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They say a person can die twice: once when their body ceases to function, and another when there is not a single person who remembers your name.
Subaru Natsuki has experienced both kinds of death, but will never feel the relief of what comes after.
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In the basement of a prison tower is where a boy by the name of Subaru Natsuki resides, though, nobody calls him that anymore.
With an arm chained up, Subaru lays against the back wall of his cell. His eyes are empty. Those eyes that once were filled with hope and determination, despite everything he had gone through had burned out.
He sat there, waiting for the inevitable torture session that he had been through dozens of times. Although, the number is closer to one hundred for him.
“Who could it be this time?” Subaru wondered.
Would it be Felix? Demanding answers for a cure to an ailment that was also inflicted upon himself?
Would it be Julius? Taking out the frustrations of being forgotten, the same frustrations that Subaru also felt?
Would it be Ram? Stomping on his fingers, commanding him for a remedy to Rem's endless sleep; a remedy that he desires more than anything in the whole world.
Or, would it be nothing? Would he remain alone in his cell, the only company being the sound of dripping water and a cold, biting air tearing through his heavily broken and scared skin?
“If there's anyone out there. Please. Please help me.”
It was a request that he knew would never come true. Like throwing a rock into a void, he expected his plea to vanish into nothing.
Someone listened.
Subaru shut his eyes for a brief moment. Upon opening them, he discovered that he was no longer in the cell. His arm, which had moments earlier been chained up, could now freely move.
His body was still in bad shape. His once black hair had now turned a ghostly white. He had multiple broken bones throughout his entire body. Many of his fingernails were broken, growing back in positions that they shouldn’t. His left eye was gone in its entirety, replaced with an empty socket. Dried blood covered multiple parts of his body. It was taking his everything just so he wouldn’t collapse on the spot.
Using his one good eye, Subaru began to look around, trying to figure out where exactly he was.
He saw a car drive past him.
“I’m… back..?”
Subaru looked around, and was immediately proven correct. Behind him was the very same convenience store that he had vanished from.
“Mom… Dad… I have to get home to them.”
One step at a time, Subaru began the trek home. It hurt. It hurt so badly. Everytime he moved it felt as if a fire was enveloping his legs. His breaths were coming in thick and heavy. It was barely an exaggeration to say that he was a dead man walking.
He didn’t know what time it was, but he knew that it was late enough that nobody was outside, all the better for him.
After what felt like hours, he finally made it. Standing in front of him was the door to his home. He tried to raise an arm to knock, but it fell limp as soon as moved it.
Left with no options, Subaru banged his head against the door. Loud enough to attract attention, but not hard enough to hurt him more than he already was.
He heard scuffling from inside.
A pair of footsteps moved closer to the door.
Step
Step
Step
The handle turned and the door opened inwards.
Standing in the doorway was a woman. A woman who Subaru loved very much.
Upon seeing him, her face morphed into something with a mix of disbelief and pure panic.
“S-Subaru..?!”
“Hey… mom… I’m home…” Subaru replied with a raspy voice.
And with that, the last of his strength let him. Subaru Natsuki fell to the ground in front of his mother, Noako Natsuki. She screamed.
“SUBARU!” She rushed to grab him, holding his body in her arms. Not long after, her husband arrived.
“Noako?! What's wrong?! I heard you scre-”
Noako turned to him, the injured boy in her arms.
“Kenichi, start the car.” She spoke with a trembling voice, tears clearly streaming down her face.
Kenichi Natsuki stood there in shock, not wanting to believe his eyes.
“Subaru...?”