Darkness.
That was all I could see. I didn't know where I was, how long I had been here, or even much about myself. My memories were hazy, like fragments of a dream slipping through my fingers. It felt as though I was trapped in an endless void, weightless and drifting without purpose.
Fleeting memories danced in my mind, vivid yet distant. A car speeding toward me. The blare of a horn. The sickening crunch of metal and bone… Then nothing.
Am I dead?
The thought came unbidden, and the answer seemed obvious. A life cut short. It should have left me with unfinished dreams and countless regrets, but strangely, all I felt was a calm unlike anything I'd ever known. And so, I drifted, floating in this nothingness for what felt like an eternity.
An Unknown Amount of Time Later
"Pissed off, dark sky, indecisive war cry. Angels fired bullets at skeletons who dared defy. Preacher, painless reaper of the blameless. Obsessing over…" I tried singing a song from my memory, my voice echoing in the void. But the sound—if it was even real—did nothing to break the monotony.
"This is getting boring. IS THERE NOT A SINGLE THING THAT CAN HAPPEN IN THIS VOID?" I screamed into the void, mostly to see if anything would change.
I waited. Nothing.
'Guess screaming in out loud isn't going to help,' I thought, bored beyond belief.
Another Unknown Amount of Time Later
'Can people go insane while feeling calm?' The question drifted through my mind as I realized something odd. Throughout all this time, in this vast emptiness, I hadn't felt a single moment of anger, sadness, frustration, or any strong emotion at all. I wasn't numb, exactly—it was more like my emotions were muted, smoothed out, like ripples on a still pond.
I also couldn't recall feeling any real joy or excitement. But doesn't a person need stimuli to stay sane? Was I still a person, even? 'Can I even be called human at this point?'.
.
.
Whatever. I don't even care about that anymore. We'll see when we see it.
Then, without warning, a light appeared. Soft and warm, it spread through the void like the first rays of dawn. My heart, which had been so unnervingly calm, jolted to life with a strange sense of anticipation.A voice, calm and gentle, broke through the silence.
"Your time in that world is over, but a new path awaits you. Will you walk it?"
Surprised, I tried turning my body to look for the voice but I forgot I couldn't move my body.
'Hallo. How are you? Can i you please explain my situation to me?' I asked.
"A new path awaits you. Will you walk it?"
I frowned. "So you're just gonna dodge every question? What is this, a riddle?"
Silence. Then, "Will you walk it?"
Do i have any anthor options? Its either floating in this empty space for however long or take this chance ? The choice has made in my head, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, I felt a spark of something—hope? exitment?
'Fine,' I said finally. 'Yes, I'll walk it. Just… don't leave me here.' I sighed.
The moment I said that something inside me surged with an inexplicable longing. The light grew brighter, enveloping them entirely. A rush of warmth coursed through my being, and then…
I was crying .
________________________________________
Location Chiba General Hospital
POV: Omniscient
Aiko's breath hitched as another contraction tore through her body, sharp and unrelenting. She squeezed Haruto's hand tightly, her knuckles white as her nails dug into his skin. The sterile scent of disinfectant and faint beeping of monitors filled the room, but all Aiko could focus on was the mounting pressure.
"You're doing amazing," Haruto said softly, though his voice wavered. His other hand shakily wiped the sweat from her brow, his own forehead damp with anxiety.
The doctor's voice cut through the haze. "It's almost time. One more push, Aiko. You can do this." His tone was steady, confident.
Aiko nodded weakly, her teeth clenched. Every fiber of her being felt stretched to the limit, but she pushed again, her body trembling with effort.
A sudden cry pierced the air. Soft, fragile, yet full of life. Time seemed to pause, the sound filling the room like a blessing.
The doctor's face broke into a smile. "It's a boy."
Aiko slumped back against the pillows, her chest heaving as relief and exhaustion coursed through her. Haruto stared, his eyes wide and glistening as the nurse swaddled the baby in a warm blanket and placed him in Aiko's arms.
The room seemed to shrink, the world narrowing to just the three of them.
"He's so… small," Haruto whispered, his voice catching as he reached out to touch the baby's tiny fingers. The infant squirmed, his skin soft and warm against Haruto's trembling hand.
Aiko looked down at their son, her tears mingling with a radiant smile. "I did it…" she whispered, the words almost lost in the emotion swelling in her chest.
Haruto leaned down, brushing a tear from her cheek. "You did. And he's perfect."
The baby opened his eyes then, dark and wide, as if taking in the world for the first time. Aiko gasped softly, her heart swelling.
"Welcome to the world, little one," she murmured.
The doctor approached with a reassuring smile. "Let's give him a quick check-up, just to make sure everything's perfect."
Aiko hesitated, reluctant to let go, but nodded. Haruto stayed by her side, his eyes glued to the small bundle as the doctor worked.
"A healthy cry, good color… He's strong. No signs of distress." The doctor's smile widened. "Your son is perfectly healthy."
Aiko exhaled a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Haruto's shoulders sagged with relief, his hand returning to clasp hers.
"You two must be very proud," the doctor said warmly. "Now, have you decided on a name?"
Aiko glanced up at Haruto, their gazes locking. She smiled softly, her exhaustion momentarily forgotten. "Kuma," she said, her voice trembling with emotion.
Haruto nodded, his lips curving into a gentle smile. "Our Kuma."
The doctor handed the baby back to Aiko, and Haruto leaned close, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead. The room, once filled with tension and the chaos of birth, now felt serene.
"Kuma," Aiko whispered again, as if savoring the name. She cradled him against her chest, marveling at the tiny miracle they had created.
Haruto wrapped his arm around her, resting his head gently against hers. "Our son," he said quietly, the words carrying a weight that seemed to settle their new reality.
And in that moment, nothing else mattered.