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Rei Daji grew up in a small countryside town, isolated in a broken home where neither parent truly cared for him. Diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, he constantly struggles with his emotions, clinging to the few fleeting connections he has. At school, he wears a mask, pretending to be someone he's not just to blend in.

But Rei has a strange and terrifying gift—by touching someone, he can devour their suffering. The pain, trauma, and despair of others become his own, filling the void inside him. The more suffering he takes, the more distorted his mind becomes.

One day, he meets someone whose pain is so overwhelming that devouring it nearly breaks him. As he spirals deeper into a world of unseen agony, Rei must decide—will he keep taking in the suffering of others, or will he finally face his own?

Devourer of Sorrows

The sky had turned an eerie shade of gray by the time Rei reached home. He stared at the door for a moment before stepping inside, shutting it behind him with a soft click. The quiet of his room was suffocating, the weight of the day pressing against his chest.

Two new presences in his life. One was unreadable, the other too friendly for his liking. And yet, they both felt like puzzle pieces being forced into a picture he hadn't agreed to complete.

He sat on the edge of his bed, his fingers curling slightly.

For so long, he had walked through school unnoticed, unbothered. He had no one, and it was better that way. But now, eyes were turning toward him. People were approaching him. Trying to talk to him. Trying to get in.

Mei had wanted something, too. And once she got it, she was gone.

A dull ache pulsed behind his temple. He pressed his fingers against it, willing it to disappear. But then—

Rei froze. His heart clenched, and his breath hitched for just a second. Slowly, he turned his head toward the glass.

He was on the second floor. There was no balcony, no ledge. It was impossible for someone to be standing there.

This time, he saw it. A faint shadow moving just beyond the glass.

His fingers twitched. His throat went dry.

He stood, forcing his body to move despite the stiffness in his limbs. Step by step, he approached the window. The closer he got, the heavier the air around him became.

Then, as if testing his resolve, the knocking stopped.

Rei hesitated, his pulse drumming in his ears. Slowly, cautiously, he reached out and pushed the window open.

A gust of cold wind rushed past him. The street below was empty. The trees swayed gently in the breeze, their branches stretching toward the sky like silent observers.

Rei exhaled, long and slow. Maybe he was imagining things. Maybe the stress was finally catching up to him.

He shut the window and turned away—

This time, it came from behind him.

Rei's breath caught in his throat.

Chapter 19: A fractured reflection