Ichijou floored the pedal, driving with reckless abandon through the congested streets of Tokyo. His maneuvers were daring, weaving in and out of traffic, determined to reach the hospital as quickly as possible.
As we hurtled down the road, we both struggled to maintain our composure, trying to push aside the panic threatening to overwhelm us. I stole glances into the side mirror, watching in horror as the pixelation continued to spread across my face.
The abnormality now engulfed my entire right ear, distorting its appearance beyond recognition. Yet, to my surprise, my hearing remained unaffected, allowing me to perceive sounds with startling clarity.
"F*ck!" Ichijou cursed vehemently, slamming on the brakes as we approached a massive traffic jam ahead. I peered through the windshield, my heart sinking as the sea of stalled cars blocked our path to the hospital, threatening to delay our urgent journey.
"What the hell! It's not even lunch break yet. What's happening out there?!" Ichijou's frustration boiled over as he pounded his hand against the steering wheel.
"Ichijou, calm down! There's nothing we can do about it! We just have to wait it out," I urged, attempting to soothe his agitation with a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
Taking a deep breath, he reluctantly regained his composure. "Fine... I'm sorry," he muttered, his grip on the steering wheel tightening.
"First things first, we need to figure out what's going on," I suggested, my gaze fixed on the blocked road ahead.
"Man, did you just spread some virus onto me?! I thought with how advanced our medicine is nowadays, getting sick is impossible!" Ichijou accused, his tone accusatory.
"What?!- Hell no! How the hell would I even get a virus in the first place! I hardly ever leave my house!" I retorted, incredulous at the accusation.
"There has to be some kind of explanation to what just happened to us. We need to get to the hospital to get full-body examinations by the doctors as soon as possible." I insisted, my hand instinctively reaching to touch the pixelated portion of my face, seeking answers that eluded us both.
"Fucking hell! It would take forever to get there now! The traffic isn't moving an inch!" Ichijou's frustration boiled over as he glared at the stagnant traffic ahead.
I examined my hand, noticing how even the slightest scratch caused the pixelated portion of my head to crumble. It was fragile, alarmingly so. If it engulfed us completely, we'd likely disintegrate with just a slight impact.
"I think we still have a lot of time before this thing completely get us. Just stay calm, okay. Did you notice that we don't even sense any sort of pain from those pixelations?" I replied to him calmingly.
"What are you trying to say, Kiseki?" Ichijou's confusion was evident in his voice.
"What I mean is, I don't think this is life-threatening—at least not immediately. As long as we keep our hands away from it and avoid exposing these pixelations to hard surfaces, we should be okay," I explained, hoping to alleviate some of his panic with a rational approach to our predicament.
"And what if we accidentally get hit on these pixelations part of our body?" Ichijou's voice quivered with worry.
"Simple. We turn to ashes. So calm down, and let's take it slow to get ourselves to the hospital." I replied, meeting his gaze with a serious expression.
He swallowed hard, his anxiety palpable as he fell silent, resigning himself to the slow progress through the traffic.
As we inched forward, Ichijou maneuvered the car with caution, alternating between pressing the gas and brakes to navigate through the congested road. Suddenly, a loud crack reverberated through the car, causing us both to tense up.
"I-Ichijou... take off your clothes," I urged, my voice trembling with concern.
Reluctantly, he complied, shedding his garments to reveal a shocking sight. His chest was entirely consumed by the pixelations, with long cracks stretching from his left armpit to his right shoulder, a sight that left us both stunned and terrified.
"I... I can't bend my body. I'll shatter, literally. Kiseki, you have to drive for me," Ichijou calmly stated, his voice tinged with resignation, and we both silently acknowledged the gravity of the situation.
Carefully, he exited the driver's side, and I followed suit, switching places with him. It had been six years since I last drove a car, but there was no room for hesitation now. I had to navigate us through the traffic with utmost caution, mindful of Ichijou's fragile state.
As I took the wheel, I felt a surge of apprehension wash over me. Ichijou, usually fearless in the face of danger, now sat beside me, his hands trembling with anxiety. It was a sobering reminder of the seriousness of our predicament.
For the next thirty minutes, we crawled through the heavy traffic, inching closer to our destination. Eventually, the cause of the delay came into view: a gruesome accident involving a car and a bus. Blood stained the asphalt, and the bus lay on its side, while the car was mangled beyond recognition under its weight.
"Kiseki... L-Look at that..." Ichijou's voice quavered as he pointed towards something ahead.
I strained my eyes to see what had caught his attention, and when I spotted it, a cold shiver ran down my spine. The figure, presumably the car's driver involved in the accident, lay on the ground, their body gruesomely snapped in half. But instead of blood and entrails, their form was comprised of pixelated blocks, a surreal and horrifying sight. Without hesitation, I reached for the car's infotainment system and tuned into the radio.
"Breaking news! A strange phenomenon is occurring globally. People worldwide are experiencing abnormal entities spreading on their bodies, referred to as the 'Pixelation Effect'. Scientists and doctors are baffled by the cause of this bizarre occurrence. Governments are urging affected individuals to seek medical attention immediately, although the nature of the entity remains unidentified and precautionary measures are being taken to contain its spread."
Ichijou and I exchanged stunned glances, the weight of the situation sinking in.
"I-Ichijou... we're not the only ones," I murmured, my voice tinged with concern.
"No shit, Sherlock! Is this gonna be like another outbreak twenty years ago or something?!" Ichijou's voice cracked with anxiety as he gripped his head tightly.
"I don't know. The reporter didn't mention anything about it being an illness or contagion. She just said it's an unidentified entity," I replied, my foot pressing down on the gas pedal as soon as the road ahead cleared, urgency propelling us forward.
"What's different about it if it still happens all over the world! It's still considered a pandemic! You saw what happened to that guy! He was cut in half- HALF!" Ichijou's voice carried an edge as he spoke.
Silent and contemplative, I focused solely on the road ahead, grappling with the need for an explanation for the unfolding chaos.
Our destination was IUHW Mita Hospital for our routine checkup, urgency fueled by the encroaching pixelations that marred my neck and Ichijou's chest and stomach.
With no time to spare, I parked the car directly in front of the hospital's main entrance and swiftly sought assistance. Soon, we found ourselves under the watchful eyes of nurses and doctors in the ICU.
Ichijou and I were placed in the same ward as any other patients with the same abnormalities. We were demanded to stripped our clothes off and put away our possession.
Since then, time seemed to blur within the confines of the hospital walls, leaving us disconnected from the outside world and the ones who surely worried for us. Misaki must've been worried sick. As the sky outside darkened, the relentless passage of time only heightened my sense of confinement and desperation.
Shortly after, the doctor delivered reassuring news: the phenomenon plaguing us was not contagious. With that declaration, we were permitted to reclaim our clothes and personal effects.
Without delay, I seized my phone, eager to reassure Misaki. Unlocking it, I was greeted by a staggering 65 missed calls from her. She's definitely worried sick about me right now. Dialing her number, I pressed the phone to my ear, desperate to hear her voice.
Just a few seconds after the first beep, Misaki answered my call.
After just a few rings, Misaki answered, her voice cracking with worry. "Kiseki! Where have you been? I've been trying to reach you!"
"Mom, I... I'm okay, for now," I managed to reply, my own anxiety palpable.
"For now? What do you mean, honey?" Her concern deepened.
"I've developed symptoms of Pixelation too, Mom," I confessed, bracing for her reaction.
There was a moment of silence, broken only by the sound of Misaki's stifled sobs.
"Where are you?" she finally asked, her voice trembling with emotion.
"I'm at IUHW, Mom," I confirmed, hoping my words would provide some solace amidst the turmoil.
"I'll head there in a few minutes. Text me your location in the hospital and your room number," she instructed before ending the call.
I continued to stare at my phone until Ichijou's voice broke the silence. "Hey, Kiseki, do you mind calling my dad for me?" he asked, gesturing towards his now-pixelated arms.
"...Sure, I'll let him know you're here."
An hour passed before Misaki finally arrived. I dreaded her seeing me in this state, knowing it would break her heart. But I was powerless to prevent it. Unable to move, my body entirely consumed by pixelation, I feared I would crumble under her gaze.
As Misaki sat beside me, her tears flowed freely. I reached out to gently wipe them away, offering what comfort I could.
"I'm sorry for troubling you all this time. You don't have to cry anymore. I'll be fine. I promised." I whispered, trying to soothe her pain.
Her response was a poignant stare, her sadness evident as she struggled to contain her emotions.
"You didn't trouble me even a bit, Dear. Not even once... Don't say things like that." She grabbed onto my hand and gently holds it.
"Thank you, Misaki, for always treating me as your own. I'm truly fortunate to have a mother like you."
She embraced me tightly, her tears flowing even more freely. It wasn't my intention for things to unravel like this.
"You'll always be my child. I love you, honey," she murmured between sobs.
I nodded gently, attempting to offer her a smile, but the encroaching pixelation rendered it impossible.
Sensing the pixelation spreading to the last part of my body, I knew my time was running out. I turned to look at Ichijou, witnessing his gradual dissolution until he vanished entirely. It was my final glimpse of the world before darkness engulfed me, drowning out the sound of my mother's sobs until only silence remained.
"Is this what death feels like? It's terrifying," I pondered aloud, my life flashing before my eyes. Memories of cherished moments with Misaki and Ichijou flooded my mind, stark reminders of what truly mattered.
"Damn, my life really was pathetic, isn't it? My only memories were only with two of the most precious people in my life. Nothing else in it. I wish I could do better in my next life if there's even one." I mused to myself, longing for a chance to do better in another life, if such a possibility existed.
Suddenly, I felt the sensation of landing on a hard surface. Though shrouded in darkness, I attempted to move my arm, feeling the rough texture beneath me. Was it brick, pavement, or something else entirely?
"Kiseki..."
Was that a voice? No, I must be imagining things. I thought I was already dead. Yet, as my senses slowly returned, I detected movement in the distance and felt the icy chill of the air against my skin. But what about my sight?
"Wait, am I still alive right now?" I questioned aloud, the sound of my own voice echoing back to me. It was a puzzling revelation—I was indeed still alive. How bizarre.
I can hear my own voice echoing. I'm really am very much still alive. That's bizarre.
"Kiseki... wake up, you petty human..."
Startled, I opened my eyes, searching for the source of the voice. There, in the distance, sat a woman, her presence both mysterious and captivating.