Prologue

I took a casual glance at my reflection in the mirror, coming face to face with an ordinary guy named Kai. Twenty-one and still single, I stood at a crossroads that marked the blurry transition to adulthood.

My life, up until then, had been a steady trajectory along the lines of an uneventful routine. Born into a typical family, my journey through high school had been a passable one, cruising along with grades that lingered comfortably around the midrange.

After I tossed my graduation cap in the air, the next station on my life's train was a meagerly paid job – a cog in the machine of the everyday grind.

My family was your typical family: my younger sister, my dad, and my mom. We were a textbook example of a run-of-the-mill unit, one that blended seamlessly into the diverse fabric of society.

My looks were as nondescript as they come – brown hair framing a face highlighted by the most forgettable shade of blue eyes.

As time swept forward, life took an unexpected turn, dealing a harsh blow as it claimed both my parents. Suddenly, it was just my sister Asha and me, standing in the doorway of a once bustling home that had grown eerily quiet.

Asha, just a year younger, embodied a certain kind of beauty that could only be described as ethereal.

With her cascading black hair and eyes that were as icy and piercing as a winter's chill, she was a study in grace and strength. While she focused on her own dreams, she also quietly shouldered the burden of supporting me through my struggles.

Reality had its own ideas, and the weight of financial hardship bore down on us when Asha's college fees loomed large on the horizon. My modest savings were a drop in the bucket compared to what was needed.

A fire ignited within me, fueled by an unyielding desire to protect my sister's aspirations. And so, my life's trajectory took a sharp turn.

I jumped into a frenzied juggling act, working three part-time jobs simultaneously to scrape together every penny I could to cover her education.

One unremarkable day, I managed to clock out of work early – a rare luxury that presented me with an opportunity for a small escape. I found myself drawn to the manga cafe, where hours floated by unnoticed as I immersed myself in fantastical tales and intricate storylines.

Eventually, the grip of the stories loosened, and I stretched my weary muscles before heading back home. The journey felt oddly shorter, as if the winding paths of my imagination had somehow paved the way.

Amidst the rhythm of the city streets, a piercing scream shattered the air, yanking me out of my thoughts and into the present moment.

My heart raced as I turned towards the source of the distress, my instincts kicking in without a second thought. With a sense of urgency, I dialed the police, my fingers rapidly tapping the digits that could be a lifeline.

A growing feeling of danger prodded me into action mode. I scanned my surroundings, looking for anything that could serve as a shield or weapon should things escalate.

My hand found a discarded metal rod, its coldness a stark contrast to the chaos around me. I moved closer, my steps cautious and calculated, my heart pounding in my chest.

In the faint glow of the streetlights, I stumbled upon a scene that froze me in my tracks – a girl, seemingly helpless, ensnared in the clutches of a modern-day predator. A surge of determination coursed through me, a spark that set off a series of rapid decisions.

Stealthily, I closed the gap, my intention to be her unseen savior. Muscles tensed, I prepared to strike, my entire being focused on the task at hand. But fate had different plans. A careless step on my part betrayed my presence, the sound of crushed aluminum ringing out like a bell, signaling my intentions.

In that split second, dread settled over me like a storm cloud. The predator's eyes locked onto mine, an unholy connection formed between the devil and his prey.

Instinct and terror mingled as we engaged in a chaotic dance, his malicious intentions clashing against my desperate need to rescue the girl.

His punch missed, my dodge barely avoiding contact. Our movements unfolded in a macabre ballet of survival, a desperate struggle between life and death.

And then it happened – the glint of a weapon, a gunshot, and then searing pain. I crumpled, my body weakened, the pavement unforgiving against my skin as my life's essence pooled beneath me.

But even through the agony, the flames of defiance still burned. Gritting my teeth, I reached out, my fingers gripping the predator's leg with a vice-like grip. He responded with furious kicks, each blow a testament to his determination. Yet determination was a fire that blazed within me as well.

Seconds stretched into eternity as the girl, who had been a captive of fear, found the strength to rise. She stood like a phoenix reborn from the ashes.

Her eyes, shimmering with a blend of gratitude and sorrow, locked onto mine before she turned and fled into the night. Her absence felt like a breath of fresh air, a victory snatched from the jaws of darkness.

The predator's curses echoed in my ears, a symphony of rage that underlined the certainty of my impending demise.

As darkness began to envelop me, my thoughts reached beyond the pain. My sister, Asha, her face etched into my consciousness, dominated my mind. Regret and longing intertwined, questions like haunting melodies.

Would she weather the storm that my absence would bring? Would she be left to face the world alone? Would the world treat her kindly?

In that twilight zone between consciousness and oblivion, the fabric of life's uncertainties began to unravel. A symphony of emotions played its final crescendo as the curtain of consciousness began to fall, pulling me into the embrace of the unknown.