Starting With The End

How does it feel to get a replay of your whole life in your very last moment, when it takes only a few seconds to end everything into nothingness?

What do people do at that moment?

Have a little hope, to stay alive?

A desperate attempt, to let all know that somehow, they existed?

Crying their own eyes out remembering all those happy moments?

Having Regrets? Recalling Wrongdoings? Unwanted desires?

Or just say to their dying self, "I am glad…"

"My head hurts...it should hurt everywhere, but just my head hurts."

Her own words made her laugh. Will that even matter what hurts at this moment? After all, the senses are going to get numb soon.

Ah! Finally, she can get rid of those feelings that are stubborn enough to go away, even after all these years.

She can finally become free from all those situations that have made her life hard to pass on.

She can finally take a breather. She can finally get rid of the surroundings that she felt suffocated within.

'Life should've been fun, but it really wasn't.'

'They...probably won't be able to do anything now...right? I am…saved, right?'

'Glad it's ending...I'm glad…'

It's snowing so hard...covering everything up in a peaceful whiteness.

Is it a white Christmas?

'Ah...I at least got one wish of mine fulfilled…'

Soon her vision got vignette, like those photo filters on mobile apps, to her, that looked strangely interesting. The only thing she could see was the white snow falling down like little clouds, or the white cotton candies she used to enjoy whenever her parents took her to amusement parks.

"Aish...I couldn't even finish that manga I started...I really wanted to know the ending. I'm gonna regret not finishing it sooner…"

And then everything turned black around her.

She probably could hear a faint noise of an ambulance, and maybe someone is calling out her name, or not.

A deep male voice, which sounded anxious maybe, pouring out worry.

That voice unbelievably soothed her.

But who is going to worry that much about her? Was there really anyone who cared for her?

Haah, who she was kidding!

That might be something she misheard.

Yeah, she sure misheard.

After all, the voices meant to her in this world were always harsh, harsher than the injuries she used to get while playing with other kids in her childhood.

But the soothing effect that worried voice had was growing on her, and she fell into a deep sleep, as the snow kept piling everywhere on the road, and also on top of her.

…

"....ri"

"Airi, wake up, child!"

"Can you hear me, Airi?! Doctor, is she okay? Will she be fine?"

"Oh Airi...please, w-wake up…"

The room feels cool, maybe the windows are kept open. And with the cold wind, a middle-aged woman's suppressed cries are being carried into her ears. It seems more people are there...by the sound of it, must be talking about something serious. Though she can't make the words clearly. Her head feels heavy too.

Slowly her nose caught a faint disinfectant smell surrounding the room.

Is this…a hospital? It must be...the air feels a little bit heavy too probably…

Did she survive then?

Why?

Wouldn't it be better if she didn't…

"AIRI!! Can you hear us, can you see us??"

Yeah, she can see them, and hear them clearly. There is a lady who must be in her mid-40s, and a man who is probably in his early 50s, and a white-gown demon mom used to talk about. Is he gonna bring out his gory injection now?

But…

"Who...are you?"

Her one sentence made those three people stop their breath. And soon after, that woman burst into tears. Somehow, she looked incredibly beautiful, with her eyes filled with moisture, and little pearls rolling down her fair cheeks. And the man kept patting her back, trying desperately to suppress his tears it seems.

The lady looks so sad. And those two seem tired as well…guess they were here for quite a time.

Yet, who are they? They seem to be calling out to her...but they are saying Airi…

The way they are calling her by her name, they seem to know her well…but, she never had anyone to cry for her…

The doctor came forward and looked at his patient with concerned eyes.

"Do you feel pain anywhere? Any discomfort?"

She thought for a while about what to say first, because she was feeling equally puzzled about the couple crying in front of them. Should she ask about them? Or should she ask why she was here?

She decided to just answer to the doctor for now, "Just my head feels a bit heavy, and my body aches a bit."

"Okay. That's good. So, Ms. Airi Arne, you don't recognize the people in front of you?"

"No, I don't know…."

Wait, Arne? Who was Arne? Since when she was named Arne?

Her head started spinning, and she soon lost herself in the abyss of darkness.

…

…

"Where in the world is this place? Why is it so dark here?"

She found herself in a pitch-black darkness, making it hard to figure out anything about this weird space she is in. Not having a single shred of light, she didn't dare to put a single step forward.

"Is anyone there? Someone knows where am I? Hello??"

Only darkness and silence greeted her back.

'Ah...feeling dizzy again. My eyes are heavy, can't keep my eyes open anymore...but where am I...need to know...I can't fall asleep in this…'

Her thoughts got cut off, and in the end, she lost her fight with her dizziness and ended up losing consciousness.

…

…

"So Miss. Shin, let's make things right now, shall we?"

Ugh, someone...is calling her? Who? Who in the earth was calling her this formally…? That voice sounds mellow...and soft...it was something never directed towards her...what was it…

Come to think of it, there was also a voice she heard a while back, was that this one?

No, that sounded more reassuring, deeper, more….

Her eyes shot open, and an unfamiliar ceiling greeted her. A light pink hue surrounded that room, giving off quite a girlish vibe to it.

For a while she was just staring at the ceiling, her senses not cooperating quite well with her. Slowly, she could hear faint pitter-patters...

"Must be raining." She mumbled to herself.

Not long after she realized she was lying down on her bed, and felt like she had been sleeping for so long…

"Woah, dude!!!" She jumped off of her slump thoughts.

"Did I just pass out while bingin' anime the whole f*ckin' night?"

"Neh, who am I kiddin'?! Me, the greatest weeb on the earth, passin' out just to a mere anime!? Hah, the sun must have started to revolve the earth, kek."

"Come to think of it, that was quite on the nerves. Who would've thought things gonna get this mind-blowing…wait wait wait a second, how long I was passed out?

Did I just miss my bonuses on my games?!"

NO FU**ING WAY!!!!!

She hurriedly tried to get up from her bed to get to her computer, but immediately sat back on the bed, clutching her head from both sides.

"Gash, it hurts like hell….!!! What did I, skipped my food or what!?"

And then she got a clear view of her surroundings.

A...HUGE...ROOM..!

Light pink wallpaper to boot.

One corner was garnished with a cute-looking wardrobe, and by the size of it, no way that contains just a few things.

A large dressing mirror just beside the wardrobe.

And a big wide window beside the bed, just to make sure there is enough cool breeze.

Even the bed sheet and quilt were pink-shaded.

But the most important thing was…

"WHERE THE HE*K IS MY PC!!!!!"

Her head started aching more by the realization of this hideous upgrade she got.

"What happened to the room overnight! A genie broke in or what!!"

With confusion and a bit of anger clear on her face, she opened her door.

But there was a second blow of shock waiting for her.