The rain poured relentlessly onto the dark streets. The car headlights sliced through the falling droplets as if trying to cleanse the world, yet everything happening felt far from clean.
The screech of brakes—followed by a deafening crash. The black car spun out of control before tipping onto its side in the middle of the road.
"Brother… Ethan!!!"
Alex shouted at the top of his lungs. His brother's body had been thrown by the impact, yet Alex crawled toward him, his hands trembling as he reached the side of the seat where fresh blood streamed down Ethan's temple.
His heart nearly stopped. He swallowed down fear and tears, shaking his brother desperately.
"Open your eyes! Don't leave me…"
The wail of ambulance sirens pierced through the chaos, and then everything blurred, swallowed by confusion and panic.
---
Hospital – Emergency Room
The harsh white lights made the room unbearable to look at. Doctors and nurses rushed in, their footsteps echoing on the tiles, while the heart monitor beeped erratically.
Alex stood frozen beside the bed, tears streaming down his face. His mother nearly collapsed beside him.
"His brain is no longer responsive…" the doctor said gravely. "But the heart is still beating. We can donate his organs… give life to others."
The words felt like knives cutting through the family's heart. Alex gritted his teeth until the faint taste of blood touched his lips. He glanced at his brother, lying motionless.
"Brother… even like this… you're still here, right?" His voice trembled, half-asking, half-pleading to someone already gone.
His mother placed a trembling hand on his arm, tears falling silently. "Let him… do one last good deed."
Alex closed his eyes tightly and nodded.
---
Operating Room
The clatter of surgical tools rang in rhythmic echoes beneath the glaring lights. Ethan's body was draped in green sheets as the surgical team went to work with focused precision.
Alex couldn't see the full scene; only the faint reflection in the frosted glass of the door confirmed that it was all happening for real.
His brother's heart… would be transplanted into someone else's body.
A soft thought whispered through Alex's mind:
That day… I lost my brother, but I gained another heart. One I never knew would lead me to stories yet untold.
---
University – Present Day
Almost a year had passed. The morning sun was warm, yet it could not lift the weariness etched on Alex's face. He walked through the university gates, his expression solemn, carrying an old backpack slung over one shoulder.
In his hand was a research folder on "Heart Transplants and Organ Donation."
"Alex… are you okay?" asked his best friend, Ray, from behind.
Alex forced a faint smile and met his gaze. "My brother's heart… it's somewhere out there. I have to find it."
Ray fell silent for a moment, then gently patted Alex's shoulder in encouragement.
---
University Café
The low hum of coffee machines filled the air, mingling with the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Alex sat by the window, jotting notes in a small notebook. When he looked up, his eyes inadvertently met a young woman who had just walked in.
Her face was serene yet tinged with a sadness he couldn't quite explain. She gave a faint smile, but at the same time, her hand instinctively rose to her chest as if she felt a subtle ache.
Alex's heart skipped a beat. He didn't know why, but something inside him surged.
And fate guided him… to encounter another heart.
That image etched itself into his mind, impossible to erase.