Hinagawa trudged along the bustling city streets, his weary footsteps echoing on the pavement. At 17, he carried responsibilities far beyond his years, a burden he had grown used to. Each day, the weight felt heavier, pressing down on him like an unrelenting force.
He adjusted the strap of his worn backpack, the weight of his textbooks a constant reminder of his uphill battle for education amidst the relentless demands of survival. For Hinagawa, childhood was a distant memory, replaced by the harsh realities of adulthood thrust upon him too soon.
As he navigated through the crowd, each person consumed by their own pursuits, Hinagawa's thoughts lingered on the never-ending cycle of toil and struggle that defined his life. He worked odd jobs to make ends meet, aware of the legality of his actions. But in a world where survival trumped legality, he had long made peace with his choices.
His parents' tragic car accident three years ago had left him orphaned and saddled with a mountain of debt that seemed impossible to overcome. They had been outcasts, their choices leading them down a path of hardship and struggle. Now, Hinagawa was left to bear the consequences of their choices alone.
As the sun began to set, casting a warm glow over the city streets, Hinagawa found himself at a familiar crossroad. Home awaited him, a small, dimly lit house that offered little solace from the harsh realities of life. But for now, it was a sanctuary, a brief escape from the weight of the world.
With a heavy sigh, Hinagawa trudged onward, the weight of his burdens dragging at his heels. For tonight, at least, he would leave behind the struggles and hardships that defined his existence. Tonight, he would allow himself the luxury of forgetting, if only for a moment.
In the stillness of the night, Hinagawa found himself ensnared in a restless sleep. His mind, weary from the day's burdens, succumbed to dreams where reality intertwined with the ethereal.
Amidst the darkness, a voice echoed through his subconscious, commanding and mysterious. "Hinagawa," it whispered, a call that tugged at his consciousness. "Your time will come. We need you."
Startled, Hinagawa's eyes snapped open, but the darkness of his room offered no comfort from the voice lingering in his mind like an unshakeable specter.
As he lay there, grappling with his dreams, a cacophony of screams shattered the silence, tearing through his reality. Agonized cries filled the air, a symphony of suffering that echoed in his soul.
In his mind's eye, Hinagawa saw a sea of faces, each contorted in agony, their desperate pleas for help falling on deaf ears. The stench of despair hung heavy, suffocating him.
He reached out, desperate to offer solace to those suffering, but his efforts were in vain. The pain and anguish were all-consuming, a relentless tide threatening to engulf him.
"Stop it! Stop it!" Hinagawa cried out, his voice a desperate plea. But his words were lost in the chaos, drowned out by the symphony of suffering.
As the screams faded, Hinagawa found himself gasping for air, his heart pounding. Sweat beaded on his brow as he struggled to make sense of the haunting visions.
But one thing remained clear: the voice and screams were a harbinger of something greater, something beyond his understanding. And though he did not yet comprehend its meaning, Hinagawa knew his journey was only just beginning.
Hinagawa awoke with a start, his heart still racing from the vivid dreams. Sweat beaded on his brow as he struggled to shake off the echoes of the nightmarish visions.
"What was that all about?" he muttered, his voice barely a whisper in the dim dawn light. But even as he spoke, he knew there would be no easy answers.
The mysterious entity's cryptic words echoed in his mind: "Your time will come. We need you." What did it mean? And who was this unseen presence?
With a heavy sigh, Hinagawa rubbed his eyes, trying to dispel the remnants of sleep clinging to his consciousness. But the questions lingered, their weight pressing down on him.
As he sat there, grappling with the uncertainty, a sense of determination took root. Whatever lay ahead, he knew he could not ignore the call that had echoed through his dreams.
With a resolute nod, Hinagawa pushed himself out of bed. The cool floor beneath his feet was a stark reminder of reality. Though the mysteries of the night lingered in his mind like a half-remembered dream, he knew he must face the challenges ahead with courage.
For though the road ahead was uncertain and dangerous, it was a road he was determined to walk. And with that thought echoing like a beacon of hope, Hinagawa set out to meet whatever destiny awaited him, one step at a time.
*TO BE CONTINUED*