Rebirth

— Tokita... Tokita!

Huh... That voice...

Someone puts a hand on my shoulder. It's my friend, Akira.

Akira: "You've been sleeping late, haven't you?"

Tokita: "Maybe... Did I miss anything important?"

Akira: "Nah, just the usual. More importantly, what character are you drawing? I don't recognize her from any anime."

He points to my desk. It's scribbled and smudged from all the drawings I've made and erased there.

Tokita: "She's from nowhere."

Akira: "Another original character? Damn, you really like creating your own waifus."

Tokita: "What can I say? It's just male instinct."

Akira: "Yeah, like drawing on your desk instead of in a notebook?"

Tokita: "That... isn't vandalism if I erase it later."

Akira: "And when's later? Sometimes you forget to erase. Or there's a smudge. Maybe you do it on purpose?"

Tokita: "I'm too lazy to care about that. The school doesn't care either, since they let me do it."

Akira: "It has nothing to do with school. Maybe you draw on your desk because you want it to be seen? Otherwise, you'd use a notebook to keep it to yourself."

Tokita: "Nah, the texture of the desk is a good canvas."

Akira: "You should share your stories with someone, you know? You keep telling me you'll do it later, but later never comes."

Tokita: "I need to refine and finalize it first."

Akira: "Keep telling yourself that and you'll never leave the starting point. People want to see more, not wait forever."

Tokita: "But no one loves my stories more than I do."

Akira: "Is this a love contest now? People love stories. I do, you do. Some prefer to create, while others want to experience. You can be both, but there's nothing wrong with settling for one side."

Tokita: "But they say writers must read books. I don't like books."

Akira: "You don't have to like what people tell you to like. Everyone has their own experience. Keep comparing yourself to others and you will lose the meaning of life."

Tokita: "You're right..."

I'm grateful, but I don't feel comfortable enough to admit it.

The door opens. One of the school staff enters.

— Hello, good morning. Your teacher is absent, so you are free to go home.

Akira: "Huh?! This must be a divine intervention! Let's go, Tokita!"

Some students run out of the classroom. I slowly pack my things and head to the door. I look back. There are still a few people. One of them is a girl. I keep looking at her like a creepy old man.

Momiji...

Someone touches my shoulder. I shiver and look back.

Akira: "Who are you gawking at? Momiji? You have good taste."

Tokita: "N-No, I was just making sure I didn't miss anything."

Akira: "Well, you'll miss the opportunity of a lifetime if you go home and don't even try to talk to her."

Tokita: "Maybe later."

I walk past him and speed up a bit.

Akira: "Oi, Tokita! Why are you in such a hurry? Let's walk together until that intersection!"

I arrive home after a while. I greet my mom, go to my room and toss my bag on the bed, then throw myself on it, without changing my clothes. 

I feel like I was born into the wrong world... I would do anything to choose a new life. I have nothing to lose here anyway...

Since I'm tired, I fall asleep in an instant.

???: "Eight..."

Huh...? Who said that...?

I wake up with a strange feeling.

It's kinda silent in here...

I try to get up, but my head hits the ceiling.

Huh?! Where the hell am I?

This place is cramped and dark. I can't see literally anything in here. I can't even move my limbs! This is clearly not my bed. It's somewhat comfortable, if you take away the darkness and crampedness.

I move my hand, trying to understand the space. It's the size of a bed. I knock on the ceiling. No sound comes out. It's like a completely isolated box...

Wait... this can't be right...

This is definitely a coffin. Someone buried me alive! 

I need to call for help, maybe the gravedigger is up there! 

I bang on the ceiling and scream for help. I notice two strange things. First, my voice is different than I remember. Second, the ceiling shatters a little.

Other than that, no response.

Wait, I remember watching a video about escaping from coffins... first, I have to...

I press my knees against the ceiling and force them upward. The coffin cracks open and a ray of sunlight erases the dirt above. I crawl out of the hole.

It was easier than I expected... I didn't think my legs were that strong.

— Ara, it seems someone hasn't learned the basics of decency.

I look to where the voice came from. A tall woman is standing in the cemetery where I am, her back to the moon. Her face is not visible, but I recognize that silhouette. And the castle behind her...

Tokita: "Wait, this is familiar."

— Tell that to the God of Death!

She lunges at me with a shovel, trying to stab me. I dodge easily, my body lighter than ever. Her face is now lit by the moon. Her skin is pale, her hair long and wavy, black and white. Her eyes are dark green and soulless. Her robe is also black.

Tokita: "Wait, Burier! It's me, your creator!"

Burier: "Creator? Is that what the cultists call themselves now?"

She swings the shovel horizontally. I avoid it by jumping. She hits me in the stomach with her knee and sends me flying towards the castle. I crash into the wall and get stuck there. She jumps towards me with a punch. I push off the wall to propel myself to the ground. Her fist breaks the wall.

In midair, she throws the shovel at me. I dodge it. It sticks to the ground, and the grass begins to shatter. A green glow emanates from the cracks. My legs are trapped. They also begin to deteriorate. I manage to jump, releasing an explosion that destroys the cursed ground and launches me upward.

Burier lands and runs towards me.

Tokita: "Wait, please! Let me explain! I know your name because everything here is from the story I created!"

She doesn't stop. In fact, she speeds up. When she gets close enough, she grabs my face. I feel my senses fading. My face begins to rot. I kick her in the side with all the strength I have left. Then, darkness.

???: "Seven..."

I wake up in a dark room. I'm lying in a double bed. Moonlight shines through the huge window. I hear a murmur from the side. I turn to look where the sound is coming from. There's a girl sleeping next to me. She has long, purple hair. And of course, I recognize her.

Nebula...