Azure slowly opened his eyes, finding himself floating in an endless white fog, a mist that enveloped the horizon, and a deadly silence that hung over the place.
Around him, fragments of his shattered memories drifted: the faces of his loved ones, distorted and pale, fading into the fog like ghosts dissolving in the wind; the laughter of his old friends breaking into muffled sounds, like glass shattering beneath his feet; scenes of his pain and torment twisting, as if an invisible hand was tearing apart the canvases of his life.
He gazed at them with a mix of deep sorrow, regret that gripped his heart, and anger that blazed in his eyes.
Whenever he tried to focus on an image—whether it was a woman's face, a child's laughter, or a thriving city—the images began to fade, dissolving into dust that melted into the white fog.
His eyes trembled slightly, his features contorted with despair, and then he stopped trying.
He closed his eyes, attempting to calm his frayed nerves, but a massive tremor suddenly shook the white world, as if reality itself were cracking apart.
He opened his eyes again, only to see the shattered images collapsing into glimmering fragments, distorting the foggy world with dark red threads, warm like blood, spreading like a malicious spider's web, wrapping around the white fog with ravenous hunger.
A shock surged through Azure, his heart beating slowly as if it were fading. He tried to summon his strength but failed.
He began to examine his body, noticing red threads coiling around him, wrapping around his arms and legs, emitting a faint whisper like sinister incantations, burning his skin with a malevolent heat.
He tried to pull them off, his hands trembling with helplessness, but more threads appeared, slithering from the void, covering his legs, his chest, then his face, as if they were a living net seeking to devour him.
His mind began to waver, his focus evaporating like mist, his strength waning until he surrendered to the threads, letting his body sink into their red web, his anger turning into profound despair.
The last thing he saw before plunging into darkness was a massive red eye, its pupil glowing like molten lava, staring at him from a gaping rift in the white world, as if it were watching his soul.
Then, infinite darkness.
.....
Azure woke suddenly with a deafening scream, a sharp shock tearing through his chest as if his soul had been ripped from the abyss.
His eyes were wide open, his heart pounding violently as if trying to break free from his ribcage. Terror and anger churned within him as he struggled to comprehend what had happened.
He slowly raised his eyes, finding himself seated at a wooden desk in a familiar classroom, sunlight streaming through the glass windows, casting wavy shadows on the floor. The classroom walls were covered with faded educational posters, and the sound of a scratching pen echoed in the silence.
He looked around, dozens of eyes staring at him, their faces a mix of shock and tension.
Faint whispers rippled through: "What's wrong with him?" "Is he okay?"
A nearby student, named Ethan, with short brown hair and glasses, leaned toward him with a worried look. "Azure, are you alright?" His voice was soft.
Azure's features twitched with confusion, his eyes trembling. This classroom… these faces… I'm really here. A faint smile crept across his face, a strange joy seeping into his heart. I did it… I came back.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm his trembling body. He slowly raised his hand, pretending to adjust an open book in front of him.
"No need to worry, I'm fine," Azure said in a calm but weary voice, tinged with deep exhaustion.
The students gradually returned to their notes, while Azure observed the scene in silence, his heart pounding heavily.
He was lost in thought as he opened the book before him—a third-year high school book.
His eyes blinked in shock as he glanced at the book and the date written on the blackboard: May 12.I can't remember the date or anything about this day!
The teacher, a tall man named Mr. Clark with gray hair and round glasses, looked at him with concern. "Azure, is something wrong?" His voice was deep, carrying a paternal tone.
Azure shook his head slowly, his face rigid. "Nothing."
But in his mind, he screamed: Nothing at all, and that's the damned problem! He tried to recall future events, but his mind hit a wall of fog, each attempt bringing a sharp headache, as if invisible threads were tearing his thoughts. Those red threads… are they the cause?
His anger began to rise, his fists clenching the edge of the desk until his knuckles whitened. But he forced himself to calm down. It doesn't matter, stay calm… I came back successfully, that's what matters. I'll regain my memories gradually. He sighed, trying to focus on the teacher's explanation, the sound of chalk tapping the blackboard like an irritating rhythm.
...
After the class ended, Mr. Clark left, followed by the students in a gradual departure.
Azure stood, his worn black school bag slung over his shoulder. He walked toward the bathroom, his steps heavy and weary, the sound of his shoes echoing in the hallway.
He stood before the mirror, the sound of dripping water from the faucet filling the silence. He looked at his reflection: a young man of frail build, his body slim, his shoulders narrow. His long black hair, messy and coarse, hung over his shoulders, strands covering his forehead in chaotic disarray, reflecting a masculine defiance. His turquoise eyes gleamed like an ocean, their gaze weary.
He wore a school uniform: a white shirt with the top button undone, black trousers, and dusty, worn black sneakers that mirrored his tired steps.
He touched the mirror slowly, his fingers trembling slightly as he stared at his reflection, his eyes scanning his features as if searching for answers in the cold glass.
It doesn't matter what happened in the past. Though I can't remember anything, there's one feeling I still carry… It's regret. I must not feel it again.
He washed his face with cold water, droplets dripping from his chin, easing the throbbing headache in his skull.
He wiped his face with his sleeve, running his fingers through his messy black hair.
I must adapt…
But before he could finish his thoughts, a tremendous roar erupted from outside, as if a thunderbolt had struck the school grounds. The walls shook, and the sound of shattering glass filled the air.
Azure froze, his turquoise eyes narrowing with caution.
He rushed into the hallway, but his steps halted as soon as he stepped out of the bathroom.
He raised his eyes to the large window in the hallway, finding the sky transformed into a nightmarish scene: pitch black, with a massive red moon glowing at its center, like an eye watching everything. Its crimson light flooded the hallway.
The students surged toward the main window, their faces pale as corpses, their eyes wide with terror.
"What is this?" screamed a girl with braided hair, her voice trembling like a leaf in a storm.
"The sky… It's not normal!" muttered another student, his voice laced with fear.
The students approached the main window with hesitant steps, their bodies crowding together, desperate to understand what was happening.
Suddenly, a massive black tongue pierced the main window, producing a shattering sound that shook their souls.
The tongue wrapped around a student, pulling him outside with brutal speed. His scream was cut short, as if the darkness had swallowed him whole.
The students erupted in terrified screams, their bodies colliding as they fled in chaotic panic, the sound of their footsteps like thunder shaking the hallway.
Azure, unlike them, pushed through the fleeing crowd with difficulty, his slim frame bumping against the students' shoulders. He reached the main window at last, but the tongue returned, darting toward him like lightning.
With sharp instinct, Azure dodged to the side, his lithe body moving with agility, and the tongue crashed into the ceiling, leaving a sticky trail that reeked with a foul odor.
As the beast retracted its tongue, Azure followed it with his eyes, spotting a tall monster standing outside, its skin pale, its claws glinting like blades under the red moonlight. Its mouth was open, revealing rows of sharp teeth, and its black eyes, devoid of pupils, stared at Azure with a ravenous gaze.