Chapter Two - Like A Roller Coaster at it's Peak

[0 m]

As the wave of nostalgia and comfort washed over me—and the AOE attack took effect—I fortunately passed the old woman unscathed.

She survived. I could see her face; it turned as white as if she'd seen a ghost.

"Don't worry, granny." I saluted her with a wink, releasing my grip on the handlebar with one hand. "I am no ghost!"

But as I turned my head, my heart plummeted.

"Oh."

It was too late. I shouldn't have hit that brake.

My trusty white bike, accustomed to gliding along the ground, soared into the sky as if mimicking a plane.

With each meter it gained in altitude, it tilted further forward.

And then, the ascent abruptly halted. Suddenly, like a roller coaster at its peak, it plunged downward. The perfectly tiled sidewalk, with stones arranged in flawless rows, rushed closer and closer.

The tiles grew larger and larger. I could even make out the tiny pebbles scattered on the ground.

"That's going to leave a mark."

Instinctively, I let go of my bike, but we plummeted together. The pebbles drew nearer, their sharp edges menacing.

Woosh—

The pebbles close. I could see their sharp edges, like knives aimed at me, as if they wanted to chop me up.

[Distance to floor: 5 meters]

"Okay, I guess this is it?"

[4 m]

I braced myself for the pain and any misfortune that would accompany it. I breathed in deeply, slowly.

Nope, I was never cut out for extreme sports. Sport had always been a ghastly experience for me, with teachers looming above, criticizing my every move. The crisp air felt, with each inhalation, as if it wanted to tear my lungs apart.

[3 m]

Slowly, the tranquility and pain transformed into seething anger, replacing the calm before the storm.

[2 m]

"Ugh! Why would any dimwit ride their bike in this city?" I cursed myself, having lost any chance to show all these tachers how wrong they were to belittle me.

[1 m]

"Yup. Now it's over."

"As my last words: I am sorry I couldn't defeat the final boss. I am unworthy of the title and glory of a hero." I tried to cover up, my sadness, in a last attemt to make my death be worth while at last. 

In the next second, I smashed onto the hard, cold stone floor. My bike clattered, and thousands of stones bore into my skin, poking me like needles. Skin was torn apart, and I felt immediate pain.

Suddenly, everything went black. I felt my hand twitch at the pain. People were screaming, and cars were screeching.

"Now, it's over."

I smelled a stench of iron, much worse than the granny's AOE attack.

"At least the granny is saved," I thought, breathing in even more pain, amidst the smell of exhaust fumes.

I coughed, noticing the bad stench. The metallic tang of blood mingled with the acrid stench of exhaust fumes.

"Ugh." A groan escaped. "This is not how I want to die."

Then suddenly, I heard a loud screech, an engine. One of the cars seemed to brake. And this happened rather suddenly. I was forced to open my eyes and saw only the looming tires closing in on me. Round. Black and imposing.

"And so this marks the end." I tasted a salty liquid, as expected. I was crying; after all, this horrid accident, overwhelming situation, and desperation were just too much for a normal human. "How cruel the world is to a cripple like me."

That's right, I crashed in the middle of a crossroad, and with that, in one final moment, I died in this life.