My village was always beautiful. We didn't have fancy houses or a sprawling farm, but I found peace in the small, simple things—like helping my grandparents in their garden. That's where I was that morning, watering crops with my grandmother. My younger sister, Ellie, was nearby, playfully tossing freshly harvested potatoes at me."Stop it, or I'll get you back!" I warned, half-jokingly."Would love to see you try!" she shouted, dashing off while pelting me with a few more potatoes.My grandmother chuckled at the scene as I dropped the watering can, grabbing two small dirt balls, and chased Ellie. She was fast, always had been, but I managed to catch up to her at the small pond that lay at the edge of our garden. It started as just a watering hole but had gradually grown into a full pond, and now even frogs had claimed it as home.Ellie screeched, skidding to a halt as the frogs leapt around, startled by her arrival. She'd always hated reptiles and amphibians, especially frogs, and she tried to backpedal, only to slip and face-plant in the mud. She cursed half-heartedly, laughter slipping through her frustration."Damn it! You ruined my perfect escape plan!" she muttered, trying to brush herself off."Perfect escape plan?" I teased, grinning. "You do realize just running isn't exactly a plan, right?""Oh, shut it. I would've gotten away if it weren't for these slimy things," she said, her voice thick with feigned seriousness. "You know, some frogs can kill people, right?"I laughed, extending a hand to help her up. "Come on, they're just normal toads, not tropical monsters. Stop exaggerating!""Promise they're not?" Ellie asked, her tone playfully serious. "Promise you'll help me if they attack?"I rolled my eyes, half-joking. "I promise. If anything happens, I won't leave you to face trouble alone."But then something in her expression shifted. "You promise?" she asked, her eyes suddenly intense. Her tone was playful, but there was something more—something deeper. "even though You left me to die?" Her voice turned dark, her face shadowed, and blood started to seep from her eyes. "You left me!""NO! ELLIE I...I..."my heart sank"YOU LEFT ME TO DIE!"Ellie screamed.I woke up with a start, gasping, my vision blurred as I tried to orient myself. Everything around me was dim, and a steady beeping sounded near my right ear. Where was I? I tried to sit up, but a stabbing pain in my right arm pinned me down.When my vision cleared, I realized I was in a hospital bed, a heart monitor beeping beside me. Tubes ran from my nose, and my right arm was wrapped in thick bandages. Panic clawed at me as memories flooded back—the trip, the rain, the thunder, the crash. My family...I choked back a sob as the realization hit me hard. They were gone. My mom, my dad, my little sister, Ellie—my entire family. Tears blurred my vision as a loud thud jolted me from my thoughts. I looked up to see a young woman standing at the door, her face pale with shock."Doctor! He's awake!" she stammered, leaving the dropped clipboard she'd been holding before rushing out of the room.Moments later, the room filled with people—a doctor, two nurses, and two police officers. They were astonished I had survived, and the officers began to ask questions about the accident. I struggled to remember everything but managed to piece together enough to satisfy them. Eventually, they left, and the doctor approached me with a kind expression. he sat next to me trying to find a way to start the heavy conversation.A nurse entered, carefully carrying a small bundle. When she set it down, I recognized Nua, my sister's cat, with her left paw bandaged. She was alive. My heart swelled with a bittersweet joy as I reached out to stroke her fur."Nua..." My voice cracked. She was a gift for Ellie, a choice I'd made for her birthday, and now she was all I had left.When the doctor spoke again, his tone was soft. "It's a miracle you and Nua survived," he began, but then his expression turned somber. "I'm sorry... I don't know how to say this...but I'm afraid Your family didn't make it.""I know," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "I saw... the car exploded..."He looked at me, surprised, but nodded. after minute of silence he spoke up. "We tried contacting someone through your ID, but... is there anyone you'd like us to call? A friend or distant relative?"I shook my head. "They're all gone. My grandparents passed away two years ago, my aunt when I was a kid. And friends? I had one, Oliver... but I don't think he wants to see me anymore." I gave a hollow laugh. "Not much of a life, huh?""what Am I suppose to do now doctor? what even is there to do? I only got Nua and she's a god damn cat...what's the point anymore?" I started to tear up looking at the speechless doctor..."I...I..."doctor tried to say something but failed...he was speechless, I didn't blame him, there as no comfort in my situation, what was he suppose to do?after a long pause The doctor placed a hand on my shoulder. "Young man, life is often full of pain, but there's always a reason to keep going. Your family loved you; they wouldn't want you to give up. Think of them and the life they wanted for you. We may not always know why things happen, but giving up... that's not the answer."everything that happened yesterday was an accident,regardless of what you think you're not the one to blame. and you're not alone. here's my number. call anytime you need, or while you're here tell nurse and I'll be here as soon as I can, you have rest of your life ahead of you, don't make your family regret it" he said as he left the room.After he left, I picked up my phone, trying to call Oliver. I needed to hear a familiar voice, someone who knew me. The phone rang a few times before a woman's voice answered."Hello?" Her voice was trembling."Um... Is this Oliver's phone?""This is his mother... Angeline," she said, barely managing to speak through her tears.Confused, I asked, "Is everything okay? I'm a co-worker of Oliver's..."There was silence, then a heart-wrenching sob. "Ollie... he... he was killed... yesterday...I'm...sorry"The line went dead, and I sat there in shock. The world seemed to close in around me, swallowing me whole. Everyone I loved was gone. My family, my best friend... all within a day. I was left alone once again, and I couldn't help but wonder—was there truly a reason for it all? Was it a mistake, or was I just cursed to bring bad luck to those I cared about?If only I'd gone straight home from work that night... If only I hadn't teased my mom during the drive... If only I'd worn my seatbelt, or if I'd taken care of booking the flights myself, or at least convinced her to do it sooner... maybe everything would have been different. Could all of this be my fault?Maybe I should have told my dad to not ignore that strange noise we heard outside the car. Maybe that wasn't even what caused the accident, but it felt like it. I should have packed faster—if I had, maybe we would've been long gone before that tree came crashing down.I should've made better choices. I shouldn't have fought those three guys. I shouldn't have encouraged Oliver to stand up to them. I should have just gone home that night instead of drinking like an idiot. If I had, I could have helped my family pack and gotten us on the road sooner. But I didn't, and now they're gone.Was it my mistakes that led to this nightmare? Or was it just fate—some terrible, senseless fate that I'd never understand?my self-destructing thoughts were on the rise for the whole day. when evening hit I stood up from the bed...I needed to go home...I could not stay at the hospital with everyone asking If I was ok every time they would walk in the room and see me crying my eyes out...NO I WAS NOT OK! who can be ok after loosing their whole family and best friend in a single day? what kind of dumb question was that?I somehow managed to persuade doctor to let me go home for today, I would take couple of my things and come back first thing tomorrow morning. I took a taxi to my house taking Nua with me. slowly climbing the stairs realization started to kick in...I was going home...but there was noone there...everyone I loved was gone...there was nothing left for me in my house...+But as I reached my door, something felt wrong. It was ajar, broken. Slowly, I stepped inside and saw 2 figures in the dim light. "SHIT SOMEONE'S HERE" one of them yelled.I recognized them—they were the men who'd harassed Oliver and me a few days before."There he is!" the leader sneered poking his head out of the living room, his face covered in fresh bandages. "Grab him!"Before I could react, they pounced, landing brutal punches to my stomach and face. The leader sneered, grinding his foot onto my injured arm, making me scream in pain."Thanks to you and that coward, we're wanted by the cops! and we didn't even kill Oliver,the bastard had already hanged himself when we found him."he continued to yell while stepping on my right arm that was bandaged and alreeady broken."YOWL" I heard desperate sound of Nua as I saw one the the bastards hitting her with the bat."NO!" I yelled with the angriest voice I could make"HA! SERVES YOU BASTARD RIG-he was cut midsentece as I jumped up punching his jaw with my head with full force, clearly breaking either his jaw or my skull.In a fit of rage, I lurched up, smashing my head once more into his, hearing a sickening crack. I didn't remember much of what happened next, only flashes of red as my fury took over. I somehow got on the other side of the room where the guy with Bat was standing at but I kicked him with my right leg between his legs with the strongest force i could, while he was rolling on the ground in agony I grabbed the baseball bat hitting the 3rd guy that was helping up the jaw broken leader with full force in the head! causing his head to dye red, he fell on the floor unconsious or possibly even dead. I didn't care anymore. leader tried to speak with his broken jaw"WAIT, HOLD O-I cut him midsentence hitting him in the head with the bat...again...and again..leaving only a deformed bloody puddle on the place his head used to be.last one was the guy rolling,crying and holding his groin as I dealt with him. with that it was done...all 3 of them were lying on the ground dead as I finally threw away the bat and dropped on my knees grabbing Nua's small body...now i had truly lost it all...there was nothing left...I buried Nua in a park next to our Apartment,making her grave and using my left hand to dig through the muddy earth as the rain poured. She had been the last of my family, my last reason to keep going.so here I was...standing on top of a barrier next to the river...my mind completely shattered, I had lost every reason to live, I had lost my family. my friend, my pet, on top of that I had just killed 3 people in cold blood there was NO fixing this..."WHAT WAS THE REASON FOR ALL OF THIS! WHAT HAVE I EVER DONE TO DESERVE THIS!"I yelled at the sky as the rain was starting to pour like crazy. I was angry at myself I was angry at fate, at god at universe at everything and everyone.this was it...last moment of my life...I only hoped my family was good wherever they were because chances of me going there were zero to none...I let go of everything as my body started to fall. I hit water as current was going crazy, whirlpools took me and I started sinking...suddenly my memories flowing up..."young man...there are always reasons to live, think of your family, what would they want you to do? life is often full of misery and pain, we don't know what awaits us but we can't give up"those were words doctor said to me.what would my family want for me? would they want me to die like this? to never be able to join them? have they given birth to me only for me to waste it? had they spent 19 years of their lives only for me to end it just like this?in that moment everything connected and I understood...I had to live...not for my sake but for theirs.I HAD TO!I suddenly started to swim,trying my best to fight the current, as I hit the surface I noticed land not far away from me and somehow managed to get to it.crawling up in the mud I layed on my back, my broken right hand burning like crazy"I'm sorry Mom, Dad, Ellie...I've failed you...not only have I failed to help you but i've almost failed to live for the sake of you" I looked at the sky as I started to tear up.I had lost everything but there was one thing I still had...my life.. I could not lose it as well. this was not something that belonged to only me. this was something that people sacrificed to give me. this was something my parents worked half of their lives for. this was something my family would wish for me to not lose.just then, I heard a desperate cry—a girl's voice, pleading for help."SOMEONE HELP ME!" desperate voice could be heard across the rivergetting up I noticed a figure in the whirlpool,almost on the exact location I was in 10 minutes ago."HELP M--" her voice was cut out midway as current dragged her underwas this it? was it my chance of some redemption? I did not know but I could not just watch.I jumped right in, my right hand was hurting more and more but I didn't care...I had just tried to commit suicide and now I was trying to save someone. this was either my chance of redemption or my fate of how it went. regardless I wasn't trying to die, I could not afford to. The current fought me, But I was determined, no matter what I would not let another soul slip away.swimming hardly I reached the girl under the water, she was struggling to stay afloat with her soaked red jacket holding her down, I quickly went to her, managing to somehow take it off as I grabbed her with my broken right arm and started to swim.but it was too hard...the current was taking us further down into whirlpool. was this it? was this how I go? for me to realise I had to live only to die 10 minutes later? the what was the point? what was the point of changing my life? what was the point of me surviving the crash? I guess luck was never on my side in this life...with these desperate thoughts I grabbed the girl as whirlpool took us bothEnd of chapterNotes:here we go! real story starts now, what will happen to our MC? who is the girl? find out in next chapter!