Chapter 1: Shattered Dreams
Lief stepped off the curb, his eyes scanning the street for a break in traffic. Another day, another job search. As an orphan, he'd learned to rely solely on himself.
The walk signal flashed, and Lief began to cross. Suddenly, a sedan careened around the corner, tires screeching. The driver's eyes seemed glassy, unfocused.
Time slowed.
Lief tried to dodge, but it was too late. The sedan struck him with a sickening crunch. He felt his body twist, bones shattering.
Lief landed hard on the asphalt, his vision blurring. He struggled to sit up, but agony ripped through his body. His gaze fell upon his mangled legs, twisted at unnatural angles.
Blood pooled around him, a crimson tide spreading across the pavement. Lief's mind recoiled in horror.
He stared blankly at his own body, transfixed by the gory sight. Pain wracked his every breath. His thoughts fragmented, slipping into chaos.
Why... why did this happen?
Lief's vision began to tunnel. Darkness crept in, threatening to consume him.
No... no, please...
His thoughts dissolved into a jumbled mess. Lief's body trembled, his vision fading.
As the world went dark, Lief's last thought echoed:
This can't be the end...
---
Lief's world went black.
———
Lief's eyes flickered open to the beeping of machines and the antiseptic smell of a hospital. A faint haze of pain clouded his mind.
A gentle voice whispered beside him. "Lief, can you hear me?"
He turned toward the sound, wincing at the pain.
Nurse Thompson's face came into focus. "Welcome back, Lief. You've been in an accident."
Lief's memories flooded back – the job search, the crossing, the sedan...
"Am... I..." He struggled to speak, his voice barely above a whisper.
Nurse Thompson's expression softened. "You're going to be okay, Lief. You've got a long recovery ahead, but we're here for you."
Tears pricked at the corners of Lief's eyes. Why did this happen to me?
As Nurse Thompson tended to his wounds, Lief's thoughts drifted to his uncertain future.
Would he ever find a job? A home? A family?
The machines surrounding him seemed to echo his fears:
Beep... beep... beep...