The fluorescent lights of Lavender High buzzed, a mocking soundtrack to the emptiness in my chest. Across the cafeteria, Liam laughed at the sound of a cruel twist of the knife. Again, I thought, feeling the familiar ache tighten. Liam, with his messy brown hair and eyes that sparkled like the ocean, had rejected me—again. This wasn't just another casual dismissal; it was a calculated avoidance, a strategic retreat designed to inflict maximum damage.

"I'm not ready for a relationship, Kjizei," he had said, his voice polite yet utterly devastating. The words echoed in my mind, a phantom limb of pain. This wasn't just about Liam; it was about a lifetime of feeling unseen and unwanted. My attraction to him had been a fragile bloom in a wasteland of bullying and loneliness.

Liam was everything I wasn't: confident, effortlessly popular, a natural leader. I was quiet, introspective, a boy lost in the worlds I built with code. I was an easy target for the school's bullies, who saw my quiet intensity as a weakness.

"Look at the nerd, lost in his own little world again," Mark sneered one day, shoving me into a locker. The familiar sting of humiliation burned. I'd learned to shrink, to become invisible, a strategy that worked in the hallways but failed miserably with Liam. I'd hoped he would see past the awkwardness, the shyness, the scars left by years of relentless bullying. I'd hoped he would see the brilliance hidden beneath the surface. But he hadn't. Or maybe he had, and the sight had frightened him. My own insecurities, my deep-seated belief in my unworthiness, had pushed him away.

This rejection was not just a romantic failure; it was a confirmation of everything I already believed about myself: that I was flawed, broken, and fundamentally unworthy of love. And this time, the rejection fueled the bullies. Their taunts became more vicious, their attacks more personal. They knew about my confession, and their cruelty was a relentless wave that crashed over me.

"Hey, Romeo! Still, pining after Liam? Looks like someone got friend-zoned again!" Kevin's laughter echoed in my ears, a cruel symphony of my humiliation.

That night, the pain became unbearable. The weight of rejection, the relentless bullying, the crushing loneliness—it all converged into a suffocating darkness. I sat on the edge of my bed, the cold metal of my laptop a stark contrast to the burning tears on my face. I was done. There was no point. No hope. No future.

I moved to the bathroom, the tiles cold against my feet as I stepped into the tub, filling it with water until it reached the brim. The water was warm, but it felt like a shallow comfort against the storm raging inside me. I sat down, the water enveloping me, a temporary cocoon that felt both soothing and suffocating.

With trembling hands, I reached for the small blade I had hidden away, its metallic glint catching the light. I held it up, staring at my reflection in the water, the distorted image of a boy who felt utterly lost. "What's wrong with you?" I whispered to myself, tears streaming down my cheeks. "Why can't you just be normal? Why can't you be happy?"

The blade felt heavy in my hand, a weight that mirrored the burden on my heart. I pressed it against my wrist, the cool metal a stark contrast to the warmth of the water. My breath hitched as I felt the sharp edge against my skin, a moment of clarity cutting through the fog of despair. This was it. This was the escape I had been searching for.

Just as I was about to press down, a flicker of light caught my eye, a shimmer that danced across the surface of the water. I hesitated, my heart racing. "What if…?" I thought, the question hanging in the air like a fragile thread.

"Are you ready to escape?" The voice was soft, almost musical, yet filled with an undeniable authority. I jerked back, my heart racing. In front of me materialized a small figure, shimmering and ethereal. It looked like a hologram, a blend of light and color, shifting and changing as I stared.

"Who—what are you?" I stammered, my mind racing.

"I'm System," the figure responded a hint of kindness in its tone. "I can help you cope with the pain. If you want to forget everything, I can take you to different worlds, where you can leave behind the cruelty of this one."

I blinked, the reality of the situation washing over me. "You mean… I can just leave? Forget everything?"

"Yes," System replied, its form pulsating gently. "But there's a trade. In exchange for your safety and peace, you'll need to help me gather experiences from these worlds. You'll face challenges, but they will help you understand your pain and grow. Do you want this, Kjizei?"

The thought of escaping the torment, of leaving behind the bullying and the heartache, was intoxicating. I felt the weight of my despair lift slightly at the prospect of a new beginning. But a small part of me hesitated. "What if it doesn't work? What if I just end up feeling worse?"

"Then you can always return," System assured me, its voice soothing. "But think about it—what do you have to lose? This world has been cruel to you. You deserve a chance at happiness."

I closed my eyes, envisioning a life free from pain, free from the whispers and laughter that haunted me daily. The longing for escape was overwhelming. "Yes," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "I want to leave this cruel world."

"Very well," System said, its form brightening. "Prepare yourself, Kjizei. A new journey awaits."

With those words, the room around me began to fade, the walls melting away into a cascade of colors and lights. I felt a sense of weightlessness, an exhilarating freedom as I left behind the world that had caused me so much pain. The journey had just begun, and I was stepping into the unknown, ready to face whatever lay ahead.