TOBY

Yao’s words echoed as the sky rumbled outside. The floor trembled, dust trickling from the cracked ceiling where Dacoria had broken the wall to enter.

Sen’s grip on his scythe tightened. “I will kill you,” he hissed, the blade due to his anger.

Yao wiped away tears and raised a knife to his own neck with a smirk. His eyes fixed on Sen, with a low, unshaking voice, he added. “I am the one person you can only kill in your dreams… Happy suffering, Sen.”

Dacoria lunged forward, Toby stared blankly, and Ren darted to grab the knife. The blade slit across his throat; like dark paint, blood splattered onto the wall. Yao’s body collapsed, hitting the floor.

Sen strode to the body, staring down at the red pool under Yao’s neck. He took a step back, lifting his gaze to the ceiling as a tremor swept past his body; he took a few deep breaths before letting out a loud scream. He clutched his face, wobbling back; he collapsed on the floor.

“Sen—she will come back…” Ren knelt beside him, reaching out to the trembling teen hesitantly.

Through the gaps between his fingers, Sen’s eyes burnt with a frightening glare. He sprang up, kicking Yao’s body. “I’m mad—he killed himself—that piece of trash!”

Outside, lightning struck a tree in the garden, setting it on fire. Wind howled, thunder rumbled and the ground trembled. Despite being morning, it seemed like night. A dense fog seeped along the floor.
Toby’s voice cracked as he cried out. “I want to end this. I can’t take it anymore…”

I’ve always been unlucky.
I’m Toby, and I lost my life to cancer.
My family hardly met two times.
Hardships were part of my every day.
When I was diagnosed, all I could do was smile.
One thing that lingered in my mind was
will death be painful

My final moments? I’m not sure. I think I forgot.
But I remember standing in the verandah, where I met Dac for the first time.
His story broke me….He was child who met the harshest end
I wanted to give him love he deserved.

I met Amanda, and she dazzled me.
She was amazing; I thought I had fallen in love with her.
She was helpful, caring and an awesome fighter.
I am sure I had loved her

Dacoria rushed to him, reaching for a hug but stumbling right past. “T-Toby?”

“I hate being like this… I loved her… I wanted a life with her… but he killed her…” Toby covered his face as the whole building shuddered again.

But instead of Amanda my heart drifted to Nami

One day, while moon gazing,
I saw Nami in the garden, her gelatin-like hair.
She was gorgeous under the moonlight.
I thought it was love at first sight.
But later realised it was her attraction, a part of her power.
I never confessed my feelings because she belonged to Sen.
When Yao arrived at Star Awesome and Sen and Nami broke up, she became quiet and sad.
I stayed by her side just to make her smile again.

That’s when I made my biggest mistake.
I asked her out.
She said she will think about it.
Later she apologised.

But then – truth or dare happened

“Tell the truth, Toby. You asked Nami out, right?” Dacoria’s word sent shivers down my spine.

“Why would you ask Sen’s girl out?”
Smack.
“He was trying to be friendly after their breakup.”
Punch.
“He probably caused their breakup.”
Kick.

The bullying escalated. They enjoyed every moment of it.
Except Sen, whose girlfriend was involved, everyone took part in bullying
I-I wanted to stand for myself
but I was the weakest

Even at the fighting tournament.
Yuzuru would hit me a lot while Sen focused on the game.
When Sen killed me during a match
I didn’t think much of it.

Hey, pour water on him; he’ll make that dumb face!
Haha, why are your clothes torn, Toby?
Ever wonder what mud tastes like? Want to try?

They laughed while I suffered each day…
If they weren’t beating me….they would ignore me
pretending I didn’t exist.

Some were the main offenders
while some decided to stay away so they wouldn’t be picked on.

. Even Dacoria began keeping his distance, thinking it was his fault. But it wasn’t. He never knew I was being bullied because I never told him.

Even after Sen stabbed me, two truths vanished with me:
Dacoria wasn’t at any fault and Sen killed me

The air became hazy; Sen dropped to his knees, coughing while bleeding. But his dark power kept preventing his death. Ren, unaffected by the curse, and curses being ineffective on Dacoria kept them safe.

Dacoria pressed his lips tight. “Calm down, Toby…”

“I CAN’T! Please kill me!” Toby shrieked.

“The promise of the leader was I could live with Nami, and my life would become happy again…we all will live happily…everyone wi—”

“What, everyone?” Ren stood up, staring at Toby. “Look around; others are dead.”

“B-but they will come back….l-leader will make us all happ-“

Sen shouted. “You think others will be pleased you massacred t-them…?” He coughed, wiping blood from his face, and collapsed down again.

Dacoria hesitated, tears rolling down his cheek. Sen coughed blood and collapsed, trembling on the floor.

“T-toby… I found out about this curse….” Dacoria fidgeted. “The leader lied to you.”

Toby let out a scream; with trembling hands, he reached for Dacoria but couldn’t touch him.

“I-I can’t live like this….. I can’t… I killed them all…. Nami died… I am a soul… a-and I can’t even calm you down.” Toby tried to wipe Dacoria’s tears, but his hands kept passing out.

Dacoria stared as Toby broke down in front of him. “One thing…” he muttered, his head bowed. “The thing you love… or your diary… will end… this all.”

“My diary is gone… and the one thing I love… I love a lot of things… my room is full of them…”

“B-but I am not sure if you will come back to life or if you will disappear.” Dacoria’s lips twitched. “I can’t lose—”

“It’s okay…Please.” Toby smiled at him.

Dacoria turned to Ren. “Go to his room and destroy it… whatever you think seems impo-tant… I can’t… I’m afraid.”

“It must be the flower Amanda gave me… Try that.” Toby smiled.
“I—I can’t…” Ren’s eyes darted between Sen, Dacoria, and Toby. Memories of every face he’d met flashed. “Fine. I’m going.”

Dacoria offered Toby a faint smile. “And if you vanish forever?”

“Dac… I don’t mind…”

Ren entered Toby’s room. Ayu was gone; her body vanished. He picked up the flower from the table, stared at it and began plucking the petals.

With every petal, Toby’s body turned to dust as Dacoria wept.

Ren dashed back to the lounge. Sen lay in a corner, barely breathing. Dacoria sat where Toby stood when Ren had left, staring at the floor, tears dripping from his eyes.

Ren sighed and marched to him. “Shouldn’t you go to the Dead Land?”