~'¶\ Broken Lies \¶'~(Ai Hoshino X OC)

Special Chapter : Consequences.

Awakened from a deep slumber, his eyes fluttered open to the harsh glare of fluorescent lights overhead, momentarily blinding him. The only sound piercing through the haze was the rhythmic beeping of the heart rate monitor, a stark reminder of his fragile state.

Where am I?

Panic surged as memories flooded back, sharp and vivid. He jerked upright in bed, only to be met with a horrifying sight that made his heart plummet.

His left arm was gone.

No, this can't be real.

It can't be true, can it?

In a frantic motion, he ripped the IV tube from his arm, the fluid spilling onto the floor as he tried to stand. But as soon as his feet touched the cold ground, he collapsed, a pained yelp escaping his lips.

What else?

He instinctively checked his back. His tail-his connection to who he was-was gone. Meaning, his balance was disrupted by the lack of his tail. A wave of disbelief washed over him; it was as if pieces of his identity had been stripped away.

"N-No..."

His mind raced with the implications of what had happened. Memories flashed before him like a broken film reel, but his heart clung to denial. It couldn't be true; it just couldn't.

Despite the pain coursing through him, he leaned against the wall for support, forcing himself to focus through the fog of confusion. His thoughts zeroed in on one thing: her.

With trembling hands, he reached for the doorknob and twisted it open. The cacophony of voices and cries from children hit him like a wave. The hospital was bustling with activity; nurses rushed past tending to injured patients while doctors shouted orders amidst the chaos. Yet none of this registered in his mind.

He needed to find her.

His breathing grew erratic, each inhale more desperate than the last as he scanned the room for any sign of her presence. He tried to reach out with his powers, hoping to sense her energy, but there was nothing-only an empty void where her life signature should have been.

His lungs felt heavy.

He stopped trying to sense her energy, overwhelmed by swirling thoughts and images that replayed in his mind like a haunting melody. Clenching his head in frustration, he fought against the reality that threatened to engulf him.

A dream.

This must be a dream-a nightmare from which he would soon awaken.

Yet even as he told himself this, his body moved instinctively toward the crowd, searching for her amidst the chaos that surrounded him.

Then, he heard it-a cry that pierced through the haze of confusion and pain.

He recognized that cry.

With determination surging through him, he limped toward the room from which the sound emanated, each step a battle against his own body. As he reached the door, he hesitated, opening it slowly to reveal a room filled with shocked faces. But he barely registered their expressions; his gaze was locked onto the bed draped in white sheets.

There she was.

Her face, serene yet hauntingly still, lay exposed beneath the fabric.

No... this can't be real.

His heart raced as disbelief washed over him. The world around him faded into a dull roar, muffled and distant. He could only whisper her name, barely audible above the chaos in his mind.