There was some kind of strange, ugly device that made a whole wooden table rattle along with many things scattered on the top… The majority of which were just pencils, markers, and stacks of paper filled with goofy images, drawn without any serious intention in any of them. So one will not actually suffer too much of a loss if something does fall off the table's surface.

But despite such distressing physical conditions, the thing that has been the source of the vibration for quite some time now is most likely nothing dangerous, for it’s probably just a smartphone facing downwards… And perhaps it was none other than the age-worn appearance, which practically made it almost unrecognizable when seen from behind.

Well… At least someone just recently flipped it around, face up, for crying out loud. Only to show what's much worse than the condition of its back case.

[“Sis”]

Briefly written on the screen that had so many cracks in every possible place it could be cracked. As one can only fathom how a smartphone in such bad shape may still operate correctly; which it actually does… Or at least most of the time it does.

Yet there is no indication that the incoming call will be answered at any time by whoever owns the smartphone.

Also, after the vibration stopped, the notification actually showed that there had been five missed calls from the same number in the last few hours, all of which had gone entirely ignored by this impudent idiot.

Matter of fact, if only the phone vibrates for even just one more time, one of the drawing pencils that has reached the edge of the table surface will definitely fall straight away to the floor… However, it wasn't the smartphone that made it; but instead, a loud thump that’s crashing against the same poor wooden table did. As it was a pair of drab black sneakers with scuffs and creases in many places that belonged to the same person as the one who owned the terrible looking smartphone.

Just the impoliteness and lack of good manners that exist in such a person, is simply astounding. And that's all there is to it…

~~~~~

As the adolescent boy climbs on the table; where he takes his phone and sneakers, and a bedroom window opens just right near him standing… He plans to go out of his room, not through the door.

But while he was putting on his shoes, his phone vibrated yet again. Same number, this time he gave up and picked it up with a few grunts in the air.

“Hello, good afternoon… How are you? I’m fine, thank you for asking. Have you watched the video I sent you last night?”

“......”

“Great! Now let me explain why this video is so interesting…”

“No, no I haven’t.”

“Eh? Even that very last video I sent you? Oh, well… Then I'll just have to explain it from the start, I guess?”

“......”

The boy's expression was reassured, knowing that the person on the other end of the phone line did not sound angry, for he had previously ignored her call multiple times already. But still he sighed instead as if he was the victim and not the other way around, then spoke as if nothing had happened.

“Fine! Just tell me the only video you want us to talk about! I mean, I've watched everything, but I just lost track of the order and it’s all your fault! You shared too many conspiracy theories from those boring ass youtubers you call as gurus.”

“Excuse me!? Conspiracy theories!? This is not a conspiracy, stop saying that everything I tell you is nothing but a conspiracy theory! And look at you! You even think that Jeffrey Dahmer is a fiction, you fool!”

“Calm down. It’s not that deep… Anyway, could you please stop sending me that one suspicious link once every five minutes? That's called spam, college girl. You know I can block you for that.”

“Yeah, whatever… But that's the one I want to talk to you about! The one that I spammed your message box with, the one that my favorite YouTuber posted just yesterday!”

“Ah… That yet another serial killer tale? Sis, please… I’m not into that thing and you know that I won't understand anything you'll talk about, so just give up already.”

Getting to this point, it was evident that this brat was only looking to annoy the other person and felt it would be a perfect reason to get her to end the conversation they were having… But deep down, even if he denied it, he was actually enjoying the time spent on the line and he wouldn't be able to stop the girl from keeping herself talking anyway. So he just let the words from the other side echo.

“Yeah, I know… I know you’re not that smart…” As the voice from the cell phone continued, “But bear with me, okay? At least, just let me tell you this one story… I mean, it’s about THAT one crazy criminal who will face the death penalty, that I'm going to tell you about! But before that, Daniel… I just heard the sound of your bedroom window closing. Are you trying to run away from home again?”

A question that does not have a response, suggesting that the girl guessed correctly.

“You know you can start trying to ask them permission, right? It's not like what it used to be… By that I mean our family.”

“......”

For the second time the boy did not give any answer… As he merely sat there still, embracing his knees on the window ledge while rubbing his shoe with his finger.

“I see… But I think you’re fine! They will only add to your troubles, that's for sure! Just make sure you don't slip on the tile there, you hear lil bro?”

With a little smile on his face, the boy then stood up straight outside the window, as if what the girl just said to him was nothing but a benediction for his own departure, yet up there he froze for another moment…

“Don't ever call me lil bro again. That’s annoying.”

Just as a small talk without meaning it seriously, the boy said it plainly before then he took steps to move down from the roof. Get to the rear of the house, hop over some fences, and walk casually while still holding the smartphone to his ear.

~~~~~

During his walk, he seemed to not really care to see or recognize anyone around.

He wanders above his own world, despite the fact that people occasionally turn their eyes towards him.

Where the outfits are quite plain with a heavy emphasis on black… It’s a short sleeve hoodie and knee-length pants that he’s wearing. As the left wrist is adorned with black bracelets, pierced ears and some other black ornaments.

And he also has clear skin, quite dark hair… Apart from that, only his eyes were keen, yet they appeared pleasant.

~~~~~

“I'm just baffled on how such a horrible human being could exist in this world… I mean like, I know bad people exist, but he's in another category! You know what I’m saying?”

After ten minutes had gone, the boy could still hear his big sister on the other end of the phone, talking nonstop about one issue that hadn't even changed as she resumed, “Sometimes when I read a story, I think to myself, ‘This antagonist's intentions are so heinous that they don't even make any sense.’”

“But such vile people do make sense to exist.”

“Well yes. But think about it… Who in their right mind would believe that a motive of pure evil without any other motive would make sense to be in any TV show?!”

“Anyone but some idiot being like you? And why are we suddenly talking about any TV shows right here? What kind of TV show? Wait… So what we were talking about earlier wasn't actually a real case?”

“No! This is a real case! I was just saying, you know?”

Twenty minutes have gone…

A tiny bridge was crossed…

Even if he sometimes replies to the story as if irritated, it appears that his expression does not reflect boredom. He continued listening till he came to a stop in front of a building filled with electronic trinkets.

His destination… A tight, stifling internet cafe that had the brands and titles of various online games displayed on a board. The boy, Daniel, looked at himself from the reflection of the glass door, just as their chat seemed to have stopped for a moment… Then before taking his first step forward, he peered up into the sky, as if something was raining down on him from above. But it was just a normal clear afternoon sky, with no reason for him to suspect anything, so he immediately went back on his way.

“I hope that one day you will make friends in your college and no longer have to tell me your stupid stories like this one ever again.”

Their talk appeared to be continuing, with Daniel starting it first. Though his comments just now felt more like a final line to the discourse, still anyone would be angry if they heard someone say such a thing about themselves. That it felt more like Daniel was just deliberately provoking her to feel annoyed.

Until his big sister then replied, “I have a lot of friends here, you know! I'm just afraid they're not interested in… Come on! Can't you see me happy for just a moment? Anyway, I've got class in a bit, I will contact you again at another time. See ya!”

She who talks the most, becomes the same person who ends the conversation.

But at the very least, Daniel may now sit in peace on his gaming chair, with a sigh of relief he lets out in front of a large monitor with a blinding brightness level, next to someone… Another boy who was silently waiting for Daniel to stop staring at his phone screen, till he felt the time was finally right to ask.

“Saskia?”

“Yep.” Daniel confirmed the curiosity of the man beside him.

“Hop into the game then… What took you so long-”

The two boys could be heard sighing, as not even ten seconds had passed, Daniel's smartphone vibrated again. However, the name that displayed on the screen this time was different from the one that appeared before.

Since it says…

“Panya…?”

~~~~~

“Hehe… It’s Panya… Hey you hear? Daniel saved your name as Panya with a P in his phone!” Again he remarked, mockingly laughing as soon as Daniel picked up the call… The person who had previously uttered the same name in such a skeptical tone, who went back trying to confirm what kind of stupid typo he had just seen from his own friend’s phone screen.

“Eh… Who’s this?”

Daniel managed to activate the speaker button right before someone on the other end of the call turned to ask, which sounded like a girl's voice. Just to be immediately answered by Deo who leaned his mouth towards the microphone.

“Oh… Hey… I mean, Deo. Deo’s here.” The boy even coughed a little on purpose, making sure his voice was heard clearly by those on the other end of the line.

“Deo? Then where the hell is Daniel? Why are you carrying his phone?!”

“We're both here, you genius… The call’s in speaker mode.” Daniel's late clarification came without remorse.

“Ow well… Whatever. I don’t really care, though. Panya is fine… It does sound cute!”

In response to that, the boy at the side, whose name turned out to be Deo, looked expressionless for a while as if he had just seen a demon. And as if he was considering so many possibilities, his decision was firm on something while he said, “Daniel. This is absolutely not the Fanya we know… ”

“Agreed.”

“Just stop with your shenanigans now… Anyway, Daniel. Have you packed your stuff?”

“Later.” The answer came only in a split second after Fanya finished asking.

“See? I knew it. You're no longer in high school, Daniel! Haven't I told you since yesterday to pack up all your clothes? Only two days left before our flight!”

“I only have less than ten… Or even five sets of clothes. And if I forget a shirt, so what? The world will not end because of it.”

“but I might end yours if you continue to be tough to advise. After all, why do you still come to that one dark stuffy place? I've heard that internet cafés are hangouts for criminals… And losers.”

“Putting aside your biased perceptions, how did you know we were at an internet cafe?”

“Really? The only reason you two are together is because you're visiting that place. It can't be for any other reason.”

Deo had remained silent throughout the other two’s conversation, seemingly recalling something Fanya had mentioned earlier... And as if it would always bother him if he didn't confirm the thing, he then tried to insert it between Daniel and Fanya's argument.

“Did you just say criminals? Guys, have you heard about that one psychotic criminal from overseas? I'm not sure where he came from, but…”

“Ah! Stop! I don't want to hear any more of those stupid stories… I've heard too much!”

As if covering his ears would help, but Daniel had actually managed to restrain Deo from repeating the same scenario he previously had to go through with his own big sister… That it actually seemed like he just couldn’t be blamed for all the suffering he felt from what the girl named Saskia forced him to hear earlier.

Where Fanya on the other end of the phone could only giggle; completely comprehending what had occurred to Daniel… To which she responded with condolences.

~~~~~

So if something is to be judged, their dialogue had a really friendly tone to it... Since they are well acquainted after all. And that's just Daniel's take on what he picked up from Deo and Fanya… A triad. A friendship between three people in a world that lies right on the line of normalcy. A universe in which everything, without exception, is placed where they should be placed… Without any miracles to offer anybody hope, but also without any curses to cause anyone despair. A world where chaos befriends order.

Or at least, that's something that's coming to an end…

Because these are the final seconds before everything turns upside down.

~~~~~

The snaps on the many keyboards in the place were louder than the voices of those around them. At the very least, this may explain why Fanya hasn't ended the call even after an hour of the two lads focused on their monitors and not on her.

They still chatted about small things for some moments though. But this time Daniel felt like his words were really being ignored by the girl, so he felt compelled to clarify something.

“Fanya?”

In a brief period, Daniel looked at his smartphone screen which revealed that the call had actually been cut off. Then immediately returned to the monitor in front of him, but abruptly displayed a sign indicating that the internet on the computer had also failed as well as the others on the left and the right.… And as a result, everyone in the room barked in outrage nearly simultaneously, spinning around to find someone to blame for this occurrence. Whereas Deo behaved similarly to the others, Daniel was able to show his displeasure just by tapping the table rhythmically without actually making any sound.

But it's more like testing the boy's composure, of how the sudden cacophony of people outside the building is now able to shut everyone's lips in that dimly illuminated room. Causing Deo to stand up, adjusting his head left and right.

“Something’s going on out there?”

It wasn't only Deo's thought, but the same query could be heard from many other mouths surrounding them. So he looked for a space to see out of the building from where he was at, only to be able to know more than anyone else… Yet after a few seconds had passed, now the power in the whole place took its turn to go out.

~~~~~