Ten Days of Katsuki (Todobaku)

Day 5, Part 1

Where...am I?

I'm in a room.

No, not a room. There aren't any walls. I tap my foot and feel myself standing on solid ground, yet when I look down there's nothing beneath my feet. I'm surrounded by a completely open space that appears to stretch on forever. I can make out myself, but everything else is dark.

A pure black abyss.

What is this place? I take a few steps forward, which for some reason I have no trouble doing even without a floor to walk on. But I already know it's useless. For each step I take, my body isn't any closer to a finite destination. I'm only heading toward a deeper pit of nothing.

"Hello?" I call out. "Can anyone hear me?"

As expected, no one answers. Panic quickly overcomes me and my chest caves in and out at a rapid rate. Is this my new reality? And if so, why?

Try to remember...

The events slowly play out in my brain. Before I ended up here, wherever here is exactly, I think I was with Bakugou. Yes, that's right. We were exploring Yasuragi Island together. Something about a wish. Or a necklace. Or jewels, maybe?

Bakugou. He stopped a thief from robbing this one store. Did I help him? I can't remember. But I do remember being in a great deal of pain. There was blood everywhere. Surely it must've been mine.

Observing my surroundings, nothing but the color black, a horrifying thought crosses my mind.

Am I...dead?

That can't be it. I still feel very much alive. Pressing my hands into my chest, this body is definitely solid matter. So what is this place? Maybe this is where everyone's souls go after they die but before God decides if they're destined for heaven or hell.

I try calling for help again. "Hello?"

My body's getting colder. For some reason I can't use my quirk to regulate my temperature. I don't like this place. I can accept the idea of being dead, but I really don't want to spend the rest of eternity alone.

I don't like being alone.

So I call for someone, anyone. Over and over again, until tears stream down my face. This can't be how it ends for me. I thought after the adversities I faced in my developing years that I'd be nicely compensated in the afterlife to make up for it. But this is the exact opposite of that.

I drop to my knees, burying my face in my hands. I scream, louder than I've ever screamed before. Not like it matters. No one can hear me anyway.

But then, right when I'm about to lose all hope, I hear his voice.

"Wake up, dumbass."

"Bakugou?" I say, jumping to my feet. I can't see him, but I'd recognize that voice anywhere.

He says it again. "Wake up."

I have no way of tracing where the sound is coming from. The melody of his voice surrounds me from every direction. It makes no sense seeing as I'm in a completely open space and therefore it should only come from a single direction. But to be fair, none of this makes sense anyway.

His voice gets louder. "WAKE UP, DAMN IT! COME ON!"

"I'm right here," I tell him. I wave my arms in the air as if there's a slight chance he may see me. "Where are you?"

Bakugou's pleads only get louder and more desperate. Unfortunately, they're also getting harder to decipher. It's like he's now yelling from behind a brick wall.