Chapter 253

Kazuo stepped out of the pharmacy, shoving the small bag into his coat pocket. He pulled out the foil packet with the Neurocept capsules, staring at it like it was some kind of overpriced snake oil.

Ten thousand yen for this? He let out a short laugh. A miracle drug that might fix his fractured brain — or maybe just make him even more screwed up. Either way, he'd just dumped half his rent money on it.

Peeling back the packaging, he popped a capsule into his mouth and dry-swallowed it. No water, no second thought. Bitter taste, clung to the back of his throat for a moment before dissolving into nothing. Whatever. If this is what it took to stop his brain from playing jump cuts between alternate realities, so be it.

As he walked down the street, he forced himself not to think about what he couldn't afford anymore — groceries, utilities, sanity — and focused instead on the mess of life around him.