【Chapter 2】Chaos (Part 1)

**Four days ago, the day after the "Blooming." She lay there quietly, as if in a deep sleep. I hadn't gone anywhere; I stayed by her side, hoping she would wake up, even though I knew it was impossible...**

I don't know how much time passed as I stayed by her side, but when I awoke again, my stomach churned with hunger. I went downstairs and opened the front door, only to realize it was already dusk. Yet, outside, there was an unusual amount of noise. It seemed the entire street had fallen into chaos after the event, but I was too numb to care.

I turned back into the house, opened the fridge, and started devouring the little food I had left. Fortunately, the fridge still had power; otherwise, the food would have spoiled. As I filled my empty stomach, I felt a small sense of relief. But as soon as I was full, the sadness flooded back, leaving me no escape.

The TV had been on this whole time, the screen filled with static, casting a dim light that made the closed-off living room's furniture faintly visible. The kitchen faucet dripped rhythmically. Every window in the house had been boarded up by me. I collapsed onto the sofa, gulping down some foul-tasting alcohol from a brand I didn't recognize, hoping to drown my pain and sorrow.

Despite my efforts, the emptiness inside me only grew. I threw the bottle against the wall with all my strength, watching as it shattered, sending shards of glass flying everywhere. A small cut formed on my arm, and as I watched the blood trickle out, a burning anger surged within me, just like it had on that final day. I kicked the coffee table away, grabbed a chair, and hurled it across the room, trying to release the emotions I had no other way to express. Destruction, destruction!

When I finally came to my senses, I found myself lying on the floor amidst the wreckage I had created.

Staring up at the dark ceiling, I recalled the time Saya and I had painted the house together. Though the walls had turned into a chaotic mix of colors, that had been the happiest time of my life. As these memories came flooding back, tears began to stream down my face, and I futilely wiped at them with my hands.

That's when I noticed a faint glow coming from the pocket of my tear-stained shirt. If the house hadn't been so dimly lit, I might not have noticed it at all.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out a marble-sized bead, which was emitting the light.

Inside the jade-green bead, something seemed to be gently flowing. This was the last thing Saya had left for me, but I knew nothing about it.

The bead flickered with a rhythmic green light, as if it were trying to comfort me. Unlike the pale light of the television, this green glow was filled with vitality, radiating a strong life force.

The bead slowly merged into my hand, without causing the slightest pain. All I felt was a warm sensation spreading from my palm throughout my body. The exhaustion and confusion I had felt from venting my anger seemed to lift, and even the grief I had been drowning in was momentarily subdued. The cut on my arm disappeared as well, leaving no trace.

What was happening... Was this a dream? I touched the spot on my right hand where the bead had vanished, but there was nothing unusual about it. I turned my hand over and examined it closely, but it looked the same as before. I pinched my cheek, and the pain confirmed that this wasn't a dream.

Finally, I decided to leave this place of sorrow, where everything had begun and ended.

As I left, I didn't look back, afraid that the beautiful memories of the past would become an invisible cage that trapped me.

It had been a long time since I last set foot on the street, but the scene before me was completely different from what it had been before.

Cars were scattered haphazardly across the road, some crashed into each other. I saw one vehicle that had driven straight into a coffee shop, now reduced to nothing but a charred frame, still emitting a foul black smoke. A broken fire hydrant was still gushing water. The shop windows along the road were shattered, with glass strewn all over the sidewalk...

It was a mess, but the one thing I didn't see was people. If I looked closely, I could see faint traces of some liquid on the ground, trailing off into the buildings. Of course, I had no interest in investigating further, so I walked straight into a department store that still had its lights on.

Since I was planning to travel, I needed to prepare some supplies. With that in mind, I headed towards the shelves at the back of the store. The massive department store seemed deserted; ever since the car accident, I hadn't been here, relying instead on the convenience store near my house.

I first went to the knife section, where I found some knives scattered on the floor. I examined the knives on the shelves—there were various styles and purposes, but I needed something for self-defense. I casually picked up the longest and most lethal-looking knife I could find, checking its thickness to ensure it wouldn't break easily if I had to use it. After all, even the longest knives in a department store had a blade length of only about 20 centimeters.

I took the knife to the scarf section, pulled a scarf from the shelf, and wrapped the knife in it before tying it to my waist. Of course, there was no one around to stop me.

I then made my way to the food section, where everything was scattered across the floor, as if someone had knocked over the shelves in a fit of rage. There was squashed tomato pulp and rolling potatoes everywhere.

I wasn't interested in any of this because I had tried eating some normal food before, but the moment I took a bite, I was overwhelmed with nausea. Even just smelling what they considered delicacies made my stomach churn.

At that moment, I heard a strange "munching" sound not far away. I slowly peeked around the corner to see where the sound was coming from. I saw a group of "people" gathered around something on the ground, eating.

I didn't approach them recklessly because I had no idea what would happen if I did, so I chose to observe from a distance.

They devoured their meal like beasts, tearing at it with their teeth. After a while, one of them left, and I could finally see what they had been eating.

It was the remains of two mutilated "monsters," the same kind of flesh-constructed creatures I used to see every day... Just looking at that grotesque face made me uncomfortable, and these creatures were a part of my daily life. But now, the "people" I saw before me were the real threat.

So, they've started eating each other now, huh? I guess so-called human decency means nothing in the face of raw instinct and desire. I'd better stay on high alert; after all, to "them," I must look just like any other human.

Just as I was about to leave, I realized that the one who had left earlier was now blocking my path.

Thanks to "their" unique way of moving, "he" had managed to approach me without me noticing. I suddenly remembered the strange marks I had seen on the street earlier—those must have been left by "them."

I slowly backed away, my hand gradually tightening around the knife at my waist, waiting for an opportunity to escape. Honestly, I wanted to avoid a fight if possible.

As I retreated, I kept an eye on the path behind me, making sure I wouldn't be trapped between two fronts. Once I confirmed the way behind me was clear, I turned and ran towards the exit, leaving "them" behind.

Given "their" peculiar way of moving, they had no chance of catching up to me. I quickly reached the exit, but several "people" were already blocking the way.

"Human, it's a human. I'm hungry."

"Human—delicious."

I froze for a moment, surprised that these creatures still had some semblance of consciousness.

I quickly decided to break through the window. I untied the knife from my waist and tossed it aside, then sprinted towards the glass window, instinctively hunching over and shielding my head with my arms.

The glass shattered like pebbles, just as I had anticipated—it was a special kind of glass that broke into small granules rather than shards on impact.

I rolled across the ground twice due to the momentum, and despite the pain, I scrambled to my feet and ran away from the store.

In the end, I didn't manage to grab anything, and I had to leave the knife behind to avoid injuring myself when I rolled.

I approached a vending machine by the roadside and gave it a hard kick, causing a few cans of drinks to roll out from the bottom.

I bent down, picked up one of the cans, and sat down against the vending machine. I opened the can and took a drink. It tasted just as bad as before, but it quenched my thirst, so I tolerated it.

Holding the can, I looked out at the empty street. This once bustling and vibrant thoroughfare was now eerily silent, with only the occasional birdcall breaking the stillness. A deep sense of loneliness welled up inside me.

The sun was almost at the horizon; I needed to find a place to spend the night. Who knew what the streets would be like after dark? With that thought, I stood up, crushed the empty can in my hand, and tossed it aside, then picked up another can and held it as I walked away.