Chapter 001: The Price of Isolation

"One of the reasons babies cry... is most likely because of three reasons."

"They need attention, like food or water. They are in pain from sicknesses. Or they are in fear, and need comfort from their loved ones."

"But for me, I cried because I was in constant isolation."

"To be in a state of null, and to experience non-existence."

"It is something more frightening than death."

"Ilyas, spacing out again? We are still in the middle of class."

"Ah... Sorry, Neva. I was just thinking of lunch later." I said, trying to seem like I was alright. I spun the pen in my hand, and tapped my feet on the ground. All of it was to prevent it from happening. The curse that binded me to this world.

"Aren't you tired of spinning that pen?" Neva asked, as I continued doing so. It was not a choice I could make.

After all, I do not want to go back there.

To that void of complete darkness.

"This is your assignment for the week, don't forget that the biotechnology test is coming up." The professor said as he tapped on the board with his marker. "I hope you've been paying attention."

"I hope you've been paying attention. They are coming to hunt us all down, simply because we have this strange power." 

"Welcome back, Ilyas No. Zero."

"Crap! I... I stopped spinning my pen for a moment." I jolted out of my seat as my classmates were leaving the room one by one. At that moment, I was sent back there into that realm because I stopped moving.

"Are you heading home?" Neva asked, packing all of her things. "Is something wrong?"

"No... I was just..." I stuttered with my words, as I quickly kept my things as well.

"It seems like the university is drilling on the biotechnology thing pretty hard. There are so many things I don't understand." Neva said, twirling her twintails as steam escaped from her head. "But I guess that is how it is in Singapore, the hot climate has caused the humidity to rise over extreme levels lately."

"Yeah, most of the people here have suffered immensely due to heatstroke." I said, feeling the weight on my shoulders. "Not like we are heroes or anything. We are just studying for the sake of getting that degree. Nothing else."

"Hmm, I have a dream to save others." Neva said, refuting my answer with her sense of kindness. "Don't you want to see others get better?"

"I don't really care about what others think." I said harshly. "To me, chasing a dream is no longer enjoyable."

"I see." Neva said, as we reached the entrance gate. "Well, I'm heading off this way. See you."

"Yeah." I said as we parted ways. I wondered why Neva never made any friends here besides me. Is it because she sat next to me? That must be the reason.

In this world, I have fully accepted being alone.

I saw it in real time,

I know she is all bluffing.

No way that we would be friends.

After all, everyone is the same, living without me.

I wonder if I have grown too accustomed to this curse...

"Stop right there! Drop your weapon!" A group of police men were armed with guns, pointing it at a deranged man holding a knife. That man was shaking in fear, constantly babbling nonsense.

"I must find the One who can see the Void. For my master calls me..." He swung his knife dangerously as he stared towards my direction.

"He is delusional." The police officer yelled. "Tackle him all at once, approach him with formation D-" He charged at my line of sight, swooping from a blind spot.

"He is attacking that boy! Shoot him-"

"We can't... he is too fast- We won't make it!" The policemen gave chase, as the man's knife was getting closer towards my chest.

"Am I going to die...?" I thought. "I have to go back there." I completely stopped moving, as the world around me started to fade slightly. It was monochrome except for the spotlight that hung above my head as if I was watching some sort of old movie.

This was my curse, or maybe in this case, it was a blessing.

Time does not stop moving, as long as I kept still, though I no longer existed. It was as if I was took out of the story that God has created.

The culprit went through the spot that I was, but this time he was attacking a different person. He was shot three times but still successfully took down that victim.

Disgusting.

I almost felt like I didn't want to exist.

Even though at that moment, I did not exist.

The time when I disappeared would be altered the moment I moved. So the series of events that happened would change to fit that gap. It would mean that I was using others for my own survival.

"What a tragic sight to witness, Ilyas." A light in the far distance shone as he was the one who shared the same power as me. No, he was me, in a different world.

"Ilyas No. 0589." I said as he chuckled to his heart's content.

"To escape your own death, and to sacrifice another. This is rather selfish of you, isn't it?" 0589 said, with a creepy smile on his face. "I did tell you that we are being hunted. Maybe it is fate coming for us all."

"I only see you here." I said as he clapped his hands. He was wearing what seemed like a military uniform, but other than that he has my face and characteristics.

"Time keeps flowing and we can choose whether to take part in it." 0589 continued his grand speech. "How convenient is it, number zero?"

"I was just saving myself. Anyone with my power would understand. Besides, it is not my fault he died, since the erasure of my existence cannot be controlled."

"Hahaha. Well, a timeline where you don't exist... the blame definitely cannot lie on you. You don't exist after all." 0589 cried out loudly. "But your decisions... we can't really say."

"I'm leaving." I said firmly. "And what do you know about this hunter?"

"Hunter? You mean the person trying to get rid of us?" 0589 said, shrugging his shoulders. "In my world, he was a man who constantly chased me down."

"Huh? So he is just a man in your world." I said, realising how stupid I was to believe that I was in any form of trouble. "Is that why you are here all the time?"

"Sometimes not existing is much more free than living in a crooked world." 0589 said, as I started to move my leg and got out of that void completely.

I walked off home as the ambulance drove past me one by one. I was no longer part of the narrative and was simply a passerby. I checked my watch to notice that ten minutes have passed. Just a mere ten minutes, was enough to change the course of my fate.