"Why am I still alive."
The 17-year-old young man spoke, just waking up from his sleep. He hadmessy hair, pitch-black eyes, and visible scars on his hands and head.
"Fuck. How many more times do you want me to live in this misery?"
While he was in an uncontrolled mental state, his mother, who was
downstairs, called him to have breakfast together.
"Ilyas, wake up. Breakfast is ready."The soft and calm voice called out to him, causing Ilyas to snap out of his
daze and quickly get up from his bed.
Ilyas went to the bathroom to clean himself up. After freshening up, Ilyas replaced the bandage on his hand with a new one. He went downstairs and saw his mother preparing breakfast.
Ilyas had suffered for thousands of years, enduring pain that made himlose nearly all his emotions. His heart was empty, as if it had long been dead.
Now, he stood before a woman—his mother, who had been gone for so long.That face, though long absent from his life, appeared once again before him.
Even though his soul felt numb, there was something stirring within him,something that was almost forgotten.
"Ilyas, why are you still standing there? Come here, I have cooked your favorite food."
Ilyas remained silent for a moment, his eyes still focused on the mother he hadn't seen in so long. Though his mother's smile was still there, his heartfelt empty, as if something was missing.
"Ilyas, what's wrong with you? You look so tired today." Aisyah asked with a worried tone, seeing Ilyas still standing on the stairs.
"Nothing." Ilyas simply shook his head, not wanting his mother to know what he was hiding.
He then sat down with his mother to have breakfast.
"Where's Ana?" Ilyas asked.
"She already went to school earlier this morning with her friends."
Ilyas quickly finished his breakfast and got ready to go to school.
"Ah, Ilyas. Today, I might be home a little late because I have some matters to attend to at work."
Ilyas, who already knew that his mother would be back late today, didn't mind it.
"Okay, Mom. I will tell Ana later."
"Alright." Aisyah replied softly, trying to calm herself before leaving the house.
Before heading to school, Ilyas cleaned the pictures of his father and older brother, who had passed away. It seemed that Ilyas was taking something from his father's drawer.
Ilyas left for school, riding his late father's motorcycle. He hoped to see his mother again later.
Throughout the journey to school, the thick fog nearly obscured the view of the people.
"Woah! Why is the fog getting thicker?"
"It's been almost a week since this fog appeared. But that day it wasn't this thick"
People began to wonder about this event. The thick fog not only occurred around the area where Ilyas lived, but it had spread across the entire world.
People were buzzing with excitement about this event. Some believed that the thick fog was an early sign of a natural disaster, while others thought itwas just a normal occurrence in the morning.
The scientists also couldn't determine the cause of this phenomenon.However, Ilyas, who knew that the thick fog was just the beginning of everything, ignored it and continued his journey to school.
Upon arriving at school, Ilyas parked his motorcycle in the parking area, then walked into the school grounds.
"Hey, Yas! You're early!" Ilyas heard a familiar voice from a distance. He was greeted by his two friends, Kamal and Ammar.
Kamal was a male student, with dark brown hair, a slim yet sturdy build,and every movement of his exuded calmness and precision. His handsome face, paired with sharp, clear eyes, reflected an extraordinary intelligence. Despitehis calm appearance, he was always quick to act, captivating anyone who looked at him.
Ammar, on the other hand, was a male student with jet-black hair, a muscular build, and an athletic appearance. He was cheerful and always full ofenergy and joy. In addition, his academic achievements were no less impressive, especially in sports, where he always succeeded and never tired of striving.
"Yas. What's wrong with your face?You look so lifeless?" Kamal asked with a strange tone.
"Did you play games in the middle of the night?" Ammar added.
Ilyas simply answered by shaking his head and continued walking towards the classroom. Kamal and Ammar were puzzled by Ilyas's unusual behavior.
"Mal, what's wrong with him? Is he sick or what?
"How would I know? Maybe his chuunibyou condition is acting up again?"
The two friends could only sigh and shake their heads, thinking about Ilyas's behavior.
Upon arriving in class, Ilyas sat in the right corner, gazing out the window at the fog, which had been thick earlier, now starting to thin out.
A female student approached Ilyas, who was deep in thought. The girl had captivating, light red eyes, skin as white as snow, and red lips that enhancedthe beauty of her face. Her sweet smile could melt anyone's heart, while her melodious voice, like a flowing melody, had the power to soothe the soul.
"Ilyas, good morning!"
Aira was a beautiful and intelligent girl, always wearing a cheerful smile. She was lively and always brought joy to those around her, with a kindheart. Aira often helped those in need, regardless of the time. Her goodness and wisdom made her well-known among both the teachers and students.
Ilyas simply nodded, responding to Aira's greeting.
"What's wrong with you, Ilyas? Did you argue with Ana again?" Aira asked with a worried tone, looking at him with eyes full of concern.
Like his two friends earlier, Ilyas simply shook his head in response to Aira's question, as if his throat was stuffed with toilet paper.
"Cheer up a bit, Ilyas. Today is our last day of school. Try to make some memories with others."
Ilyas looked around at the lively atmosphere in Class 5-A and all the other Form 5 classes, as they had finished their school years and were about to enter the workforce. Little did they know, it wouldn't be the workforce they would step into.
"Aira…"
"Yes?"
"Have you thought about what you want to do after finishing school?" Ilyas asked.
"Why do you ask?"
"I just want to know it."
"Well, I think after this, I want tobecome an archery athlete, and then bring home a medal for the country! What about you?"
Ilyas gazed at Aira with a blank stare. His face seemed to tell nothing, as if he was thinking about something far beyond his awareness.
"Nothing."
"Don't you have any goals you want to achieve? Or do something
you've wanted to do for a long time?"
"Die in peace, I guess."
Hearing that, made Aira angry with Ilyas.
"You always talk about death! Don't
you think about how your family feels, especially your mother!" Aira replied angrily, slamming her hand on Ilyas's desk forcefully, causing the whole class to be startled.
"Then, there is nothing I want to do." Ilyas replied calmly.
Aira could only sigh. She knew what Ilyas had been through when he was
young, as Ilyas and Aira had been neighbors since childhood. Aira was also awitness to the incident that had shaped Ilyas into who he was now.
"Hah… no wonder you're not popular
among girls."
"Hm."
"But that's what I like about you," Aira said in a whisper.
"What?" Ilyas seemed to have heard something from Aira's lips.
That made Aira's face flush red, as if it were about to explode aftersaying those words.
Her eyes quickly looked down, and her hands nervously fiddled with the hem of her shirt, embarrassed by the confession she had just made.
"N-n-nothing! Ah! Lilia just called me. B…bye!"
Aira left, her face flushed with embarrassment, hoping that Ilyas hadn't
heard what she had just said.
Kamal and Ammar, who had just arrived in class, were puzzled by Aira running out of the classroom with her face flushed like a hibiscus, full of a clear red hue, as if she were filled with awkwardness from the earlier incident.
Ilyas, who witnessed this, could only wonder what Aira had said earlier.
The school day went on as usual. The teachers gave speeches congratulating the Form 5 students for successfully completing their schooling years. The Form 5 students also expressed their gratitude to the teachers who had taught them with patience.
The school atmosphere was very lively; some were taking photos withtheir class teachers for memories, others were having a small gathering in their classrooms, and some were playing on their phones at the back of the class. However, Ilyas felt nothing and simply waited for time to pass.
The clock showed 11:30. Ilyas asked for permission from his class teacher, Mr. Suhaimi, to go to the bathroom. Ilyas left while carrying his bag.
Mr. Suhaimi was puzzled and wondered why Ilyas was taking his bag to the bathroom, but he still allowed him to go.
In the bathroom, Ilyas loaded bullets into his father's gun, who had been a former army commander. Ilyas also wore gloves to protect his hands.
Ilyas returned to class as if nothing had happened. The students who saw Ilyas suddenly wearing gloves were left wondering.
Mr. Suhaimi also asked Ilyas why he was wearing gloves. Ilyas simply looked at Mr. Suhaimi with a blank stare and answered with just two words.
"Get ready."