Chapter 1: A bad start

It was late at night, and I was hanging out with my friends at the bar, as usual. I came here to take a break from staring at screens all day. The atmosphere was low-key, the kind of place where you could just exist without much effort. After a while, the silence grew, and Axel spoke up from across the table, sipping his vodka.

"How about we get on Epic Games and find something fun to play?" he suggested.

I wasn't really paying attention, my mind drifting between the bar's dim lights and the steady flow of drinks. I took another sip from my glass, barely noticing what Axel was saying. Still, I nodded in agreement—half out of habit, half because I wasn't in the mood to reject anything.

The night wore on, and though I'd been drinking, I managed to stay mostly sober. I called a taxi, but it left me waiting outside in the cold for what felt like forever. Twenty minutes later, the driver finally arrived and dropped me off at home. Stumbling inside, I somehow made it to my back door, barely able to stay upright.

My head sank into the pillow, and I could still feel the remnants of alcohol on my skin, my clothes sticking with sweat. The room was too bright, and I almost let myself fall asleep like that. But then, a flicker of energy pushed me to the bathroom where I took a quick hot bath, hoping the warmth would shake off the fatigue. Once I was clean, I changed into my pajamas, too lazy to deal with laundry. I crawled back into bed, exhausted, yet unable to fully sleep.

That's when I noticed a message on my computer. Axel had texted, reminding me about the games. I hadn't heard him earlier, and I figured I might as well give it a shot. Opening Epic Games, I tried to find something that would hold my attention, but my body felt heavy. My stomach growled loudly, pulling me away from the screen.

I dragged myself to the kitchen and grabbed a leftover slice of pizza, tossing it in the microwave. It felt like the longest few minutes as I waited for it to heat up. When it was done, I ate quickly, feeling the hunger settle in, but not really enjoying it. Afterward, I went back to my room, typing out a quick message to Axel: "I'm going to sleep, so I won't play with you guys."

I closed my laptop but then remembered—my computer needed repairs. The anger from yesterday's outburst had left it in a broken state, and now I had to get it fixed. Reluctantly, I pulled off my pajamas and put on something less comfortable before heading out.

Something felt off as I walked to the Apple store with the broken laptop in hand. I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling, but I pushed it aside. When I got to the store, I handed the computer to a technician, hoping it could be fixed soon.

As I turned to leave, my phone rang. The number wasn't saved, but it felt familiar. I answered. All I heard was screaming in the background, followed by my neighbor's frantic voice.

"Your house is on fire!" he yelled.

I froze, unable to process what he said at first. "What? My house?"

"Your house is burning!" He sounded almost panicked.

My stomach dropped. Without another thought, I hung up and ran out of the store, barely remembering to call a taxi. My legs moved faster than my mind could keep up with, and within moments, I saw the smoke rising in the distance.

When I reached my street, I could see the flames—my house was engulfed. I froze in front of it, tears welling in my eyes as I realized everything I'd known was now being consumed by fire.

The firemen worked frantically, but there was nothing they could do. My house was gone. It felt like the world had caved in. I sank to my knees in the yard, overwhelmed by the realization that I'd left the microwave on.

After a while, they handed me a box of salvaged belongings—mostly ruined, just a few half-burned things that didn't mean much. I didn't know where to go or what to do. I walked to Baek's place, not thinking clearly. He was surprised to see me at his door, but without hesitation, he let me in.

"You can stay here as long as you need," he said, offering me a place to sleep.

I was grateful. Baek's kindness was the only thing that made sense in that moment. He gave me a room for the night and helped me settle in. Though it wasn't much, I felt a small sense of relief knowing I wasn't alone.

The next morning, I woke up to find a warm blanket draped over me. Baek must've tucked me in while I slept. I got up and went to the kitchen where he had already eaten. He'd left me breakfast, and as I ate, I checked my computer. Axel had sent a worried message after seeing the news.

His message made me smile. I replied quickly, letting him know I was okay, staying with Baek for now until I could figure things out.

As I ate my breakfast, I felt a tiny bit of hope flicker inside me. Even though everything had fallen apart, at least I still had friends who cared.

Afterwards, I remembered there were a few things I needed to take care of, so I decided not to change and just grabbed my stuff before heading to the nearest cafe. I sat down and began typing on my laptop, trying to focus, but I couldn't help noticing an old man sitting nearby, staring at me. His gaze was unsettling, almost creepy, but I tried to ignore it, hoping he'd lose interest.

Needing a break, I decided to head to the bathroom. Maybe if I stepped away for a moment, he'd stop watching me. But as I stood by the sink, washing my hands, I suddenly felt something that made my blood run cold—someone grabbed my bottom.

I froze in shock, my heart racing. Without thinking, I turned around, only to come face-to-face with the old man. The same creepy guy who'd been watching me from across the room. What the hell was going on? Who was he? And why was he touching me?

"Hey you! why the hell did you touch me..are you sick?!" i yelled without feeling any guilt and that sick bastard simply smirked. Feeling freaked out, i slapped him and started walking out until he grabbed my wrist.

I desperetaly tried to move my wrist but his grip was too tight. I felt hopeless until i kicked him in the stomach with my foot and ran off, ugh..he made me want to throw up..

I grabbed my stuff and headed out before that creep could come again and try to touch me.