Resonance of Ruin - FPE OC

The Start.

Kozio's alarm buzzes, cutting through the stillness of his dark room. He blinks, barely conscious, staring at the cracked ceiling above. For a moment, he doesn't move. His body feels heavy, pinned down by an invisible weight. With a deep breath, he forces himself to sit up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. The world is gray and muted, a distant haze he's grown used to.

He reaches for the small bottle on his nightstand, shaking out the familiar pills into his palm. Without hesitation, he took it The clock reads 6:32 AM. Kozio's day has begun.

Pulling himself to his feet, he moves mechanically, grabbing clothes from a messy pile on the floor a plain shirt, dark jeans, and a faded jacket. He avoids the mirror, his eyes skimming over his own reflection as he walks past it. There's no point in looking. He knows what he'll see: the hollow eyes, the unkempt hair, the weariness that never leaves his face.

The apartment is silent except for the creak of the floorboards under his feet. He heads to the tiny kitchen, opening the fridge to grab a half-empty carton of milk and a slice of bread. Breakfast is a dull routine, and he barely tastes it as he chews. His eyes drift to the window, where the first light of dawn filters through. He's not sure if it's a new day or just another continuation of the same endless cycle.

Time slips by, and he finds himself sitting at the kitchen table, staring blankly at the wall. Minutes, maybe hours, pass, until the buzzing in his pocket pulls him back. It's a reminder class starts in half an hour. Kozio exhales, forcing his sluggish body to move. He grabs his bag, stuffing it with notebooks and pens, all while feeling an odd sense of detachment. It's as if his actions are happening without him.

On the way out, he grabs his second dose of pills, tucking them into his pocket. It's still early, the streets mostly empty, as he walks to school. Each step feels heavier than the last, and the dull ache in his chest grows stronger, but he keeps moving. He's good at that keeping up the motions, pretending he's part of the world around him.

By the time he reaches the school, students are already filtering in. He keeps his head down, avoiding eye contact as he slips through the hallways like a shadow. He feels their eyes on him curious, judgmental, indifferent but he doesn't care. He's learned how to blend in, to become invisible. It's easier that way.

The first class begins, and Kozio takes his usual seat in the back corner, far from the teacher's gaze. He pulls out his notebook and opens it to a blank page, but the words on the board blur together, and his mind drifts. He's not sure how long he sits there, staring at the same spot, before the bell rings. Another class over, another part of the day he's survived.

Lunch is no different. He sits alone, eating without tasting, lost in the sea of noise and chatter that surrounds him. The pills he took earlier have started to kick in, dulling the edges of his thoughts, but there's no relief. Just numbness.

The rest of the day passes in a similar haze a blur of classes, empty conversations, and meaningless routines. It's only when the final bell rings that he feels the smallest hint of something like relief, knowing he can retreat back to the safety of his room.

As he walks home, the clouds hang heavy in the sky, a perfect mirror to the weight pressing down on him. When he finally steps inside his apartment, he drops his bag by the door and sinks onto the couch, staring at the empty walls around him. He knows he should study, should be doing something anything but he can't find the will to move.

Instead, he sits in silence until the darkness creeps in, swallowing the room in shadows. With a heavy sigh, he reaches for the pill bottle again, popping a few more into his mouth. His fingers tremble slightly, but he forces them still. He doesn't know how many pills he's taken today, and he doesn't care. He just needs the numbness to stay, to keep the thoughts at bay.