Leonart Griffith's POV
[2:10 PM – After school]
Sigh…
School ended early today. I should be happy. But I'm not.
Emptiness. That's all I feel—like a hollow echo inside my chest.
I'm Leonart Griffith—call me Leo, or Leon if you're feeling friendly. Fourteen years old, nearly done with the school year. Not that it matters anymore. Life hasn't been kind. Maybe the first eight years were okay... or maybe I was just too naïve to notice the cracks.
My parents? They worship my older sister. Just a year ahead of me, but she gets treated like royalty. I'm invisible unless I mess up—and even then, I'm only noticed to be punished. She bullies me in private, then puts on a halo in public. One whimper from her, and they snap into action.
At school, it's no different. She spreads rumors like wildfire—painting me as a failure, a burden. Teachers look down on me. Classmates avoid me. Bullies? They call me "training dummy."
I want to fight back. I really do. But fear has its claws in me. Despair, its chains.
The world is slowly turning monochrome. Is it just my mind, or is the color draining from reality?
[3:15 PM – Walking home]
Seeking escape, I scroll through my secondhand phone. It's all I've got. The others talk about MMOs and isekai anime. Me? I live them through YouTube videos and Google Play pages.
Honkai Impact 3rd catches my eye again. 20GB. Damn. Maybe I should save up for a memory card.
SAO, Engage Kiss, Prince of Persia, Solo Leveling... So many other worlds I wish I could lose myself in.
And then there's Punishing: Gray Raven. Lucia: Crimson Abyss. That katana… so fast, so graceful. Just watching her is therapy.
If only I were born in those worlds. If only I mattered there.
[3:50 PM – At home]
I walk through the front door.
"Father, Mother," I call out, "big sis said she's staying over at her friend's this weekend."
No answer. As usual.
I mutter, "Why do I even bother?"
I toss my bag into my room and head for a shower.
[4:30 PM – Post-shower]
I sit on my bed, towel around my neck, phone in hand. YouTube sucks me in. Honkai lore. Boss fights. Rewatching old trailers.
At 7 PM, I find myself immersed in the climax between Kiana and the Herrscher of Domination.
By 8:30 PM, tears sting my eyes.
Such a tragic story.
[8:40 PM – Kitchen]
Everyone's asleep. Not like they care what I do.
I find leftovers in the fridge. Rice and curry. I eat in silence.
[9:15 PM – Gaming begins]
Tonight, I decide—I'm pulling an all-nighter.
First up, Punishing: Gray Raven. I just unlocked Lucia Alpha. Her gameplay is pure dopamine.
Then I switch back to Honkai Impact 3rd. The music. The battles. The lore.
I keep grinding.
[1:30 AM – Gacha time]
One basic pull.
"Please… let it be a Herrscher."
The screen flashes gold.
I get her—Herrscher of the Void.
Ecstasy. I max her level. Equip gear. Raid multiplayer stages. Hunt down the Key of Corruption.
[6:00 AM – Gacha grind complete]
The final mission ends. I clutch the key in my digital hands.
Then a notification pops up:
SATURDAY CLASSES RESUME AS NORMAL. NO WEEKEND HOLIDAY.
"…What kind of joke is this?"
I slap my face. "Guess I'm running on zero sleep today."
I throw on my uniform and shoulder my bag.
[6:20 AM – News broadcast]
The living room TV plays softly.
"A serial killer is reportedly on the loose. Please avoid alleyways during morning hours."
I scoff. "What is this, an anime death flag?"
Then pause.
"…Wait, did I just actually raise one?"
[6:35 AM – On the way to school]
Fog blankets the city like a shroud.
That's when I see her—my sister.
She's being dragged into an alley.
My feet freeze.
Then they move.
I sprint without thinking.
She's cornered. A man looms over her, knife drawn.
I launch forward, my fist connecting with his gut.
He crashes into a wall.
I turn to her. "Are you—"
CRACK!
Blinding pain explodes at the base of my skull. I collapse.
My sister turns to leave.
"Be my sacrifice," she whispers. "I'll always remember you."
She doesn't even look back.
My heart shatters in silence.
[6:39 AM – The fight for life]
The man rises. Bloody, furious.
"You've got guts, kid. Most don't last that long. Shame your sister served you up."
I pant, clutching my chest. "Maybe I just wanted to see you bleed first."
He plunges the knife into my chest.
Twists it.
Burning agony radiates from the wound.
"You're still awake? Damn."
I grit my teeth.
Grab his wrist.
"I'm not going alone."
I slam his head into the rusted pipe. He stumbles.
I rip the knife free—slash across his throat.
A spray of blood. His eyes widen.
He gurgles. Collapses.
Dead.
[6:43 AM – The last breath]
Silence returns.
Only the sound of blood dripping... and me.
I collapse.
Cold seeps into my bones.
Is this… death?
It's not painful anymore. Just numb.
"I wonder how long... till someone finds me..."
Darkness creeps into my vision.
"If there's... a next life… please... let me live again…"
I glance at my phone—its screen glowing faintly. A full cast of Honkai Impact 3rd smiles back at me.
"If only... I could meet them…"
[6:45 AM – Death]
The world fades.
Black.
Weightless.
Endless.
Silent.
Then—
Light.
A single dot in the void.
It grows.
Consumes everything.
I'm falling.
Or flying.
Or being born again.
To be continued…
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AUTHOR'S NOTE (rewritten for polish):
Thank you for reading! This is the beginning of a story that blends pain, betrayal, and the hope for a second chance. If you noticed any issues or have ideas, feel free to drop them in the comments. Feedback helps this grow stronger with each chapter.Until next time—Ciao!