Attention class, attention. A deep, sober voice reverberated through the room, silencing the chatter and laughter. Mr. Hideaki glanced to his left and saw a young boy with his head on the table, sound asleep. With sharp precision, he threw his black pencil, which zoomed across the classroom and struck Zephyrus on the head. Mr. Hideaki looked at him with disdain and shouted in a deep monotone, "Wake up, Zephyrus. You're in a classroom, not at home." The students turned and started to laugh.

Irritated, Zephyrus rubbed his head, sat up straight in his chair, and looked forward as if nothing had happened. Still hearing laughter, he turned to the right and saw a boy with blonde hair laughing heartily. With tears in his eyes, Jace whispered, "Hey Zephyrus, wanna come play games at the arcade today?"

"Sorry, I can't. I have to go see my mom," he answered in a grave tone. As Jace was about to respond, the bell rang, signaling the end of class. Jace looked to his left and saw Zephyrus running out of the classroom as fast as he could. "I'll see you tomorrow, Jace," Zephyrus shouted, dashing down the stairs and pushing the door open as if there were no tomorrow.

Walking to the hospital, Zephyrus' mood darkened. If someone saw his face, they would notice his eyes were as sharp as a serpent's, with no smile to be seen. You might wonder why. A few years ago, his mother had been found unconscious at home. No one knew what happened; she had been in a coma ever since. This incident had brought forth a hidden demon within Zephyrus, a darker side that had always been lurking.

Finally reaching the room, he saw a woman who appeared to be in her thirties, with dark black hair and skin as clear as glass, lying on the bed with a white cover over her body. This was Zephyrus' mother, Analisa. She had always loved and cared for Zephyrus, especially after his father left. She was overprotective and the most important person in his life. Zephyrus sought to find out who was responsible for her condition, convinced it wasn't an accident.

Reaching his hand to her hair, Zephyrus said, "Mom, I just turned 16 today. I was hoping you would wake up for my birthday, but you haven't, sadly. They told me I have to pay more money, or you won't be able to stay here for treatment. But don't worry, I'm working two jobs. I'll get another one if I have to." He stayed for a few hours, replaced the flowers, and left. Before leaving, he kissed his mom on the cheek.

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Upon reaching home, Zephyrus noticed the door was slightly open. Ever since his mother was found unconscious, he always made sure to shut the door tightly before leaving. Seeing this, his thoughts raced. He slowly opened the door but saw nobody in front. He walked to the kitchen, dropped his bag on the ground, and grabbed two knives. With knives in hand, he walked to his room and saw nobody there, but his bed cover was on the floor. His heart started to race. He decided to leave his room and walk to his mom's room.

He opened his mom's room slightly and saw a figure dressed in all dark clothes sitting on the bed, waiting for him. His heart dropped. He was no superhero; he had no powers, but he couldn't afford to be frightened. Zephyrus opened the door and forced his thoughts to quicken. Who could have access to his house? Concluding it was nobody he knew, he asked in a slightly shaken voice, "Who are you?"

The dark figure looked up, smiled confidently and maliciously, and said, "You don't have to worry. After all, dead men don't speak."

With no time to waste, the dark figure dashed towards Zephyrus and tried to drive his sword into Zephyrus' heart. With years of training, Zephyrus put the two knives together and parried it. The dark figure laughed with amusement and said, "How entertaining. At least you weren't as scared as your mother was."

Zephyrus' world turned dark as anger clouded his mind. Throwing away all fear, he rushed forward and tried to stab the dark figure. The dark figure dodged, went behind him, and slashed his sword across Zephyrus' back. Unbearable pain shot through Zephyrus' body, but he spun around and slashed both knives at the figure's neck.

The dark figure evaded his attack effortlessly, taunting, "Is this all you've got? How disappointing."

Zephyrus' mind raced. Why me? Why my mom? He screamed, "Why?!?" Forgetting all exhaustion, he lunged forward and swung his knives like an uncontrollable maniac.

The dark figure sidestepped and plunged his sword into Zephyrus' arm. Zephyrus fell to the ground, experiencing pain he had never felt before. The figure stood over him and whispered with disappointment, "Pathetic."

Zephyrus' vision blurred as darkness crept in. He thought of his mother lying in the hospital bed, and a surge of rage rocketed through his mind. With the last of his strength, he swung his knife upwards and screamed, "I won't die!"

The dark figure stepped back, effortlessly avoiding his blade, and then plunged the sword into Zephyrus' chest. With a final smirk, the figure vanished without a trace.

Zephyrus fell to the ground, his last feeling one of regret. In the darkness, he still felt conscious. He heard a mysterious, bright voice in his head, "Zephyrus, you've been given a second chance at life. Don't disappoint me."

With that, Zephyrus of the world Earth ceased to exist.