The alarm went off at 6:30 a.m. on May 30, 2025. The first thought that crossed my mind was: Another nightmare day.
I curled up in bed, pulling the blanket over my head as if I could stop time. But I knew too well what awaited me. The same story, day after day.
My room was tiny, more of a closet than a place to live. The old, squeaking bed was pushed against a wall, its paint peeling and the frame showing traces of rust. Beside the bed, a small cabinet housed everything I owned: a few books, manga, notebooks, pens, painting supplies, and other odds and ends. In the opposite corner, a worn table and a chair were where I did homework, painted, or read to escape reality.
I had bought the books and manga myself, with the money I received from my parents. Mom and Dad left me a few lei for food, but they never cooked. I can't recall ever eating a breakfast prepared by my mother. With the leftover money, I saved up for things that brought me a little joy: a book, a better pencil, a manga magazine. But it was always a struggle to save.
The room had no window, so sunlight never entered. The corners of the ceiling were stained with mold, and the air was damp and heavy. I had read in a book that sunlight was important, providing Vitamin D and other benefits. But for me, that didn't matter anymore. On some days, the darkest ones, I would turn off the light and stay in the pitch black. I would sit there, in the darkness, and cry. Why is this happening to me? Don't I deserve a better life too? Is it all my fault?
After a few minutes, I got out of bed, though I didn't want to. I went to the bathroom, right next to my room, and did my morning routine. When I opened the door, I was hit by the usual smell of cigarettes and alcohol. I whispered, more to myself:
"They smoked inside again..."
I was lucky the bathroom was close and I didn't have to pass by my parents. After five minutes, I returned to my room, put on my school uniform, and got my backpack ready. With a trembling voice, I muttered:
"Another day that feels like hell on earth."
I had never been to hell, but sometimes I wondered if it was better than here. Books said it was the worst place, but what did it matter anymore?
I crept out of the room, walking carefully down the hall so the floor wouldn't creak. I passed by my mother's room. Dad slept in another room, or sometimes he didn't come home at all. He probably stayed at a hotel. A heavy smell of cigarettes and alcohol drifted from Mom's room. I glimpsed empty bottles and leftover food on the floor. Mom was asleep, and I thought: She's going to make me clean up again. Will this ever end?
By the house entrance, on the cabinet where I kept the keys and shoes, I found some money, as usual. Dad had left it there, as the first one to leave the house always did. They didn't hand me the money; they left it as if it were an obligation. Dad worked at a company, but I didn't know more. We had never talked about it. As for Mom, I didn't know where she worked. Sometimes she was gone all day, other times all night. In my first year of high school, I had heard a rumor that she worked at a nightclub. At first, I refused to believe it. It can't be! I told myself, with a shiver of horror. But, seeing what happened at home, sometimes I wondered if it was true.
I left the house and headed for school. It wasn't the best school, but my parents had chosen it because it was cheap. I don't think they expected much from me. They probably didn't even care if I accomplished anything in the future.
On the way, I stopped at a store about 100 meters from home. I bought something cheap to eat — a bun and a juice — to save money for something else. Then, I sat down on a bench in a park 20 meters from the store. The sky was overcast, but the temperature was tolerable for May. Summer was approaching, with its suffocating heat that felt like it was crushing you.
I savored a few minutes of quiet, eating and drinking peacefully. Then I checked the time: 7:40. I had to go. A shiver ran through me, knowing what awaited me at school.
After 20 minutes, I arrived in front of the school. A sign read "Seishin High School." My body trembled harder. I went inside, heading toward class 3-B. In front of the door, I hesitated. Should I enter or not? But I had no choice. I had to endure for one more year. I opened the door, shaking all over. All my classmates turned to look at me.
"Look who it is!" a classmate, Yuna Mori, shouted with a mocking smirk.
Yuna was one of the popular girls, always surrounded by friends. She had long, dyed brown hair and a voice that grabbed everyone's attention. She wasn't as cruel as Kenji or Aiko, but her sharp laughter made me feel even smaller.
No one else said anything. They turned their heads and continued their conversations. I murmured, with a faint voice:
"Good morning..."
No response. I walked toward my desk, in the last row by the window, my head bowed. I put my bag down and took out my physics book, pen, and notebook, preparing for the first class. I looked at the classroom: 20 students, a chaotic mix of personalities. In the back, the noisy boys, always joking and laughing. In the front, a few nerds, absorbed in their books. The popular girls, like Yuna, always on their phones. And then the "ghosts" like me, whom no one noticed. But they — Kenji, Haruto, Daichi, and Aiko — weren't here yet. They were late, as usual.
At 8:30, Professor Kanzaki entered the classroom. She was a woman in her 30s, with thin glasses and a calm voice, who taught physics. She was one of the few people who didn't raise her voice, but most students ignored her. I liked her simple, unpretentious manner.
"Good morning!" she said, and we stood up and answered in unison.
"Please sit down."
Just then, the door opened, and they walked in: Kenji, Haruto, Daichi, and Aiko, with careless smiles. Kenji walked in front, like a king, hands in his pockets. Haruto held a basketball, tossing it in the air. Daichi looked bored, and Aiko checked her phone.
"We apologize, Ma'am, we're late," Kenji said, with a smile that concealed any hint of regret.
"How many times has this happened, Tanaka?" the teacher asked, with a calm but firm voice. "Go to the principal during the break and write an explanation. Take your seats."
"It won't happen again, Ma'am," they all said in unison, but their tone was clearly mocking.
The teacher didn't say anything else and began the lesson. I looked out the window, lost in thought. What will happen during the break? Will they start again? My mind was everywhere but on physics.
"Kaito, can you answer? What force keeps us anchored in this classroom?" the teacher asked.
I flinched, barely hearing the question. I was looking out the window, lost.
"Excuse me, could you repeat that?" I mumbled, in a weak voice.
The teacher repeated the question, and I answered, embarrassed:
"I'm sorry, I don't know..."
The class burst into laughter. Kenji whispered something to Haruto, and they both smirked. Aiko giggled, and Yuna raised an amused eyebrow. The teacher looked at me with a shadow of disappointment.
"Please pay attention, Kaito."
"Okay, I understand," I mumbled, lowering my gaze.
The lesson continued, but I wasn't listening anymore. I looked up at the ceiling, trying to escape the shame, when I noticed something strange: a circle of peculiar symbols, seemingly engraved in the air. What the hell is that? I thought. I had never seen anything like it. The symbols seemed to pulse faintly, like a ghostly light.
I blinked, thinking I was imagining things. But the circle was there, becoming increasingly visible. My body trembled. Should I say something? Should I stay silent? With a barely audible voice, I muttered:
"What the hell is that?"
Haruto, who was sitting in front of me, heard me.
"What did you say, Kaito?" he asked, turning around.
At that moment, the light of the circle grew stronger. Everyone noticed it. A classmate shouted:
"What is that?!"
Eyes rose toward the ceiling. The symbols now shone like a rainbow, pulsating menacingly. Panic set in. Some ran to the door, but it was blocked. They tried the windows, but they wouldn't budge. Daichi grabbed a chair and hit the window, but the glass remained intact, as if enchanted.
"Calm down, everything will be fine!" Professor Kanzaki said, but her voice was shaking.
"How can we calm down?!" Yuna screamed. "What if we die here?"
Fear gripped us all. In my mind, I thought: Will I die? Will I really disappear from this world? But, strangely, a part of me felt... relief. What if this is my way out?
After a few minutes, the circle on the ceiling turned into a hole of light, a rainbow-colored vortex. Our bodies began to rise, pulled by an invisible force. Screams, cries, desperate pleas filled the classroom, but it was futile. Kenji was shouting orders, as if he could control the situation. Aiko was crying, Haruto was swearing, and Daichi was hitting the walls. I, however, smiled. Finally, I'm escaping this hell.
"Hooray!" I whispered, as the light swallowed us all.