The cold night rain trickled down on my skin, but the warmth of the blood pooling beneath me burned more. This was it, wasn't it? What a stupid way to go.
Had I not gone out for food, this wouldn't have happened.
But then again, had I listened to my parents, maybe I wouldn't be starving in the first place.
My parents always pushed what they wanted onto me, school location, clubs, and even hobbies.
They never asked what I wanted.
And when I told them?
They laughed.
They sent me to a school far away from home, to pursue a Business degree, "Securing your future" they said.
This wasn't security, this was exile.
My dream of become a successful writer was slowly being stripped away.
But I didn't let that happen.
Trapped in a course I hated, drowning in expectations. But between exhausting lectures and piles of coursework, I found moments to write—late nights in the library, stolen hours in coffee shops, scribbling ideas between mind-numbing business reports.
I kept my dream to myself.
I isolated my self from my family, ignored calls and never returned letters.
One late night, I as heading home but I wanted to grab a cup of coffee--
A sharp cry cut through the alley—a girl was trapped. She struggled against the wall, cornered by a thug with a knife.
Instinct took over—I lunged to help her. But my reckless charge only bought her enough time to escape... at the cost of a blade sinking into my stomach.
Now I'm lying here, Cold, drenched, and bleeding out in some alleyway because I tried playing the hero. Smart move, Ren. Real smart.
"Look at this idiot," he scoffed, nudging my side with his boot. "Should've kept walking, hero."
He turned, chuckling as he disappeared into the rain. "Bleeding out over some stranger? How pathetic."
The world's starting to blur, everything's becoming cold.
"I don't want to die. Not like this. Not alone." ... That's when she appeared.
She stepped into the dim alley light, her presence carving through the darkness.
Midnight blue hair swayed with the wind, absorbing the faint glow around her.
Blending effortlessly with the night, and framing a face as cold and flawless as carved marble.
Her violet eyes met mine, glowing softly.
Was that pity I saw? Or amusement? I couldn't tell.
She knelt beside me, her presence pressing into the silence. I saw a symbol on her sleave, but the pain made it hard to see what it really was.
"Idiot," she muttered, shaking her head. "You charge a man with a knife with no plan and expect not to get stabbed?"
I tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come. My body was failing me.
She lets out a sigh "You know, most people would've walked away" Her hand hovered over my wound. "But you, you're different."
"I could just leave you here to bleed out, but I also could save you, so what would it be? Young hero."
With what little strength I had left, I blurted out "Please".
"Very well, though theres only one condition, you'd tell no soul about this nor about me."
Then everything went dark.
The thug didn't get far.
He was walking casually completely unaware of his surroundings. He barely had time to react before she struck—swift, brutal, effortless.
He crumpled against the wall, wheezing.She loomed over him, violet eyes glowing faintly.
His breath hitched. "W-who are you?"
"No one you need to remember."A final movement. Silence.
She turned away without a second glance.
Then she vanishes into the night.
...
I wake up to the sound of beeping machines, and the smell of disinfectant filled the air.
I opened my eyes and scanned my surroundings, white walls, harsh fluorescent lights.
A hospital.
As I try to fix my position, a sharp pain shot through my body, my hand instinctively moved to my stomach, fingers pressing against bandages wrapped tightly around my wound.
The curtain beside me opens, a nurse. "You're awake," she said, checking the monitor beside me. "That's good, how are you feeling?"
I swallowed. My throat was dry. "Still alive, I guess."
"Where is she?"
The nurse adjusted my IV, "No one was there when the paramedics arrived, but whoever treated you did enough to stabilize you."
I look towards to my wound, my mind racing.
The thug, the pain, her presence.
"Do you know who treated you?" the nurse asked suddenly, glancing up from her notes.
I hesitated. "No. She just… showed up."
"Well lucky you." She puts down her clipboard, "Although it may take a while for your wound to heal, you should get some rest."
My fingers curled slightly against the bedsheet.
She had vanished. No trace. No explanation.
And yet, I couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't the last time I'd see her.
Somewhere else...
She stood atop the rooftop, the rain still clinging to her skin, the city stretching endlessly below.
She knew that she hadbreached protocol.
Yet she still chose to do it anyway.
A voice can be heard from her ear piece, "Agent Spectre, Surveillance status"
She presses two fingers to the receiver. "In position. Nothing notable."
The voice crackles through the earpiece again. "You've breached protocol, interveining with civilian matters is not part of the mission"
She clenched her jaw. "He was dying."
"Irrelevant." The voice was cold, emotionless. "You know the consequences of exposure."
She exhaled slowly, watching the rain distort the city lights below. "I'll handle it."
"As you should." The voice cuts out, she again is left alone in the rain, watching the night sky.