18 Rooftop
Neaf stormed out of the office, his mind in turmoil. He dashed towards the school entrance, desperate to escape the suffocating atmosphere.
Why did this have to happen to him? Was dying such a terrible crime that he had to bear this burden? The original owner of this body was against him, Axtral was nowhere to be found, and the incident with Richa weighed heavily on his mind.
The gate was shut, leaving him with no way out. He glanced around anxiously and hurried up the stairs, hoping to avoid encountering anyone.
As he ascended to the second floor, he continued up the stairs, consumed by fear about what had happened and what he would have to do in three days to win over Axtral, or perhaps even win over the Neaf of this world.
It didn't seem like something Neaf could handle, especially after hearing the hurtful words from the original owner of this body. It was clear how angry he was.
But the truth was, Neaf didn't understand why this was happening to him. He hadn't even committed suicide after enduring so much bullying. He had been killed, and yet it felt like he was the one facing the consequences.
The door came into view as he reached the top of the stairs. He opened it with ease, and the light momentarily blinded him. Taking in his surroundings, he realised he was now on the rooftop.
The wind tousled his hair, and sunlight warmed his face as he made his way to the edge of the rooftop and leaned against the railing.
"Why me?!" Neaf shouted, his frustration boiling over.
He had tried to adapt, but now he was faced with another problem. First, there was Axtral, who hadn't even revealed the real reason for bringing him here. Then there was all the chaos, the harassment, and the loss of control over this body. It was all far worse than anything he had experienced in his own world.
At least there, people had ignored his existence. Even when he was bullied, it felt like nothing compared to what he was enduring now.
"What have I done to deserve a fate like this?" Neaf asked, tears streaming down his face as he covered his eyes with his hands.
He had never cried in his life, at least not in front of others. The bullying and loneliness hadn't broken him like this. He couldn't bear it any longer.
Standing up, he peered over the edge of the rooftop, four floors below. With his vision blurred by tears, he gripped the railing tightly. "I don't want to live. I don't care what happens to this body. I don't give a damn," he declared.
He leaped, gravity pulling him down. He shut his eyes, refusing to witness his descent.
It wasn't his fault. He hadn't done anything wrong. It was Axtral and the real Neaf. They could deal with the days he had been given. He wasn't to blame.
"Are you dying?" The thought flashed through Neaf's mind as he squeezed his eyes shut even tighter.
As his body descended, he just wanted it to be over with. Opening one eye, he realised it had been too long, and he had yet to reach the ground.
It shouldn't be taking this long. Even from four floors up, the fall shouldn't be this prolonged. He found himself suspended in the air, defying gravity. He distinctly remembered the sensation of falling, so what was happening now?
"Dying is so easy. How can you die without even meeting your grandparents?" Axtral's voice echoed as he sat on Neaf's mid-air form.
Neaf was gripped by panic, his entire being flushed with red.
"I told you to protect this body, but you're destroying it. Neaf, aren't you afraid of anything?" Axtral's eyes darkened.
Neaf felt a chill run down his spine as he sensed the ominous aura emanating from Axtral. Nothing good had come from the day he had met Axtral and entered this world.
"What about the task, Neaf? I saw you break your coach's nose. It seems like you passed with flying colours," Axtral said, moving closer and peering into Neaf's eyes, which were stained with tears.
He couldn't fathom why this human was crying and willing to die. Such weakness. What kind of man cries like this?
Axtral had never seen a man cry like this before. Such a coward, without even standing up for himself.
What did he want in life? He had been given a second chance at life, in a stronger body, with a system like his that could make his life better if he just followed instructions.
But no, he let his small mind run wild and then cried like a coward.
He behaves like a pussy, without even banging one he knows how to behave like one .
"I did. If you saw that, why didn't you come when I asked for your help?" Neaf finally spoke up, his frustration boiling over. He had pleaded with Axtral to come and help him, but Axtral was nowhere to be found when he needed him the most. Now he had a lot to say about it.
"Then why die like this without any reward? You know what, Neaf, no matter how many times you die, I'm going to make sure you remain alive. As I told you, it will be in a loop. You're not getting away from here," Axtral declared.
The words echoed in Neaf's mind. Amidst all the chaos, he had forgotten that Axtral had warned him about being trapped until he completed the tasks.
"I've already done the task, and you're not even helping me in any way. Where were you when the original owner of this body pushed my soul in and took over?" Neaf demanded.
"Do you think you can handle every task? You can't even handle a little joke in the name of a task. You need to prepare yourself, and this is not how you do it," Axtral admonished.
