End of One's Life...

The sun dipped below the horizon, swallowed by dark storm clouds gathering over the city. Before long, heavy rain poured onto the cobblestone streets, turning them into rushing rivers. People scurried for cover, unfurling umbrellas or using whatever they had—bags, cloaks, even their bare hands—to shield themselves from the downpour.

Yet, in a secluded alleyway on the city's edge, beyond the glow of lanterns and flickering neon signs, a man lay motionless amid piles of garbage.

His clothes were tattered, soaked through with rain and stained with mud. A putrid mixture of rotting refuse and wet earth filled his nostrils, making him gag. The cold seeped into his bones, his limbs trembling as a shiver wracked his body.

Grime clung to his face, stinging his eyes, forcing them open.

Pain.

A sharp, searing pain lanced through his chest the moment he tried to move. He gasped but found his lungs uncooperative, his breath shallow and labored. With great effort, he turned onto his back, staring up at the stormy sky.

The city lights blurred through the rain, casting ghostly reflections on the wet stone. Somewhere in the distance, the rhythmic drumming of raindrops on metal bins echoed like a slow, ominous countdown.

He tried to remember.

Who he was.

Why he was here.

But his mind was an empty void. His own name eluded him. His voice, his past—gone.

Then, his chest tightened further, a crushing weight pressing down on his ribs. His body convulsed in protest. He tried to raise a hand, to clutch at the source of his pain, but his strength failed him. A cough racked his throat, and something warm spilled from his lips—blood.

The world began to fade.

Sounds dulled, colors dimmed. The cold no longer bit at his skin. His breath shallowed, the struggle easing into quiet surrender.

But then—

A flash.

A voice.

The desperate cry of a child, calling for help.

His heart clenched. Why did this voice sound familiar? Why did he feel the need to reach for it?

But before he could find the answer, the cry fell silent.

And so did he.