sigh
"I'm so bored right now."
The young man muttered to himself as he closed his phone, the screen going dark in his hand. He had spent straight hours lying on his bed, scrolling endlessly through whatever feed he could find. Videos, posts, memes, anything that could momentarily satisfy the dull ache of boredom gnawing at him.
As for who this man was?
His name was Nate Hakimi, a 21-year-old Malaysian college student currently waiting for his diploma certificate convocation, which was only a couple of months away.
College life had not been easy for him. There were tough times, gruelling assignments, sleepless nights, moments of doubt. Though, but those gruesome moments had always been accompanied by sweet ones. Laughter shared with friends. Late-night talks. The small victories after surviving exams.
During his years of study, he had made friends who stood by him through thick and thin, whether it was problems related to studying or life in general.
Truly, it had been a roller coaster of events.
Unfortunately, like all precious things, those moments had come to an end.
Now, while waiting for his convocation, Nate worked a side job at a nearby grocery store to earn a bit of pocket money.
"Heh… how three years of college life can fly by in the blink of an eye."
Nate said quietly as he pondered his experiences.
"Well, whatever. At the very least, I got to experience what life is like when you're not around your parents all the time."
A slight smile formed on his face as he reminisced about the good times.
"I think it's time for me to go out and take a stroll. Just lying in bed all weekend, scrolling through my phone, isn't remotely healthy."
With that, Nate got off his bed and walked toward his bedroom door.
Upon exiting his room, he went downstairs and arrived in the living room. There, he found his mother and sister leisurely watching a drama airing at that hour.
"Mom, Sis, I'm going out for a stroll for a bit."
Alerted by his voice, both women turned toward him.
"Huh? At this hour? Honey, it's already past six in the evening," his mother said, worry evident in her expression.
"Let him be, Mom. He's not a kid anymore, you know. I trust him to come back before seven," his sister said, trying to convince their mother.
His mother's name was Tasha, a 45-year-old woman whose appearance betrayed her age. Despite being in her mid-forties, she looked as though she were in her early to mid-thirties. Many people often mistook her for being a sibling of her children rather than their mother.
As for the other girl, her name was Flora, an 18-year-old who was currently studying at the same college her brother had just finished attending. She possessed a beautiful appearance, much like their mother. With her looks, Nate had heard rumors that boys were fawning over her, wanting to be in a relationship with her.
As a brother, Nate didn't really care who she ended up with, as long as her partner wasn't the type of person who liked to corrupt others.
As for Nate himself, he had fairly average looks. A face you could see anywhere among common men. His height, however, was a different story. He stood at 6'2" with a robust build, mainly thanks to his father. The genes spoke for themselves. Although, western society would call this tall, in this country, this height was equivalent to a giant.
Yes, many short and small people in this country.
"Yeah, just like Sis said. I'll be back before seven," Nate assured them.
"Okay, dear. Please make sure to stay safe out there, alright? And don't come back too late." Tasha said, unable to hide her concern.
"Sure do, ma'am," Nate replied in a nonchalant tone.
'She's such a worrywart,' he thought.
Just as he was about to open the door, his sister suddenly called out.
"Bro, wait!"
"What?!" Nate answered, startled by her sudden shout.
"Can you buy me a carton of milk at the grocery store?"
"Huh? Milk? Didn't we still have some in the fridge?" he asked, confused.
"Hehe…" Flora laughed awkwardly.
"W-well, you see… I accidentally dropped the bottle this morning when I wanted to pour some into a glass."
"Young lady! We just bought milk yesterday when we were shopping together!" Tasha scolded.
"I'm sorry! I'd just woken up when I spilled it!" Flora replied, trembling under her mother's wrath.
"No excuses, missy! Do you understand how expensive things are nowadays?" Tasha shot back.
"I promise I won't do it again, ToT," Flora said, metaphorical tears falling comically.
*sigh…* Tasha sighed, not believing the mishap that her daughter has caused.
"Nate, honey, I'm sorry to suddenly add something troublesome to your evening stroll, but could you help me get the milk at your careless sister's request?" Tasha asked hesitantly.
"Don't worry. Sure, Mom," Nate replied.
"Thank you so much, Nate," Tasha said with a reassured smile. "You're always so reliable, unlike you're clumsy sister here."
"Hey!" Flora deflect back upon the sudden criticism, forming a pout. "It was mistake okay! Hmph!"
"Yeah, yeah, sure. I'll bring it back after my stroll." Nate says as he was ready to head out to the outside world.
"Okay, honey. Stay safe out there," Tasha said as she watched her son leave.
Nate then was about to close the door, before he said, "Oh and don't forgot to pay me back the milk cost, okay sis?"
"Sure, whatever." Flora said as she still had a pout present of her face.
As her brother was about to close the door, Flora can't help but to feel a sudden feeling of worry towards him.
'Why do I have this bad feeling that something's going to happen to him?' she thought as she had a lingering, sudden worry in her stomach. 'It's probably nothing. I worry too much.'
Outside, Nate thought about where to go.
'Where should I go? Take a walk around my housing area? Nah, that would be too boring. Just the same patterned houses everywhere. Maybe watch people play football at the nearby field? Nah… it's mostly kids playing.' He contemplated his choices as many places in his area has already been discovered by him.
At the end, he had decided a place that suited his mood at the time being.
'Oh, I know! The park that was recently renovated. Yeah, that should be relaxing at the very least.' He thought as he now found a destination that he wanted.
With that decision made, he mounted his motorcycle and headed toward the park.
While driving, he briefly noticed a man in his mid-thirties walking alongside a young boy who looked barely ten years old. He didn't look for long of course. Doing so would make him lose focus on the road and would may cause an accident.
A thought rose after witnessing briefly the commotion that had happen as he went by it. 'Huh, I wonder how dad's doing?' He thought, missing a little towards the presence of his father.
His father, Danish, was 6'4", large and muscular. The from having to train in strongman exercises. He loved strength, adore it even. So much so that he always shouted a slogan that he invented it himself.
"I love strength. Strength is life!" are the words that he had created to express his passion towards strength, much to the confusion of his family.
Currently, however, Danish was in South Korea for a work trip. Rarely did he came back to home for his family, but when he did, it was never a dull time. Moments when he's home, they would take them to places where they could fully spend time together, make memories and some fun activities, setting aside his headache of work just for his family.
'I hope he's doing fine over there. I hope he doesn't suddenly shout "Strength is life!" towards the natives. The last thing that we three wanted was him to be on TV because he harassed people with that stupid slogan of his.'
Upon arriving at the park, Nate went ahead and found himself a suitable place to park his motorcycle, somewhere easy enough for him to locate later. After positioning it properly, he locked the handles and secured his ride with a padlock for more security. Only then did he begin his stroll, taking his time as he observed everything around him.
Since the renovation, parts of the park felt completely transformed. The changes were unmistakable. The park felt refreshing after the renovation. It looked different. Cleaner. Brighter. The atmosphere carried a renewed sense of care and attention, as though the entire place had been given a second life.
He continued on, moving at an unhurried pace, breathing in the fresh air as he walked leisurely across the grassy areas. Each step felt light, unburdened. The open space stretched calmly around him, and he simply allowed himself to take it all in. There was no rush in his movements, but only quiet appreciation.
After strolling for a while, he eventually sat down on a bench, taking a breather after the long stretch of walking he had done. He leaned back slightly, allowing himself a moment of rest as the gentle air passed by.
'What a pleasing sight…' he thought, setting his eyes on the sunset in the distance, its warm glow highlighting the brilliance the park now exuded. The fading light cast a soft radiance over the surroundings, emphasizing the freshness that the renovation had brought.
Though, another sudden thought arose in his mind.
'Man, I'm still bummed out after watching Season 2 of Solo Leveling. It's not enough for my addiction!' He complained out loud in his mind about the matter. 'Here I thought I was about to see Thomas Andre in action. The first time that I saw him in the manhwa when he transformed, It was CRAZY to say the least on how cool he looks! The creator of the story the have taste, I can say that for sure!'
Earlier in the day, he had binge-watched the series after it had finished its second season. He watched it at the request of his friends, who kept insisting that it was an "aura farming sensation." He didn't know what "aura farming" meant, but the overwhelming hype surrounding it was enough to spark his interest in the series. It did not disappoint him in the slightest; in fact, he found himself completely hooked after just the first episode.
After binge-watching the entire animated series, he moved on to reading the manhwa. The reason was simple. He didn't want to wait another couple of years for season three to be released.
'And Danmachi too! Five seasons and still not enough! There's no way I'm reading the entirety of the novel series just to know what happens next!'
He sighed, feeling defeated and downcast over the fact that his favorite anime series had no further continuations at the moment. The absence of new episodes left a lingering disappointment in his chest, one he could not easily shake off.
'A bottle of cola would go nicely right now,' he thought, deciding on the beverage as a way to cool his nerves. The simple idea of something cold and fizzy was enough to distract him, if only slightly, from the frustration he was feeling.
He then rose from the bench he had been sitting on and made his way toward his motorcycle. After removing the padlock, he started the engine and began his ride, leaving the park as he headed toward the grocery store.
While driving, he had to deal with the busy traffic, as many people were returning home from work at that hour. The road was crowded, forcing him to move carefully through the steady flow of vehicles.
After some time riding his motorcycle, he finally arrived at the grocery store. He searched for a parking spot and eventually found one, though it was a bit farther from his intended destination than he would have preferred. As he parked and looked around, he noticed a store beside the grocery store.
To be more precise, it was a bookstore.
Its sign had sharp, pointy shapes.
'Huh… why does a bookstore have such sharp and pointy shapes on its sign? Wouldn't it be more symbolic if it had smoother features to better match the theme of the store?' Nate thought, confusion evident as he stared at the sign's unusual appearance. The jagged edges and rigid design felt oddly out of place for something meant to represent books and stories.
'Eh, whatever. It's not my problem to care about it any further,' he dismissed with a small shrug. 'I did hear people talking about the store selling fantasy-themed novels and comics alike. Maybe I should visit it at a later date.'
He shrugged and entered the grocery store to search for the needed stuff.
After searching for the items he needed to buy, he made his way toward the counter to pay. Luckily, the cashier line he was in had barely any people waiting. Because of that, he felt relieved, knowing he would be able to finish his small shopping trip quickly.
Once the people in front of him finished paying for their items, Nate stepped forward and immediately placed his own items onto the conveyor belt of the cashier counter. He adjusted them slightly, making sure everything was within reach.
"Oh, is that you, Nate?"
A mature woman's voice rang out. Nate turned toward the direction of the voice, only to see someone familiar—someone he recognized almost instantly.
"Oh!" Nate responded as he greeted her. "Why, hello there, Ms. Anna. How are you this evening?"
Ms. Anna is a 50-year-old widow who lives across his house as a neighbor. Her husband had died in a car accident; she had married him at a young age, and not long after, tragedy struck. Since then, she has remained single for decades following the departure of her husband. Many had advised her to search for a new man, to not spend the rest of her life alone, but she always declined.
In her own words, she would say, "No, I love my husband deeply enough for me to endure for the rest of my life rather than searching for another."
Truly, loyalty in its finest form.
"Well, you know how I am—just waiting for my shift to end for the day," Anna said while stretching her muscles, which were probably sore from standing and working for hours.
"Your shift ends just right around the corner, isn't it? How about we go back together? It would save you money instead of ordering Grab to go home," Nate suggested.
"Thank you very much, Nate, but I need to pass on that offer. My shift actually ends at 8 o'clock today," Anna replied, sounding a bit saddened by the overtime she had to go through.
"Oh, okay." Nate pitied the widow for having to go through this at her age. "Sheeh, talk about overtime, huh?"
"Yup, ya know it, kid."
After Nate finished paying for his items, he bid farewell to Anna.
"Well, I better get going, Ms. Anna. I promised Mom I'd be back before 7, or else I'll have my ears stuffed with her words," Nate said, chuckling at the thought of his mom being such a worrywart.
"Haha! Knowing your mom, she would nag nonstop about how late you are, even if it's just one minute," Anna replied, reminding the boy how much of a handful his mother could be in that kind of situation.
"But do be safe out there on the roads. Who knows what could happen when you're not looking," Anna added once more, advising the young man to put safety above anything else.
Nate nodded at Anna's advice, offering a reassuring smile as well. "Will do, Ms. Anna."
With that, Nate picked up his items and walked out of the store.
Upon reaching his motorcycle, Nate noticed a little girl playing on the sidewalk, completely carefree, as if nothing in the world could possibly threaten her.
"Kids these days have no sense of survival," Nate muttered in disappointment, shaking his head slightly.
However, only moments later, everything changed.
A car came speeding down the road, completely out of control, its tires screeching violently against the pavement as it hurtled straight toward the little girl.
'SHIT!'
Nate wanted to shout, to warn her, but he knew there was no time. There was no time to think. No time to hesitate.
His body moved before his mind could fully process what was happening.
Nate sprinted straight toward the girl, pushing himself forward with everything he had in an attempt to save her.
He succeeded.
However, it came at a cost.
In the girl's stead, he was the one who was hit.
CRASH
The impact was brutal. Nate was flung into the air as if he weighed nothing, his body thrown violently upward from the force of the collision.
And where did he land?
He landed on the sign of the bookstore.
"Puagh!!"
The sharp, pointed edges of the sign pierced through Nate's torso without mercy. The metal stabbed cleanly through him, holding him in place.
Blood splattered everywhere—from his punctured torso and from his mouth as he coughed and choked on it. It stained the metal, the pavement, and the front of the store below him.
'Aghh… it hurts so much… shit…'
Nate thought, his vision beginning to blur as the pain consumed him. His breathing grew shallow. Each inhale felt like glass scraping through his chest.
Slowly, he felt his consciousness starting to fade away.
'…It seems like I won't be making it home today…'
His thoughts drifted, growing heavier.
'…or ever again.'
Struggling to gather what little clarity he had left, Nate forced together his final thoughts.
'Sis… Mom and Dad… you'll have to continue adventuring without me from this point on… I'm sorry.'
As those words echoed faintly in his mind, the world around him began to dim.
The last thing he heard were the distant wails of police sirens approaching rapidly, growing louder with each passing second. Somewhere below, a woman's voice cried out his name in panic and desperation.
But Nate could no longer respond.
And without him knowing, the sign he died upon bore words that hinted at what would happen next for him.
[A NEWBEGINNING]
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Then, everything went dark.