chapter 2: something strange

I woke to the muffled sound of my mom shouting from downstairs, her voice sharp with urgency. My alarm blared beside me, the harsh sound drilling into my ears. I groaned, rolling over to glance at the clock—9:16 AM. Panic struck me like lightning. Shit, I'm late. I bolted upright, my uniform still on from yesterday, scuffed and damp from the night before. My door was wide open, probably left that way by my little sisters after trying to wake me up. My perfect attendance record—the one thing I prided myself on—was now ruined. My chest tightened as fear took hold.

Scrambling to my feet, I quickly ran my hands over my wrinkled uniform, trying to make it look somewhat presentable. There wasn't time to change. I snatched my bag, stumbled down the stairs, and shoved my shoes on in a frenzy. "Azrael!" my mom called, but I ignored her, rushing out the door with barely a glance back. The cold morning air hit me like a slap to the face as I sprinted down the street, my heart hammering in my chest.

Shit, shit, shit. This has never happened before. Why does it have to happen now?

When I reached the school gates, they were closed, the iron bars looking more imposing than ever. I banged on the gate, shouting, "Hello! Is anyone there?!"

A teacher emerged from the main building, their footsteps deliberate as they approached. "Let's see who's late today," she sighed, shaking her head. But when her eyes landed on me, her expression shifted to one of genuine surprise. "Oh! Azrael? Why are you late? You're always on time." Panting, I bowed apologetically, smoothing my hair in a futile attempt to fix it. "I overslept, Miss. I'm really sorry! This won't happen again." She raised an eyebrow, still clearly stunned. "Well… you're lucky you've been a perfect student up until now. I'll mark you in as on time so you don't tarnish your record, but don't let it happen again." She waved me through the gate. "Go on, quickly."

"Thank you!" I called over my shoulder as I darted into the building, pulling out my phone to check my timetable. Class 5A—Science, Biology. My legs carried me as fast as they could, weaving through the halls until I reached the door. I took a deep breath and opened it. "Sorry I'm late, sir," I said, trying to sound calm. "I was talking to a teacher." The entire class turned to look at me. Shoji was, unsurprisingly, ignoring the lesson, building a precarious tower out of erasers. Ryuu sat next to him, silently knocking pieces down and muttering for Shoji to pay attention. The teacher frowned, his tone clipped. "Azrael, this behavior is quite uncharacteristic of you. While conversing with a teacher is a valid reason, tardiness is still unacceptable. Please take your seat." I nodded, biting back a retort, and quickly slid into the chair beside Ryuu and Shoji. Shoji finally noticed me and practically shouted, "Azrael! You're here! You're so late!"

The teacher sighed audibly but continued the lesson.

I turned to Shoji, lowering my voice. "Can you not shout? And yeah, I'm late because I overslept." Ryuu glanced at me with his usual stoic expression. "That sucks. If I'd known, I would've come to wake you up."

"Me too!" Shoji chimed in, his energy undeterred. I smiled at both of them, despite my embarrassment. "Thanks, guys. Honestly." Ryuu, ever observant, noticed my yawn and reached into his bag. Without a word, he placed an energy drink in front of me. "Drink this," he said, his blue eyes steady and serious. Gratefully, I grabbed the can and drank half of it in one go. "Thanks, Ryuu. I owe you one." But then, it hit me—that strange sensation from last night. It started as a dull hum in the back of my head, quickly growing sharper and more intense. My vision blurred, and I clutched my temples, wincing.

"Shit, my head…" I groaned, my voice weak. "Guys… I don't think I'm okay—"

Before I could finish, everything went black.

The next thing I knew, I woke in the nurse's office. The fluorescent lights above buzzed softly, and my body felt heavy, like I was dragging myself out of quicksand. "Hey! You're awake!" a cheerful voice said. I blinked, rubbing my eyes as the blurry figure came into focus. My heart skipped a beat. It was her—Lily. The girl I'd been secretly crushing on for months. She was sitting beside me, her hands folded neatly in her lap, her smile warm and genuine. "How are you feeling?" she asked, tilting her head slightly. "You passed out in class." For a moment, I just stared at her, dumbfounded. I never imagined seeing her like this, sitting so close. I quickly snapped out of it, rubbing the back of my neck nervously. "I-I'm fine! Thanks for checking on me." She giggled softly. "Don't mention it. It's lunchtime right now. Do you want me to grab you something to eat?" My stomach growled in response, and I flushed in embarrassment. "Yeah… that would be great. Thanks."

"Be back in 20 minutes!" she said with a wink before standing and heading for the door. As soon as she was gone, I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. My eyes lingered on the spot where she'd stood before drifting toward the window. Outside, the courtyard was lively, students laughing, chatting, and enjoying their break. It felt so far away—normalcy slipping further out of reach.

Then it happened again—a brief, vivid flash. The dreamworld appeared for just an instant, lush and vibrant, the colors so intense they almost burned. The vision was gone as quickly as it came, leaving me reeling. Lily returned, snapping me out of my thoughts. She handed me a brown paper pouch. "Here, I got you a cheeseburger and some pizza." I grinned, wide-eyed. "Pizza? That's my favorite! Thanks, but—do I owe you anything? I should pay you back." She waved me off, pushing my hand away. "No way. You don't owe me anything." Then, with a shy smile, she added, "Actually… I think you're kinda cute. Here." She scribbled her number on a piece of paper and handed it to me.

I felt my face heat up as I took the paper. "Th-thanks…"

We chatted a bit before she left, leaving me alone with my thoughts—and my racing heart. Later that day, as I walked home, I pulled out my phone and added her number. My hands trembled slightly as I typed the first message: "Hey." Her reply came almost instantly. "Hey! I'm so glad you messaged me!" A smile spread across my face, my heart fluttering as I typed back. But my joy was short-lived. A low hum began to buzz in my ears, growing louder and louder. I barely noticed it until it was too late. The screech of tires. The impact of metal against flesh. My body was sent flying, rolling along the asphalt. My phone landed nearby, still open on our chat.

As I lay there, broken and bleeding, the world around me slowed to a crawl. The buzzing in my ears was deafening, drowning out the panicked voices and screeching tires. Blood pooled beneath me, warm and sticky, soaking into the cold asphalt. The pain was everywhere—sharp and relentless—but it was nothing compared to the weight in my chest. My breaths came in shallow gasps as my vision blurred, the orange glow of the setting sun fading into white.

My thoughts raced.

Am I going to die?

No, this can't be happening. I just messaged her... I can't die now. Not when I finally got her number. Not when I finally felt like someone cared about me.

My heart pounded weakly against my ribs, each beat slower than the last.

I'll never know if she loved me for who I am or if she only saw what everyone else does-my grades, my achievements.

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes.

I just wanted to feel wanted. To be seen. To matter.

A wave of guilt crashed over me, stronger than the pain. Viella...

Alyssia... I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not being the big brother you deserve. I should've done better. I should've been there for you. My mind lingered on their smiling faces, the sound of their laughter echoing in my ears as the world began to dim.

The light around me grew brighter, and the noise of the street faded until there was nothing but silence. My body felt weightless, the pain melting away as everything turned stark white. My racing thoughts slowed, then stopped altogether.

And then-nothing.