Chapter Text
"Ugh...Ow, my head..." It wasn't just his head. Everything hurt. His limbs were sore and his back was stiff. He lay there for a while, giving the ache some time to die down. It took a while for him to get himself on his feet.
His name was Yuudai Tanaka; he knew that much. But what else? There must be more, right? He could not remember. He looked down at himself. Tall, thin, pale. He had a mess of blonde hair that reached his shoulders. He had on a simple black shirt and tan baggy pants with lots of pockets that definitely did not fit right. His shoes were brown slip-ons and he had no socks.
There was no wind, but the room Yuudai was in felt cool, almost enough to give him goosebumps. He held his arms close to himself, feeling rather underdressed in the chill.
Upon realizing he had no idea where he was, Yuudai looked around, swiveling his head from left to right. The space was seemingly endless. It could hardly be called a room. It was more like...nothing. The air was still, and the space above him reached up into infinity. There was nothing below him either, and it seemed as if he was suspended in space.
Black, black in every direction.
But, despite the slight unease the unknown brought him, Yuudai felt no fear. If there was nothing here, surely there was nothing to be afraid of.
That is, until Yuudai began to listen. There was at first a deafening silence, but it soon started to be filled with sound. Skittering and scratching, like little insects scraping along some nonexistent wall. Then there were voices, whispering nonsense straight into Yuudai's brain. He half expected these to grow louder, but they stayed at a volume that was barely audible. The quiet was nearly maddening. He preferred the silence.
In an attempt to drift away from the voices, he took a few uneasy steps. He felt nothing beneath him, but his steps echoed loudly. Each step, for just a moment, drowned out the sounds around him. So, he decided to keep moving, and not stop until he reached...something. Anything.
But the nothingness continued on and on. There was no sense of time or space. An inch could be a mile. An hour could be a second. The uncertainty of it all began to claw away at Yuudai's patience. He had no idea where he was, let alone where he was going. His torso began to growl at him, and his feet were numb. He was about ready to take a rest, if not give up.
However, just as this thought crossed his mind, Yuudai caught a glimpse of something.
He didn't care what it was, because it wasn't nothing. A flicker of something small and white and he was off like a shot, wanting to know what this thing was. For the first time, Yuudai felt as if there was something to look forward to. He had a good feeling about this.
But the white grew farther and farther away, and Yuudai began to tire. He slowed his sprint to a clumsy jog, then stopped. The voices immediately caught up to him, and he grew frustrated. But, eager to press on, he grit his teeth and kept himself moving. He moved at a slow pace; it didn't matter how fast he went, he'd get to where he was going eventually.
Then there was a light.
The illumination was completely foreign yet so enticing. Perhaps there was an exit, an end to this abyss.
With newfound energy, Yuudai ran towards the light. It's warmth seeped into him, nearly burning him. But it was pleasant.
Soon the light had completely enveloped Yuudai, blinding him with a bright whiteness. He let it soothe his body and his heart, let the feeling of bliss and freedom overcome him. It didn't take long for the warmth to ebb away, however, and Yuudai grew distressed. This couldn't be ending, it was too good. He didn't want to go back to that emptiness.
But, as his vision slowly returned, he found that he was somewhere else entirely. Before him was a long, narrow path surrounded in a sea of a translucent, silvery liquid.
Remembering his dry throat, he walked down the path a ways and knelt down, cupping his hands together to hold the liquid. He took a cautious sip, cringing at the taste. He almost spat it out, but he forced himself to swallow. It was harsh and thick, despite its deceiving appearance. It was liquid plastic.
Yuudai stood, disgusted. Maybe he could find something better if he walked further own the path. He could go for a change of scenery anyways. As he looked on, he once again saw it. A flicker of white, gone as soon as it was spotted.
Deciding he had nothing to lose, Yuudai took his first step and followed it into the truly unknown.