Breaking the Glass (Volume 2)

"..."

"Sorry, could you repeat that?" Kaito exclaimed, his voice unsteady.

"No problem," the wise speaker replied calmly. "I will repeat it for you. Could you please jump off the building?"

"..."

Utterly shocked by the statement, Kaito screamed, "Have you finally lost your mind, old man? Why, why would I do that? Are you seriously telling me to kill myself? How exactly does ending my life help your cause? Explain it to me!"

"Oh, my apologies," the wise speaker said with a light chuckle. "Allow me to clarify." He gestured upward. "Remember our earlier conversation about death in this world and the possible outcomes afterwards?"

Kaito nodded, "Ah yes. You either 'Reset', or fall into a deep slumber. While in rare cases, you 'wake up' in the real world."

"Exactly," the wise speaker confirmed. "To put it simply, I want you to wake up in the real world. And the only way to achieve that is through instant death in this world."

"But how can you be so sure I won’t just... Die? Or end up 'Resetting' or fall into a deep slumber? This feels like taking 'If someone told you to jump off a bridge, would you do it?' way too literally. Can you even guarantee that I’ll wake up in the real world?"

"..."

The wise speaker’s expression grew thoughtful. "You’re right. I cannot offer you absolute assurance here and now. After all, the choice to believe me lies entirely with you. Will you stay in this illusion or take a leap of faith to face reality?"

He continued, his tone steady and reassuring. "What I can tell you is this, there is nothing to fear. According to our metrics, you are fully compatible to wake up. After all, you are not the first person we have approached for this purpose, Kaito. Like you, there have been many other like-minded people, who we have successfully managed to awaken. Even as we speak, my colleagues are likely having similar conversations elsewhere with their candidates."

The wise speaker’s gaze met Kaito’s. "So then, Kaito, what will you choose?"

Kaito stood frozen, visibly shaken and unsure of what to do. He was being asked to trust a stranger with his life on the line, with no way to verify the truth of anything he had been told. But he had no choice but to comply, clinging to the hope that Natasha was still alive.

"..."

"Alright, alright! I'll do it!" Kaito exclaimed. "I just have to jump off the building, right?"

"Yes," the wise speaker nodded calmly. "I believe that is the most painless way. Unless, of course, you would rather prefer a more painful exit, but I wouldn’t recommend that. There is a higher chance you might fall into a deep slumber instead of waking up."

"No, thank you," Kaito shuddered. "I'll stick with this."

With his knees visibly trembling, Kaito hesitantly approached the edge of the rooftop, his steps slow and deliberate. He climbed over the safety fence, gripping it tightly as he peered down. The drop below seemed endless, a stark reminder of what awaited him, or rather, what the wise speaker claimed would not be the end.

"Are... Are you sure this won’t hurt?" Kaito stammered, fear consuming him. He hesitated, one leg still braced against the fence. "Actually, you know what? I’ve changed my mi—"

"!"

Before he could finish, Kaito felt a sudden force. The ground beneath his feet vanished as he was propelled forward. In that split second, he saw the crimson clouds above, the wind roaring past his ears. His body plummeted, weightless, as the rooftop and the wise speaker receded into the distance.

Wide-eyed and panicked, he caught sight of the wise speaker standing calmly, hands still raised from the push.

"You b*staaaaaard!" Kaito screamed as he fell, his voice echoing into the void.

"..."

Everything slowed down, as though time itself had come to a halt. The rushing wind dulled to a whisper, and Kaito felt an eerie sense of calm wash over him. It was unexpected, almost soothing. He closed his eyes, resigning himself to what he thought would be the end.

But then, like a movie reel unravelling in reverse, memories began to flicker before him.

His successful confession.

His unrequited love.

His adventures with Natasha.

The bitter falling out with his father.

His mother’s gentle embrace and boundless care.

The innocence of his childhood.

And, finally, the very moment of his birth.

"..."

A deafening thud echoed as his body met the ground below, shattering the silence.