Quiet footsteps ran along the muddy road. The rain pouring heavily felt like drowning on land. Drops splashed against puddles, sending tiny waves across the uneven surface. The trees danced violently, like the wind itself choreographed them to do so, their branches thrashing and leaves whipping against each other. The loud clap of thunder briefly lit the dark night for just a few seconds, revealing the figure of a man hurrying, his silhouette blurred by the sheets of rain.
"Come on, I have to make it. It's almost time."
『35 seconds left.』
The clock ticked in the person's hand, nearing its final seconds. Its metallic face gleamed faintly in the flashes of lightning.
The weather was quite terrible. In fact, one should not even be outside during such a big storm. So why was he out running?
It was not like this person was seeking shelter, nor was he finding his lost dog or cat. He was not training, and he was not asking for a death sentence.
"Gah!"
He tripped hard. Luckily, his head fell onto a soft patch of grass that reduced the damage. But there was no time to stall. He had to get back up immediately.
He heard faint sounds of trees falling down right behind him. Whatever he was running from surely wasn't human.
「That hurts! Oh no. Are they coming?」
Panic welled inside him. He felt deep discomfort and excruciating pain in his right foot, but he didn't know why until he looked over.
「Why now?...」
A heavy tree bark crushed his right foot. The skin bruised purple and an uncanny yellow. It was a sight twisted enough to make anyone vomit.
「I'm still alive. I can make it.」
He wriggled like a caterpillar, desperate to get away.
The clock ticked. 『30 seconds left.』
The faint sound of multiple trees falling one by one grew louder. Panicking, he tried to wriggle his foot free again.
"No, no, no. Please. I'm so close."
The clock ticked. 『20 seconds left.』
His clothes were stained with blood and murky water. However, he did not care. The fate that awaited him was far worse than this.
The clock ticked. 『10 seconds left.』
The foot finally freed itself from the giant bark that had trapped him. He got up as quickly as possible and started running with full determination.
"Yes. But will I make it?"
His adrenaline surged. His lungs could barely catch a breath. His arms flailed, splashing water as he pushed forward. The injury gave him immense pain. Despite it, he kept going.
He was eyeing one thing. Each heartbeat pounded in his ears like a drum. Every step was accompanied by the squelch of mud beneath his feet.
"I see it! I'm almost there! Come on, make it."
The clock ticked. 『1 second left.』
"I'll make it just in time."
-ˋˏ📼
Suddenly, the whole scene was covered in black. The boy returned to his senses and looked around. He saw a familiar place, a futon bed decorated with white and blue striped bedsheets, shelves towering with anime merch, and the screen he had been too indulged in.
"What just happened?"
He turned to his left. Peeking out of the half-opened door was the shine of a warm orange light slightly illuminating Sekishiki's bedroom, along with a figure he knew all too well.
"It's bedtime, young man. You don't want to look like a grumpy-looking ghost in the morning, right?"
Reaching his final seconds in the speedrun, it was suddenly interrupted by someone who yanked the outlet, cutting off the power to the game.
"It's fine. It's summer break anyway. You ruined a good run."
"Get to bed. Even if it's your break, I don't want you to ruin your sleep schedule again."
"Yeah, yeah, whate–"
"Are you mad at me?"
"Huh?"
The person responsible for cutting off Sekishiki's self-indulging experience was a someone he couldn't ever get mad at. If there was something he would be angry at, it would be himself. He spent the whole afternoon gaming and forgot to take out the frozen chicken from the fridge, so all they ate was half-frozen meatloaf.
"No, no, I'm not mad, Mom. I'm sorr—"
"That's great to hear. Wake up nice and early, okay? Don't forget to brush your teeth. Keep your clothes nice and clean. I taught you how to cook omelette, right?"
"I know. Why are you telling me all this?"
"Me and your dad are leaving for a bit, okay? It's somewhere far away, so you won't find us."
"Leaving? How far are you guys going?"
-ˋˏ📼
A flash of blinding light sparked through the entire room, almost like someone threw a stun grenade. Sekishiki shielded his eyes for a few seconds, then looked around.
"Mom?"
He looked around his bedroom. Items and expensive anime figures were scattered and broken on the ground. Yet, he does not care for his prized collection now having half of its value.
All Sekishiki could think of were faint memories of decorating his room with the things he liked back then. His parents would usually spoil him as an only child, despite not being rich.
"Not there."
Sekishiki stood up and made his way through the half-opened doorway. The light bulb that once shone orange had completely shattered.
He walked down the left corridor where his parents' bedroom was located.
He looked around their room. Memories surfaced of them telling stupid stories that were boring as ever, yet for some reason, he still enjoyed them. The warmth of past laughter lingered even after all this time.
"Not there either."
He went downstairs to the kitchen, the place where he would always see his dog chewing on leftovers or his mom cooking some strange dish.
He looked around the kitchen. He remembered the first time he tried to cook a fried egg because he was hungry and nobody was home. His parents returned to find the stove on fire.
"Where did Spark go?"
He moved on to the next room, a place where the family supposedly came together to bond over a board game or a movie. That feeling had completely drifted away.
He looked around the living room where they used to watch movies together. He didn't enjoy those kinds of millennial movies, but back then, it was fun.
Giving up on searching the house, he decided to look outside.
"I mean, didn't they say they were leaving for a bit? Why am I checking? Am I going through some sort of psychosis?"
He wandered until he reached the nearest convenience store. He remembered the store clerk who was always sneaking him a few free discounts. They were both mischievous, and it was fun. He wondered where he was now.
"Not there."
He searched aimlessly until he no longer knew where he was. Still, there was no sign of them.
He started to think. Had he been abandoned? Was he such a terrible son that they had to leave him behind?
"What was that strange light before, I wonder?"
He thought back on the previous events, hoping they would lead to a conclusion. Everything was a haze, and his head began to pulse.
Losing hope, he was about to break down and cry in the middle of a floating chapel.
"Wait. Why am I so high up?"
His eyes wandered everywhere. Islands floated far below, suspended in the open sky. A vast chapel stood before him, white and radiant, as if torn straight from a story about heaven. Nearby, a garden bloomed with dazzling, saturated colors of flowers, each contrasting against the golden sun. Unlike their home garden, which he forgot to tend to, it was probably a cemetery by now rather than a garden.
It's not like he was crazy, at least he thought so. Whatever situation he was in, it couldn't possibly be real.
"——Did I fall asleep?"