In the hospital, there lay a teen, around 15 years old. He was a boy, his body still, surrounded by the rhythmic beeping of machines. His eyes were open, but he couldn't move. His body hadn't responded for half of his life. All he felt was a deep sadness. At first, he had been filled with anger, raging against his condition. But as the years passed, that anger cooled, leaving behind only depression.
His entire body—except for his head—was paralyzed. He couldn't remember what it felt like to walk, to move, or to feel anything below his neck. Yet, despite everything, his family came to visit him often. Especially his sister. She came every day, bringing her friends with her sometimes, to keep him company. The nurses were kind, but he hated how they looked at him, their eyes filled with pity.
He tilted his head slightly to the right, gazing out of the window. Today, he felt weaker than usual. A tiredness crept through him, deeper than he had ever felt. 'I wonder when my sister will visit.'
His sister was his rock—along with their parents, they were the only thing that kept him anchored to any semblance of happiness. But today, his body felt even less responsive, his strength slipping away. The door creaked open.
"Hey, little bro! How are your legs doing?" his sister asked, her voice full of forced cheer.
He turned his head slightly to look at her, offering a weak smile. "Like a dead fish."
Today, she was alone. She walked over to the nightstand and placed a fresh bouquet of flowers on it. "I got a new job today, hehe. At a tech company," she said with a wide grin.
He smiled, a genuine one this time. "Good for you. I know how important that is to you."
But as she looked at him, something felt off. He seemed even weaker than usual. His eyes were clouded, unfocused. "Lil' bro, are you feeling okay?" she asked, concern creeping into her voice.
He sighed softly. "I feel weaker than usual. More... sleepy," he admitted, a small smile still on his lips.
She returned his smile, though a hint of worry was now etched in her features. "You don't have to stay awake for me, just relax and sleep if you want."
But he shook his head slightly. "I can't. You're here, sister."
She sighed, sitting beside him. "Alright," she said, resigned.
They stayed like that for about an hour, talking about small things, sharing the brief moment they had together. Then she stood, giving him one last warm smile.
"Well, it's been nice seeing ya, lil' bro," she said, waving as she slowly made her way to the door.
Suddenly, the beeping from the machine began to quicken, the rhythmic pulse turning into a rapid alarm. Nurses and doctors rushed in, pushing her aside. His sister stood frozen, watching in horror as the medical team worked frantically.
"Clear!" one of the doctors shouted, applying the defibrillator. His body jerked, but the flatline remained.
"Again!" the doctor ordered.
But nothing. The flatline persisted, a high-pitched tone echoing in the room.
His sister stumbled forward, falling to her knees beside her brother. Tears flowed freely down her face as she watched helplessly, her heart breaking as the reality set in. He was gone.
---
He groaned, his voice low and groggy. "Hmm... turn the light off, please," he muttered, bringing a hand up to shield his eyes.
His hand.
Wait.
"My hand?" he gasped, staring at his fingers, wiggling them in disbelief. 'It's moving! His eyes remained shut as he flexed his fingers. "Sister, sister! Do you see this?!"
But there was no response.
The silence around him felt wrong. Slowly, He opened his eyes, blinking in confusion. He wasn't in the hospital. The sterile white walls and machines were gone. Instead, all he saw was rocky, barren earth stretching out before him.
"What the hell... where am I?" He looked around, panic rising in his chest.
"Haha, nice prank, sis. You can come out now!" he called out nervously, his voice shaking. But no one answered.
He pushed himself to his feet, the movement strange and unsteady. He looked down at his body—and froze. He was small, his body looking like that of a child, maybe seven years old. His mind raced. 'This has to be a dream, right?'
But deep down, he knew... It wasn't.
"No... it can't be," he whispered, his voice desperate as he took a shaky step forward. He stumbled, falling onto his butt. But after a few moments, he managed to stand again. His legs wobbled beneath him, but they worked!.
"I must be dreaming," he muttered, clinging to the illusion. "At least I'll enjoy it while I can."
He started walking, his steps awkward, but steady enough. For what felt like hours, he walked, his head hanging low, staring at the rocky ground beneath him. His mind was blank, too overwhelmed to think. He just... walked.
Eventually, he found himself entering a forest. Exhausted, he collapsed beneath a tree, seeking shelter in its shade. He drifted into sleep, his mind too weary to process everything.
When he awoke, he slowly rose to his feet, his body aching from the unfamiliar exertion. He looked toward the horizon, squinting against the light. There, far in the distance, was something—something different.
"I have to keep moving," he muttered. But despite his resolve, a deep sadness gripped his heart. "Mom, Dad... Sister..." he whispered. The weight of his loss hit him like a tidal wave. Everything—his family, his life—was gone. Why? Why had this happened to him?
He wanted to cry, but instead, he buried the sorrow deep inside. There was no time for tears. He had to keep moving.
He marched forward, his exhaustion mounting, but strangely, he didn't feel hunger or thirst. After what felt like an entire day of walking, the landscape shifted. Ahead of him, he spotted what looked like a small Japanese-style settlement and in the middle were high walls standing out against the surrounding land.
He walked toward it, unsure of how to approach. 'What should I say? Will they even understand me?' His thoughts raced as he approached the gates. To his surprise, he could hear two people talking nearby—and he understood them.
As he stood there, trying to gather his courage, a man noticed him. "Hey, kid! You lost?"
He nodded silently, unsure of what else to do.
The man chuckled. "Heh."
Before he could react, he felt a sharp pain in his neck. His vision blurred, the world around him spinning into darkness.
"Heh, boss'll give me good money for this one," the man muttered before everything went black.
(End of Chapter 1)