Blood filled the snow-covered streets of Osaka, its bright red color hitting the white snow as it continues to fall down slowly. The victim was there, lying down in the bed of snow as many people circulated near him. His friend, Kagura, kneeling beside him had her arms on his body as she desperately cries for help. In an attempt, to at least, save his brutally injured friend.
His brown skin was starting to turn cold from the weather, with green eyes still open from the shock that had collided with him. It was definitely unbelievable as if it hadn't happened and it was all just some illusion.
Shio breathed in and out, his chest rising up and down with no other movement. He was only lying there, ears were ringing, and his head was pounding. It felt tremendously painful. Could he even survive such a massive impact that had hit several vital points of his body?
Kagura turned to look at Shio, who as well turned his gaze to hers. Her eyes were all teary and her face was all a mess from the shock and worries that had run through her mind. She couldn't believe what was happening before her eyes, it happened so fast and so unexpectedly.
"This is all my fault." She sobbed loudly as tears start to mesh with the increasing layers of snow. An overwhelming amount of tears fell, with few snots here and there, she couldn't stop her crying. She felt different kinds of emotions: sadness, anxiety, panic, anger, grief... Name it all! She couldn't help but cry as she holds Shio's body above his pool of blood.
They suddenly hear the sirens closing in near them. It was the emergency ambulance that had called with few reinforcements tailing them, as well. The sound was loud, alarming each and every citizen that was within the site of the accident, especially Kagura who had finally felt a fleeting wave of relief. After all, Shio's chance of surviving is higher, now that the paramedics have arrived.
The paramedics instantly hopped out of the white ambulance and went on to assist the victims of the accident. They carried the collapsible, wheeled stretcher and managed to get Shio placed, lying on top of it.
"Can you hear me, sir?" One of the paramedics asked as they gently transfer his body inside of the ambulance, where more of their tools are accessible.
Shio, on the other hand, was all confused. His vision was all blurry and most of his limbs were paralyzed due to the blow he had received. He couldn't move even a tiny single muscle in his body, all he could do was blink so deliberately as he tries to cling onto his desperate, descending life.
"Huh?"
"Don't worry sir, we'll try our best to get you to safety." The paramedic said, closing the doors of the ambulance after Kagura hopped into it as well. He could see her panicking all over and rushing to contact somebody else with her phone, probably meaning to contact Shio's family.
Shio, on the other hand, had his eyes fixed on the roof of the ambulance which hasn't stopped moving from his vision. Though the ambulance itself was moving, his eyesight was all too blurry and was moving places. It was unstable and he could not help but feel nauseous.
The ambulance soon arrived at the nearest hospital port, with several other patients surging in and out of the emergency room. It was filled with a lot of people, some were ill and weak while some were injured. Most of the patients there were others who have been a victim from an accident, like Shio's case.
Entering the emergency area of the hospital, the humongous amount of alcohol and other sanitation chemicals could be smelled from there. Its walls were all white and so as its floors, though a little darker shade of white was hinted there. They were soon nearing the assigned precinct for Shio, however, his consciousness was gradually slipping out of him. He was close to fainting from the massive amount of pain he went through, he was getting weaker.
Shio's breath was becoming thinner as time passes by, and before he could reach the precinct, he had passed out.
Everything went black, or so they say.
For some reason, Shio could hear voices as he goes deeper into the darkness that had fallen upon him. It was vague, but he could hear his name being yelled out in a far distance. As if someone was calling him. As if someone wanted him to go near the voice.
"Shio." It called out once more. He felt his body turn around to see who, or what was calling him. Even though he couldn't see anything but everything in black, he could feel his body shift and turn.
"Shio." He began to walk towards the voice that was calling unto him.
"Shio!" He was running towards it.
"SHIO!" It yelled, and this time, he was standing next to it. He felt a breath touch his neck as he turns his head to his left, revealing the head of a little boy who had the same green eyes as his. This had scared Shio, making him jump from the darkness that loomed his body.
He suddenly fell awake and found himself on top of the soft mattress on a bamboo bed. "What the..? Huh?"
He looked over to his hands, that was once covered with his own blood, and found that they weren't tinted with red liquid streaming down from his own body. "What the fuck?!"
Shio began to touch his face, in hopes of feeling any pain from the impact that he had with the truck. However, to no prevail, he couldn't feel any pain or discomfort coming from his body. His body was in top condition as if the whole incident did not happen in the first place.
Scanning the entire area that was fresh from his retinas, he noticed the wooden walls that were a whole lot different from his grey-colored walls and almost dull aura of his apartment. It was like he was laying under what seems to be a hut. The ceiling was also made from fine straws that kept the rain out of the shelter.
Shio decided to rise up from the bamboo bed he laid in and approach the table that was near a window. The table had a plate of bread on top of it with a note that says, "You'll be pleased to meet her soon."
"Meet her soon? Who?" Shio asked himself as he took the piece of bread and ate it. He was starving and he felt his energy had depleted from the 'fictitious accident', though he refused to believe it had not occurred. How else could he be suddenly transported in this hut-like shelter?
Munching down on the bread, he noticed the movements that were coming from outside the window. Shio veered and tried to look outside of the window with hesitation, afraid of what was going on outside.
He gazed outside, but to no prevail, he could not see anything from there. The view from the window was all obscured with only light passing through. It was like the window was blocked by some sort of mirror, and that it was only placed there as a source of light, nothing more. "This is weird."
Shio searched for anything useful at the shelter, only to find the unlocked door that was next to the window. He traced his fingertips at the escutcheon and onto its knob as he turned the door slowly, revealing a dark hooded figure staring at him at the distance.
"Uh... Excuse me?" Shio called, his footsteps nearing the tall figure that was waiting for him at the distance.
"Can you help me?"
The tall, dark, hooded figure moved closer to Shio. This had startled the young male who abruptly took a step back from the figure. It was bright outside and he could see the raven-colored cloak that was worn by the figure. He could also glimpse a little on what was shadowing the figure's face, which displayed a large beak from his hood.
"What the hell..." Shio muttered as he turned to get a closer look at his surroundings. It was definitely unbelievable. The environment he was in was solely new and different, he had not explored this sort of place before and it somehow frightens him.
What if someone were to suddenly tore out his insides from within?
There were cube-like buildings and the place he was staying in was a whole metal cube. Though from its inside it seemed like he was inside of some hut. From the similar cube he was in, there were other humans coming out from them as the beaked figure suddenly crooked his face into a smile.
He put his hands on the hood of his cloak and let it down to his shoulders unhurriedly. There, he revealed his face that was nothing but the skull of a bird.
With both red eyes glowing from within, he grinned more widely as he clasps two of his hands together. His grin not wearing off from his face he said, "Welcome to the Afterlife, mortals."
With that, Shio felt a sudden shiver ran down his spine and onto his whole body. And he knows that he's bound to be fucked.