I stared at the sky above, standing atop a rooftop. Somewhere in a place I could familiarize myself with. Everything felt so nostalgic, like I'd been here before. But I haven't.
I walk towards the edge, looking down below.
I was far too high, on the rooftop of a tall skyscraper.
Looking below, I could make out faint figures of people.
Yet, some of them seemed to have tails and extra arms.
Some just outright had different colors on their skin.
Yellow, blue, etc.
I don't know if it's because I'm far away that they look that way. But either way, it's impressive that I can see that far.
But now that I think about it, how would I go down? I know there's a room nearby that probably leads downstairs. But will the people really overlook that?
And...
Where's Nino?
I closed my eyes as I walked back.
Should I wait a bit before going through and leaving?
I sat down to think.
But then I started to hear footsteps approaching.
I stood up, focusing my posture.
The door handle clicked, turning before the door opened.
There stood a man in a business outfit—gray hair and beard, holding a suitcase and a cigar in his mouth.
We locked eyes for a bit. He removed the cigar from his mouth.
"What're ya doing here, kiddo? And how'd ya get here? Last time I checked, no one was here."
He was calm, his eyes fixed on me, not changing.
"I just got lost. I don't exactly know how I got here..." I replied. I wasn't entirely lying—I really didn't know how I got here.
"Alright, well, I'll give you a free pass. You don't look like an intruder anyway."
He moved out of the way, raising his arm and pointing toward the door.
"Go."
I nodded as I made my way inside.
I took the elevator. Fortunately, I didn't meet anyone in it.
Once I was downstairs, I did meet a girl.
A receptionist.
"Thank you for your stay, sir! Come again!" she said, waving her arms.
I looked at her, smiling.
I made my way next to a mirror.
What I saw wasn't entirely myself.
The same me, but this time, I didn't have a scar. And I seemed to have gotten younger.
Two? Three years? No, I became five years younger.
I'm now once again a 10-year-old.
"Hehe..." I laughed quietly before making my way out of the building.
As I stepped outside, I looked back.
It was a hotel. "Well, not like I have any money to stay in anyway."
I made my way through the street, passing by people walking.
Until I reached a park. Fewer people were here, and those who remained were starting to leave.
"I guess it's probably almost midnight." I walked to a nearby bench, sitting down.
I looked upon the night sky. It was cozy. Stars shone in the darkness.
How come so many stars still appeared at night?
In my time, there were basically none.
I looked at the moon. It was a full moon.
I laid back on the chair, enjoying the peaceful night.
"Sukuna Shi." I muttered. That sounds like a good name to start anew.
I smiled before falling asleep.
I open my eyes to a world engulfed in flames. Buildings lay in ruins, wreckage scattered left and right. Corpses litter the ground, still clutching weapons they were unfamiliar with.
Screams echoed from everywhere.
I look down at myself. A vest strapped to my torso, a combat knife in my hand.
Suddenly, a voice behind me.
"Don't move."
A man in full gear steps closer. I hear the click of a gun being raised.
He inspects me, cautious.
Without a moment's hesitation, I dash to the left, tumbling down.
A gunshot rings out—too late.
I turn to him. He's already aiming again.
I throw my knife, diving to the ground as he fires in a panic.
Scrambling to my feet, I rush him. A swift kick sends him crashing down, his pistol knocked loose.
He reaches for it. I stomp on his hand.
"ARGH!"
I straddle him, my fists crashing into his face in a relentless barrage. Blood splatters. Teeth break loose.
I stop, panting. My vision blurs.
I close my eyes.
Then—
A cold press against my forehead.
"Heh." I got too comfortable.
"Hey, kiddo."
A loud bang.
"Hey, kiddo. Wake up."
A dark, gloomy voice pulls me from sleep. My eyes snap open. A man stands before me—maybe in his twenties.
Dressed in all black. Jacket, pants, shirt. The only thing that stands out is his red scarf.
"You're in my spot," he says, looking down at me. "Also, had a nightmare? I could see you sweating."
I get up. "None of your business."
"Why are you alone at night? Sleeping in a public park, on a bench, completely defenseless?" He tilts his head up, staring at the stars.
"I—"
He cuts me off. "You don't have a home or family?"
I nod, forcing a sad smile.
"I know an orphanage nearby. They'll take you in. Just don't expect anything fancy."
He stretches and turns. "Follow me. You can crash at my place tonight."
"You better be grateful—a hero is letting you stay in his house."
He keeps walking. I hesitate, then follow.
But I think to myself...
A hero? Heroes exist in this world?
Or is he just insane?
"What? First time seeing me?" he asks.
"Yeah. Why would I know you?"
He sighs. "Living under a rock, I guess."
"What'd you say?"
"Nothing."
Not long after, we arrived at our destination—his house.
It was a sleek, modern two-story home nestled in a quiet, upscale neighborhood.
The porch light flickered on as we approached. Everything about the place screamed wealth—not excessive, but definitely comfortable.
I guess this guy might not be lying after all.
We entered his house. He turned to a corner to switch on the lights.
"If you haven't eaten yet, go eat some leftovers. Don't forget to clean the plates. And you sleep in that room over there," he said, pointing toward a room before heading upstairs—presumably to sleep.
Does this man do this every time? Letting strangers into his house? Surely not, right?
"Oh yeah, don't even try anything funny. I have security."
I immediately tensed up.
Where in the world did that come from?
I looked up and saw a camera fixed in place, staring at me.
"Huh, alright."
I walked toward the fridge.
"Oh, and I hope you're smart enough to clean your own plates. Goodnight."
I sighed as I pulled out a plate of food—spaghetti with fried chicken.
Setting the plate on the table, I pulled out a chair and sat down.
How long had it been since I'd eaten anything fancy? Or even anything at all, for that matter?
I stared at the food for a moment before deciding to eat.
I ate it slowly, enjoying every last bite. Crying.
Once I finished devouring the food in front of me, I got up, cleaned up, and went to bed.
"I can't get used to this life."
I thought to myself—how would I live?
I would need to get a job, but for that, I needed to go to school…
Heh, maybe I'll try it out if I can.
Going to school…
I closed my eyes, for the last time that day. Dreaming of a nice life.
I wake up in a smooth, soft bed. Slowly sitting up, I took a look around.
So I wasn't dreaming.
I glanced down at my hands, my thoughts drifting.
Nino, where the fuck are you?
With a sigh, I fixed the bed before stepping out of the room.
In the living room, the man who picked me up last night was sitting on the couch, drinking coffee while watching the news.
"What're you looking at?" he asked, not even glancing my way.
"Nothing." I turned to the TV, watching as reporters conducted interviews.
"PLUS ULTRA!" A man with a golden-yellow slicked-back hairstyle and two spiky horns on his head declared with a wide grin.
"Huh."
The man finally looked at me. "What, you don't know All Might?"
I scoffed. "Nah," I replied confidently.
He just stared at me for a second before sighing. "Get dressed. Use the clothes in the drawer—you can have them."
Them? More like one pair.
I rummaged through and picked out a T-shirt, a jacket, and black pants.
Pulling the jacket on first, then the T-shirt, I checked myself in the mirror. "Man, I look cool."
"No, you don't," he shot back immediately. "Come on, let's go. I have paperwork to do."
Not even eating? All right.
Not long after, we left the house.
He led the way, walking with a relaxed posture, his hands in his pockets. I followed behind, adjusting my jacket as the early morning breeze brushed against my skin.
"Where are we even going?" I finally asked.
"To the orphanage."
I stopped in my tracks for a moment. So that's what this was about.
"You don't have to look so damn dramatic," he said without turning around. "Like I said, don't expect a fancy life, but at least you won't be sleeping on park benches."
I sighed, catching up to him. "Tch. Whatever."
As we walked, I couldn't help but glance around at the city. Tall buildings lined the streets, digital billboards flashed with advertisements, and people bustled about, some of them clearly not… human. Extra arms, strange-colored skin, tails, I remember seeing a billboard-quirks, right?
This wasn't my world.
And Nino was still missing...