—Get in— Arendt ordered as he climbed onto the carriage.
Hitaru didn't hesitate. He moved as fast as he could, even though his wounds held him back. Every step hurt. Even so, he forced himself forward and climbed into the rear.
The guards loaded the unconscious man and woman without any care.
Hitaru didn't want to look at the state the girl was in. He turned his gaze away. He took off his jacket and then his shirt, placing them over her to cover her a little.
Escorted by the guards, the carriage began to move.
—Are you okay?— asked the girl beside him, her voice weak.
—Dying… you wouldn't believe how strong they are— Hitaru replied, staring at the starry night without really seeing it.
—Thank you for everything you did for me— she said, taking his hand—. I know you were going to fight anyway, but still… thank you— she added, lowering her head as her voice broke.
—It's nothing… it's what anyone would have done— Hitaru said, giving her a few awkward pats with his other hand.
—It's just that… I don't know what I would've done if they had done that to me too— she said, sobbing harder—. I don't know what I would do…
Seeing her like that, Hitaru gave her the last piece of clothing he had left so she could cover herself better. Then he hugged her carefully, trying to calm her down.
After a few minutes, she stopped crying and fell asleep in his arms.
Hitaru stayed awake, lost in thought. He looked at the sky through a small opening in the carriage's canvas.
"Do I really have to live through this? Why didn't it work? Why didn't I die?"
"I just wanted to stop suffering…"
—Get out, I said!— Hitaru's mother shouted, pointing at the open doorway leading into the night.
—But Mom…— he tried to say, unable to finish.
—But nothing, Hitaru! Just listen to me— she said, tears on her face—. You can barely even speak properly anymore. Look at what you're doing to yourself!— she shouted, distressed.
—I already told you I'm going to quit, but it's hard— Hitaru protested, just before the door closed in front of him.
"Fine, screw you. I'll be fine without you."
"I'll call Jessyca. Maybe she'll let me stay at her place."
Hitaru walked street after street while trying to call her. The ringing lasted a few seconds, then cut off. A message appeared on the screen:
Contact unavailable.
—Right…— he murmured, lowering his gaze—. She broke up with me yesterday…
"I'll call the guys. Maybe they'll help me."
He called again and again. Almost no one answered, and those who did hung up as soon as they heard his problem.
"What do you need enemies for if you have friends like these?" he thought, until he bumped into a guy.
—Sorry— the guy said—. If you'd kept walking while looking at your phone, you would've walked straight into a small portal. You know how they are.
—Thanks… take care— Hitaru replied, walking away.
"Damn park. Portals always appear here. That's why nobody comes."
Hitaru walked to the front of the park to look at the river. He went to the nearest stone bridge and leaned against the edge.
"Landscapes always calm me down, especially one as beautiful as this… but what did I do wrong to end up here? Without a single yen in my pocket and without a friend to help me."
"Are there no real friends anymore?"
"Damn drugs… as addictive as sugar."
"Why didn't she let me stay?"
"I told her I was going to change… it's not that easy. I've already tried."
"Damn it, David… I should've never listened to you. Look at me now. Here, lost… and you, dead somewhere desolate where the mafia dragged you."
Hitaru spent hours staring at the river's current, thinking about the life he had chosen.
Eventually, it started raining heavily. With nowhere to take shelter, he ran under the bridge.
"Life hates me… now I'm under a bridge, like a beggar."
He sat in the driest spot, leaning against the wall, and pulled out his phone. He searched for his favorite story and played it. He kept watching it for hours.
A flash of lightning snapped him out of his thoughts. The river had risen and looked close to overflowing.
"Damn my luck."
A strong splash sent water crashing over him. He was soaked.
"My phone…"
There was nothing to do. It was ruined.
"Just what I needed… now I really have nothing."
Tears began to fall.
"Why does everything get worse when I just want to get better?"
A familiar screech made him lift his head. A portal.
"What if I end this once and for all?"
"I won't feel anything anymore."
"What do I even have left to live for?"
"I've got David's debts hanging over me, my parents don't want me at home anymore, my girlfriend left me, and my teachers wouldn't give a damn about me…"
Hitaru didn't decide, but even so, he stood up and climbed the small slope separating the park from the river. He stopped in front of the portal.
Nothing pushed him forward. Only his heart.
The rain fell over him, soaking his hair and covering his eyes. He didn't care. With his hands in his pockets and his body hunched, he stared at the blue, crackling portal.
The wet ground beneath his shoes and the smell of rain surrounded him.
A sudden jolt of the carriage pulled him out of his thoughts.
—Get them down— Arendt ordered.
Hitaru looked at the girl, still asleep. He picked her up carefully and climbed down as best he could. The guards did the same with the other two unconscious bodies.
He stood still, holding her, until a guard shoved him and pointed to a corner surrounded by a wooden fence.
"What the hell is this? What the hell is this place?" he thought, looking at the poorly built straw houses and the large wooden lodge at the back, under the moon.