How long had it been since I last ate? Two days? Three? Maybe longer. The hunger clawing at my stomach no longer mattered. It was just another ache among many.
I sat against the cold walls of an alley, my knees pulled to my chest. The streets of the city were still alive, bustling with merchants, the laughter of children, and the chatter of people who had somewhere to be. But none of it felt real to me anymore. It had been years since I felt like I belonged among them.
The truth was, I was tired.
Tired of waking up with nothing to look forward to. Tired of living each day just to suffer through another. Tired of being blind, helpless, and completely alone.
I had no one. My parents were dead. Himari, the only person who had ever cared for me, had died too. I wasn't just alone in the world—I was forgotten.
No one remembered the name Tomoya Fujiwara.
And no one ever would.
That night, as I lay on the cold stone floor of an alley, I made my decision.
The river was not far. I had heard people talk about it before. They said the currents were strong, unforgiving. Once you fell in, there was no coming back.
It was perfect.
The streets were empty at this hour, making it easy for me to walk without bumping into people. My steps were slow, hesitant at first, but the closer I got to the river, the steadier they became.
Was I afraid? Maybe.
But more than anything, I was relieved.
At last, this struggle would end.
I reached the riverbank. The air was damp, and the sound of rushing water filled my ears. I took one final step forward, the soft ground shifting beneath my feet.
My body was weak. I had lost count of how many days it had been since my last meal. My legs barely held me up.
I inhaled deeply. One last breath.
Then I let myself fall.
The water was ice-cold, swallowing me whole.
I expected panic. I thought I would flail, gasp, fight. But I didn't. Instead, I sank, my body surrendering to the weight of the river's pull. My limbs felt numb. My chest ached as water filled my lungs.
I had heard drowning was painful, but in reality, it was… quiet. Almost peaceful.
Darkness pressed in around me, deeper than the blindness I had always known. My heartbeat slowed. My mind drifted.
This was it. The end.
I was finally free.
Then—
A voice.
[SYSTEM ACTIVATING…]
A woman's voice echoed inside my head, calm and emotionless.
[HOST HAS SUSTAINED LETHAL DAMAGE. INITIATING EMERGENCY PROTOCOL.]
What…?
I wanted to ask who was speaking, but my lips wouldn't move. My thoughts became sluggish. A strange warmth spread through my body, different from the freezing water that surrounded me.
My mind swayed between consciousness and the void. My heart pounded once. Then twice.
Then everything went dark.
When I awoke, I wasn't dead. But I wasn't alive either. I couldn't move. I couldn't speak.
I was trapped in the darkness.
Alone.
But for the first time in my life…
I wasn't sure if I was truly alone.
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