chapter 1

This is hell. Living like a doll with a soul is insufferable.

The old man thought as he looked outside. Birds were chirping, kids were walking, and the sun was setting. His body was fragile, and his smile had faded. His eyes darkened as he tried to move, but he couldn't.

The room was filled with nothing but a vase holding withering flowers, petals falling as they rotted. His hair had turned grey as he stared at the window, longing to walk again.

If I had died, he mused, my family and those close to me wouldn't suffer because of me. He reflected on the accident that changed everything. He should have died then, but instead, he survived, at what cost? Now, he was paralyzed, like a doll, unable to move at all. What's the point of living for 60 years?

He reminisced about his past: once an energetic boy, filled with hope and life...until the accident shattered everything. Now, he felt hopeless—an old man with no love life, a virgin with no prospects.

Click.

A doorknob turned as the door was opened. A teenage girl with beautiful blonde hair stepped inside. Her green eyes reflected the sunlight, shining brightly as she wore her school uniform—embodied with red accents and a black skirt. In her hand, she held a bouquet of flowers—black petals, delicate yet somber.

Walking closer, she approached the vase and carefully replaced the withering flowers.

The old man, turning his eyes toward her, saw her clearly. She was indeed beautiful, yet her eyes were filled with despair.

"Uncle... Mommy and Daddy have been arguing lately, and it hurts so much, Uncle," she said, tears streaming down her cheeks as she held his hand. "I heard that you and Mommy used to be close before that accident. If you had been healed, Mommy would be happy. But now... Mommy is sad. And Daddy's been acting different toward me, Uncle."

She paused, trembling, her voice trembling with emotion. "I have no one to tell... not even Grandpa. Every day has been a living hell... No one is here to protect me anymore, Uncle."

She cried out loud, her heart breaking.

"L-Lizzie..." the uncle stammered, trying to hold her hand gently, his voice trembling as he struggled to find words.

But as soon as the uncle spoke, his heart suddenly stopped. BEEP—BEEP—BEEP.

Lizzie's eyes widened as she stared at the heart monitor, which suddenly went flat. She quickly withdrew her hand and pressed the emergency button, but no one came. She stood there, crying and screaming his name, desperately hoping he would wake up. But all that remained was silence.

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"It smells like expired milk..." the young teenage boy thought as he slowly opened his eyes, finding himself surrounded by trash filled with rats and raccoons.

Bright sunlight reflected off the water pooling in the alleyway, casting shimmering patches of light on the grimy walls. Posters plastered everywhere—ads about heroes, insurance, and lost pets—fluttered in the gentle breeze. He was in a narrow alley, the darkness of the shadows contrasting with the blinding glare of the sun's rays.

He wiggled his body, testing his limbs. To his relief, he could move. "Is this heaven?" he wondered, a faint chuckle escaping his lips. Then he shook his head, dismissing the thought. "As if... this junkyard is anything close."

His gaze dropped downward, and his stomach sank as he noticed the dampness beneath him. His pants were soaked in something foul—the unmistakable smell of expired milk. His cheeks flushed with embarrassment and confusion.

"This must be a dream..." he muttered, reaching up to slap his face—hard. Pain shot through his head and body, anchoring him back to reality. "Agh, ow!" he yelled, cheeks burning with shame as a hot blush crept across his face.

He took a shaky breath, trying to process what had just happened, the stench, the mess, and the strange, unsettling feeling that this was only the beginning of something much bigger.

The boy tried to get up, but he felt a sharp pain in his stomach. As he struggled to stand, a shadow fell over him. It was a young lady with a black bob cut, dark brown eyes, and a slim build. "Huh? A lady?" he thought, as his legs began to weaken once more.

She stared at him with disgust. "Ester, you smell like expired milk! Where have you been? Your adopted parents are waiting for you... You useless brat!" She grabbed Ester's hair tightly and dragged him to an orphanage.

Confused and lost, Ester couldn't fight back. He didn't know the stranger or even the name call Ester. His facial expression revealed nothing, but inside, he was hurting from the grip on his hair. "...Tsk, this face of his is creepy. I'm glad someone wants this monster," she whispered as they reached the orphanage, which was filled with starving children, except for one girl.

Ester stared at her once the lady stopped pulling his hair. "Go take a bath; you reek! Tch, your outfit is in your room, but you better hurry. I can't let my money go to waste just waiting for you!" she yelled as she left, leaving all the starving children begging for food.

Ester was confused. He didn't know where the bathroom or his room was. "What the hell just happened? I was in the hospital... but now I'm in a strange place," he thought, trying to make sense of what had just occurred. Suddenly, a girl tapped him on the shoulder and slapped his face. 

"Y-YOU! HOW DARE YOU GET ADOPTED BEFORE ME, YOU PIECE OF SHIT!" a girl yelled. It was the girl Ester saw earlier. She was dressed pretty, with clear skin—maybe around 14 years old. Her hair was long and wavy, showcasing a mix of blonde and pink, and her crystal eyes seemed to pierce through Ester's soul.

"Did she... slap me? Me... Wait, I can stand... I'm not paralyzed..." he thought, ignoring her insult. The girl's face turned red with anger, and she threw a vase that was nearby—until a little boy came in and got hit instead. 

"Huh," the girl said, startled by her own actions. Everyone stared at her, including Ester, who was jolted back to reality. "Did she... try to kill me with a vase?!" he thought, his mind in chaos, until he noticed the little boy who had actually been hit instead.

A scream pierced the air as the children at the orphanage saw a dead boy lying on the ground, blood flowing from his wounds. Ester, who was nearby, rushed to check if he was still alive. "I can't let a dead child die in front of me... especially if he saved me," he whispered, feeling for a heartbeat at the boy's neck. 

Relief washed over him when he realized the child was still alive. Ester stood up and walked over to a girl who was dressed beautifully but had collapsed, unable to support herself. In a moment of anger, he slapped her—not because she had insulted him, but because her actions had nearly cost an innocent child's life.

"Y-you..." she stuttered, trying to speak, until a young lady and two others stepped in and saw the chaos. The young lady, clearly afraid, immediately grabbed Ether's shirt and yelled at him, "W-what did you do, Ether?" She glanced at the two strangers behind her.

Ether's face was emotionless, but there was emotion beneath it, trying to speak. The lady slapped Ether very hard. "You mess everything up! You—" As the lady was about to speak again, a cold, icy voice can be heard. "Ester? Is this the boy you were talking about?"

The lady was startled, thinking she'd lose her profit, but now it seemed over for her until someone else spoke. "I'll adopt him... Bring him to me... and make sure he showers. This room reek like expired milk," he said coldly, then left with someone beside him.

The young lady, stunned by their words, collapsed and laughed. "Haha... Ester, you better not ruin this... or I will kill you for sure," she said, dragging him to the bathroom. As Ether, who had many thoughts racing through his mind, worried for the boy who had protected him, he secretly wanted to see if he was okay.

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Cunfusing right? Well yeah, I had to pace it, so sorry! But it will get better! I SWEAR! 

Who do you guys think? The person who's about to adopt him? Is it a hero? Villian? or a typical human? find out soon MUAHHHHAHAH!!