The Night I Didn't Die.

Death is a horrific sentence,but for me, it feels surprisingly peaceful.That night, I was meant to die – but I didn’t.
It was unfortunate…unfortunate, not for me, but for almost everything else.Because now, a world had begunwhere sometimes, even the slightest movement signifies death.

---
It was a usual morning, like any other.But no one knew this would be the last normal day of their lives.
My name is Yash.I’m 17 years old.My life isn’t peaceful, but I’m happy.Or… at least, I have to be, because I can’t get more than what I already have.

---
That night, I was sitting on the roof, gazing at the stars.The wind was blowing softly. It was so beautiful that my eyes glowed with quiet happiness.
Among the stars that looked like scattered diamonds,I saw a pink star start to move.I thought it was just a normal satellite, but as it moved, it kept getting bigger.
I rubbed my eyes in wonder, but the star only grew larger as it approached.My heart started racing.
How can something that looked so beautiful a moment ago… become so terrifying?
I ran inside the house.
That “satellite” was actually an asteroid, hurtling towards Earth.And then it fell.
Boom.
Darkness swallowed everything.

---
The impact was so massive that my house shook like jelly.But somehow, it didn’t collapse.The entire city went into blackout.Darkness was everywhere.
I was terrified.
The asteroid fell on a construction site.All the civilians near the impact zone died instantly.
As for the city,the area near the fall zone was in ruins.It didn’t affect a massive region,but for some people, it was the biggest tragedy of their lives.
For me, it was. My father's death.He was a construction worker.

---
After that, I broke.I locked myself in for months.

---
As for the asteroid’s aftermath…everything seemed perfectly fine.
The asteroid dust mixed into the atmosphere.In that dust, there was a new element – D3.
Scientists classified it as a noble element,harmless, with no side effects.
At least that’s what they said on the news.
Days passed, then weeks, and then months. But me…I was still in my room,locked away.My eyes were hollow.

---
Tears.My eyes held no tears anymore,leaving only faint marks behind.Like a dried river in the Sahara –it’s not that it doesn’t want to flow,it’s just that there is no waterto flow.

---
As I stared at the ceiling, lost in sorrow,I felt something – something I can’t describe.
Then I heard a noise.Outside the window.Like something was getting ripped apart.
For a while, I didn’t notice, but the sound grew louder…and louder.
Scratch. Thud. Scratch.
I decided to check.
I slowly walked towards the window,my feet tapping against the floor, echoing in the empty room.
I opened the window. The wind brushed against my face. It wasn’t cold outside, but for some reason, I felt chills.
I looked down, trying to find the source of the noise.Under the flickering street light, in the alley below,my hollow eyes widened – not from hope,but from the fear of what I was seeing.

---
Under the flickering street light stood something.So dark, it looked as if the light itself bent away from its unimaginable density.
It had four legs and a tail.Its spine was bent like an arch.It was searching for something in the alley.Maybe food.
Then, suddenly, it turned its face towards me.
I wanted to run – but my feet wouldn’t move.It felt like my body was telling me:
This isn’t something you can fight.This is something you can’t even run from.
The creature kept glaring at me. I didn’t even flinch.But then I noticed something.
I know its hollow, creepy eyes are looking at me… but it feels like it’s seeing someone else. Someone that isn’t me.
Maybe… it wasn’t looking at me.

---
Suddenly, the creature shifted its gaze towards the intersection.There was a construction worker coming home from his shift, humming “Jai Ram.”He was clueless about the terror approaching him.
The creature got closer… and closer… and closer.I wanted to save him, but I thought:
Why should I be a hero? When my father died, no one even helped us find his body.
The creature crouched, ready to pounce.The worker saw it. His eyes widened, frozen in fear.
Just as the creature leapt –someone pushed the worker aside.
It was me.
The worker ran away without even looking back.I tried to run too, but my ankle twisted from the push.
I fell, crawling in desperation to survive.The creature approached slowly, as if it knew I couldn’t escape.
Why… why did I save him?I’m no hero.I didn’t even know who he was.He deserved to die…Did he actually deserve to die?
Tears streamed down my face.
“I want to live,” I screamed. “I don’t want to die like this…”
The creature grinned – a grin that could creep even God.

---
THEN DO YOU WANT TO LIVE.
I heard a voice in my head.It asked again:
DO YOU WANT TO LIVE.
“Yes… yes, I want to live,” I sobbed.
Something inside me laughed.
HAHAHAHA… SO IT’S MY TURN NOW.
I stopped crying. My eyes became hollow.The creature’s grin vanished as I rose shakily to my feet.
The creature began backing away.

---
And then…
I woke up in my bed.
It was morning. My body felt heavy.I rushed to the window and glanced at the alley – there were no scratches, no blood.
I looked at my ankle – it was perfectly fine.Except… there was a scar that wasn’t there yesterday.
Was it a dream… or reality?Whatever it was… it wasn’t normal.