Chapter 1: The Introduction

  — Somewhere, sometime in the future —

"So, here we finally stand, face to face," says a voice that drips with malice. "Yes, I told you that day would come," replies another, their voice clear and gentle. "Oh," the evil voice begins again, "you say a lot of things when you've got nothing better to do. Hard to know what to take seriously and what not to," he finishes with a spiteful grin. "Yes, you might be right about that! Maybe I do say a lot of things — maybe I don't always follow through — but here's the thing: when something truly matters to me, I never lie," the other replies. "Oh, spare me your tedious prattle. I know you and your nature well enough by now. Say whatever you like!" the malicious figure snaps, sharp with fury. The person with the clear voice speaks again: "Well, if you say so. Either way, we're here today to settle things once and for all." The dark figure simply smiles. "Oh, so you actually came here to fight me? And here I thought you'd come to beg for forgiveness." "Stop with the jokes already! Even now, in a situation like this, nothing matters to you!" the other fires back, voice loud and dead serious. "Well then — come on. Show me what you've got," is the only reply. Both prepare themselves for a fight unlike any that has ever come before. As they charge toward each other, they cry out in the exact same tone:

— "You are the one who is going die here today!" —

— But before we get to that chapter, let us jump back a few years in the story, to a place where everything is peaceful —

"Man, nothing's going on today," Yoru mutters. He is the main character of this story. He is nineteen years old, six foot two, and has brown hair. We'll get to know his personality more thoroughly a little later. "Well, what exactly were you expecting to happen today? Did you think something exciting was just going to fall out of the sky?" replies Megan. Megan is Yoru's best friend. He's about five foot nine, has dark brown — almost black — hair, and is also nineteen. Some people say he's a strange guy, but that's no problem at all for Yoru — it's precisely what he values about him. Normal people tend to bore him, and besides, you can have far more interesting conversations with someone who's a little out of the ordinary. "Yeah, who knows — maybe a plane'll crash right in front of us while we watch live," Yoru says with a slight smile. Megan gives him a skeptical look. "Right. I seriously doubt that's going to happen in a place like this," he replies dryly.

The two guys are relaxing by a small stream near Yoru's house. Yoru turns a little red at the absurdity of what he just said. "Yeah, I know. I just wanted to imagine something to lift the mood a bit," he admits.

Megan starts his next sentence in an understanding tone. "Well, I get what you mean, but I don't think—" Just as he's about to finish, the two friends spot a massive rock blazing across the sky. Yoru's eyes go wide with excitement. "A meteorite! A meteorite!" he shouts. Megan, for his part, is completely thrown. "What the—?" Overjoyed, Yoru leaps into the air, practically celebrating himself: "Ha! See? I told you! I told you something big was going to happen! I haven't had this much action in so long, I—"

        —Yoru wakes up in his bed—

He's fully dressed and lying on top of his covers. "Man, that kind of dream again. They keep showing up more and more lately," he yawns, already bored. "Ugh, I wish I could've kept sleeping without waking up. Things were just getting interesting. I mean, it's been a long time since I had that much fun." He stares up at the ceiling.

-- Now we have a moment to look at who Yoru actually is. He lives with his mother and her boyfriend in a shared house, though most of the time he's on his own when it comes to meeting new people. He tends to be isolated and doesn't particularly enjoy talking. Yes, his best friend Megan is real — but Megan hasn't lived nearby in years. The place in Yoru's dream was also his old home, where he'd lived back when he was still in school — which he finished three years ago. --

Yoru is more than a little annoyed with the situation. "Man, what am I even supposed to do now? The day isn't even half over and there's already nothing happening." He looks around his room and spots his gaming console. "I could play something, I guess — but what's the point? I'd end up feeling just as lousy as I do right now." His gaze drifts further and lands on the chair and drawing supplies spread across his desk. "I could draw for a bit? I always used to love it. But no — I end up hating everything I draw anyway, so why bother..." He keeps trying to think of something — anything — he could do, but nothing comes. Finally, he makes up his mind. "Well, if it keeps going like this, I might as well just go outside and think about my life for a bit. Looks like I was out there before anyway, even if I can't remember it. Maybe I just slept too much. Either way — maybe some fresh air will give my brain a little fuel. At least, I hope so." He climbs off the bed and heads downstairs. "Good thing I'm still fully dressed. No time wasted hunting for clothes."

Just as he's about to head outside, he notices the house is completely empty. "Huh? Where's my mom? Where would she be at this hour without telling me? That's weird — she always lets me know."

-- ***End of Chapter 1*** --

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