once something comes along that truly can't fit into their world of logic and rules. It's not magic, though. No, it's something else. It's a new way of thinking - quite literally. I assume you're not one of the gifted?” His conversation partner remained silent.

“I'm not sure you people really understand how it works, no matter how many explanations you get. You know, it's just something you have to experience to truly understand. I think what makes this skill inaccessible for so many is that you have to overcome that shaky set of rules that defines our reality... The basic idea is so simple, really. But I don't want to waste your time with concepts that obviously don't seem to fit into your head...” Another short pause, another sip from the brandy.

“I was a pretty fast learner, you know. You could say that I was always good at thinking outside the box.

Back then when the phenomenon became popular online but hadn't yet been accepted and picked up by the “real” media, I was one of these guys you could see hanging out in dark backyards every other night, practicing, sharing tips, showing off their skills. It felt like a new secret religion, committing blasphemous acts against their god of science. These were the good times.” Hobbies sighed and instantly wondered if doing so had been a tad too theatrically. The man in the chair across from him again showed no sign of reaction, and if it hadn't been for his eyes that followed Hobbies' every slight move and never changed their expression of loathing and hatred that mostly tried to cover up the fear the man was experiencing, Hobbies would have assumed he had suffocated due to the duct tape gluing his mouth shut. But to be fair, the man's hands were also tied, so it wasn't like he could have just expressed his thoughts through gestures either. Staring at Hobbies was all he could do, really.

“You know what irritated me at these gatherings? So many of these people simply used their new skill for fun, as a leisure activity, like other people who play guitar or paint in their free time. There were only a few that, like me, saw in our new abilities a chance, a tool for us to utilize. And now my time to use this tool has come. And you could say I'm quite skilled at it, as you sure noticed earlier..." Finally his counterpart showed reaction by squirming in his chair, but the grip of rope that held him in place didn't ease up.

"Now, my friend, you're lucky, you know that? Because although you tried to just cowardly assassinate me..." Hobbies stare got serious. "...I'm not gonna kill you. Although I would have every right to do so, especially if you consider my profession. Now, you are the first, and that makes you lucky. Because I'm gonna let you out of here, and then you're gonna deliver my message to the world. You will tell them what happened here today. You will tell them that I'm not a crazy nutjob with too much power on my hands. No, my friend - I am the one who will cause this world to end, and there's nothing anybody can do about it."