Chapter 01 - Leonard : The First Summoning 1A
A group of friends, seated in a cyan-blue car, drive through the streets with their feet on the accelerator.
Everyone is laughing and singing. One person cheers and belts out, "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you. Everyone sing with me!" Seeing his excitement, the others laugh with joy.
Keeping the same rhythm, everyone joins in: "HAPPY BIRTH… DAY… TO… YOU… HAPPY BIRTHDAY… TO… YOU… HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JA—"Everyone freezes at once.A white flash of light floods his eyes, lifting him up toward the sky—or at least that's what it feels like.
His head feels light, as if he's about to float, as if someone or something is calling out to him.
Through the glare, he can make out a few people pushing through the light. A lot of people are cheering, but he can only see their silhouettes.Just as he's nearing the brightness, a truck barrels in at high speed, swerving left and right.
It slams into the left side of the car, making it lose control and skid wildly. The car spins, then flips and crashes hood-first into a tree trunk on the sidewalk.For a second, everything goes dark.
He sees nothing—only utter darkness. He tries to reach out and feel around, but the world is numb. His eyes finally adjust enough for him to focus.He looks around.
Right in front of him is the car he was in—now with shattered windows, flat tires, and lifeless bodies.Daniel sits in the driver's seat, his head crushed on impact, torn apart where the hit landed.
He was wearing a bright blue hoodie that matched the car, but now it's soaked red with blood.On the opposite sidewalk lies Aussie, back twisted, spine jutting out.His eyes widen.
He can't believe what he's seeing. He turns his head, but he can't find Arthur or Hanne anywhere. Panic surges through his brain; his heart races.He tries to get up and run, but the moment he attempts to stand, he collapses. Looking down, he sees both legs shattered—every bone reduced to fragments.
A sharp piece of metal is plunged deep into his chest. He's bleeding profusely, his lungs filling with his own blood. At this rate, he'll die from lack of oxygen before blood loss.He brings his hands to his face, grabs his hair, and breathes in ragged gasps. His eyes bulge.
Fear takes over. With what little strength remains, he screams—his cries echoing with pain and agony.Looking back at the car, he forces himself forward, despite his broken legs.
He drags himself with his hands, digging pricked fingers into the ground and pushing forward.
With each movement, worry for his friends eats him alive.He tries to speak, but all he can do is cough up blood, worsening the pain.Halfway there, even his fragile body gives up, and he collapses onto the street. A crowd gathers, staring at him.
With the little voice he has left, he whispers, "Somebody please help—somebody help my friends," but his words dissolve into the noise.As he shuts his eyes in defeat, he hears the high-pitched siren of an ambulance approaching.
The sound muffles as his eyes close completely, and his body grows numb again.Once more, the blackness takes over his mind. See nothing, feel nothing, do nothing.
It feels like only a second has passed when he suddenly finds it easier to breathe.He hears someone calling him—telling him to stay conscious—but the voice grows distant.
And again, darkness engulfs him. He feels strangely relaxed, like he can finally rest."So… does that mean I'm… dead?" he asks himself, concerned."Now what? Do I just float for eternity in this void?"Just as he thinks that, his eyes snap open.
Still adjusting to the light, he looks left and right. "So I'm alive? I'm not dead yet? But where am I?" Hope rises in him.He looks up and sees two people hovering over him, their heads resting against his chest, tears streaming as they sob.
At first he's confused, but then he assumes they think he's dead and came to mourn him—yet he has never seen their faces in his life."Wh-why are you crying over me? Okay—I—I'm fine.
I mean, at least someone showed up if I'm dead, but still… Don't get this close to a stranger, alright?"With those thoughts, he pushes the woman gently away and motions for the man to step aside.
They both step back, looking at each other for a moment, then staring at him again—eyes still wet.Then they rush back to him, kissing his cheeks and hands and fussing over him, cheering and laughing as if they've found a treasure.
Now irritated, he tries to push them away again while shouting—"I'm flattered that you two strangers care so much about me, but lady, you shouldn't be so close to a stranger, alright?"Only babbling comes from his mouth—the sounds of an infant.
He looks at his hands. They're tiny. He looks around. The walls are stone, and everything is huge.He's in the body of a newborn baby.Or perhaps… he was reborn as one.