CHAPTER 1 Part 1: Deeper in My Heart

Life can be hard sometimes, mistakes can pile up through the years of your life, your family may humiliate you in front of a crowd. Whatever hardships that came your way, just stand up and be a better version of yourself because the moment you give in life… It’s over. 

Remember that even Gods can’t turn back time. 

***

July 17, 2025, 11:59 PM

5 years since the Chivu (Virus) spread throughout the world, 99% of the world has already been cured. 

Although there are still 2 people left having symptoms of the Virus.

***

It was a late and starless night, I had just come from a nearby convenience store to buy a midnight snack. I was soaked from head to toe, surprised by the sudden downpour. I entered the bed and space I lived in, the state as depressing as when I left it. 

An old pc occupied the far-right side of my room, a second-hand television mounted the wall on top of the computer, on the opposite side was the twin-sized bed I slept in since I was 5 facing the computer and TV purposefully. A door leading to the bathroom beside my computer, kitchen, and dining room merged on the left side where I just came, two affordable cabinets take up the space between the bathroom door and the entrance.

From where I stood a window that opens to show the starless night, barely lit up the room.

I sat in front of my old pc not bothering to dry up, finally able to rest these scrawny legs of mine. The pc was still left open, helping me guide through the darkness and the messy state of my room. I was about to open the snack I had just bought when a notification caught my attention.

ringggg!!

These last couple of years I rarely had anyone to talk to, that’s why I was curious to pick up my phone which laid flat on my disheveled bed. 

[Probably another government notification about some typhoon.]

I was already too tired to stand up, my heavy clothes pinning me down on my seat but still, I slowly stood and walked to my bed. The loud creaks of the wooden floor as I sat down on my bed didn’t bother me anymore, but the message I received did.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fukuda Akihito

Age: 41 years old

Status: dead

July 17, 2025, Thursday 11:59 pm

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Loud splashes of water can be heard from that starless night. 

A gust of wind is howling like dogs as if it were to mourn the dead. However, not a single sound can be heard inside.

Not a word, 

Not a blare,

but suddenly an echo broke the silence.

“fuck…” 

All I could think of was swear, my already broken heart ached once more, my hands trembled uncontrollably, breathing heavily as I faced the old creaky wooden floor, my wet hair covering my face, dripping water onto the floor. Without realizing a river of tears began gushing down my eyes. My last family… now dead. I screamed silently, no pitch, no tone, covering my face with my trembling hands, not bothering to wipe my tears. I knew that even blaming the doctors and nurses were pointless at this point.

I wanted to escape from this nightmare for the longest time, ever since the virus surfaced, all I experienced was pain. I pushed everyone away, including my father and friends, instead I turned to games, drowning myself and forgetting everything else. 

I turned to face the television, hoping that it could help me, to distract me from reality.

“… Today, July 18, 2025, is a date to remember! 

After 5 years of suffering due to this pandemic, Today Blair Palmes, the last person suffering from Chivu Virus was cur-”

But instead it reminded me of my rotten life, with the recent news about the successful termination of the pandemic, it reminded me about the text I received not too long ago, and it left a bitter taste in my mouth. So I  turned the T.V. off.

Not bothering to change my clothes, I sighed as I lay down on my bed, wetting the sheets and feeling the cold touch of the wind as it pass me 

“maybe I’ll just go to sleep”

After hours of staring blankly at the ceiling, my vision became blurry and I have fallen asleep.

…

“eh?”

***

I was left speechless at what have seen.

After a long night, I suddenly faced a tall man, in his late twenties, with fairly light skin and black bushy hair, an orange headband wrapped around the hair keeping it steady, he doesn’t appear to have any facial hair. It almost looked like of my father Akihito and before realizing it, tears run down my eyes again.

Having me suddenly cry in his arms, the mysterious man panicked and brought me to a person who seems to be his wife.

With panic in his voice, the man called out. “Mary, Sura cried again.”

Mary stopped folding the clothes in their bedroom. “Griffin, I told you to let him sleep already!”

“I want to spend some time with him before leaving for work.”

Mary snatched me from Griffin and moved with rhythmic movements. “Can you endure for now? Please.”

Griffin sound disappointed as he no other choice but to wait and stretch on the front yard “hai…”

***

[wait? Mary? Griffin? Who are these people?]

Now that I think about it, it wasn’t Akihito at all, he looked too young to be my father.

[it is too good to be true after all]

I studied my surroundings and noticed a lot was different from before, the bed and space I lived in was now different, wooden floors, walls, and roof replaced the my room, there are some plant décors on some corners, wooden plates neatly arranged in the kitchen, it feels more like a home rather than just a property and people are surrounding him making it livelier and less depressing. 

Mary was about 5ft 4in tall, in her mid-twenties, who has beautiful blonde hair that compliments her big blue eyes, she has ponytails that reach to her mid-back, while it only reaches her upper chest in the front. Mary also gave this motherly aura I was familiar with calming my panicked mind, like everything will be ok and that I was protected.

[where am I? and what is with these… small hands? Wait… Have I been reincarnated?!]

With the general knowledge of manga and anime, I somehow know that I was transferred to another world. 

I felt uneasy as if my stomach was turned upside-down.

[Did I die? Or is all of this just a dream?]

As I down myself in my thoughts, a shadow of a person suddenly appeared behind Griffin as he went out the door. 

She was about 4ft 2in tall, who has brown shoulder-length wavy hair, styled at the back of its head into a "yakai-maki" style, big shiny red eyes, and the person had a red flower ornament that complements her ruby eyes, to hold her “yakai-maki” styled hair. At first glance, she looked like my dead sister, Fukuda Misaki.

When I noticed her, I let out what I thought was a scream, even though I spoke in Japanese no one understands me, I was just a month old after all… maybe…

“owww~, Sura-chan was about to say onee-chan”  

[what!? But we are 11 years apart and I’m the older one!?]

“honey, I think it’s about time you head to the forest”

[*sigh* this is definitely a dream but how can I wake up from this nightmare?]

I felt a sting on my chest as if a nail was digging deeper in my heart, all the work I’ve done, desperately trying escape from reality was worthless because all of this reminded me too much of dead family. My father looks exactly the same as the guy that just left for work, my sister looks exactly like the one carrying me to a crib, my mother looks exactly the same as the woman in the bedroom, although their clothes are looked like medieval clothing’, their faces were too similar.

My heart raced as I breathe uncontrollably from my crib, not knowing what to do.

***