The rain started just as I stepped outside.
Not a soft drizzle.
Not a polite sprinkle.
A full, angry downpour.
"Oh, great," I muttered, tugging my hoodie up. "Nice timing, universe."
I turned back toward the glass doors of the theatre—
already locked behind me. Figures.
Why is it always like this?
Let me tell you how my life likes to mess with me:
On rainy days—I forget my umbrella like it's a tradition.
On sunny days—I carry it like a fool, expecting a storm in the middle of summer.
I gave the street a tired glance—empty, wet, drowning in shadows and flickering streetlights.
My shoes were already soaked.
I sighed and slipped into the alley beside the theatre.
It was a shortcut to my apartment—quiet, hidden.
The kind of place no one cared about.
That's when I saw him.
A man.
At the far end of the alley.
He looked like he'd stepped out of a movie I wasn't invited to—
tall, broad-shouldered, wearing a long black coat that moved like smoke in the wind.
His face was half hidden beneath his dark hair.
Rain slid off him like he didn't even notice.
I squinted through the curtain of water, trying to make out his expression—
but shadows clung to him like a second skin.
Does he need help? Is he lost? Homeless? Just a guy waiting for someone…?
"Uh… hello? You okay?"
No answer.
He didn't even blink.
I forced a laugh.
"Did you lose your umbrella too?"
I took a step forward.
His hand twitched.
That's when I saw it—
The gun.
Time split in two.
One part of me screamed to run.
The other froze—
drenched in disbelief.
"Wait, wait—what are you—"
BANG.
My body jolted.
A burning heat punched through my chest.
The world tilted sideways.
I hit the ground hard.
Rain soaked into my jeans.
My fingers trembled.
I looked up through the storm.
He was still there.
Still standing.
His face: blank.
His eyes: cold.
Expression: nonexistent.
Like I wasn't even real.
Like I was already gone.
"W-Why…?" I choked.
He didn't answer.
He just turned—
and walked away.
The rain roared louder than ever.
My blood mixed with it, warmth spilling fast.
My breath slipped through my lips in shallow gasps.
I don't understand…
I don't understand…
I don't—
Darkness swallowed the rest.