Navigating the aisles of Harry's Convenience Store, Luca's eyes caught sight of a couple hidden behind a towering stack of shelves, lost in a passionate embrace, kissing and romancing with little care for any prying eyes.
Hmm, can't blame them. The weather is cold enough to turn lovers on,
he thought, a pang of longing striking him. The daydream of having a girlfriend of his own flitted through his mind, his mind was almost shifting to Silvia, but he quickly shook it off, he hadn't proven himself why would he think about her, he had let her down that day, five years ago, he would keep trying, now isn't time to think about it.
Instead, he focused on the comforting thought of immersing himself in a video game once he got home, Luca was at level 50 in Dragon Quest 1, the most popular video game in Pelagris which had a total level of a hundred, even reaching level 50 was by no means a small feat, there were handful of people who had reached there in the whole of Pelagris, it had been five years since the game premier yet nobody had clear all the levels, only a person had reached level 55 in the whole country the last time Luca checked in the online forum. With a determined sigh, he turned toward the other sections, he would try to reach level 51 when he got home.
Luca's eyes scanned the shelves until they landed on the shaving razors. He reached for one, its price tag boldly declaring '19 EPB', but it appeared there was a discount, beneath it was '25 EPB' but it was crossed.
"Hmm, 24% discount, not bad" and without a second thought, he seized it.
"Alright, this will do," he murmured, satisfaction in his tone. Swiftly moving through the labyrinth of goods, he gathered a few more necessities along the way.
He made his transaction at the cashier with efficiency, the items now secured in a white nylon bag that had the convenience store logo. With his purchase in hand, he made for the exit, the sky outside threatening to unleash a downpour.
"I like it rainy when I'm gaming"
Luca said, it sounded almost like a song with the tone he used.
He turned into Crescent Moon Lane, the street
It remained about 300 meters for him to reach the three-story apartment complex where he lived when he noticed a drift of black smoke in the air, it was coming from a house in the distance and he also heard a loud sound like someone banging at the door.
Luca looked around, the neighborhood was almost quiet.
No no no no no,
he shook his head, Luca could guess what was happening, there was probably a fire outbreak and someone was trapped inside a room banging at the door.
Shit!! Let me live my fucking peaceful life.
He started feeling the urge to move toward the direction of the sound, to trace where it was coming from, but Luca wouldn't give in easily, he swore not to meddle, and he would force himself to reach home, shave his muttonchops and enter into his gaming haven.
Call the fucking firefighter!!
He yelled why using his hands to cover his ears tightly, he could hear the sound of the banging of the door clearly in his head.
"Alright, almost home, I'm not Jesus, I can't keep saving everyone" he continued his stride.
Luca was halfway down Crescent Moon Lane, a mere 100 meters from the sanctuary of his home when his vision began to swim.
"Huh, what's happening?" he slurred, his legs quivering beneath him. An inexplicable weakness washed over him, sapping his strength with each step.
Hey hey hey hey hey hey!!!! Don't tell me it's happening.....
His pace slowed to a crawl, his balance faltered, and his heart started thumping. Then, suddenly, the world's volume turned up in his head. Apart from the banging of doors, he started hearing different types of sounds.
A baby's cry...
a woman's plea — give it to me baby...
Eh!! Luca muttered.
The symphony of insects... It was louder as if Luca was in a jungle, but he knew it was coming from the wooded area behind the neighborhood houses.
....and the rhythm of his own heart—all of it amplified to an overwhelming crescendo.
"What the heck," he gasped, terror and confusion spiking his pulse.
It took him a grueling twenty minutes to traverse what should have been a brisk walk. His speed had deserted him, a stark reversal from the earlier burst of velocity on Silverclaw Boulevard and a testament to his weakened body state.
Facing the stairs to his apartment, he muttered, "This is gonna be a nightmare" Each step was a battle, his grip on the railing the only thing keeping him upright, his breaths ragged as though he'd conquered miles instead of mere meters, it was like his bones had weakened to the state of a hundred-year-old man's, every step was painful, yet voice kept sounding in his head.
Luca knew it was the side effect of running so fast, like how he had grown very hungry and ordered ten plates of steak.
Dragging himself upward, the corridor was silent—most neighbors were absent at this hour. His heavy breaths and the scuff of his shoes against the floor echoed in the empty space. The sudden drain of vitality, the labored breathing, the cacophony of sounds assaulting his ears as though the sounds were being played inside his head—it was all agonizing, he made him almost slip as he almost lost focus.
Finally, he reached his door. "Just a bit more," he coaxed his failing limbs. Key trembling in hand, he unlocked the door, stumbled inside, and with a last, weary push, he closed it behind him. His body gave out, and he collapsed onto the bed, the nylon bag with his purchases skittering across the floor of the room, a silent witness to the enigma that had seized him.....