The Greatest Gift: Rebirth

Minh, a young Asian man, only twenty but with a well-built physique, had been cornered with his back to the wall, surrounded by three other men who were probably around the same age as him. How did he get into this situation? By helping a poor teenage Korean girl who was being harassed by this group. She quickly fled after he caught the attention of these bullies and made himself their primary target.

The blonde man, with an admittedly handsome face with light freckles and green eyes, was cracking his knuckles, staring daggers at him. “We don't want your kind around here, gook.” He appeared to be the leader of this small group, the other two simply backing him up.

The blonde threw a first punch, hitting Minh in the face. He wobbled, holding his cheek. But instead of being shaken or fearful, he quickly regained his stance and glared at his assailants defiantly. It would take a lot more to intimidate him.

He snickered. “Is that all you can do?”

Now that he'd been hit first, he could retaliate in self-defense, and he did just that, throwing a powerful uppercut at his assailant's jaw, sending him back, stunned. The other two took a few seconds to react, giving Minh the time he needed to rush past them, elbowing one in the face on his way out.

Dashing out of the small alley and into a large boulevard, he noticed the poor girl he helped earlier hiding close to a police officer. He smiled of relief as he swiftly zigzagged between the pedestrians until he reached his bike, parked a few streets away. The thugs didn't dare to pursue him in the open, allowing him to drive away safely.

It was unfortunately a fairly common occurrence for him, a young Vietnamese orphan who grew up in and is living in an America at war with Vietnam. Many people, from some of the kids at the orphanage and school who lost their fathers to the war to older people grieving their sons or husbands, blamed him as if he was directly responsible for their losses, throwing racial slurs and sometimes even punches at him. Although, racists were far too dumb to differentiate between Vietnamese and other Asian people, so everyone looking even remotely Asian was the target of harassment and hate, like the Korean girl earlier.

Minh hated this. He never asked to be born Vietnamese, he didn't care about Vietnam, and he barely knew anything about his home country. He's lived almost all of his life here, leaving Vietnam when he was five alongside his mother, who passed away only two years later and left him to grow up in a run-down, underfunded and understaffed LA orphanage while being persecuted all his childhood.

He drove for a dozen minutes before parking in front of a small bakery. The front was nicely decorated, colourful and eye-catching, and a multitude of delicious-looking cakes and cookies were on display.

Minh walked in and smiled when he saw the vendor. “Hey Tanya.”

Tanya, or Tatiana, was a beautiful twenty-one year old woman with long gold locks and icy blue eyes, glittering like aquamarine. Born to a family of Russian immigrants, her genetic heritage was clear as day.

Tanya smiled back briefly, until she spotted the bruise on Minh's face. “You got into another fight?” She asked, frowning.

Minh shrugged. “It's not my fault if there's a lot of assholes.”

Tanya sighed. “Be careful, Minh. It's not the orphanage anymore, I can't always be around to help you.”

Tanya grew up in the same orphanage as Minh, and the two of them quickly bonded over their similar circumstances. As a Russian girl, Tanya was also the target of bullying from other kids and some adults. She and Minh had to stick together throughout their whole childhood until they were old enough to live on their own. Without her, Minh would have most likely succumbed to nihilism, but she helped him keep a good heart.

Minh found her absolutely gorgeous, both on the inside and the outside, and always had a crush on her. But he never tried his luck, he didn't want to risk ruining their friendship.

“Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself. Anyway, I'd like the usual, please.”

With another, longer sigh of exasperation, Tanya filled a box with a few donuts and muffins before giving it to Minh. “Here you go.”

Minh paid and put the box in his backpack. “Thanks. How was your date last night, by the way?”

Her frowns were enough to make Minh understand it didn't go well. “Monica was nice to hook me up with this guy, but we… weren't compatible.”

Monica was one of Tanya's coworkers and a good friend of hers ever since she started working at the bakery. She was four years older and more experienced, so she helped Tanya acclimate to her job, teaching her everything she needed to know. She had curly chestnut hair and a tall and curvy figure, as well as a loving husband working at a bank. Minh saw her occasionally and was on fairly good terms with her.

She arranged a date between Tanya and one of her husband's friends, but Minh assumed he was too traditionalist for Tanya's taste, considering her reaction.

He gave her a compassionate smile. “Plenty of fish in the sea, I'm sure you'll find the right one someday.”

“What about you?” Tanya then asked. “Will you finally try to settle down instead of having fling after fling with the girls of Chinatown?”

Minh spent a lot of time in Chinatown. It was one of the few places where he felt welcome. Solidarity between Asians was strong around here, they all suffered from racism. And he was fairly popular with the women there, he was seen as a gallant and hardworking man.

“Ehh, I'm in no rush. Maybe if my situation ever improves. Anyway, I should go now, see ya~”

“Have a good day.” Tanya replied with a warm smile.

On that, he returned to his bike and drove home. It was a crappy flat in one of the poorest districts of LA, with awful insulation, mold, and constant electrical problems. But it was all Minh could afford on his own, with his meagre salary.

He was lucky to be working in a Chinese restaurant, the couple owning it welcoming him as if he were a member of their family. Minh would have had a far harder time finding a job if not for them.

Now alone in the relative safety of his flat, he turned on the radio and sat on the couch, munching on his sweets while listening to the broadcast. It was his usual routine before going to work. That or reading comics. Sometimes both. He never really thought of his future, too busy surviving to see another day. It was all he could strive for.

After relaxing for a while, he got himself ready for his evening shift at the restaurant, combing his hair and washing his face. He couldn't do much to hide the bruise, unfortunately.

When he arrived, he quickly got dressed into the waiter's uniform and joined the owners in the kitchen.

Minh smiled. “Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Lau.”

“Good evening, Minh.” Mrs. Lau replied. “Oh, are you hurt again?”

Like always, Minh brushed it off. “Nothing bad, Ma'am, I'm in top shape to work tonight.”

The Laus didn't press any further. Minh could be really stubborn and prideful, but they knew he was able to take care of himself.

Another waiter, Feng, joined them shortly after. Minh and him were on cordial terms, but not really friends per say.

He helped them get everything ready for the opening. It was a Friday night, and a lot of customers were expected tonight. The restaurant was fairly popular with American families, serving an Americanised version of traditional Chinese dishes to attract more people. The couple reserved authentic Chinese cuisine for their families and friends, Minh included. He loved their cooking.

The evening went by well, thankfully. From time to time, some supremacist assholes would throw a fit and cause a scene, requiring the intervention of the police or some good samaritans to kick them out.

After the shift, Minh had a nice meal with the Laus and wished them a good night. He earned a good amount tonight, he'd be able to treat himself a bit better. Maybe buy a few more comics or eat some good food.

He was smoking a cigarette next to his bike, enjoying the warm night breeze before returning home. But he suddenly felt a heavy strike on the back of his head. He immediately fell down, immense pain coursing through him.

Turning around, he saw a group of men wearing hoods looming over him with wooden planks and a knife. He tried to stand up, wobbling due to his head spinning, and landed back against the wall, once again surrounded.

Twice in a day... Just my luck... He thought, doing his best to stay on his feet.

“Help!!!” He screamed as loudly as he could, the pain flaring up even more as even such a simple act strained him.

Unfortunately, the current assailants wouldn't give him any time to escape or hope for a rescue. The one with the knife quickly stabbed him in the stomach before running away. Minh was bleeding profusely and fell on his knees, holding his guts. He could barely move anymore, the pain immobilising him. Before falling ****, he thought he could hear footsteps approaching from the darkness.

Fuck... I'm sorry, Tanya... was his last thought before dropping onto the ground, blood spilling from his injury.

Minh slowly opened his eyes. He wondered if last night had been an awful nightmare. But he instantly rose up when he realised he wasn't in his flat. He didn't know this room, but it was heavily-decorated and vast. The bed was King-sized, the floor had a luxurious carpet, the wardrobe was massive and with golden carvings, beautiful paintings were hanging from the walls... Whoever owned this place was rich. Very rich.

“Where the fuck am I...?” He muttered, confused.

Looking at his bare torso, he couldn't see any trace of the knife wound. He didn't feel any pain either, he seemed perfectly healthy. It confused him. While he wasn't well-versed in medicine, he knew an injury like this wasn't supposed to heal so fast.

The door opened and revealed an older, white man with perfectly-combed greyish hair and a trimmed mustache. He was wearing an elegant brown suit, indicating that he probably held a high-position in a company.

“I'm pleased to see you finally awake.” The man said in a deep but friendly voice.

“W-who are you? Did you save me?” Minh asked, still wary.

“I did, Minh.” He answered.

Minh's eyes widened. “How do you know my name?”

The man chuckled. “I could lie and say I simply checked your driving license, but unfortunately your assailants fled with your belongings.”

“How, then?” Minh inquired. He was feeling uneasy, and it was due to this mysterious man.

“Calm down, I wish you no harm. I wouldn't have bothered to heal you otherwise. And to answer your question, I simply got the answer from your own mind.”

This confused Minh. “My... my mind? What are you talking about?”

“I am not human, you see. I am what people call a skinwalker.”

The man raised his right hand, and bony protrusions pierced through his fingertips.

Minh jolted out of bed, shocked and afraid. “What the fuck!?”

They looked uncanny and disturbing: long, thin, and a sickly yellowish colour. Shortly after, these protrusions retracted inside the man's fingers and left no trace of their existence, the skin stitching itself together instantly.

“With these spines you just witnessed, we can do various things, such as healing injuries, something I did to save your life last night. But their main purpose is to turn humans into skins so we can wear them, blending in perfectly among them while having access to all their memories and knowledge. This is how I learnt about your identity.” The man then grinned. “And I admit that I really liked what I saw in your head. As such, I have a proposition for you.”

“W-what do you mean?”

The man sat on a chair nearby, crossing his legs and staring at Minh. “We skinwalkers have the ability to bless humans once every decade, transforming them into our own kind. I've been recently searching for a suitable human to become my newest child, and I believe you'll be perfect~”

Minh didn't lower his guard, but what he heard piqued his curiosity. “You want me to... become like you? And your... child?”

“Indeed. You would be free from the shackles your original identity imposes on you, from all this idiotic racism and hatred. You'd be able to choose the life you want.”

Minh's eyes narrowed. “What's the catch? Nothing is given for free in this world.”

The man seemed amused. “You're a cautious one, understandable considering your childhood. But I assure you that there's no real catch, I simply took interest in you. If you accept and become my child, I'd teach you everything there is to know about our kind, and if you so desire, you could join the coven I am part of, meeting other skinwalkers and the humans who help us.”

Minh was lost in thought, pondering about the skinwalker's offer. Considering that he was apparently the one who saved him from **** last night, he was inclined to trust him, even if he was a monster. If what he said was true, the skinwalker could have easily taken his life or just ignored him and left him to die, but he didn't.

And about these supposedly abilities to become anyone he wanted? It was really tempting, Minh couldn't deny it. He was tired of his life, he wanted to escape from it. No longer having to fear racism and **** would be so nice...

Minh then stared back at the man. “Before I accept, who are you? I need a name before I can fully trust you.”

The man smiled. “My real name is Agnieszka, but you may call me Aga.”

“Agnieszka?” Minh repeated, surprised. “That's... a woman's name, isn't it?”

“I was born and lived my human life as a female before becoming what I am now.” Agnieszka smirked, gesturing at her body. “This is one of the perks of being a skinwalker. Things like size, race, age, or even gender no longer matter for beings like me, and potentially you, should you accept my proposition.”

Minh took a deep breath, straightening his posture. He then approached Agnieszka, his eyes still locked with hers. Agnieszka observed him curiously, waiting to see what he would do.

Now closer, he bowed his head out of respect. “You saved my life when you didn't have to, and for that I am grateful. But why did you save me? And why choose me to... be your child?”

“Honestly, most of my kind wouldn't have bothered saving you. But our coven has never turned a blind eye to those in dire need of help, those like you shunned by society. As for why I chose you specifically, it's because of your personality. You have a burning rage against injustice within you, and your heart is pure. Those are good traits to have to join our coven.” Agnieszka explained, not the slightest hint of lie in her voice. “As such, I am offering you the possibility to transcend your humanity and become our newest member.”

It didn't take long for Minh to decide what to do. He knelt in front of her respectfully. “I gratefully accept, then. Thank you for giving me this opportunity.”

Agnieszka's grin grew wider, satisfied by Minh's answer. “Wonderful~” She then let out these bony spines again, raising her arm. “Now, you'll soon be reborn as something far greater... my child~”