[Chapter 0] The End/The Beginning

Amidst the chaos, most of the people in the world had been infected by Saya's spores, and many of them began turning into monsters without even realizing what was happening. No, they were the normal ones—or at least, in my eyes, they were the "normal" ones. It wasn't until three days after the "Blooming" that I became aware of this.

I refused to let go of Saya's tiny, lifeless body, which had long lost its warmth. Her face was peaceful, as if she were merely sleeping. Yet, it was this seemingly fragile Saya who had destroyed the world not long ago—the world I had despised so deeply…

After a car accident, the doctors managed to pull me back from the brink of death, but the severe head trauma I suffered led to "cognitive impairment," though I only realized this later. My world began to crumble from that moment on. Whether familiar faces or strangers, everyone appeared as grotesque monsters made of exposed flesh to me. It was as if I had been abandoned by the world itself; even the walls and floors had turned into pulsating masses of blood vessels and internal organs in my eyes.

When I first woke up from my coma, I found myself surrounded by monsters that I later realized were "doctors." More accurately, they were lumps of flesh that oozed foul-smelling, dark green mucus from gaping holes that opened and closed on their bodies. I screamed and frantically threw everything within reach at them, causing them to emit incomprehensible gibberish as they "crawled" away from me.

Alone in a space reeking of rot and blood, I wondered what had happened to this world—or what had happened to me.

After that, I tried to adapt to this "abnormal" world, but eventually, I realized it was futile. Even the world itself seemed to reject me, or perhaps, as an "outlier," I was not meant to be part of it.

When I returned to my university campus, the sight of the people walking by made me nauseous. I realized that I would never be able to integrate into this world. From then on, I became silent and withdrawn, avoiding contact with others. Yet, old friends would still seek me out out of "concern." My girlfriend often came to see me as well, but I couldn't bring myself to feel happy because they, too, had turned into monsters in my eyes… If I calmed myself, I could somewhat understand their language, but I would always turn my head away, not wanting them to see the disgust on my face.

I regularly went to the hospital for check-ups, but the doctors were at a loss regarding my condition. The brain, as the most intricate "component" of the human body, remains a mystery in many ways, and cognitive impairments caused by brain damage, like mine, are considered incurable. The regular hospital visits were at the insistence of my ex-girlfriend and friends.

The only light in this cursed world came when I met a mysterious girl at the hospital—I called her Saya. She was the only "normal" person I could see in this world, though in hindsight, perhaps it was the other way around… But none of that matters anymore.

She was a "cute" child who said she often played in the hospital and asked me why I wasn't afraid of her. Why should I be afraid of her? She was the only "person" I could see back then. During my early days at the hospital, I was on the verge of madness, driven insane by this insane world. Then, she appeared before me like a ray of light in the darkness. In her, I saw what seemed to be my salvation.

I was desperate to keep her by my side. When she told me she was looking for her father, who had been a doctor at the hospital, I took her home under the pretext of helping her find him. I was so desperate to cling to this "lifeline" that I paid no attention to anything else. All I could see was her.

During the time I spent helping her search for her long-lost father, I learned many things and gradually guessed her true nature, but it no longer mattered. I had fallen deeply in love with her, and nothing else in the world mattered to me anymore. My world had no room for anything other than her, and this led to the final "tragedy."

In the final battle, after eliminating all obstacles between us, I had intended to escape with her to a place where no one else lived. But she didn't want to see me continue to suffer in this "ugly" world… Her last words to me were, "In this desert, at least there will be one person who cherishes this flower. One person is enough."

Back home, I gently laid Saya down on my bed, and I sat by her side, quietly watching her. Holding back tears, I began to write our story on paper. I don't know how much time passed, but eventually, I was so exhausted that I fell asleep at her bedside, sleeping for three whole days.

When I woke up, I packed my belongings, ready to leave this place of sorrow. When I opened the door again, I no longer saw the world filled with flesh and blood vessels. Instead, it was the "normal" world I once knew.

The Saya I loved, who loved me, had left forever. She had given me everything she had, even this world. But I knew this wasn't the end; it was a true beginning. Although Saya had gone forever, I could still feel her presence by my side. In our world, we would no longer have to hide.