Apparently, the world is going to end in ten days.
Which is tragic, sure. Meteor, apocalypse, divine punishment—take your pick.
But honestly?
If the universe is really pulling the plug, then I might as well finish the one thing that's been sitting on my to‑do list like an unresolved side quest.
Revenge.
I looked down at the crumpled paper in my hand.
Then I looked up at the house in front of me.
Yep. Same address. No changes. According to an acquaintance (who enjoys gossip more than oxygen), he still lived here. A painfully ordinary, single-story house. Beige walls. Tiny yard. Absolutely no sign that a world-ending event was approaching.
I rang the doorbell.
Nothing.
I rang it again.
Still nothing.
I rang it a third time, longer this time, really committing to the button like it owed me money.
Silence.
Alright. Fine. We're doing this the uncivilized way.
I hopped the gate—gracefully, I might add, despite holding an axe—and knocked on the front door with the confidence of someone who had already emotionally prepared for prison.
"Hello!" I called cheerfully.
It was still bright outside, so I couldn't tell if the lights were on. The place felt empty… but then again, given the whole impending end of the world situation, people had been acting weird lately. Maybe they were hiding. Maybe they were stockpiling canned beans. Maybe they were pretending death wasn't looming ten days away.
"Hello? Anyone home? I promise I'm only mildly dangerous!" I added.
I kept knocking. I had traveled all the way here. I was not turning back now. I was not leaving without at least one confrontation or a restraining order.
A few minutes passed. Or five. Or ten. Time felt fake these days.
Just as my arm started to cramp, I heard the unmistakable sound of a lock turning.
The door opened.
"Who the hell keeps banging on the door?"
A boy wearing a hoodie and long pants stepped out, glaring at me like I'd personally ruined his entire afternoon. I tilted my head to get a better look.
Eighteen, give or take. Tall. Sharp features. Annoyingly handsome. Unfortunately equipped with the personality of a disgruntled cat.
"Is Gon home?" I asked, peeking behind him.
"Not right now," he said flatly. "Do you need something?"
"When will he be back?" I replied, deliberately ignoring the laser-beam suspicion shooting out of his eyes.
Instead of answering, his gaze drifted downward.
To the axe.
"What's that you're holding?" he asked carefully.
Ah. Right. The axe.
I do tend to forget I'm holding it.
I smiled politely. "What do you think it is?"
Because if the world really was ending in ten days, then I only had one thing left to accomplish—
Kill that cheating son of a bitch.
The boy stared at me like I had just crawled out of a true crime documentary.
"Lady," he said slowly, "leave this place right now or I'm calling the police."
"Oh—wait, wait!" I shoved my hand between the door and the frame before he could close it. "I don't mean any harm to you. I just want to know where Argon is!"
"So you are planning to do something to my brother?" he said.
I frowned, scanning him from head to toe.
Brother?
Oh.
Ohhh.
This must be the little brother Argon once mentioned in passing. The one he compared himself to constantly out of insecurity.
I had to admit—this kid was way better looking than Argon. Like, unfairly so. Give him a few more years and he'd be followed by a flock of ladies.
"So you're his little bro!" I said brightly. "Wow, you don't look anything like him at all!"
His expression darkened instantly.
He tried to slam the door shut again.
I kept my hand there.
Big mistake.
BAM!
"ARGH—!" I yelped as the door crushed my fingers. I jumped back, clutching my hand and shaking it violently. "WHY does that hurt so much?!"
The boy paused, then opened the door again, staring at me like I was the stupidest person alive.
"Why would you even use your hand to stop a closing door?" he snapped.
Tears pooled in my eyes. "Because you won't answer my question!"
He sighed, the long-suffering sigh of someone who had not signed up for this nonsense. "Look, lady, I'm sorry, okay? But you need to leave before I really do call the police."
I ignored the pain and forced my way inside before he could react.
"So what if you do?" I said casually. "The world's ending anyway. Just tell me where Gon is and I'll leave. Promise."
He stepped back as I advanced, axe still in hand.
"I'm not suspicious or anything," I added helpfully. "I'm his ex-girlfriend. I've got a tiny grudge and want to kill him. Totally normal stuff."
"There is absolutely no way I'm telling you," he said.
"Let me guess," I said, tapping my chin. "He's at the villa in Brisia, right? He used to brag about it nonstop. Doesn't even own a car, so he must've gone with your parents."
His face betrayed him instantly.
Ah. Gotcha.
"Heh. Must be nice," I said. "Watching the end of the world from a luxury villa. So why are you still here, little bro?"
"…It's nothing important."
"You're still going to school?" I glanced at his uniform. "Why?"
"…I said it's nothing important."
"What's the point when the world might end tomorrow?" I asked.
He went quiet, thinking for a moment.
Then he said, very seriously, "Knowing tomorrow might be the last day, I would still choose to plant my apple tree today."
I stopped walking.
"…What?"
"It's a famous quote," he sighed. "But I wouldn't expect someone like you to know it."
"WHY would you plant trees when the world is ending?" I asked, genuinely baffled.
"It's about mindset," he said. "I'll go to school. I'll study. The world ending or not doesn't matter. I'll only do what I can."
I stared at him.
Wow.
I had pegged him as the brooding delinquent type. Turns out he was philosophical. Annoyingly so.
"…That sounds incredibly boring," I said honestly.
He glared. "I'm done talking to you."
"So Gon really isn't home?"
"He won't be back for a while."
"Then I'll wait."
"LEAVE!" he shouted.
I covered my ears. "No need to yell! You're so rude—I'm still you're elder you know."
I turned toward the door.
"Oh, by the way," I said casually. "What was your name again? Neon? Dion? Leon? Zion?"
"For god's sake—IT'S XENON!" he yelled.
He froze, shocked that he'd raised his voice again.
I smiled brightly and waved. "See you tomorrow, Xenon!"
I lifted the axe slightly for emphasis.
He stared at me like his entire reality had just been derailed.
He stood there, utterly traumatized. "DON'T EVER COME BACK HERE!!"
I whistled on my way out.