Chapter 2: First Journey

Wan's journey into darkness began subtly, unnoticed by those around him. To his classmates and teachers, he was just another high achiever—quiet, focused, and dedicated. But inside, Wan's world was unraveling. Each day, he sat in the back of the classroom, his thoughts far removed from the lessons and chatter around him. The faces of his peers, laughing and whispering, began to feel like taunts, their carefree lives a bitter contrast to his own turmoil.

He excelled academically, his test scores immaculate, but the success felt hollow. His achievements brought him neither pride nor joy. Instead, they seemed to deepen his resentment toward everyone around him. Wan viewed his classmates with a sense of contempt he couldn't control, their innocent ignorance stirring a frustration he couldn't quite name. Their laughter grated on him, their conversations felt trivial, and every interaction only served to widen the gap he felt between himself and everyone else.

As time passed, he withdrew further, not just from his classmates but from life itself. Wan's health began to decline as he lost interest in everything, his once-bright energy replaced by a cold, detached shell. Teachers grew concerned and tried to reach out, but his responses were curt, his expression unreadable. At home, his family noticed the change too, yet every attempt to connect only seemed to make him pull away further, locking himself behind an invisible wall he didn't want anyone to cross.

Each night, he lay awake, his mind plagued by disturbing thoughts he couldn't escape. He found himself drifting to dark places, imagining things he knew were wrong but feeling a twisted sense of relief in their contemplation. Online, he sought answers in shadowed corners, searching for a sense of control he'd never felt in his life. The world around him grew distant, its colors muted, its sounds muffled, as his inner world grew louder, filled with a consuming darkness that was beginning to take shape.

One morning, as he walked the halls of his school, the weight of it all began to press down on him with a force that felt unbearable. Classmates passed by, oblivious to his struggles, and teachers greeted him with warm smiles that felt like mockery. The disconnect was complete. In his mind, he could feel himself slipping further, inch by inch, toward something he couldn't fully understand but felt was inevitable.

He began to feel drawn to a plan, a quiet, secret thought he knew he could never voice. With each day that passed, his sense of self was fading, replaced by something he couldn't recognize—something colder and darker. It was as if he was standing at the edge of a cliff, the ground crumbling beneath him, and the only choice was to leap.