* You can read the prologue if you like, but it is not really essential to the story that follows.
The next morning, the alarm rang like a relentless drill.
"Beep… Beep… Beep…"
I groaned, burying my face in the pillow. Five more minutes… just five more…
"Beep! Beep!"
A roar tore from my throat. Ahhh! I slammed my hand on the alarm clock, pain shooting up my wrist, anger rising with it.
"Fuck!" I cursed, my chest heaving. After a few deep breaths, I shoved the covers aside and forced myself out of bed.
My tiny bathroom awaited. Living alone in a cramped three-room flat meant there was barely enough space for me to move. My parents had died when I was young, leaving no inheritance, and my meager earnings barely covered this place.
I stared at my reflection while brushing my teeth. A seventeen-year-old with black hair, slightly above average in looks, but still… nothing special.
Time was already ticking. 6:10 a.m. I had twenty minutes to catch the bus and walk the rest of the way to McRonalds. Late again, and my boss would not let it slide.
Luck was on my side. I made it to the bus just as it arrived, the traffic mercifully light. Within moments, I was walking the last few minutes to work.
Exactly 6:30 a.m. I stepped into the restaurant, relief washing over me. My boss wasn't there yet. Only Kai and Megan were present.
Kai—a massive guy, more suited to the NFL than flipping burgers—grinned at me. Megan… Megan. Deep blue eyes, silky black hair, and a figure that made me catch my breath every time I saw her. Why someone like her worked here, I'd never understand.
Today was the day. Today I would finally tell her.
"Hi, good morning!" I called.
"Yo, good morning, Thiago!" they replied.
The day passed in a blur of orders and frying oil. By closing time, the streets were bathed in late afternoon light. I caught Megan before she walked off.
"Megan, do you have a few seconds?"
Kai, as if he knew what was coming, smiled and left. A true brother, I thought, a small warmth spreading in my chest.
Megan stayed. Close enough for my heart to hammer in my chest.
"Ahem… I know this is sudden, but I… I've liked you for a long time. Would you like to go out for coffee sometime?"
Her eyes widened, surprise flashing, but she recovered quickly.
"Yes! I'd love to," she said, her smile radiant.
I blinked. She said yes… she actually said yes.
"Now, or later?"
"Later. I need to change and freshen up," she replied.
"Black Hat Coffee Shop at six, then?"
"Perfect. See you then." She walked away, leaving me stunned and elated.
I went home and picked my best outfit: slightly worn jeans and a clean white polo. Not much, but it would have to do.
When it was time, I made my way to the café, weaving through the crowded streets. And then I saw her. Megan. Smiling, waving, and quickening her pace toward me.
Suddenly, chaos erupted.
"Stop the thief!"
"Ahh! He has a knife!"
Screams pierced the air. I turned to see a man charging straight for her.
"Megan! Behind you!" I shouted.
She hadn't noticed him. Without thinking, I ran. Heart pounding, legs burning, adrenaline surging.
The attacker reached her at the same time I did. I lunged forward, pushing her out of the path of the knife. Pain exploded in my chest—a white-hot stabbing agony.
People screamed, calling for help. I fell to the ground, blood spreading across my shirt. Rage, fear, and helplessness twisted inside me. Why? Why attack her?
A familiar voice.
"Are… are you an angel?" I gasped, blood bubbling in my throat.
"No! It's me, Megan! Stay with me, Thiago!"
"Hehe… just you, Megan. Thought you were… an angel," I coughed, smiling weakly.
"Don't talk! Help's coming!" she cried, her hands clutching mine.
I could feel my strength fading, my vision blurring. One last thing… one final truth I had to leave her with.
"Even if… I die… I'll find a way to see you again… somehow… if there's… an afterlife… I… I love you."
"No! You will not die! Hang on!"
My world went dark.
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