Hopeless Shadow

Prologue - Trust Me

Winter. February 12, 2017

He sighed deeply, his gaze drifting over the vast expanse of water below.

It was large.

Wide.

Blue, like the sky in summer.

A voice inside him whispered, urging him to jump into the blue water below. And he agreed with the idea.

Jumping might not be a bad way to relieve stress or even end his life. But what he wondered was, would everything be over simply by jumping into that water?

Even the voice inside him—who suggested the idea—knew the answer for sure. No. It wouldn't be that simple.

That was why he stayed still, taking a deep breath, reminding himself that he needed to stay alive to finish everything. Every so often, he silently prayed—though he wasn't sure to whom—hoping to find a way to end his misery.

He exhaled again and swung his legs, dangling a few meters above the sea. His hands gripped the object he was sitting on, holding himself back from falling, fighting the suffocating feeling that always haunted him.

All he wanted was one thing. To change his fate. That was all.

And he knew that was impossible, so he began to laugh bitterly. The voice inside him spoke again. You're crazy. Just jump and die!

Honestly, he did want to die. But as he had said before, things wouldn't end by jumping and dying. He could only keep hoping.

Yes. He nodded. Nothing is impossible. He couldn't lose hope.

He lifted his head, which had been hanging low, and stared at the rolling sea. His eyes closed as the waves created a strong gust of wind that hit him. His hair blew wildly, and the cold air greeted him.

"Hey."

A moment after the wind settled, he heard a voice.

His eyes quickly snapped open, and he turned to see someone sitting right next to him, staring at him with a melancholic gaze.

The young man in the black hoodie remained silent as the protagonist returned a confused look. Then the young man blinked once and asked, "Hey, do you know me?" His voice was hoarse, as if he hadn't spoken in years.

He shook his head in response. How could he know this person? This was the first time he'd seen this strange young man, who had somehow appeared beside him.

The young man lowered his head sadly, his face hidden by the hoodie.

He turned his gaze back to the sea, ignoring the stranger's presence.

"Do you want to turn back time?" The young man spoke after a deep breath.

He kept staring at the sea, not responding to the young man's words. Maybe the stranger was in the same hopeless situation as he was. Maybe that was why he was sitting next to him now.

But his assumptions were proven wrong when the young man continued, "I can help you turn back time."

What was this crazy person saying?

He shot a frustrated and scrutinizing look at the young man. "Sorry, I'm not in the mood for jokes," he said sarcastically.

Crazy. How could someone joke around like this at a time like this? It only made him angry. Was this guy really that insane? Was he so desperate that he would offer something impossible like turning back time? What a joke!

The young man looked at him, trying to reassure him. "I'm serious. I know you want it, and I can help you. Trust me." There was no sign of joking on his face.

That made him pause.

Yes, he did want it. More than anything. He wanted his time back, but he couldn't do anything about it. Turning back time was just a foolish thought of his; he knew that no one could do that.

But now, a strange young man appeared and claimed he could do it. How could he believe him? He didn't even know where this person came from, and who was he to say that he could turn back time? A guardian angel of the sea?

But there was something about the way the young man said it—he didn't see any hint of jest in his eyes. The young man was serious.

So, he was curious. Who exactly was the one who had lost their mind here? Without any humor in the situation, he started laughing uncontrollably, tears running down his face.

And just as suddenly, he screamed in pain, his face turning red as if he were being strangled.

He really did feel choked. The thought that he could do nothing, that there was nothing he could do, felt a thousand times more painful.

Losing all sense of reason, he looked at the young man with a desperate, hopeful gaze. Trying to believe his offer, no longer caring about anything else. After all, wasn't this what he had wanted? To change his fate?

"If I trust you, you really can do it?"

The young man, who had been silently watching his madness, now smiled and nodded. "But before that, you need to help me."

"What do you want?" he blurted out immediately.

The young man smiled again instead of answering. He gave a meaningful smile as he gazed straight ahead at the vast sea.[]