Chapter One: The End and Collapse
The night was bitterly cold, biting through the bones, and the city seemed to have stopped breathing long ago. There were no sounds, no lights except for the dim glow of streetlamps, flickering like dead stars on deserted streets. The silence pressed heavily against my chest, every breath feeling like a struggle, as if the entire world had paused to leave me alone in its merciless emptiness.
"I've reached the end… there's almost nothing left now…" I muttered softly to myself, staring at the empty streets around me. The emptiness curled tightly around my heart, the familiar sense of abandonment that had followed me since childhood. I drew a deep breath, trying to calm myself, yet a sarcastic smile crept onto my lips. "Could it get any worse than this?"
I pulled out my phone from my pocket; a small, dim screen, its battery barely alive, mirroring my own drained state. Notifications flooded the screen—dozens of messages from the fan club of the only novel that had kept me company—but none were for me. It felt as if the entire world had forgotten I existed. A shiver of loneliness crawled up my spine, each heartbeat echoing the years of isolation. I looked at the date, sighed deeply, and rubbed my aching temples, as if every fiber of my being shared in my mental collapse.
Memories of painful days surged into my mind unbidden. I had been an orphan since the age of five. Relatives who had seemed kind at first had taken me in, but life never gave me a chance to feel safe. I lost this new family in a tragic accident and was sent back to the orphanage, stripped of everything, including the inheritance registered in my name. I had been too young and naive to understand the documents I had signed, and returned to my personal hell: a cold, unfeeling orphanage that regarded me as an object, not a person.
I spent long days buried in reading and part-time work, encountering people who either treated me like an ATM or sought to humiliate me after being expelled from the orphanage. A shiver ran through me, and the weight of my emotions filled my chest as I opened my eyes to gaze at the garden trees, then back at my phone. Everything seemed colorless, lifeless, as if even my breath had grown heavy under decades of solitude.
From that moment, I learned never to rely on anyone, no matter how close or kind they seemed. I studied hard, focused on every opportunity that could open doors to a better future. I obtained a temporary job after graduation, applied for a scholarship that was unfairly awarded to someone else, and worked three years in a mundane position. Today, my contract had ended. The feeling of emptiness returned, but this time it came with a faint spark of hope, a tiny whisper inside that something new could begin, however distant or fragile.
The relentless notifications broke through my heavy thoughts. I looked at my phone, and there it was—the final chapter had been released. My eyes lit up, my heart raced, and my fingers trembled over the screen. I opened the chapter with excitement, a rush of mixed emotions—joy, anticipation, and exhilaration—washing over me, momentarily erasing all my worries. This novel was not just a story; it had been my world, a reflection of lost emotions resurrected from years past.
I remembered why I loved this story: the protagonist was not merely a knight, but a symbol of hope and perseverance. His world was alive with strange creatures—birds with fiery plumage, beasts roaming forests where night never ended, and magic weaving itself through the air around the characters. The plot intertwined adventure, politics, romance, and philosophy. Every chapter left a mark on my heart, making me live every moment alongside the heroes. This novel was not just an escape; it had been my sanctuary through long nights of loneliness, a refuge from the harshness of reality.
But as I progressed through the final chapter, something felt wrong, a sudden unease that froze my heart. "Ha? You're joking, right?!" I screamed aloud as I finished reading. Shock, anger, and betrayal wrapped around me like iron chains. The air grew thick and cold, my eyes burned with rage.
"All the main characters… they die! The world collapses! What kind of ending is this? You wicked author!"
Had I waited long enough? And this… this was the end? I screamed again, spinning in circles, my anger twisting and curling uncontrollably inside me. Deep disappointment gnawed at my chest. I had hoped for a mistake, a joke, something fixable—but there was nothing. Even the fan club sank into a suffocating silence, frozen in stunned disbelief. I could no longer even post a comment. My hands shook violently as I gripped the phone.
I ran my fingers through my hair, clutching it like a madman, staring helplessly at my phone. "What now…?" The comments were filled with shock and confusion, but no solutions, no hope. My heart felt like it might burst; a primal urge to scream overtook my body, yet the air felt heavy, thick with cold and disappointment.
I decided to cross the street, but it was not empty as I had thought. A car sped across suddenly. Before I could turn my head, I felt the impact. My chest contracted painfully, my body flipped through the air as if I were a puppet. The screech of metal and the roar of the road filled my ears, everything blurred into mist.
I hit the ground. Blood poured from my arms and knees. The pain was searing, running through every bone, every muscle, as if each part of me was screaming for survival. I tried to cry out, but no sound emerged. Life slipped away around me, and the city became a mere hazy blur.
From a distance, a strange man watched. Dressed entirely in black, his cloak flowing around him, a flash of red in his eyes briefly revealed recognition and regret, but he concealed everything behind a cold, emotionless expression. He approached my body, picked up the fallen phone—the screen still flashing with the final chapter and the unpublished comment. Then he placed his hand on the body, releasing a strange, radiant energy from his fingertips, gently wrapping it around the corpse. Slowly, it began to fade, as if it had never existed.
He sighed, his cold voice slicing through the silence.
"My mission is done, my friend… now it's your turn."
Suddenly, the sky cracked. The sounds of tearing and breaking filled the horizon. The moon vanished as if it had never existed. The ground bent and twisted, buildings swayed at their edges, then collapsed gradually in a horrifying silence. The figure disappeared into the distance, leaving behind a grim void and a mystery that would not be revealed for a long time.
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A Note of Gratitude to the Reader
I want to sincerely thank you for taking the time to read this chapter. Your attention, your imagination, and the emotions you've shared in following this story mean more than words can express. Every moment you spend within these pages is a gift to me as a writer, and I hope this journey has stirred your heart, sparked your curiosity, and carried you into the world I've tried to create. Thank you for being part of this adventure—I am truly grateful.