Collide

Prologue

Prologue

One year ago

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Itadori sat on the couch, gazing at the TV screen before him. The movie playing before him failed to hold his attention, and he reached for a bag of chips on the coffee table. As he munched on a chip, he glanced at the clock above the door, wondering how long the movie would last. He sat next to his grandfather, who always appeared to be in a foul mood. 

The elderly man's face was etched with deep lines, and his eyes were narrowed in irritation. "If you want to leave, go ahead," he grumbled, his voice laced with annoyance. 

"I want to see what happens after this movie," Itadori replied calmly as he fixed his gaze on the screen. A comfortable silence soon settled in as grandfather and grandchild watched the movie together.

"Pass me some chips."

He looked at his grandfather with an eyebrow raised. "Aren't you not allowed chips?"

In turn, the cranky man scoffed at him. "Do you think they would allow you to bring in food that is unsafe for me? Pass it here."

At the insistence of his old man, he reluctantly relinquished the bag of chips to his grandfather and leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms. He was determined to enjoy the rest of the movie without any more interruptions. The silence in the room was palpable, and the film was starting to get interesting when, suddenly, the entire room shook violently, causing the two of them to jump in surprise.

The ground trembled, causing the entire building to shake violently. Some appliances toppled over and crashed onto the floor, shattering into pieces. The sudden jolt disrupted the power supply, making the lights flicker and the television turn on and off intermittently. The flashing lights and the sudden change of events caused confusion and panic in his mind.

"Stupid world!" his grandfather yelled as he sat upright and held the railing of his bed.

He settled with grabbing the wall railing on his right.

As the violent shaking persisted, the lights flickered, and eventually, all power cut out, plunging the room into an eerie darkness. The duo found themselves in complete disorientation, unable to see anything in the pitch-black room. It was unclear whether the power outage was limited to their block or if it had affected the entire city. The silence followed was deafening, broken only by their breathing and the occasional creaking of the building.

He exerted himself to sit up and peered out of the window. The sight that greeted him was one of chaos and fear. The car lights on the roads below illuminated the terror that had taken hold of the people. Panic was spreading like wildfire, and the once peaceful streets were now a scene of pandemonium.

"Get away from the windows, you idiot!" he heard his grandfather bellow a warning.

As he gazed out the window, he suddenly heard a loud rumble and felt the ground beneath him shake violently. Alarmed, he quickly turned away from the window and sat on his seat, bracing himself for any possible occurrence. The shaking continued for a few more seconds, causing objects in the room to rattle and sway. Itadori's heart raced as he wondered what was happening.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, everything stilled. The room fell silent, except for his grandfather's heavy breathing. Almost immediately after the shaking stopped, the power appeared again, lighting up the room and powering the television again. After a moment, he sighed in relief, grateful that the worst was over.