Nightlight

Chapter One: The beginning of the end

"When are you going to stop being such a loser?"

Those words shot from behind Hiro's shoulder he turned around to see his older brother David loitering in his doorway,

"What do you want?" Hiro groaned.

"Come on man there's so much else you could be doing then just sitting on your ass all day staring into the abyss for 3 days straight, Your 15, come on man lets go see a movie or anything other than, well... this."

No response, just silence. "Come on man we're all worried about you can't you at least play your xbox with friends or something?" The truth was Hiro didn't have any real friends, David sighed once more before giving up and leaving. There was no changing his mind, tonight was the night that Hiro planned on committing suicide.

3 Days Ago:

The 4-B classroom always had a special feeling, like it was the only place in JB high that didn't feel like corruption. Nothing was good about this school. Joseph Brigg High had a reputation for being home to some rather unpleasant children. However 4-B was somewhat of a safe space for Hiro, his only class with her, the only class he could block out everyone and focus on something positive no matter how many random things were thrown at him, insults hurled, he didn't have to deal with it as if just her presence was a shield. Sure, he failed every History test but as long as he got to bask in Maki's glory for just a few hours a week it was all worth it. Her long thick black hair was nothing short of perfection not to mention her blue eyes, shy nature and the fact she's an overachiever and straight A student.

Then there was Hiro, so average, average black hair, average brown eyes, not great at sport, not great at socialising, no talents, a total nobody.

"ARE YOU GOING TO KEEP IGNORING ME?" for the first time since Maki Joined the class, someone interrupted his peace. It was Axel, in Hiro's words "The biggest waste of sperm in the world". The teacher (Hiro never cared to learn her name) uttered something useless to try and get him to sit down, But he persisted, Axel was right in Hiro's face.

"Look at you, your a fucking failure." Hiro was always Axel's target. He stood up from his chair without breaking eye contact

"I don't know what your problem is but you need to back up Axel" It was then he realised all eyes were on him but Maki's was the only pair that mattered.

Axel slammed both palms into Hiro's shoulders sending him flying onto the desk behind him. It was on.

"I'm sick of you" Hiro cried; trying to hold back tears...

"What the fuck are you gonna do about it stick arms?" Axel snapped back Hiro had a reputation for being a terrible fighter.

Hiro walked back over to Axel, looking staring dead at him.

Without warning Axel hooked him right in the stomach.

Hiro collapsed onto the floor coughing up chunks of his lunch while the entire began laughing. Once again the teacher said something no-one cared to hear, picking up the phone to call the office, Hiro slowly rose to his feet standing face to face with Axel once again despite feeling like someone just punched a hole through his chest.

"Like I said you won't do shit, I told you Hiro you're a worthless piece of trash" Axel shouted.

"Show me you're worth something!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. Slowly Hiros fingers retracted into a fist. He thought of every-time he was wronged, every-time he'd been hit, he thought of Maki and giving this his all, shot his elbow behind him, and threw a jab directly hitting Axel in the nose. Dead on target.

Axel didn't even flinch. He looked at him with confusion

"That's really it? Like I said fucking worthless" He walked back to his desk leaving Hiro standing, too embarrassed to raise his head even while he walked back to his desk his head stayed fixated on the grey carpet. Then he heard it through all the chaos of the class one voice stuck out, despite it being so much quieter than everyone else's and wouldn't leave his mind even 3 Days later, Maki's.

A large knife pierced his stomach, the kind of pain you don't wish on your worst enemy almost like Axel had hit him again but directly in the heart. He sat down and Axel's spit finally fell from his chin onto the desk below him. Everyone got up and left, Miss Bitch tits Wouldn't come back so who cared, leaving Hiro alone a feeling he was beyond used too at this point.

So there he sat on a Monday morning just staring at the white ceiling of his bedroom reflecting on his life what he could have done different but no matter what it still echoed in his head like his I-pod was stuck on replay was Maki's laugh,

'She must have thought what a loser I am', He thought

That ringed through his ears for 3 days straight. The phone alarm rang out, it was time to go . No goodbyes, not like his parents gave a shit about him, all they did was work and since his brother moved out a year or two ago, he mostly lived on his own. The only one who deserved a goodbye was David. He at least cared but it was too late for that he stood at the door wearing his favourite outfit, his black branded t-shirt and track pants. The door handle was cold and all that greeted Hiro on his way out was the cold unforgiving wind of the winter. His time had come.

There wasn't really a plan as-long as he bit the dust. It didn't really matter to him jumping was the most favourable but jumping in front of a car wasn't out of the question

He had always wondered what it would feel like. Flying through the sky, then the abyss. A female voice rang out from the balcony.

"Someone please!"

Hiro knew he had to at least try to help. He kicked the rust fence guarding the staircase and ran up.

On the balcony was only a figure standing not far from the railing of the balcony. Hiro's heart raced, before it spoke.

"I knew this was the right spot, nice to meet you kid", Hiro didn't know how to react at all, but strangest of all this thing wasn't human. It was almost transparent, it was also blue and taller, a little taller than an average adult man.

"I've been waiting for an hour, finally someone with a kind heart, it'll serve you well son, the fact your willing to jump in harm's way to save a random woman proves the youth of this town were the right choice",

Hiro stood frozen without even blinking his eyes scanned the thing up and down without blinking.

It continued, "If you accept my offer you will be doing nothing short of saving the human race." Just as usual; Hiro just felt confused by what the man was saying.

The figure continued "Not long ago. I guess who you would consider God, decided you humans had gotten too big for your boots with all this corruption and pollution so he went to the spirit world and we all took a poll, should we kill the humans or not, it ended in a tie. So now we decided on a location; your hometown and if you begin this, spirits will bond with the souls of the residents of this town, and fight for the sun to rise in the morning. My name is Annai and no matter what you do I'm sticking around and together with some friends we're gonna stop the eternal night."

Hiro looked confusedly into Annai's beady eyes

"But, why me. I'm just a nobody and even then... " Hiro whined before being interrupted,

"If not you then who else, Don't sweat it kid you'll get it as we go,"

Hiro thought for a second, about why he wasn't freaking out. A spirit just told him that if he didn't "start the game" then an eternal night would kill all of humanity. Maybe it was that he felt he had nothing left to lose or maybe it was that he wanted anything to live for but he slowly rose his head and while raising his fist shouted "LET'S DO THIS!".

"Well that's all I needed to hear '' Slowly Hiro began to lose consciousness until everything went black.