WARNING ⚠️ This chapter contains disturbing themes. You are free to skip it.
It was unexpected. What were the odds that snow would fall on New Year's Eve?
He reached out, letting the flakes settle gently against his palm. As he exhaled, a thick mist formed in the air before him. He wore only soft silk pajamas,expensive, certainly, but no match for the biting winter air. He didn't seem to mind the cold, though; he simply watched the snow fall.
Unlike everyone else, he was alone. He wasn't sure why he'd chosen solitude tonight. His mother and sister had called numerous times, urging him to come home,to face the uncertainty of the world together.
It was meant to be the beginning of a new era, and the world was terrified. Doomsday theories had spread like wildfire, clinging to people's hearts. Families had sold off their investments and huddled together to await whatever the new millennium brought. Some remained hopeful that the rumors were only whispers,that the new year would be just like the rest,but even the doubters harbored a secret, cold fear that the end was truly coming.
So, why was he here in his new apartment, alone and hollow? He felt his chest tighten as the seconds bled into minutes, drawing closer to the awaited hour. Inside, a grainy TV aired the festivities; crowds were huddled together, breath held in anticipation.
He caught his own breath, wishing, despite himself, that he wasn't alone. He tightened his grip on the balcony railing and looked down at his feet. He wasn't even wearing shoes.
His toes were as frozen as the rest of his body. He wondered what the headlines would say tomorrow. Reaching for a pack he'd left on the balcony table, he pulled out a cigarette. He lit it, inhaling the nicotine slowly before exhaling a cloud of smoke into the frost.
He didn't smoke much anymore; he had tried to quit. But tonight felt like the perfect time to stop trying. At least the ember gave him a flicker of warmth.
Below, his eyes caught a couple holding hands as they walked along the apartment complex's pavement, sharing a private laugh. They looked so deeply in love that he felt a sharp tinge of jealousy seep into his skin. He followed them with his gaze until they disappeared around a corner.
He let out a dry huff and reached for another cigarette. It was a special occasion, after all. His lover had begged him to stop smoking; that was the only reason he'd ever cut back. As her voice echoed in his mind, a sour taste rose in his throat.
He lit the second cigarette and leaned heavily against the railing.
Then, without warning, he began to cough. The cigarette slipped from his fingers, tumbling into the dark. He gripped the metal railing as his chest constricted, his vision blurring into a haze of gray.
He felt his weight shift, his body tilting forward just as the first fireworks thundered in the sky. A new year had arrived, yet here he was, plummeting from the high-rise.
He didn't seem to be in shock. As he looked back up at the balcony receding into the distance, his eyes held nothing but betrayal and pain.
His head struck the frozen surface of the swimming pool first. Blood bloomed across the ice before the sub-zero water engulfed him, and his eyes finally gave in to the dark abyss.