Prolouge

The university dormitory area, nestled in the heart of the city, was usually alive with the hustle and bustle of student life. But now, under the shroud of night, it lay still and quiet, the usual energy replaced by an eerie calm.

Amidst the modern apartments and patches of greenery, the soft glow of streetlights cast faint shadows on the black tar road, obscuring the lushness of the foliage.

In this hushed atmosphere, the sound of footsteps echoed near the male dormitories. A weary figure, a young man in his late teens or early twenties, moved with sluggish determination, his body weighed down by fatigue. Each step seemed to struggle against the embrace of the night.

His tousled jet-black hair danced in the warm August breeze, framing his face in a disheveled cascade. Dressed in black jeans, white sneakers, and a sweatshirt as pale as the moon above, he carried a black backpack slung over his shoulder. Against the backdrop of silence, he cut a solitary figure, a lone silhouette traversing the quiet expanse of the night.

[The boy's inner monologue]: 

--"Ugh, I'm so tired. Today has been a hell of a day.

First, my bus got delayed, making me late for class. Then, I was openly ostracized by my professor for being late, even though it wasn't my fault. Somehow, I managed to embarrass myself in front of everyone. And now, I'm stuck walking back home because I missed my bus.

I miss the simplicity of high school, just a year and a half ago, before I joined this shit for a "prestigious" university. Back then, life felt more organized. Now, it feels like a lottery—some days are bad, some are okay, and some are straight-up hell.

I can't help but remember that girl from back then. I forgot her name, though. What was it again?

She was the one who inspired so much change in me, who made me realize how I wasn't truly living life back then.

In fact, she's one of the main reasons I'm here at this top-tier university. Well, that and the nagging of everyone I knew when I was younger.

I came here hoping to meet her again, or so I thought. I heard rumors that she joined this university, but I haven't seen her yet. I would give anything just to see her again."

[Narrator]:

As the young man glanced at his smartwatch, he stepped out onto the street, heading towards his apartment dormitory. Along the way, his attention was drawn to a silhouette that seemed oddly "familiar".

"Hey, uh, d-do I know you from somewhere?" he stammered.

The girl with long and silky blonde braided hair that reached all the way to her waist turned around slowly, her hair swaying gracefully in the warm August breeze. Flower petals, caught in the gentle current of air, danced around her in delicate circles. Her eyes, deep and questioning, met his with a puzzled expression.

The world seemed to stand still. The streetlights cast a soft, ethereal glow on her face, highlighting her features with a faint luminescence. Her eyes, shimmering like pools of liquid light, held a hint of recognition, a spark that made his heart skip a beat. It was as if the night itself was holding its breath, watching this encounter unfold.

There was something about her, something that caused his heart to skip a beat. It was a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time.

An array of complex emotions washed over him, because frankly, this moment struck him as:

"profoundly beautiful..."

As they stood there, exchanging uncertain glances, a distant sound caught their attention. At first, it was just a faint rumble in the distance, but it quickly grew louder and more ominous.

"A-are you, are you perchance-?" The girl started a sentence but was unable to finish it, leaving the question hanging in the air."

The air filled with the blaring noise of a horn, sending a shiver down their spines.

Suddenly, a speeding truck emerged from the darkness, its headlights piercing through the night like two blazing eyes. The truck barreled down the road with reckless abandon, its massive frame casting a long shadow over them.

"Move out of the way!" the guy screamed at the top of his lungs. 

Caught off guard, the girl stood frozen in place, her face was etched with sheer disbelief and fear as the impending danger loomed closer. 

He hesitated, he felt a lack of obligation to risk his life to save her, after all, for all he knew he had never met her before, so why would he risk his life to save a stranger?

But in that moment, he felt a strong paroxysm of complex emotions. He felt an obligation to save the girl, as if he owed a huge dept to her.

So...

He ran, ran as fast as he could.

He ran even though his legs wouldn't comply.

He ran despite the excruciating pain that made his legs tremble because frankly, he felt like he had nothing to lose , even if he died! 

He didn't care anymore, he didn't give a damn about anything! As long as his life made an impact he was more than ready to sacrifice himself!

Which is exactly why he tried shoving her out of the way, but just then in that moment, he got hit by the truck.

--Did I do it, did I save her? I'm unsure if I was able to save her, if my action made any difference in the end. 

A blinding light seemed to engulf him just as the truck slammed into his body. Was that the fabled light of the flashback before death? In that split second, every moment of his life flashed before him.

Scenes from his childhood, vivid and bursting with color, played out before his eyes: running through fields of wildflowers, laughter echoing on summer afternoons, the warmth of his mother's embrace. He saw himself growing older, the innocent joy of youth gradually replaced by the weight of responsibilities and the monotony of daily routines. The vibrancy of his earlier years stood in stark contrast to the dull, grayscale existence he now led.

The impact sent him hurtling through the air, crashing into the unyielding concrete wall with bone-crushing force. The world spun in a dizzying whirlwind as he gasped for air, his lungs desperate for oxygen after the sheer exertion of the sprint.

"Ugh...!" The air was knocked out of his lungs in a violent rush, leaving him gasping and struggling to breathe amidst the wreckage of shattered dreams and broken bones. Each breath felt like a battle against the inevitable darkness that threatened to engulf him.

As consciousness ebbed away, he couldn't help but wonder if this was the end. Had his life been nothing but a fleeting moment in the grand tapestry of existence? A loud frequency filled his ears, muffling all other sounds. The cacophony of his racing thoughts was silenced, replaced by a haunting stillness.

He tried to resist, tried to cling to life for a few more minutes, but then he remembered... There's no one left that he cares for anymore, or to be more accurate... there was no one who'd lament his death. They've all been taken by this godforsaken world. There was no point of resisting. The weight of loneliness pressed down on him, a stark reminder of his isolation.

"Auri! Wake up!" a melodious female voice called out, but who is Auri?

--"If only I had one more chance... ... ..everything could've been different." With one final, ragged breath, he surrendered to the abyss, his thoughts drifting into the void as he embraced the unknown.