"Death is not the opposite of life, but a part of it. -Haruki Murakami"
That is what Baladan believes, with death staring him in the face everyday he was bound to think differently then others. Another one of his thoughts is "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
Ever since he was young he has been able to see the time a person has left until death. At first he didn't understand why there was a timer on everyone around him. That was until it happened, the day his father came home drunk off his ass with a foul mood about him.
Baladan was 6 years old, he was made to watch as his father picked up an ash tray and bashed it over his mothers head. The image of blood being sprayed across the room before hitting him stayed within his mind. The next thing he knew he was slowly waking up in his mothers arms as they bagged up his fathers body.
That day he had snapped, the timer over his fathers head was no more. When he thought back to that time he realized it was he who killed his father.
The father he once knew was nothing like it was before, the body was shriveled up like a mummy instead of the beer belly 30 year old with anger issues.
At that time he knew his power was much more then just seeing when someone dies. After that day him and his mother was labeled as murderers even though neither served time because of the unexplained death.
That didn't stop society from treating them like murderers though, it was hard to get a job for his mom after that. It was pure luck that she found 2 kind hearted people willing to help her get a job at their school and orphanage.
Ironically this only made people talk more, they kept going on how she was only doing those jobs to "repent" for her sin.
That didn't stop her from pushing through for Baladan. On the other hand Baladan was physically abused by the kids at his school. They were mainly older kids who heard what happened and wanted to see the "killer" they had heard about.
Eventually Baladan got sick of it, he began to teach himself how to fight. Ever time he would get cornered by his classmates it would result in a fist fight with Baladan wailing on whoever he got his hands on.
He had gotten removed from a lot of schools because of that, thankfully his mother was also a teacher so he became homeschooled after he couldn't go to any normal school for his grade.
The kid was bright, he absorbed information better then most allowing him to keep up with the top figures in most schools. With him being homeschooled he didn't get into to many fights during his schooling. It was only after the lessons was over did people come to his house to start shit.
It felt like he never had a day to himself, it was always eat, learn, fight, sleep. Every day was a new bruise but it also brought him more resolve to show them all to not fuck with him!
It had been 13 years since his fathers death, he had become 19 in the last 2 years of his schooling. Due to abnormal storms and sudden changes in the world they were forced to be held back for 2 whole years.
They had tried many different ways to get around the changing weather but with the change new problems came. Even if they tried to have online classes with the weather how it was the connection didn't last long enough to even get the whole class in the call!
Even WiFi around the world was disturbed, especially satellites. Some of them even came falling back down onto the earth leaving the world without phones, tv, computers. Anything that actively used signals to connect was basically useless for the whole 2 years.
Baladan on the other hand never cared if he had a phone or not. He spent his own time reading, training, or studying. He even got a internship at a mechanics, even though it was hard to get to work with the random weather he still pushed through to learn everything he could about cars.
Finally once the storms settled the government went back to the way it was before pushing everything back to the way it's supposed to be. Finally after a couple months of tireless work students were able to go back to school to finish their last couple years.
———
???: "EVERYONE! Gather up in the gym and wait for the announcement! You should all have been given a paper with your classes on it! Read it over before the principal gives his speech!"
Baladan had walked through the school gates a smirk on his face as he looked at the paper. To be honest he missed coming to school, even with everything that happened he was able to make a couple friends that was more like brothers to him.
Bal: 'Let's hope those dumbasses got a good enough grade to come here. Knowing them they might not have even gotten through the gate with their grades… let's see what a private school looks like huh?'
Baladan was a tall physically fit man, he had green hair and purple eyes. He had been wearing the schools black uniform making his hair pop compared to everyone else.
???: "You punk! How dare you show up to school with your hair dyed! Don't you know the rules!"
Baladan sighed to himself, he knew this was going to happen at some point. Little did he know it was going to happen minutes after stepping through the gate.
Bal: "Look, I didn't dye my hair. It's been like this for years now, I don't know why my hairs natural color is green but I am not insecure enough to want to dye my hair just to look cool"
Baladan had a sharp look in his eyes, he was rough looking. His attitude and the way he looked at the teacher screamed he was a punk. Even the teacher was a little intimidated by the look he was getting, he slowly backed away looking around for another teacher.
???: "W-Whatever! Like I'll believe that's natural! Just wait until after the announcement!"
The teacher quickly left, the man was a coward at heart that wouldn't try to get himself in trouble but would also try to enforce his own "power" onto others. This was the type of person Baladan couldn't stand, the cowards who want nothing more then to control others.
———
At the gate hiding to the side a pair of black eyes and red hair came around the corner watching Baladan. This person was visibly shaking, some might think from fear but if they get a look at her face then they would think completely different!
This women with a curvy body wearing the same uniform as the other students was panting against the wall as she watched Baladan.
???: 'Oh Bal~ my prince~ I finally see you again! I missed you so much! I couldn't help butwant to do anything to see you~ I even purposely destroyed my car a couple times just to see you at work~ I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you~!'
This person could barely contain herself as she watched him walk, she was very obsessive with him. Even though he didn't really know her she knew almost everything about him! She was a Yandere through and through!
With the bell close to ringing she quickly slipped into the crowed and followed Baladan to the gym.
———
Baladan suddenly got a chill going up his spine as he walked, when he looked around he was shocked!
Bal: 'W-Why… why does almost everyone here have such little time left…'
He began to examine everyone that came into the gym, he even saw the red head which caught his eyes. She was one of the only ones with more time then everyone else, unconsciously he moved closer to her. Finally he stood next to her as he waited for the announcement.
Baladan didn't say a word but his mind was racing.
Bal: 'Well, if everyone here will die soon then I best stick with someone who is bound to live through whatever is going to happen. Hopefully it's not a bomb or something that kills everyone besides those who stand in this spot'
He sighed a little as he looked at the principle as he prepared to give his speech.
???: 'Oh my god… OH MY GOD! He walked up next to me! I knew he couldn't stay away from me for long! My prince has come to take me away~! Kyaaaa!!'
The principle went on to make his speech about how the school year will progress. Making it painfully clear that breaking the rules was strictly prohibited. He even explained where the classes had been situated.
With the campus maps being given out by the teachers it would be almost impossible to get lost.
———
Bal: "Well since I guess the announcements are over I should head to class…"
Baladan was talking to himself as he looked at the map and his classes before looking over to the red haired women standing beside him. She had a look of a saint with a small smile revealing none of her emotions as she looked at her paper acting like she was studying it.
Bal: "Hey… would you mind showing me what classes you got? Maybe we can walk together, my name is Baladan Thatcher. Just call me Bal"
He brought his hand out as if to shake hers waiting for the women's response.
Rosa: "M-my name is Rosa Heart! You can just call me Rose if you like…"
Her face may not show her emotions but her words exposed how nervous she was. With her hand shaking when she reached out she grabbed his hand slowly moving it up and down before releasing.
Baladan: "It's nice to meet you Rose, my first class is homeroom. I think it said 1-A what about you?"
Rosa: "M-Me too! I also have 1-A homeroom! How about we try and beat everyone there so we can get the best seats?"
Bal: "Sounds like a plan, I was going to hang around and see if my friends are here but it looks like I wouldn't be able to find them even if I spent the whole day looking. Let's head out shall we?"
———
It took around 30 minutes for the majority of the classes to fill up with people. Baladan had sat near the window looking out of it while Rosa sat next to him sneaking glances at her prince as time went on.
Bal: 'Huh? What's that?'
Baladan looking down into the parking lot saw a weird shadowy figure. This creature was walking slowly towards the building, it had a completely pitch black body with the only other color showing up as green mist coming out of its mouth and eyes.
It was a thing from nightmares! The shadow creature slowly made its way to the entrance of the main building however Baladan was still stunned from what he saw.
The creature also had a timer but, it wasn't normal. The creature's time was in the negatives counting up instead of counting down till it's death.
Bal: 'I have a really bad feeling about that thing'
Before he could finish his thought a loud booming sound was heard throughout the world! Instantly people looked at the sky as it turned black as night, it had even revealed the stars as a unknown force was released out into the world.
It took seconds for the world to be enveloped by this power before people started to scream falling over onto the floor or on their desk.
Each person was holding their stomach feeling as if someone was grabbing their intestines squeezing and twisting them over and over again.
It took 10 minutes for the feeling to wear off, some people stood back up but others… they started to give off a different feeling. Their timers had been cut in half making them get closer and closer to death before the first one changed.
The shadow like creature from before was only the beginning as the people who didn't get up started to stand again as a shadow creature just like the one from before.
Instantly a screen appeared before the survivors, the words on it made everyone jump with fright.
[The System has Descended, survive and good luck!]