Prologue

I was so going to miss dinner if I didn't get home soon. My name is Juan Deep and I used to be a normal kid. Used to be. The night of the accident was so vivid in my memory. That was in 2002. I had been late at school doing things for the soccer team. Pointless things.

As I walked steam seemed to billow through the alleyway that linked my school to my street. It was so sleazy that I thought I'd eventually crash in top a hooker. But what I did crash into changed my life. The lives of myself and nine total strangers who were to become my best friends. Who are we? I'll tell you.

A noise came from a small area that should've been empty. As I walked closer, however, it became clear that something was up. Suddenly I heard an explosion and there was a blinding flash of light. As I later recalled someone said I had looked like I climbed out of a vat of blood. My entire black clothing outfit for the evening was dark red. As the blood flowed, everything was growing faint. No doubt about it, I was going to die.