In a small, remote town surrounded by mountains, at a high school located near the base of one, inside a consultation room within the faculty lounge, late in the afternoon long after the students had gone home:
"Cole, where do you plan on going to college?" a male teacher asked.
"Um... I don't know, sir. Haven't thought about it," Cole replied.
"Look, you're the smartest student in your year. You're in your final semester before the exams, and the foundation is offering you a scholarship to attend university in the capital. What do you think?" the teacher asked.
Cole paused, looking down, clearly thinking hard. The teacher leaned back in his chair.
"You don't need to worry about the cost. It's a scholarship; everything's free. They even include dormitory fees so you have free room and board. It would be a waste to pass it up," the teacher said, trying to persuade Cole.
"Um... could I have some time to think about it, sir?" Cole asked.
"You want to check with your guardian first?" the teacher asked.
Cole nodded in response. The teacher sighed and leaned forward again, resting his elbows on the table and looking at Cole.
"Alright, I'll give you two weeks. A lot of people want this scholarship, and if you don't take it, I can redirect it to someone else," the teacher said.
"You can just redirect it, sir. It's really fine," Cole replied.
"Seriously, I'm prioritizing you because you're smart, and I'm sure you'd succeed there. It's okay if you can't decide today. I'll wait two more weeks, okay?" the teacher insisted, smiling.
"Understood, sir. Thank you," Cole said.
The teacher motioned for Cole to leave the room. Once outside, Cole walked down the empty corridor—all the students had already gone home—heading toward the school exit. As he walked, Cole thought deeply.
"Sorry, sir, it's not that I don't want to go. I just don't understand who I am... that's why I have no desire for anything," Cole thought.
Cole couldn't remember his past. His life only began when he was fifteen. He suddenly woke up in an old house, remembering nothing. All he had nearby were a student ID card, a school bag, a uniform, and a new smartphone. When he saw the name, he didn't recognize it at all, but the photo on the ID was clearly his face. He tried to search for his origins, reclaim his memory, and even went to the police, who just laughed at him.
When he first started school, he was surprised that he could easily grasp the lessons, earning the best grades. His comprehension and memory were extraordinary, so he didn't need to study hard for exams. But he couldn't socialize because he had no idea how to start a conversation, ask a question, or even just introduce himself. He only answered when asked. He avoided joining clubs, even when invited, because he felt uncomfortable.
Appearance-wise, he was completely ordinary: thin, tall with a slight slouch, messy short hair, and a plain face. He felt empty, unsure of what he wanted to do. But he constantly felt like something had been forcibly ripped out of him, and he also felt that his current life was not his real life. These two feelings motivated him to keep searching for what really happened and who he was.
Cole touched his chest, his face clouding over. He couldn't feel his heartbeat at all—not that his heart wasn't beating, but its rhythm was so slow that he never felt surprised, never felt afraid, and never felt passion. He kept walking until he reached the schoolyard and crossed it toward the gate.
Suddenly, "PLOP," a black crow fell dead right in front of him. Cole stopped. He looked up, then looked down at the carcass. He crouched down and extended a finger, nudging the crow to see if it was still alive.
"Dead, huh," Cole muttered.
A strange feeling rose inside him. His eyes began to shift, as if scanning the crow's carcass. "HAAA-AH," he opened his mouth, and his eyes seemed to glint. Both his hands started reaching toward the carcass, but before he could touch it, "TAP," someone grabbed his shoulder. Cole turned to see a middle-aged man in a janitor's uniform holding his shoulder.
"What are you doing? I'll throw that away," the janitor said.
"Oh... y-yes, sir," Cole replied, standing back up.
The janitor immediately swept up the crow's carcass, put it into a plastic bag, and walked away with it. Cole stood frozen, staring at the plastic bag being carried farther and farther away. Suddenly, Cole gasped.
"W-what was I doing? I need to go home," Cole thought.
Cole turned and walked quickly toward the gate to leave and head home. As he walked, he reflected.
"I'm weird, right? Why was I so drawn to that carcass... I felt like I wanted to eat it and experience the death that bird felt," Cole said to himself, looking down and touching his chest, trying to feel his slow-beating heart. "My heart's beating now... am I only passionate about things like that?" Cole wondered.
Cole kept walking. To get to the old house where he woke up three years ago, he had to cross a wide, lonely field. In that area, there were only a few houses, shops, and an old storage barn in the middle of the field. Cole walked on and on without looking around, his eyes fixed on the road ahead like someone searching for something on the ground.
It was late afternoon, nearing evening. As he passed a road right between two fields, Cole suddenly smelled something: a burning aroma coming from the middle of the wheat field. He looked over and saw a column of smoke rising from the direction of the storage barn on the road across the field to his left. He immediately ran toward the barn—he knew it because he passed it every day. When he arrived, "CRACKLE... CRACKLE," his eyes widened to see the barn fiercely burning, loud enough to make a sound.
"Wh-why is it on fire... help... somebody... this barn's on fire," Cole yelled.
But there was no answer to Cole's echoing cry. There was a rule in that town: no citizens were allowed outside after 6 PM because something bad could happen, even if it was close by, and the time was already 5:30 PM.
"Ugh... I hate this," Cole thought.
He put down his bag to run for help, but suddenly he stopped. When he looked at the barn again, he saw a girl's arm lying right behind the barn door.
"Oh no... Ugh, if it's like this, I have to. I really hate this part of myself," Cole thought.
"CREAK... CREAK," both of Cole's arms transformed into two large, white, hairy arms, like the limbs of the Cryptid known as the Yeti. Meanwhile, his entire body became pale grayish-black, and his eyes turned red, like a zombie. "HAAA-AH," Cole opened his mouth, and white smoke curled out. He immediately ran and punched the partially burned and opened door until it ripped off and flew deep into the barn.
He saw the girl in a school uniform behind the door, but the fire was starting to spread and move closer to her. He took a deep breath and "FUUUUUH," he exhaled a blast of ice wind toward the approaching flames, instantly putting them out. Then, he ran toward the girl, lifted her, immediately turned around, and ran out of the burning barn.