Suffering is just a phase.
He didn’t say hello.
He went straight to his room.
But it didn’t go unnoticed.
His father’s gaze followed him. Cold. Heavy.
Suddenly, the door shook with a blow.
—"You think I'm dead, you little brat?" he shouted. "
"Do you think I'm some kind of animal that you can just walk right past?"
He turned to his wife, pointing his finger.
—Just look at this disaster you’ve created! He doesn’t have a shred of respect!
Daichi threw himself face-down on the bed, every word piercing his mind. It felt like hell had started all over again.
Lili walked in slowly, holding a piece of paper with a drawing on it.
—Dad, look what I made…
He took the paper, looked it over from top to bottom, and laughed contemptuously.
—You silly girl… you’ll never be an artist with those scribbles.
Before she could react, he crumpled up the drawing and threw it at Lili’s feet.
She looked at him.
Sad.
But she didn’t shed a tear.
Her mother hugged Lili.
And in that instant… the hatred inside Daichi exploded.
He got up from the bed.
He left home without looking back.
He wandered the streets.
Time passed slowly, each step adding to the weight on his chest.
When he finally looked around, night had fallen.
He sat down on a swing, the silence of the city all around him.
He sighed.
He stood up.
And, slowly, he walked home.
“On the sands of the desert of silence, the soul finds the water that words cannot offer… nor comprehend.”
—W.S.R.
When he reached the gate of his house, Daichi sighed.
Something compelled him to return to the city.
The lights shone brightly.
People came and went, free. Cars sped by.
LED signs and advertisements flashed all around.
He wandered aimlessly and arrived at a bustling place.
Several people sitting there were laughing and talking.
Someone approached him.
—Want a cigarette?
Daichi looked up.
The boy’s gaze was cold, piercing…
It was as if he were seeing himself reflected.
His heart raced. His body trembled.
—Get out of here, you idiot! — the boy shoved him.
The other person’s face vanished and reappeared. He was there… and then he wasn’t.
As if the world weren’t meant for him.
As if any place he went… would never be his.
He crouched down.
He watched those young people running, smiling, living.
But he… felt nothing.
The emptiness embraced him.
Daybreak came, and Daichi returned home.
When she saw him, his mother ran over and hugged him.
—Are you okay, Daichi?
He smiled slightly.
—Yes, Mom… I was with some friends.
—“Oh, thank goodness!” she sighed with relief.
Daichi bent down and hugged Lili. She was holding a doll.
—“That doll in your hand is really ugly,” he said, smiling, “but that’s just like you.”
Lili laughed.
—You’re mean, brother!
—But she’s a sweetheart; she’s always with me.
He sat down on the floor and started playing with his sister. Lili laughed, and Daichi smiled seeing her happy.
—Mom, I’m going to school.
She looked at him, serious yet affectionate.
—Daichi… I have something for you.
From the pocket of her dress, she took out a small charm.
—"This belonged to your grandfather. It’s the symbol our family has carried for generations. It means… a new beginning.
—Always carry it with you. He always dreamed of having a grandson, but he died when he was very old. I got married soon after. — She smiled, happy.
Daichi was excited. The charm seemed to glow in his hands.
He left for school with a light heart.
On the way, he didn’t see Sato.
But just ahead, Himawari and her friends appeared.
He quickened his pace, determined to catch up.
Then… a loud bang.
A car lost its brakes and mounted the curb, right in front of Himawari and her friends.
Chaos broke out in seconds. Everyone ran to get out of the way.
Himawari stopped in the street, looking terrified.
Daichi looked back and saw a truck coming at high speed. He lost control.
—“Himawari!” he shouted, and ran toward her.
He slammed on the brakes, but the locked wheels wouldn’t respond. Time seemed to slow down.
Without thinking…
He jumped forward, close to Himawari, and pushed her.
The final moment: the front of the truck. And then… everything went black.
The wake was silent.
The air carried the scent of incense burning next to Daichi’s photo.
His mother stood beside the photo, her eyes fixed, unmoving.
Lili, small and quiet, stood beside her, her face sad but composed.
Daichi’s father was present, stiff, looking around.
Several people approached and walked away, offering their condolences. But everything seemed distant, almost irrelevant.
At home, her mother held Lili tightly.
—“I’m not staying in this house another minute,” she said, her voice firm and cold.
—I’m going to my mother’s house.
—I want a divorce. This is all your fault…
Without waiting for a reply, she turned and left.
She got into a taxi, taking Lili with her.
And the house fell silent. Empty.
As if Daichi had taken with him every fragment of life that still existed there. Everything around him went dark.
The silence was absolute.
A single dark drop fell to the floor, forming circles that slowly spread out.
—“Where… am I?” whispered Daichi, his voice trembling.
Suddenly, a light appeared.
Faint at first, then intense, enveloping everything around him.
A voice echoed, clear and deep:
—I’ve been waiting for you.
—For… you? Daichi murmured, confused.
—Yes," the voice continued, "I will give you a chance.
—A chance…? — he repeated, not understanding.
—“In a place where everything is different,” said the voice, “so that you can show me whether your strength and perseverance can satisfy me.”
Daichi felt a chill run down his spine, but also something else: excitement.
—Daichi…—the voice continued—you will be strong and accomplish great deeds.
—But…—the tone grew firm—don’t forget: one day, I will demand everything back.
Daichi’s heart raced.
The old world no longer existed. The altar awaited.
And, for the first time, he sensed that something greater than himself was about to begin.
Daichi was pulled along a path of light.
Everything was spinning. Absolute silence.
When he opened his eyes, he was lying on the ground, in the middle of nowhere.
Next to him, a barrel of beer.
The body’s owner had drunk himself to death.
He got up slowly, brushed the dust off his clothes. His heart was racing.
It wasn’t his body.
But when he looked at the silver coat of arms on the barrel, he noticed something strange…
His reflection was there. It was him.
Daichi swallowed hard.
—"This... can't be real..." he muttered.
His body looked different. His clothes, different.
The surrounding landscape was dense, as if every tree and rock carried its own weight.
On the ground, a fallen sword caught his eye. The hilt was damaged, the blade rusted.
He picked it up, testing its weight, and carefully placed it back in its sheath.
—"So... I'm in another world," he said, trying to understand what had happened.
The cold wind blew between him and the trees. The silence all around seemed to say:
“This is just the beginning.”
