image [https://i.imgur.com/0FOdZYU.png]image [https://i.imgur.com/0ymlYRu.png]

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I didn’t feel any pain when the cold metal of the truck’s bumper knocked me across the cold asphalt that morning. My consciousness blurred, and I flew across the pavement like a rag doll. I couldn’t feel anything. My brain wanted to scream, but soon my body no longer responded to me. Instead, all I could do was lay there and watch the papers from my ruptured briefcase rain down from the starry sky. Next to me, the truck blinked its hazard lights, hypnotizing me to sleep.

“Oi, young man, please help me lift him!… Anyone please call an ambulance!…”

Words from strangers echoed inside my head, while I felt at peace. After failing at everything, from endless job interviews and no money to live, was it okay to not be okay?

My life… I recalled how it changed that day.

⁂

I sat in front of a row of recruiters, all staring at me from that long table. I didn’t move from my seat, nor fidget with my hands. I just sat there, listening to their reasoning for rejection from an objective standpoint. I observed them flicking their pens to the list of names they had gone through. Luckily, I was the last one on that list. After hearing their words I quietly stood up and packed my briefcase.

After hearing the ding of the elevator, the doors slid shut and I reclined my back against the wall. The tie and collar began to constrict my neck, so I fixed my tie over and over again. The cold sweat soaked my dress shirt, and I couldn’t wait to take my suit off. However, I dreaded the thought of returning home.

In the lobby, my footsteps echoed throughout the airy space. The clerk, clearly eager to head home already, anxiously stared at me sauntering over to the sliding door. I didn’t blame them. They must’ve had a family to come home to, or perhaps they wanted to destress.

Crickets greeted me enthusiastically in the night, perhaps the bugs trying to cheer me up. At least I wanted to imagine. The cold air stung my eyes and ears, while I hurried to the last train, the station void of any people. That loneliness comforted me, even just a little, for I knew the most I didn’t wish to return home. The police box in the corner closed its lights, and the officer greeted me as the last train slowly came from the evening rails.

Upon entering the train, I sighed that home was at least a bit far. I spent all my time pondering, staring at my reflection in the window. How that face of mine once teeming with life and youth, became reduced to eyebags and dead eyes. I cursed my youth and innocence with a scowl.

The train hissed to a stop and announced its destination. A lowly block that I’d always known. And so I began to walk. Past the highways and sidewalks I always counted the number of buildings. It helped me distract myself from when I’d arrive at home.

Once I walked past that convenience store, I crossed a bridge. Innen Bridge, quite an ominous name. Thirty-six people jumped from this bridge, a ten-meter drop to the road down below. Sometimes I wondered who would be the thirty-seventh. But in fear of insulting those that actually made the jump, I chose not to do anything. After doing my three-minute vigil for those that died I continued on my way.

I checked my phone for the first time since this morning. My mother’s texts bombarded the screen. As I browsed my phone, my home screen was void of anything other than the essential apps of RAIN and other utilities. The video games I once came to enjoy I deleted a long time ago.

“Kawari.”

I whirled around at the faint sound of my name. Were my ears deceiving me? I was aware that those voices… from the house haunted me. I never thought they extended to my solemn commute. However this voice differed from my mother’s, nor a casual call from my father.

Eventually I found myself standing in front of a peaceful apartment complex, with a few lights still on. I watched the moths entranced with the nearest streetlamp and noted the lively sounds from the lush bushes. The earthy smell prompted me to sneeze, at which point I decided to detour. I just wanted to delay the time before I actually went up that staircase.

Light traffic unusually crowded the street next to my apartment. I minded the rumble of their engines whirring past me. The traffic reminded me of that rite of passage I heard of in America. Over there, once a kid knew how to drive, they were already on the road to becoming an adult. Pun not intended. The rules of society put a constraint on our individuality and made us wear a suit and tie. I was no different, except that I considered myself lower than the average salaryman. After all, I never even got the job in the first place.

I counted sixty seconds and instinctively entered the crosswalk. But it appeared I had made a miscalculation.

“Kawari…You shall be given a second chance.”

The pain jolted me awake as if I woke up from a nightmare. Except that I didn’t. The white hospital bed embraced me tightly, and my body ached to even move. The stench of sanitizer intruded my nose, and the lights dimly brightened the room. I understood from the mere silence of the room that…

My mother and brother never came, nor bothered to ask about my condition. I still couldn’t process the fact that I had been hit by a truck and survived. I knew that the longer I stayed here, the more my mother would be mad at me. I calmly repeated in my head, everything would be okay. Such mental gymnastics, I was hit by a truck and everything was going to be okay? Yes, it would. Everything would be okay. I held onto that belief like it was my core philosophy.

Apparently I’d been here for a few days already according to the hospital staff. That it was nothing short of a miracle how I went unscathed with minor injuries. Just a swollen leg and a sprain. Not even a cast was needed, but still my busted leg made me wince. And so I requested to be discharged from the hospital.

Somehow, someone already paid sixty-thousand yen for my three-night stay.

The brisk morning was marked by the sun, as the light warmed my body. Using a single crutch I hobbled my way back. I needed to go back home since I couldn’t go anywhere in my current condition. In the back of my mind I prepared myself for what awaited me there. Once I reached the apartment complex, I went up the staircase and stood in front of the door. I spent a couple of minutes fishing for my keys before I managed to unlock the door.

I said the usual, “I’m home.”

No one acknowledged my existence. They must be busy, I concluded. I stepped into the foyer and took off my shoes.

“Kawari, what are you doing?”

My lips quivered at the voice my ears dreaded. I glanced up to see my mother watching me from the kitchen. I had to say something.

“Mom, I—”

“Well? What happened to your job interview?”

“I… didn’t get the job.” I yanked the cold, hard truth from my mouth. And that was enough for her. She didn’t care about me at all.

“Again? You’re almost twenty-two, Kawari! Do you realize how much money your father and I paid for your university? Yet you remain unemployed?!”

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I saw her face tense up as she slammed her hand on the table. Honestly, I knew better to look down at her feet, than to look at her face. I agreed wholeheartedly with what she yelled at me. It was my fault. My parents paid for my tuition, but I had yet to get a job.

She arched her neck and saw my limp. “It better not be because you’ve been staying in your room, playing video games—oh? Or were you injured because you were playing those stupid games while crossing the street?”

I wanted to scream, to lash out, to make her understand. But instead I just hung my head and limped past her in silence. I knew I couldn’t simply make people ‘understand’, and such actions often never made people ‘understand’. I went down the tiny hall on the right and busted open the door.

My desk only had a few papers scattered around. My briefcase contained my name and address, so I knew it would be returned in a few days. Those things that my mother blamed, I already sold my laptop and any games along with it since graduating from university. Those figures I once kept as a symbol of my youth, I sold them to help pay for the apartment’s rent.

I threw my crutch to the floor and sat on the bed. A hand covered my mouth. That feeling of anxiousness welled up from my stomach and lit my throat on fire. I kept telling myself everything would be okay. My father’s voice echoed inside my head to remind me of that same line I’d learned to tell myself. Soon after I felt like the walls would come tumbling down, that anxiety flushed away.

Something was off. I glanced around my room and stared at the emptiness that promised me hope.

I slowly stood up, wincing from my screaming leg and hobbled to the door. I leaned against it with my weight and turned the doorknob. The door hissed open as it blasted me with sunlight.

What I saw before me, was something I’d never seen before. I collapsed to the ground, to find myself on top of a gravel pathway. I turned my head up, to see a clear blue sky. Mountains of trees surrounded me in this sudden forest, and the chirping birds did nothing to answer my confusion.

“What?...”

image [https://i.imgur.com/Terpfhv.png]

The calm wind blew through my hair as I got back onto my feet again. Pain in my leg intensified and I barely walked a few steps before falling down. This time I scraped more of my arms to break my fall. Blood stained the jagged gravel. I looked behind me.

There my room’s door that I just opened stood unfitting in this sensational environment. Clearly contrasting the sway of the trees and the sunny sky. I could see my empty room through the door. I got up once again and prepared to close it. Until it came to my mind that if I did close it, would I be trapped in this strange place forever?

I found a large rock nearby and wedged it into the sill. That way, it remained still ajar and I could hopefully use it to return back. For now, my curiosity got the best of me. In this unfamiliar place I wandered off into the forest. It reminded me of the forests back home. I questioned when was the last time I took a walk in nature, back when I still lived with my father. He always said to me that nature had a power that we couldn’t understand, and we as humans should strive to understand and appreciate the tiny things we saw.

I thought I should do the same here—Look at the strange insects I’d never seen before, some playing with a piece of worm or something, or bask myself in the sunlight that beamed through the tree’s branches. I inspected the weeds battling for survival on the ground and touched weird mushrooms with a twig.

It was only a few minutes of walking through the thicket until I heard the sounds of a voice. My heart rate skyrocketed and I glanced around at where it came from. More voices entered my ear. Could these be adventurers? Could this place be the hunting grounds of some local villages nearby?

I dove behind a tree, my leg giving in, and collapsed to the soil. Soon enough I took a peek and spotted two people leisurely walking in the forest. I couldn’t hear their conversation, but I did hear the rattle of weapons. It would be brainless to walk up to them since I did not know who if they were some bandits scouting the area. Suddenly the realization came to me that I shouldn’t be here. What was I doing in this… parallel world? I programmed my legs to stand and run in the opposite direction of the two people. I didn’t notice whether they had noticed me, but ran as fast as my injured leg took me.

My lungs wheezed as my breath complained, the hinges of my knees riveting to the sudden stop of my motion. I lifted my head to find myself back where the door was. I inched myself closer to see the rock I put in the sill holding firm. I sighed before my shoulders perked up to the sound of growling.

I didn’t bother to turn around. Rather, my fear held me in place, as if a hammer nailed my feet to the ground. My head jolted around to see an animaloid creature. Within my peripheral the four-legged, three-horned animal snobbled at my presence. I found the courage to slowly turn around and ignored the warning signals my heart jabbed at me. An image of the truck flashed into my mind.

My body flew yet again several meters, but this time I managed to block my face. Blood dripped down my arms and they panged in immediate pain. I could barely stand up again as my leg became freshly stained with crimson. I could die. I didn’t know what this animal was, but I knew that I could die. And I didn’t want to close my eyes just yet.

I picked up a fist-sized stone from the ground. The creature rumbled yet again, prodding the dirt with a hoof. I blinked and the animal closed the distance between us. Gripping the rock I chucked it several strides as hard as I could. The rock whirled past the creature and it rammed into me. However, since it dodged, its tackle didn’t falter me to the ground.

A fist went into its eye. It arched over, stuttering around. I took my chance and bolted for the door. But the sankakujuu, as I now called it—regained composure and ran at me once again. It headed directly towards the door. What would happen if it destroyed the door? Would it go through into my room? Or demolish it entirely?

I couldn't afford to find out. I reached the door just in time to see the sankakujuu charging at it with full force. My hands picked up the rock I’d used to wedge the door open and chucked it with all my strength, hitting the creature square in the head. It stumbled back, dazed for a moment, and gave me the opportunity to slip through the door back into my room.

Breathing heavily I turned around and slammed the door shut, locking it securely. I limped over to my bed and sat down, my heart pounding in my chest.

I looked around my room, which now seemed like a sanctuary compared to the unknown world outside my door. However, I knew that I couldn't stay here forever. That sankakujuu needed to be dealt with. I sat there for a while, lost in thought, trying to piece together what had happened and how my door somehow led to that strange world. The memories of the truck accident appeared in my mind again hazy and fragmented. That voice before I crossed the street. I couldn't make sense of it all.

As I pondered my next move a scratching sound came from the door. My heart skipped a beat, and my legs cautiously brought me to the door. Through the keyhole I saw the sankakujuu still outside, pawing at the door, its three horns scraping against the wood. But my caution evolved into fear when two more came from the brush nearby.

I took a deep breath. I unlocked the door and swung the door open. I came out screaming, hollering whatever I could do. But the three sankakujuu were not impressed by my aggressive noises. My eyes closed.

An arrow sang through the air. I forced my eyes open to see it strike one of the creatures in the head, causing it to whine and whimper. My sight darted back and forth as more arrows came from one side of the woods. The two of the sankakujuu retreated backward. A man appeared in front, wielding a red axe that seemed taller than me.

Once the remaining sankakujuu saw that its companions fled the scene, it too, let out a whimper and turned around. Another person appeared from where the arrows flew, this time a woman holding a curved bow. As I stood there grounded, the man and woman helped me onto my feet, saying things I couldn’t understand. Then I heard that same voice echo inside my head.

“If you wish to keep your life on the other side, then protect it with your life.”

[System Announcement]

"Kawari"

Level 0

[System Announcement]

New Skill Unlocked

[Divine Command]

T̵̠͖͕͔̚h̵͔̮͉͉͙͚̗͙̐̄̌e̶͇̻̘̯̲̝̻̭̅̔̈́́̑̚̕͜ ̶͕͌̅̈͆̊̀́̊̕P̴͎͔̪̟̓̈́̃͠͝ǎ̵͕̉̈́̅̐̇̎c̴̨͎̞̗̰̯̙̥̼̆̌̅̊̃̊̽̚͘͝í̴͍̘̯̬͕͖͐̍͊͜ͅf̸̛̛͇̰̹͇͍̯̤̜̂̑͋̂͌̆̃͠i̵̘̺͚͖͕̟̞̥͆͋̎̑̔̕̕͜ç̴̩̭̙̦̼͕̟̹͉͐̐͊̓̈͊͝ȁ̵͖͕̺̰̺̬̘͍̅͂̀̃̓ţ̶̡̲̗̠͕͉̂̒̑̑̄́͒͘͘̚i̶̢̮̤͕̫̹̖̻̣̐̋ơ̷͍͌̆̏̿͂̅ñ̵̤̺̞͔̪

“If the doorInterdimensional Gate is destroyed, there will be no second chance to return.”

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image [https://imgur.com/KyKuhjA.gif]