Chapter 1: The End of an Ordinary Day

The final exam bell echoed through the lecture hall.

For a moment, the room fell silent.

Then chairs scraped against the floor, papers rustled, and relieved sighs filled the air.

"It's finally over!"

"I swear that last question was impossible."

"Who's coming out to eat?"

Laughter surrounded him as students poured out of the classroom in groups.

He slipped his pen into his bag and stretched his stiff shoulders.

"...Finally."

A smile, small but genuine, appeared on his face.

Months of assignments, presentations, and sleepless nights had finally come to an end.

Unlike his classmates, he didn't have plans to celebrate.

There was only one place he wanted to go.

The bookstore.

Today was the release date of the second volume of his favorite novel—the one he'd been waiting months to read.

If he was lucky, there would still be copies left.

Adjusting the strap of his backpack, he left the university and made his way toward the bookstore a few blocks away.

The familiar chime above the entrance greeted him as he stepped inside.

The scent of freshly printed books instantly put him at ease.

His eyes wandered across the shelves until—

"There you are."

A brand-new stack of novels sat neatly on display.

His eyes lit up.

Without hesitation, he picked up a copy, gently running his fingers over the glossy cover.

"I finally got you."

He smiled to himself before heading to the cashier.

Book safely tucked inside a paper bag, he stopped by a nearby convenience store and bought a vanilla ice cream.

It wasn't anything special.

But after surviving finals, he decided he deserved a small reward.

The afternoon sun wasn't too harsh as he walked home, enjoying the quiet streets with his novel in one hand and melting ice cream in the other.

For the first time in weeks...

Life felt peaceful.

He hummed softly as he walked, occasionally glancing at the novel tucked safely inside the paper bag.

Just one more street, and he'd be home.

A lazy afternoon.

Nothing unusual.

Nothing worth remembering.

Or so he thought.

As he passed a narrow alley, the sound of a child laughing caught his attention.

A little boy, no older than five or six, was chasing a bright red ball while his mother spoke on the phone a few steps behind.

The ball bounced once.

Twice.

Then rolled out of the alley and toward the road.

The child's eyes lit up.

"My ball!"

Without waiting for his mother, the boy ran after it.

Everything seemed to slow.

A horn blared.

His head snapped toward the sound.

A car was speeding down the road.

The mother finally looked up.

Her face drained of color.

"NO!"

The boy froze in the middle of the street, clutching the ball against his chest.

There wasn't enough time.

Not for the driver to stop.

Not for anyone nearby to react

His ice cream slipped from his hand, landing on the pavement with a dull splat.

His shopping bag followed.

Before his mind could catch up...

His body was already moving.

The world became a blur of shouting voices.

"Call an ambulance!"

"The child is safe..."

"Someone saved him..."

Elias lay on the cold pavement, staring at the unfamiliar sky above him.

His body felt heavy.

Pain spread through him, but strangely, his mind was calm.

The child's crying reached his ears.

Good.

That meant he was alive.

His fingers loosened.

The paper bag beside him fell open, revealing the corner of the novel he had waited months for.

A small, helpless smile appeared on his face.

"At least..."

His voice was barely a whisper.

"I got it."

The voices around him slowly faded.

"What's his name?" someone asked.

A stranger picked up the student ID that had fallen from his bag.

"Elias."

They looked at the picture.

"His name is Elias."

The name disappeared into the noise of the crowd.

And that was the last thing the world knew about him.

Until he opened his eyes again.

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