5 Reincarnate
His heart heavy with self-doubt and regret, he couldn't help but hang his head in disappointment. Sitting in a worn-out chair, he gazed longingly through the closed window, as if searching for solace in the world beyond.
The ticking of the clock on the wall echoed in his ears, emphasizing the passing of time and the weight of his own failures.
As darkness suddenly engulfed the room, the absence of light mirrored the shadows clouding his thoughts.
Anxious to dispel the encroaching darkness, he called out to his mother, his voice tinged with a mix of desperation and resignation.
"Mom, can you bring a candle to my room?"
A retort pierced through the dimly lit silence, brimming with frustration and weariness.
"Take it yourself," his mother's voice echoed from another part of the house, emphasizing her own exasperation.
The weight of his emotions settled upon him as he sank further into the chair, surrendering to the despair that threatened to consume him.
The flickering flame of the candle seemed insignificant compared to the shadows that danced within his troubled mind.
"I don't wanna live in a hole anymore. It's suffocating, being trapped in this darkness. I yearn for a glimmer of light, a way out of this desolation. Dreams slip through my fingers, leaving me empty-handed. I can't keep pretending that everything is fine when I'm drowning in sorrow. There's a weight on my chest that grows heavier each day. I long for freedom, for a chance to break free from this despair. But deep down, I know the truth. I'm stuck here, in this pit of sadness, with no escape in sight. It's a never-ending cycle, and I don't know how much longer I can bear it.," he said , the words hanging heavily in the air.
Minutes stretched into an eternity as he sat there, lost in his thoughts.
Then, as if a glimmer of hope emerged from the darkness, the room was suddenly bathed in light once more.
The return of illumination brought a fleeting sense of relief, but it couldn't dispel the underlying turmoil that plagued him.
His gaze shifted from the closed window and clock to the illuminated computer screen, an oasis of distraction in the midst of his inner turmoil.
Seeking solace, he navigated to a different website, yearning to escape his own thoughts for a while.
A collection of dancing videos caught his eye, their vibrant thumbnails beckoning him to click.
With a hesitant yet curious click of the mouse, the videos came to life. As he watched the dancers' graceful movements and exuberant expressions, a flicker of joy illuminated his face.
The weight of his troubles momentarily lifted as he immersed himself in the captivating rhythm and artistry before him.
"Damn," he exclaimed, his voice filled with a mix of delight and nostalgia.
"Me and my friends used to take dance classes and dance like this. It was a blast." His words carried a hint of longing, a wistful remembrance of a time when carefree laughter and boundless energy flowed freely.
As the videos played on, he felt a twinge of curiosity stirring within him. His brow arched subtly, a silent acknowledgment of the memories and experiences that had shaped him.
The dance videos became more than just a momentary escape; they rekindled a flame within him, a reminder of the joy he had once known.
Lost in the sea of online content, he continued to explore, his attention shifting to other fascinating and captivating things.
Each discovery brought a renewed sense of intrigue, as he sought out the stories and experiences that resonated with him.
In the depths of his search, he found solace and connection, even if only in the virtual realm.
The clock ticked past midnight, marking the arrival of a new year. Suddenly, the stillness of the night was shattered by jubilant screams and joyful exclamations echoing from outside.
The cacophony of happiness painted the walls of his room in hues of red, contrasting against the tranquil blue of his surroundings.
"What?" he uttered, his breath escaping in a bewildered exhale. The realization dawned upon him, catching him off guard.
"New year... today?" His shoulders twitched, a mixture of surprise and a flicker of something deeper stirring within him.
Tears welled up in his eyes, mirroring the conflicting emotions that roiled within his heart. But in a peculiar twist, as the tears streamed down his cheeks, laughter burst forth from his lips. The tears and laughter intermingled, an unexpected release of pent-up emotions that defied explanation. With his head tilted upward, he continued to laugh, a bittersweet symphony of joy and sorrow.
He stifled his tears, swallowing hard as he took a deep, steadying breath. His gaze remained fixed on the glow of the computer screen, casting a soft radiance in the darkened room.
But as fate would have it, the light flickered and faded, plunging the room into darkness.
"My birthday, huh..." he murmured, his voice a whisper carried on the exhale of multiple breaths.
The weight of his own existence seemed to press upon him, the significance of this moment mingling with his tangled emotions.
Outside, the festivities raged on, growing louder and more exuberant with each passing moment.
But the noise, once a source of annoyance, now pierced through the turmoil within him.
"Argh, shut up!" he screamed, his hands instinctively covering his ears, his head bowed as he sought respite from the overwhelming cacophony.
"Ah, shut... up..." he whispered, the words barely escaping his trembling lips. He drew in deep, ragged breaths, desperately trying to find equilibrium amidst the tumult.
As he opened his eyes, a glimmer of serenity emerged, focused on the statuette that graced his table.
Slowly, his hands slid away from his ears, no longer needing their protection from the outside world. The once-deafening sounds that had assaulted his senses were now mere background noise.
His attention shifted to the intricately crafted status, its presence offering a quiet refuge from the chaos that surrounded him. In that moment, he found solace, a fleeting sanctuary within the confines of his own room.
The gold-colored figurine, not actual gold but adorned in its shimmering guise, depicted a rotund man with a hearty laughter.
One hand proudly held a symbolic representation of wealth, while the other extended in a gesture of benevolent blessing. It seemed to watch over him, a silent guardian amidst the shadows of his room.
"I don't know, man... I don't know anymore," he muttered, his voice tinged with a mix of confusion and resignation. His words echoed through the empty space, carrying the weight of existential contemplation.
"It's all so confusing, like... why was I even born? My existence feels absurd, to the point where it's almost comical." The irony of his existence was not lost on him, and today, like countless days before, seemed to be an unchanging repetition of the same mundane patterns.
"I wish I was special," he murmured, his voice a whisper of longing and dissatisfaction. The yearning for uniqueness, for a sense of purpose beyond the ordinary, was etched into his words. His gaze shifted to the outside world, seeking solace in the darkness beyond the window.
"I should really sleep now," he contemplated, his eyes flickering to the somber black clock, its hands frozen in time. But uncertainty clouded his thoughts. "But I don't really know if I should... I mean, the dream I had yesterday was so bizarre. I don't know what to make of it... it's... it's unsettling." His voice wavered, revealing a hint of fear, an underlying unease that tugged at his consciousness.
Within the room, darkness held sway, with only a feeble glimmer of moonlight penetrating through the window. Its soft illumination cast delicate shadows, gradually succumbing to the encroaching obscurity that blanketed the space.
The room, once suffused with a pale whiteness, now dissolved into an inky blackness, absorbing the remaining traces of light.
As he made an attempt to rise, a sudden jolt of pain coursed through his chest, gripping him with an unrelenting force.
His hand instinctively clutched at his heart, fingers digging into flesh, as a guttural scream tore through the silence.
It was a solitary cry, devoid of harmony, a raw outpouring of agony and despair that reverberated within the confines of his own being.
Lying sprawled on the cold, unforgiving floor, his gaze fixated on a distant point, he was transported through the corridors of time.
Memories surged forth, a floodgate of images, echoing voices, and fleeting moments etched in his consciousness.
"What do you want to be, Valin?" a voice resonated, a tender inquiry from a bygone era.
The words reverberated within his mind, summoning forth a vision of his younger self, filled with innocent aspirations and boundless dreams.
"I want to be a hero, like in the books," he replied, his voice brimming with conviction and youthful fervor.
"I want to go on daring adventures, save the princess, and get the glory that heroes have. I want to grow up swiftly, to claim my place among the people and be proud of the path I choose."
As the memories cascaded, his breathing slowed, becoming irregular, his eyelids fluttering between moments of closure and half-awareness.
The weight of his entire being pressed upon the floor, his body seemingly torn asunder by an invisible force. It lasted for agonizing minutes, each passing second inflicting its toll upon him, until his movements ceased altogether.
In the stillness that followed, amidst the fading pulses of life, his gaze shifted, fixating on a familiar figure—a monkey that had haunted his dreams.
Tears welled in his eyes, streaming down his cheeks, as a rush of emotions coursed through him. Every memory, from the tender joys of childhood to the burdens of the present, unfurled like fragile petals in a melancholic ballet.
He gasped, his breath becoming labored, the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest now punctuated by irregular spasms.
A flicker of light in his eyes dwindled, the once vibrant glow fading into an abyss of eternal darkness. The remnants of a life, once animated and vibrant, now lay motionless upon the floor.
All that remained was a lifeless shell, a vessel stripped of vitality, cradled in the somber embrace of the room's eternal darkness.
The stillness lingered, heavy with the weight of unfulfilled dreams and unanswered questions, as the world outside carried on, oblivious to the loss that had unfolded within those four walls.
