Beyond darkness

Hey readers! This is Tony the creator of Beyond Darkness. The chapters are getting reworked and changed to a third-person perspective. New readers won't see this change, but old readers will. Enjoy the story and have a great time! 

INTRODUCTION

A new life came into being on April 9th, 2021, marking the supposed end of the universe's destruction as per popular belief. This new life goes by the name of Izumi Eru, a 15-year-old male currently residing in New York City. Being well aware of the local thugs in his area, Izumi finds himself being pursued by them one evening. Despite his attempts to evade them by hiding in alleyways, he eventually finds himself surrounded by three men - one with a hairy head and two bald individuals. They accuse him of having wronged their boss and demand retribution.

Despite pleading with them to let him off, the men refuse to listen and prepare to attack him. Izumi, realizing that his only option is to defend himself, reaches into his pocket and draws a knife, charging toward the man on his right. He manages to dodge the man's attack and quickly slashes at his back, causing him to collapse on the ground. This infuriates the bald man, who is approximately 6'3" in height, and he tears off his shirt to reveal his bulging muscles. With a roar, he charges toward Izumi, who quickly sidesteps him and picks up a broken piece of concrete from the ground, throwing it behind the man to distract him. Izumi then runs towards him and slices his nape, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground. Exhausted from the ordeal, Izumi collapses as well.

As he lay on the ground, blood trickling down his face, Izumi tried to catch his breath. He attempted to speak, but his lungs wouldn't cooperate. The thug towered over him, taunting him with his gun. "You actually downed them huh? It was quite a show but now you gotta get me. Your stick type can't beat me," the thug sneered. Izumi pleaded with the thug to spare his life, explaining how difficult it was to survive when old men were trying to kill him just for trying to get an education.

Despite his pleas, the thug continued to beat him mercilessly, kicking him and throwing him against the wall. Izumi could feel the blood starting to flow from his nose. "I hate to say it kid, but you're gonna die! Die like a man and fight me!" the thug exclaimed, pointing a gun at Izumi. In the midst of the chaos, Izumi noticed a dark shadow looming behind the thug. As he turned to look, he heard the sound of a metal pipe striking something - or someone.

The thug stumbled backward, dropping his gun and falling to the ground. His face was twisted in a look of agony and shock, his eyes white and empty. A sense of relief washed over Izumi as he realized the danger was over. Suddenly, a familiar voice spoke up. "So you can't stop getting into trouble, can you Izumi?" Izumi looked up to see Noelle, a popular girl from school and a celebrity, standing before him.

He was amazed that the only person who could get him out of trouble had come to his rescue yet again. "Wait, can it be? Noelle?" he asked in disbelief. She smiled at him, offering him a hand up. "Come on, let's get you out of here before those thugs wake up," she said, pulling him to his feet. Izumi couldn't help but feel grateful for Noelle's intervention, knowing that he would never have made it out alive without her.

Izumi couldn't believe his luck when Noelle showed up in the alley to save him. It seemed that every time he got himself into trouble, she was there to rescue him. As she held out her hand to help him up, he couldn't help but stare at her beautiful smile and fall for her face. She scolded him for always ending up in trouble and suggested they go to a nearby cafe to talk.

As they walked to the cafe, they talked about their lives and caught up with each other. When they arrived, they sat down on stools and continued their conversation. Noelle teasingly asked if Izumi had a girlfriend yet, causing him to blush and deny it.

After an hour, Noelle said it was time for her to go home. Izumi offered to take her home to ensure her safety, but she declined and told him she had already paid for a cab. Izumi felt disappointed, but he understood and said goodbye to her.

As she left, Izumi couldn't help but feel a spark between them. He wondered if Noelle felt it too and hoped they could spend more time together soon.

As Noelle waved goodbye, the alluring scent of her perfume lingered in the air. The cafe owner, an elderly man who exuded joy, called out to the young man, "Hey, buddy! Is that your girlfriend? Hahahaha! Drinks are on me don't worry about it." The man laughed and replied, "No, that is not my lady...well, not yet. I want to come back later tomorrow and get some tips, old man." The banter continued as he put on his jacket and zipped it up. "Be careful Izumi," the cafe owner cautioned. "I will," the young man replied with a smile before stepping outside and closing the door.

Suddenly, he felt dizzy and his body began to ache. Panic set in as he realized that his medicine was not in his pockets. "I must have forgotten it at home," he thought. He stumbled and fell to the ground, hearing muffled voices and seeing blurry shadows. "Help me," he weakly cried out for assistance.