"Whoa!" As Leon reached the center of the bridge, a heavy wind blew – sending it swaying upward.
But that wasn't what bothered him, since his grip on the rope was so strong that even if the sky fell on the bridge, he would still survive.
In the vast distance, a figure emerged from nowhere, standing at what seemed to be the edge of the bridge, gripping a sharp shimmering sickle.
"Did you guys actually take my words seriously?! I said, 'At least let me die a peaceful death' – I wasn't asking for it!" He screamed, surging forward at breakneck speed.
Before he could reach where the figure stood, a cutting sound erupted behind him. To clear his mind, Leon turned - but as he did, his blood pressure spiked.
Then, before he could blink, he saw himself floating – yet still he hadn't left the rope.
Since only one side was tilted, the bridge swung toward the jagged wall dotted with blue mushrooms and short, sharp trees.
"Ouch!" Upon impact, blood oozed out of his mouth as his spine cracked - yet his grip remained as strong as the pillar holding the heavens from falling.
For a moment, his vision shifted from blurry to faintly clear, revealing what he'd collided with.
Slowly, Leon pulled himself up – but was left with just five handholds to reach the top, the figure raised the sickle.
"No… wait…" As it moved toward the knotted section of the rope, he saw his own screaming reflection in the sickle's shimmering surface.
Then - "Slash!" His body jolted as he fell into valley's abyss, the bridge plummeting alongside him.
But surprisingly, the bridge plunged straight into the abyss, landing with a splashing sound – while Leon somehow, managed save himself for just a moment.
As he clung to the edge of a jutting sharp rock, his palm scraped against the jagged wall, leaving marks like a customary made tattoo on his skin.
As he struggled to push himself up, the figure leaned down, revealing its face.
"The skeletal-face being?!" Leon screamed as the it swung the sickle, slicing the jutting rocks one by one.
"Is that all you've got?!" Leon screamed, cursing and hurling insults at the being, gasping shallowly. In response, the figure paused, raised the sickle, and bared its glittering teeth in a smile.
"I knew I'd die in this vision – but not like this." Leon shouted, as his hands began to slip slowly from the rock.
As he slid, Leon managed to grab another rock – smaller and more unwarranted than the previous one.
As his hands closed around the second rock, the skeletal face being frowned, then brought the sickle down, severing the gripping hand into the air.
Leon shouted, losing balance as pain made him forget his other hand's grip.
As he fell into the abys, the severed hand spattered blood across his face like water – and with his mouth already open in a scream, he gulped down blood and debris.
"No… no…" As darkness welcomed him, Leon used his unsevered hand to shield his face – hoping to at save his face.
Then - "Boom!!"
The impact echoed through the abyss. For the bridge, it was like water, but for him, it sounded like two rocks colliding with each other.
Dust swirled around him like a small storm as he coughed blood. Not only did it seeped from his mouth, but every hole on his body bled.
Slowly, his vision turned tinged red, yet he could still see flecks of light swirling around him like angels.
"Leon!!" As he lost consciousness, the thud of footsteps hummed around him like war drums.
"Lily…" He whispered her name – the voice that had called him sounded just like hers.
But as the footsteps drew closer, the voice shifted from soft to a deafening slurred roar, almost like a drunken sailor.
Surprisingly, just as the figure loomed over his lifeless body, Leon's vision flickered back – long enough to see sharp metallic teeth as it leaned in – before darkness swallowed him again.
His vision blacked out as the figure hovered at his eye level.
"Leon! Leon!" Lily shouted, pounding on his door. His body twitched at the noise – yet, his mind remained trapped in the vision, as though he'd died in his sleep.
On the third shout, a voice boomed in his skull: "Wake up!" Leon jerked upright, drenched in sweat, his skin pale as a corpse's – as if all his blood had been sucked out.
As he stumbled to the door, his eyes itched so fiercely he wanted to pull them out and scratch them with scissors.
"Lily, why are you yelling?" Leon mumbled, rubbing his eyes as he unlocked the door.
"Aren't you going to school today?" Lily frowned, as if she were his mother or older sister.
As the only one who could attend school – thanks to scarce funds – everyone including Lily resented seeing him so late.
"What? What time is it?" Leon croaked, still carrying the drowsy face and sleepy voice.
As soon as his voice faded, Leon staggered – but since he'd clanged to the doorframe at first, his only his head got slammed.
"Why is your bed soaked?" Lily asked, peering into his room at the damp sheets.
Slowly the drowsiness began to lift from his eyes, but as the morning light glittered in, Leon bolted straight to the bathhouse.
He splashed water on his face, then raced out, leaving Lily gaping - no time for his usual routine. He fumbled with his buttons as he ran.
"How come I slept so deep?!" Leon muttered, staring at the usually deserted road, now shimmering with thousands of people.
"Hope I make it before Mr. Lee starts." Knowing how much he would lose for being late, Leon tripped over stalls lining the road like an army camp.
As he hit the busy street filled with countless moving vehicles, Leon dodged traffic, ignoring the red light – until a shout froze him: "Watch out!"
The weight of the voice was so heavy that he couldn't react in time.