Hello everyone, I'm Alex Fletcher, a 22-year-young guy just trying to land an average job in this hard world.

I come from a middle-class family where both of my parents worked hard to provide for me.

Dad had a steady job at a well-known company, and Mom was a dedicated teacher.

Things took a turn about six years ago when Dad lost his job due to some unfortunate events.

All of a sudden, the responsibility of our family fell on Mom's shoulders.

Our financial situation began to deteriorate, and we found ourselves having just one or two meals a day.

Watching my parents struggle every day, I felt a strong need to step in and help.

So, I made a choice that would change my life entirely—whether for better or worse, I still don't know.

At 17, I decided to drop out of school, a decision that wasn't easy.

But I believed it was the best way to support my family.

I started taking on part-time jobs to ease the financial pressure. Despite my parents' efforts to stop me from taking part-time jobs, I didn't pay attention and chose to ignore their concerns.

It was a tough journey, but one I thought was necessary.

But, but, but...

As the weight of my responsibilities increased, so did my own struggles with depression.

I turned to food, manga, and web novels as an escape.

With time, I gained weight, and it became harder to manage part-time work, often leaving me out of breath after just 20 minutes.

Worried about my health, my parents advised me to take a break from part-time jobs. I reluctantly agreed, but I couldn't stop thinking about earning money.

Luckily, I stumbled upon a new hobby - writing web novels.

Initially, it was just a way to pass the time, but as more people started reading my stories, a passion I thought was long gone reignited within me.

I succeeded beyond my expectations.

My first novel struck a chord with readers, and money started flowing in, slowly improving our family's conditions.

My parents, discovering that I was making money through writing, encouraged me to continue.

So, I embarked on my second and third novels.

However, as months passed, they failed to gain the same traction.

My motivation waned, and I eventually stopped writing novels by the time I turned 20.

After my writing hiatus, I decided to go back to my studies.

My parents supported my decision wholeheartedly.

I worked diligently for four years and earned a master's degree in computer science.

Then came the interview with one of the world's leading gaming companies.

Fast forward to today, the day of the big interview. I woke up late, causing a bit of chaos.

"Mom, why didn't you wake me up?" I called out.

She responded, "Huh, weren't you the one bragging yesterday that you're not a child who needs to be woken up early every day?"

I let out a sigh, lifting my hands in defeat. "Fine, fine, I admit it. This is all on me."

In a rush, I jumped out of bed, took a quick shower, got dressed, and headed to the dining room.

After devouring breakfast, I thanked my mom for cooking.

Little did I know that this would be the last time I'd see her.

Closing the front door with a loud thud, I set off to find a taxi.

Luck was not on my side that day, and after a while of futile walking, I gave up hope of catching a cab.

After about 15 minutes of walking, I arrived at the central plaza.

Checking the time, I noticed I still had 30 minutes until the interview.

I stood at the edge of the crowd in the busy central plaza, my heart racing as I checked the time.

The interview with one of the world's top gaming companies was getting closer.

I had finally turned my life around, earning a master's degree in computer science after years of struggle.

I had given up so much for this moment, and I couldn't afford to mess it up.

The air was filled with chatter and the distant sound of street musicians.

People moved around me, unaware of the heavy weight on my shoulders.

I could smell freshly baked bread from a nearby vendor and hear the soft honks of cars navigating the busy street.

All of that faded into background noise as I tried to calm my nerves.

Suddenly, the ground shook.

What's happening?

Then I heard a loud siren blaring in the air, grabbing everyone's attention, including mine.

Wait! Is that...

"Car! It's coming this way! Run!" a man yelled, his voice rising above the crowd.

Panic spread as people started to rush in every direction, creating a wave of chaos that swept through the plaza.

Just as I was about to step forward, a car suddenly veered off the road, speeding directly toward me.

"No way I'm dying like this!"

Panic surged through me as my heart pounded in my chest.

"Damn it!" I muttered under my breath.

Of all the things, I hadn't even lost my virginity yet. I couldn't let this be the end!

In the midst of the chaos, some people stood frozen like statues in the street, blocking my way out.

How could they be so oblivious to what was happening around them?

Stupid guys... Zero survival instinct...

"Move! There's a car coming!" I shouted, trying to alert the crowd.

I started pushing through, shouting at the people blocking my way.

"Get out of my way!" I thought, even kicking one guy to make him move, but nothing worked.

I kept shoving, desperately trying to break free, but the crowd wouldn't budge.

The car was getting closer, and I was running out of time.

No, no, nooooooooo...

"For fuck sake, get out-"

I tried to scream at the top of my lungs, but before any words could escape, everything went dark as the car collided with us.

I couldn't tell what happened to others, but my entire body was sent flying.

After a terrifying moment, I found myself crashing headfirst onto the road.

My body rolled uncontrollably, each tumble disorienting me more than the last, until I finally came to a stop.

At first, I felt nothing.

My mind was blank, probably from the shock of the impact.

It was like my brain hadn't caught up with what had just happened.

Then, all at once, pain hit me like a tidal wave, so intense it nearly drove me insane.

It was everywhere, like my body was on fire. I wanted to scream, but when I tried, only a horrible gush of blood spilled from my mouth.

I struggled to move, to at least turn my head, and that's when I saw it—my left hand, bent in a way no hand should ever bend.

It looked so wrong, like it wasn't even part of me anymore.

My face was soaked in something warm.

Was it blood? Or tears?

I couldn't tell.

Everything felt blurred together in the haze of pain and confusion.

People shouted around me, their voices muffled by the growing distance.

The panic in their cries was palpable.

"Oh my God, someone call an ambulance!" A woman's voice cut through the noise, trembling with fear.

"Any body save meeee! I don't want to die!" another voice exclaimed, frantic and high-pitched.

"Ella, please! You can't leave us! The ambulance is here—just hang on! You promised me! Don't close your eyes!" another voice cried out, laced with panic and urgency.

I had no idea how many bones I'd broken.

My hand, for sure.

My ribs, maybe.

My legs had gone completely numb.

Were they broken too?

It was like my whole body had betrayed me.

Breathing felt impossible.

Each breath was like a knife to the chest, and I gasped, fighting for air.

My last thought before everything went black was, Is this really how my life ends?

I didn't even get to live a decent life...

Sigh...

Things don't always go the way you hope, do they?

Darkness consumed me entirely, and my sight disappeared into blackness.

At the same time, every sound faded away from my ears.

From the continuous cries of the crowd to the sound of ambulances and police sirens, even the cawing of crows...

Everything went silent in that moment as I realized...

It was all over.

I knew for sure that this was the game over for me.

Or at least, I thought so...