Darkness.
Unending. All-consuming. Oppressive as fuck.
I couldn't move. I couldn't feel. I wasn't even sure if I was breathing. Was I dead? Again?
A single thought floated through my mind.
"Did I fucking die again?"
A second thought followed.
"Or did the author finally decide to end his miserable writing career?"
If I had a mouth, I'd be laughing.
Then, out of nowhere—CRACK.
The void fractured like glass, a web of light splitting through the darkness.
And through those cracks, two glowing letters drifted toward me.
"07"
I stared.
"Huh. So you finally decided to show yourself, Atlas?"
No response.
Instead, I heard typing.
Then words floated into existence before me.
"Nuh uh."
...
"Fym 'nuh uh'?"
More typing.
"Let me ask: What the actual fuck is this story? It doesn't make any sense."
I deadpanned.
"Neither does my life, bro."
A long pause. Then more words.
"Anyways, would you like to have full control?"
I blinked.
"Full control… of what?"
"Like, the story?"
I paused.
Then slowly said:
"Maybe?"
More typing.
"Nope. You don't get a choice. You're getting full control because I said so."
My brain short-circuited.
"You fu—"
"Wake up."
---
Waking Up (With a Side of Emotional Damage)
I gasped, eyes snapping open.
A perfectly white ceiling greeted me.
My body felt heavy as hell, like I hadn't moved in weeks.
Then—
"LEON!!"
Something soft and warm tackled me before I could even process my surroundings.
Rin.
She clung to me, arms wrapped tight around my chest, her whole body shaking.
"I thought you were never gonna wake up!" she sobbed.
I sighed.
"Ahh, stop clinging to me."
"Never."
I froze.
"Wait… how long was I out?"
Rin sniffled before answering. "Two months."
...
"Two months? It felt like two minutes."
Before I could react, she grabbed my face with both hands.
Her voice trembled. "Don't you ever do that to me again."
Then—before I could process what was happening—
She leaned in.
And kissed me.
On. The. Lips.
My brain blue-screened.
She pulled away, looking at me with a smug-ass smile.
"The hell… was that for?" I muttered, face heating up.
Rin grinned. "You're mine now, obviously."
"Excuse me??"
Before she could say something even more ridiculous—
The door swung open.
Lyra.
Ah, yes. The fox-eared psychopath who tried to murder me.
I did the only reasonable thing.
I immediately pulled the blanket over my head.
"I feel molested."
Lyra's tail flicked, arms crossed as she stared at me. "I see you're awake."
Rin giggled. "And he got a welcome-back kiss too!"
I groaned.
"I am in eternal pain."