Ah...!?
"It hurts..."
"Mom... Dad... where are you...?"
Pain slowly dragged his consciousness back. Not all at once, but little by little, as if something was pulling him out of a deep and endless darkness.
His eyes struggled to open, yet nothing came into view. It wasn't darkness that blocked his sight, but thick smoke and swirling sand that clung to his face, stinging his eyes and scraping against his skin.
He tried to breathe-
"Kgh-!!"
A sharp pain shot through his chest.
The air felt dry and heavy, as if he were inhaling dust and ash instead of oxygen. Every breath burned, each one more painful than the last, making it harder to keep going.
"Where... are you...?"
His voice came out weak, barely more than a whisper.
"Please... help"
The words stopped halfway. His lips trembled, but no sound followed. The pain had already gone beyond what words could express.
His chest rose and fell unevenly. His heart pounded, yet felt distant-like it no longer belonged to him.
The flame that once burned within him-his will to live-was fading.
Is this... the end...?
The thought appeared quietly in his mind. Not with fear, nor panic—only a deep exhaustion.
Wasn't this what I wanted...?
His breathing grew weaker. Each inhale felt heavier than the last as sand slowly filled his lungs, making it harder to breathe.
Maybe... this is enough...
Maybe... I can finally rest...
The pain was still there, but it felt distant now. His senses dulled as his body grew heavier, harder to control.
His fingers loosened, falling lifelessly against the ground.
His consciousness began to sink again—
deeper...
and deeper...
Until-
a voice reached him.
Soft.
Gentle.
Familiar.
"...I want to see you grow..."
His heart trembled.
"...live... and become strong..."
It was his mother's voice.
Faint, distant, almost unreal-yet deeply engraved in his memory.
It echoed like a quiet melody, carrying warmth into the cold emptiness surrounding him.
A memory.
A promise.
A reason.
His fingers twitched.
The numbness began to crack.
No...
His hand slowly clenched.
Not yet...
Something within him flickered back to life.
Weak.
Fragile.
But real.
Determination.
"...I..."
His voice trembled.
"...I want to live..."
His body moved.
Slowly.
Pain screamed through every inch of him, yet he forced himself forward, dragging his broken body across the ground.
"...I want to live...!!"
Louder now. Raw and desperate.
"For Mom... and Dad...!!"
His hand slammed against the ground, scattering dust into the air. His nails scraped against rough stone, tearing painfully, yet he didn't stop.
He couldn't stop.
Because he knew-
if he stopped now...
everything would end.
Suddenly-
BOOM!!
A massive explosion shook the ground.
A powerful gust of wind swept everything away-dust, smoke, and debris.
For a moment, he couldn't see anything.
But as his vision slowly cleared-
what appeared before him was something his mind couldn't process.
His pupils widened.
His hands trembled.
His lips quivered.
The determination he had just regained collapsed into fear.
Silence followed.
Even his own heartbeat felt distant.
Before him-
was a scene of pure hell.
Flames devoured everything.
Houses lay in ruins-some collapsed, others completely gone.
What was once a place of safety had turned into a graveyard.
Bodies were scattered everywhere, piled without order.
Some were burned while shielding their children.
Others were torn apart, their bodies broken beyond recognition.
"W-What... is this...?"
"Is this... still my village...?"
His voice trembled.
"Where... can I go...?"
"Where can I hide...?"
His body kept moving forward+
but his heart had already begun to give up.
And then-
he saw her.
A faint figure standing in the distance.
His mother.
"M-Mom...?"
Tears streamed down his face as he wiped them away with his blood-stained sleeve.
A weak smile formed.
Memories flooded his mind+both warm and painful.
Sunlight broke through the smoke, illuminating her figure as if guiding him forward.
The distant sounds of destruction slowly faded, replaced by faint cries of sorrow.
He crawled toward her.
Ignoring the pain.
Ignoring his broken body.
"Mom... I promise..."
His breath trembled.
"...I'll live..."
His hand reached forward, shaking.
"...I'll become strong..."
His clothes scraped against the ground with every movement, gathering dirt and ash. The ruins blocked his path again and again, but he forced himself onward.
"Ahh... damn it..."
The pain intensified with every inch.
But he didn't stop.
He couldn't stop.
Just a little more.
Just a little closer-
Suddenly-
CRACK!!
A sharp sound echoed from above.
Before he could react-
THUD!!
A large wooden beam fell, crushing half of his body and pinning him to the ground.
"AGHHH...!!"
A scream tore from his throat as unbearable pain surged through him. The impact struck his lower back, followed by a sickening crack of bone breaking.
His breath stopped.
His body trembled violently.
Tears streamed down uncontrollably.
But-
he was still conscious.
Still alive.
"Damn it... damn it...!!"
He clenched his teeth, forcing his body to move.
He tried to push the beam away-
but it didn't move at all.
It was too heavy.
Far too heavy.
"Why... why is my body so useless...?"
He bit his lip until it tore, blood filling his mouth, just to stay awake.
His hand reached forward again.
His fingers dug into the ground as he dragged himself forward inch by inch.
His nails began to tear away one by one.
Blood mixed with dirt and sand.
Yet-
he kept moving.
Slowly.
Desperately.
Without stopping.
His veins bulged beneath his skin as his body reached its limit.
"Mom..."
His voice weakened.
But finally-
his trembling hand reached her.
His fingers touched something soft.
Warm.
Real.
Her foot.
"Mo... ther..."
His vision darkened.
His consciousness began to fade once more.
Yet-
he forced a faint smile.
He didn't want to look weak.
Not in front of her.
"Mom..."
His voice was barely a whisper.
"...am I... strong...?"
No answer.
No movement.
She didn't respond.
She didn't even look at him.
Her eyes were empty.
Like a hollow shell.
"...Mom...?"
His voice broke.
"...don't you... care about me...?"
His strength finally gave out.
His grip loosened.
His hand slowly slipped away from her foot.
The warmth disappeared.
Everything grew cold.
And in that final moment-
one question remained:
Is this hope...
or just a hallucination born from regret...?