Maybe this is it for me. Maybe my life ends here—or maybe not.
Maybe it's the middle of the night right now. I can't stand, I can't sit. I can't even lift my head. Blood is pouring from my chest. The pain is unbearable. I want to scream, but I don't have the strength to speak. I just want a sip of water. My eyes are locked on the night sky, glittering with stars and a pale, half moon hanging above.
A gentle breeze flows by, and I hear the calm murmur of the river. I'm alone here, on the riverbank. A quiet place for a quiet soul. Why am I here, and in this condition? I truly don't know. I don't even remember what happened to me.
But I think... maybe that doesn't matter anymore. Because I'm on the verge of death.
My life shattered in seconds—like fragile glass. But even broken glass has purpose. It can wound. It can cut. If my life ends here, it won't matter to anyone. Because no one is left—no one to care, no one to mourn. I'm all alone. And I'm dying alone. There's no one here to hear my final words.
I was once an elite member of the INTERNATIONAL GHOUL BURN UNIT (IGBU), Japan Branch.
IGBU was established on February 21, 2331. Since 2325, a wave of bizarre, unexplainable phenomena had been surfacing across the globe. After extensive investigation, authorities—police and scientists alike—uncovered the truth. These events were being caused by beings known as GHOULS. They weren't human... though they looked like us. Each ghoul possessed unique abilities, different from one another. You could be walking in a park on a peaceful morning—and the person strolling beside you could very well be a ghoul.
They feed on human flesh and blood.
The government concealed this information from the general public to avoid widespread panic. Secret operations began—experiments, research, and the creation of advanced and biological weapons specifically designed to combat ghouls. But not just anyone could wield these weapons. Each had to be bonded with blood—a weapon contracted by life itself. Only its rightful owner could use it.
My specialty was Blood Manipulation—and Blood Venom. Uncommon. Dangerous. Invaluable. I was assigned to a mission. Children had been mysteriously disappearing near this very riverbank. I came here with a team from the office to investigate. But then... everything goes blank. I don't remember what happened. I don't know what became of the others.
I joined IGBU to seek revenge... for something that happened in my past. But I never got the chance to fulfill that purpose. And now, here I am—on the brink of death. My entire life feels like a failure.
Maybe this is what life's value truly is—nothing. Zero. In the end, it doesn't matter how hard you fought, what you achieved, or how miserably you failed. Death is the great equalizer. There is no rich death. No poor death. When your soul departs, it leaves nothing behind.
My soul is fighting—desperately trying to hold onto my dying body. But it won't last. It's going to give up soon. I've already given up.
What have I done with my life? I don't even know anymore. I ruined it—with my own hands.
But...
But...
Still...
I don't want to die.
Death is terrifying. It's agonizing.
Even if there's no one left for me... even if there never was... I still carry some beautiful memories—tiny flickers of light that push me forward. I gave up on myself too easily. But my mother—she never gave up on me. It was her belief, her unshakable faith in me, that helped me rise, helped me stand tall once upon a time.
Now I can't sit. I can't walk. My only hope now lies in fate. My willpower isn't enough to help me to walk, if I don't have legs. My hands can't feed me, if I don't have arms. Sometimes, you have no choice but to surrender. Sometimes, fate wins.
Maybe I'll die tonight.
Maybe I won't.
But before that...
"Mom... I'm sorry.
I never did anything for you.
Please forgive me."
Everything around me is turning blurry. My breathing's getting heavier. My body feels heavy too. I've lost too much blood. My limbs are going numb. My body's turning cold.
Alone... I'm truly dying all alone.
I can't even laugh at the absurdity of it.
Step... Step... Step...
Wait...
Am I hearing footsteps?
Is someone coming?
To save me?
But it's too late now.
My vision is almost gone. But someone's approaching. Long hair. A girl?
A girl—here—in the middle of the night?
As she comes closer, I catch a glimpse of her eyes. Crimson red.
I don't need a second thought.
She's a GHOUL.
I fought them with hatred. I wanted to wipe out every last one of them. But look at this cruel twist of fate. I've become nothing more than a meal for a ghoul. She'll drink my blood. Devour my flesh. And in the morning, the news will read:
"Unidentified body found near riverbank—brutally murdered."
That's how it always goes.
That's the mark of a ghoul's kill.
So this is how my life ends—killed by the very monster I swore to destroy.
I want to fight. I want to resist.
But my body won't move—not even a twitch.
She kneels beside me.
My brain is foggy.
I don't know what I'm thinking.
I don't know what to do.
I just said...
"Let me die... peacefully."
Maybe I smiled. Or maybe I didn't. I couldn't tell.
Then I felt her touch—gentle. She lifted my limp body.
And then, she said something.
"Y... y... w... w... D... d..."
I couldn't make out the words.
And then...
Darkness.
I lost consciousness.