A boy, no older than sixteen, with tousled brown hair and piercing green eyes shadowed by dark circles, sat cross-legged on the cold, concrete floor of a graveyard, right in front of three tombstones.
His features weren't particularly handsome, yet there was a quiet charm about him—something that set him apart from the average boy.
The warm, golden sunlight gently kissed his skin, offering a comforting contrast to the hard ground beneath him. Birds chirped in the distance, their melody bringing a fragile sense of peace to the somber scene.
A bouquet of flowers lay in front of each tombstone.
---------------------
Jeanne Karumi
Best mother, perfect daughter, and a kind human
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Ronald Karumi
Best father, troublesome son, and a kind human
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Lia Karumi
Perfect daughter and cutest little sister
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eo smiled softly as he read the words etched into the stone.
The tombstones were plain. He couldn't afford anything extravagant, nor did he have any relatives left to help. His grandparents had passed away just last year.
Every day after school, he came here to spend time with the only family he had left.
'If only that driver hadn't been drunk.''If only I had convinced them to stay home with me.''Maybe if I had gone with them… things would've turned out differently.'
Shaking the thoughts from his head, he stood up, done recounting his day.
"I'll see you guys again tomorrow," Leo whispered, turning away. He ignored the sympathetic glances from other visitors. A teenage boy visiting graves every day was bound to stir curiosity and speculation.
"I'm too tired for work today… I'll just call in sick," he muttered to himself, not in the mood to deal with customers or small talk.
He was sure it would be fine. He never took days off, and his boss—a kind, elderly man who pitied him—usually understood.
Pulling out his phone, he sent a message to his friend, Nathan.
Leo:Skipping work today. Want to hang out?
Nathan:Sorry, got a basketball match today!Nathan:Let's hang out tomorrow after school.Leo:Sure, no worries. Good luck with your match.Nathan:Thanks!
Leo sighed as he slipped his phone back into his pocket.
"Well… I guess I'll just read today," he murmured, walking home.
It was a short walk—only twenty minutes from the graveyard. The apartment he lived in was decently sized and reasonably priced. His parents had bought it, and now, it was his.
"I'm home…"
He spoke the words out of habit as he opened the door, already used to the silence that followed. No footsteps. No laughter. No voices calling his name.
'Some habits never die…'
He slipped off his shoes and flopped onto the couch. A book rested there—the one he'd been reading earlier that morning before school.
"Great. Had to stop right at the best part," he muttered, picking it up. The title read: Path of Heroes: Battle Against the End. The cover showed a lone boy gripping a sword with both hands.
******
"Haa..."
Breathing out loud, he closed the book after reading for the past three hours.
The sun was already starting to set.
Standing up, he went to get a glass of water.
"Really, to think someone like him would die when the story is barely halfway done."
It had been a while since he had read something so fun and exciting.
It felt like he was actually part of the story and living the protagonist's life.
Though if he had a single complaint, it was that the protagonist had a harem.
He wasn't a big fan of harems, but other than that, everything was just perfect.
He couldn't wait to read the rest of the story as he hurriedly filled his glass with water.
But the moment he was about to take a sip, the glass fell from his hand, shattering on the ground with water spilling as well.
"Argh! Shit, what the hell!"
Leo held his head as he suddenly felt extremely lightheaded.
His eyes became blurry, making it difficult to see.
"What is happening, damn it? Am I dying?"
Gripping the counter tightly, he tried to stabilize himself.
"Haa...haa..."
His breathing became short and labored.
'Am I getting a heart attack? At this age!?'
Gripping his chest as he felt his heart thumping loudly, he tried to walk towards the couch where his phone was.
'I need to call an ambulance!'
The moment he tried to take another step forward, the book he left on the couch started to emit a blinding light throughout the entire apartment.
He had to tightly close his eyes as the light was blinding him, forcing him to use his hand to cover his eyes.
"What is happening now! Am I becoming delusional as well!?"
Trying to calm himself down from all the things happening, he tried to walk to the couch again.
Yet,
The moment he stepped forward again, his foot slipped because of the water on the ground, making him fall on the broken shards.
"Argh!"
He cried out in pain as he felt broken glass pieces digging into his back.
He felt the energy leaving his body, making it extremely difficult to stand up again.
Leo couldn't see the blinding light anymore; instead, all he saw was darkness with stars surrounding him everywhere.
'I must have hit my head hard...'
He could breathe easier again, and his heart had calmed down, but now his entire body was in pain.
He groaned as he did his best to push himself back up instead of laying on the ground.
His body was aching so much, yet he endured and finally managed to stand up again.
Feeling the wind caressing his cheeks and the rustling sound of leaves, he calmed down a little.
'I am not dead yet...'
'Wait...'
Finding it strange to hear the sound of wind and leaves, he opened his eyes, which had been closed the entire time.
When he finally opened them, instead of finding himself back in his apartment, he was on an old, broken street.
Looking around, he saw broken buildings, some tilting sideways, others only half-standing.
Debris was scattered everywhere, remnants of the old houses and buildings.
Tree branches and other plants covered many of the buildings, intertwining with the ruins.
It felt no different than being inside an abandoned city that hadn't been lived in for ages.
"Huh?"