Prologue - INITIATING PROGRAM

"I wish I were the main character." Those thoughts filled my mind as I sat beneath my favorite tree, engrossed in the pages of a comic book. The sky above me transformed into a canvas of twilight hues, signaling that night was approaching. With a reluctant sigh, I murmured, "Well, time to face reality again," and stood up, shaking off the enchanting world of superheroes as I gathered my bag. The journey home loomed ahead, and with it came the familiar sense of dread.

(Arriving just outside of your house.)

As you approach the house, shouting and the sound of glass shattering fill the air. Heart pounding, you push open the door to find your father, drunk and furious. "Where have you been, brat!?" he yells.

But your focus shifts to your mother on the floor, bruised and barely conscious. Rushing to her side, you whisper, "Mom, are you okay?"

Before you can confront him, your father grabs your shirt and throws you to the ground. "I asked you a question!" he roars, towering over you as rage burns in your chest. The storm inside you is ready to explode.

"Why do you care!?" you shout, anger burning in your eyes.

"Care? I don't give a damn about you or your mother!" your father snarls.

"Then why don't you leave us alone!?" you snap back.

His eyes darken. "I'll do whatever the f@#k I want, got that?" He raises his hand, ready to strike. You shut your eyes, bracing for the blow.

But it never comes.

When you open your eyes, your mother is in front of you, taking the hit meant for you. She collapses, blood spilling from her mouth as she falls to the ground.

Seeing your mother like that, something snaps inside you. Red. All you see is red.

"It's okay, sweetie, I'm fine," she whispers, blood on her lips, smiling weakly. Her words soothe the storm inside you, but your father doesn't stop.

"Get out of the way, woman," he growls, shoving her aside. She hits her head on the corner of the table, collapsing, unconscious, blood pooling beneath her.

You can't take it anymore.

In a blind rage, you lunge, aiming a punch at him. But he's too quick, even in his drunken state—he catches your fist mid-air, slamming his own into your face. "You think you can take me, brat? You've got a lot to learn," he sneers, beating you relentlessly.

As the world fades, you think, *If only I had powers, like in the comics… I could save her. I wouldn't be such a failure. I wish I was the hero.*

...

You sit on the back of the ambulance, your mind numb, replaying the blur of chaos over and over. Staring blankly into the distance, everything feels like a dream—or a nightmare.

"Are you alright, kid? What happened?" a police officer asks, his voice distant, like it's coming through water. You can't respond. You don't know what to say. You don't even know *what happened* after everything went black.

The questions seem endless, circling around you, but your mind is stuck, frozen. Then, out of the corner of your eye, you see them. Carrying your father's lifeless body on a stretcher. His face pale, his body still. The reality of it hits like a slow-motion punch.

You don't know what to feel. Relief? Anger? Frustration? He's gone, but it was too fast, too easy. He didn't suffer—not like your mother did. He deserved worse. But now, there's nothing you can do.

Suddenly, a jolt of fear rushes through you as you remember her. "My mother... where's my mother?" you ask the officer, your voice trembling, barely above a whisper.

"She was taken to the hospital as soon as the ambulance arrived," the officer replied gently.

"Can you take me there?" I pleaded, and he nodded, leading me to the squad car.

(You arrived at the Hospital.)

Waiting...

Waiting for your Mother to wake up...

I sat in the waiting area, time dragging painfully. Each tick of the clock felt like an eternity. I replayed the chaos in my mind—the voice, the power that surged through me. Was it real, or just a figment of my imagination? Exhaustion weighed heavily on me, and soon I drifted into a restless sleep...

"INITIATING PROGRAM."