“……What?”
That was the first word that came out of my mouth.
I couldn’t say anything other than “what.”
I felt utterly bewildered, as if I had been dropped all alone into outer space.
What on earth was this filthy alley, and what was wrong with my body right now?
No matter how I looked at it, the body in my field of vision did not seem like my own.
If anyone heard this, they would wonder what I was talking about, but there was no other way to explain it.
‘Am I seeing things right now?’
It seemed like my mind hadn’t recovered yet because of the heavy drinking I did yesterday.
Right, that had to be it, otherwise this made no sense—.
“What the……?”
I pinched my arm subconsciously, and the vivid pain that followed snapped me awake.
This was reality?
For a moment, I was gripped by a feeling as if I had been hit on the back of the head several times with a hammer.
Right now, I was sprawled out on the dirty ground of an alleyway.
I was certain that I had dived onto my bed and passed out completely, so why was I lying on the ground like a beggar?
I couldn’t understand it at all, so I pushed against the ground to lift myself up.
No, the moment I tried to lift myself up, my face slammed right back down onto the ground.
“Ugh!”
Looking at it now, this body had absolutely no strength.
I had only put strength into my wrists, but the body screamed in pain.
It felt painful, as if someone had beaten me black and blue while I was unconscious.
I barely managed to lift my face and panted heavily.
The thin, pathetic arm in my field of vision added to my confusion once again.
I gasped endlessly for breath, with pain and doubt completely tangled together.
Choking.
“Ugh!”
In an instant, something poured out from between his parted lips.
Looking at the dark red liquid scattered on the ground, he realized he had thrown up blood.
‘What on earth is this? Why am I spitting up blood in a place like this, with a body that doesn’t even feel like mine…’
Once the blood started pouring, it showed no signs of stopping.
It was to the point where it wouldn’t be strange if he died right then and there.
“Cough, ack.”
His body convulsed on its own from a sensation that felt as if his lungs were tearing apart.
It felt as though a bright red warning light was flickering in his vision.
At this rate, he truly felt he would die helplessly.
What kind of dog’s death was this supposed to be?
Along with the absurdity of it all, a surge of anger began to well up inside him.
Why did he have to go through something like this?
The only thing he had done the day before was drink his problems away to relieve the stress caused by that bastard boss tormenting him at work.
His fuse had simply blown after that, so why, just why?
Absurdity, anger, and resentment repeatedly welled up, completely dominating his mind.
He had never committed a sin that warranted experiencing this kind of crap.
He had just earned money, spent it, and enjoyed a few secret hobbies like everyone else.
He had absolutely never done anything unconscionable.
“Splutter…!”
Once again, blood overflowed from his mouth.
This time, to exaggerate just a little, he vomited blood like a flood.
He thought that if this kept up, every single drop of blood in his body would pour out and leave him a mummy.
This was truly the limit.
It was at that moment, when he felt death right before his eyes.
Something strange began to be reflected in his fading vision.
No, to be precise, something completely foreign forced its way into his blackening sight.
A bizarre, massive cluster of light—ominous, if he had to call it something—flickered in his mind.
The massive cluster of light swayed, as if telling him to seize it.
Could he grasp that?
Along with the doubt, an intense desire surged within him. He absolutely had to get his hands on that. If he didn’t, he would die.
That thought spread dominantly through his head.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was controlling him.
Yet, far from feeling any repulsion, it only felt deeply gratifying, which was strange beyond belief.
What on earth was this sensation?
What exactly was that thing, to make such a desire well up like this?
The corners of his lips, which had been distorted in pain, seemed to briefly curve upward.
It was strange.
He was in this much pain and felt like he was dying, so why was he smiling?
Was it because he felt he would soon get what he wanted?
‘Yeah, exactly.’
‘How fun. I’m going crazy with joy.’
‘Accept it. That is everything you want.’
Emotions that he couldn’t tell were his own will or not ran wild on their own.
Was this really the emotion he was feeling?
The brief doubt quickly vanished into the overflowing joy.
Soon, all conflict dissipated, and he reached out his hand, filled with greed.
Then, as if it had been waiting, a brilliant cluster of light filled his hand to overflowing.
His entire body filled with an profound color that defied description, resembling the lights of an aurora.
At the unbearable ecstasy, the corners of his mouth completely broke into a smile.
Laughter leaked out of his mouth from a heart that couldn’t contain its joy.
Why hadn’t he noticed it sooner?
From the moment he opened his eyes in this unknown place, the cluster of light had already been reacting.
He had been too foolishly focused on figuring out where he was to notice it.
The mass, condensed with everything he desired, had already sprouted inside his body and been waiting for him.
“Ah, ha…”
An ecstatic groan burst from between his lips.
At the same time, an astonished gasp echoed through the alleyway.
It came from a place where, clearly until just a moment ago, there had been no one else besides himself.
“Ha, what is this… Huh?”
A faint figure began to emerge within his flickering vision.
The entity, which seemed ghost-like yet not quite, gradually drew closer.
As it did, the figure became just a little clearer.
A handsome man with blonde hair, showing a bit of dark roots as if it had been a while since he dyed it, was looking down at him.
The remarkably handsome man, exuding a sharp and wild aura, spoke with one corner of his mouth twisted high.
“Fuck, what is this. Huh? What are you. What the hell are you?”
The man demanding an answer looked quite impatient, unlike his fiercely aggressive tone.
It was as if he desperately wanted to find out what kind of existence I was.
However, having already exhausted all my strength, I did not even have the energy left to answer.
I had only forgotten for a moment while drowning in joy, but my entire body was screaming.
As if I had finally reached my limit, my vision began to crumble, and my consciousness sank into black darkness.
“Ha, haha…….”
I heard a laugh that seemed to hold both emptiness and joy at the same time.
At the sound, which somehow felt ominous, I barely managed to cast my gaze toward the man.
A twisted, yet uncontrollably joyful, bizarre expression was written all over his face.
And finally, total darkness.
