Cry

"She is dead."The words tore from my throat before my eyes even opened. I sat straight up in bed, while the loud, annoying sound of my morning alarm rang in my ears. I slammed my hand down on the button, breaking the noise, and covered my face with my hands.Why was I saying that? Who was dead?I looked down at my hands. They were shaking badly. A heavy, painful pressure weighed on my chest, bringing with it a deep, hollow fear. It felt like I had lost something that could never be replaced. Something very precious. Something I should have held onto forever. But as I desperately tried to pull the memory back from the darkness, the dream vanished like morning fog, leaving my mind completely empty.I dragged myself out of bed and into the washroom, squeezing toothpaste onto my brush with shaking fingers."Hey! Are you awake in there?" My mom's voice came from down the hall, sharp and impatient. "You're going to be late for school!"Hurrying through my routine, I quickly put on my school uniform, grabbed my bag, and rushed downstairs. The rich, familiar smell of breakfast filled the kitchen, briefly pushing away that strange, sudden sadness from my mind. But even though the food looked wonderful, it felt dry and tasteless like ash in my mouth. I tried to chew, but my throat tightened up, making it almost impossible to swallow. That heavy, nameless sorrow stayed heavy right in the center of my heart."Hey, birthday boy," Mom smiled, leaning over the kitchen counter. "Are you alright? Is something wrong?"I blinked, pulling myself out of the daydream. Oh, right. Today is my birthday."Huh? Yeah... no, I'm fine. Why?"Mom frowned a little, looking closely at my face with deep worry. "Your face looks so sad. Did something happen at school?""Nothing," I lied quickly, looking down at my plate.It was a strange, scary feeling. It wasn't just my imagination anymore. I had forgotten something—or someone—that I absolutely should have remembered."Well, hopefully this makes you feel better," Mom said, breaking the heavy silence. "Here is your gift."She handed me a small box covered in soft cloth. I opened it carefully. Resting inside on a white cushion was a very unique pendant. As I lifted it up by the silver chain, the metal felt strangely warm against my skin, almost as if it were alive."Do you like it?" she asked."Yeah... it's beautiful," I whispered, touching the cool metal of the design with my thumb."I knew you'd like it!" Mom smiled happily, instantly turning back to the stove. "Now hurry up and eat! It's time for school."I rushed out the front door and ran toward the train station. The morning air was cold and clear, but my head still felt heavy and confused. As I reached the platform, two familiar voices shouted through the loud noise of the incoming train."Hey, birthday boy! How are you feeling?" Hiro called out, waving his hand high over the crowd."Today is your treat, remember? Don't think you're escaping from us!" Kenji added, poking my side with his elbow as the train doors slid open."Yeah, sure," I managed a small smile, trying to make my voice sound as bright and energetic as theirs.We got onto the train and walked to school together. The moment I stepped into the classroom, a big shout of "Happy Birthday!" came from my classmates. For a split second, it felt like I was some kind of famous celebrity. Everyone was smiling at me, talking to me, and crowding around my desk to leave small gifts.But deep in a corner of my heart, a cold shiver went down my back. This isn't right. The laughter, the noise, the voices—it all felt completely empty. It was as if I was watching my own life through a thick glass window, totally separate from the people standing right in front of me."Hey! Kenji, Hiro—the teacher is coming!" a voice called from the doorway. "Get to your seats, man!""I'll go to my seat," I muttered, moving past my friends as the bell rang.Before I could even pull out my chair, the class stood up together to greet the entering teacher. "Good morning, teacher," the room chanted in one voice.The moment I sat down, a sharp shock traveled straight up my back and hit my brain. It felt like a sudden spark of electricity. I didn't know what it was, but without warning, my vision went blurry. Hot, heavy tears began flowing down my face. I couldn't stop them. I wasn't even thinking of anything sad, yet my chest shook as a painful sob broke out from my throat.The whispers started almost immediately. Everyone turned around in their chairs, staring right at me."What's wrong with him?" a student whispered from the front row. "Why is he crying out of nowhere?""Hey," the teacher's voice broke through the murmurs, her eyebrows coming together in worry as she stepped away from the blackboard. "Are you okay?"The classroom went dead silent for a few long, painful seconds. I stared down at my desk, watching my own tears splash against the shiny wood."I... I need to go to the washroom," I choked out, desperately looking for a way out. I had no idea what else to do.The tension broke, and the whole class burst into a wave of mean laughter, thinking my sudden exit was just some kind of birthday joke."Yeah, you can go," the teacher nodded slowly, her voice filled with deep confusion.I didn't wait for another word. I turned and rushed out into the hallway, running into the empty washroom. Holding onto the side of the sink, I splashed freezing water over my burning face and forced myself to look up. Red, tired eyes stared back at me from the mirror. My heart was beating fast, like a trapped bird."What is happening to me?" I whispered to the empty room, wiping the water from my cheeks.The sadness was still there, heavy and suffocating, but the tears had finally stopped.The rest of the day passed like a blurry, confusing dream. Before I knew it, the loud, ringing sound of the final school bell went off through the speakers, showing that the day was over."Thank you, teacher!" the classroom chanted together as everyone began packing their bags.A sharp gust of wind suddenly blew through the open window, moving my hair. For a split second, it felt exactly like a warm hand gently touching my head."Hey, clean up quickly! It's already 4:40," a classmate shouted over the noise of the brooms.The mention of the time made me smile. My heart suddenly started beating fast against my ribs. I felt like a little child who had just been given a brand-new toy without even asking for it—a wave of pure, sudden happiness washed over me. Noticing a textbook left on the desk, my hands rushed to pick it up."I'm going to take this down to the staff room to give it back to the teacher," I called out.Putting on their backpacks, my friends waved from the door. "Alright, we're leaving before you then. It's already getting late.""Sounds good," I replied, filled with that same strange, mysterious joy.But as I stepped out into the hallway, a deep, worrying thought hit my mind. A sudden, unstoppable urge took over my body, forcing me to run toward the huge wooden clock standing at the far end of the hall. I stopped right in front of it, looking up at the glass face.The heavy pendulum swung. The hands moved forward to exactly 4:55.Then, the ticking stopped. The normal background noise of the school disappeared into total, scary silence.The pendant pressing against my chest began to shine with a blinding light. Right before my eyes, the solid wall behind the clock began to melt away into fog, showing a long, never-ending hallway stretching out into the impossible distance.It was like looking into a mirror, but I knew right away that it wasn't my reflection. Standing directly across from me, on the other side of the disappearing wall, was a girl.Around her neck, she wore the exact same pendant my mother had just given me. Her lips opened into a small, shaking smile, even as her eyes filled up with thick tears. Looking at her, a wild storm of feelings broke out in my chest—a strange mix of deep happiness and crushing sadness. I couldn't explain it, but deep in my soul, I was absolutely sure that I knew this girl.Without realizing it, my own eyes overflowed. When I raised a shaking hand to touch my cheek, the tears felt shockingly cold against my skin.That was when I looked down and saw it. A bright, glowing red string was tied tightly around my pinky finger, stretching across the impossible space to connect directly to her hand.We stood frozen in place, our eyes locked together like two people meant to be together by fate. Looking at the raw emotion on her face, I knew she was feeling the exact same thing I was. We were completely tied together.But before either of us could take a step, the air shook violently. The melted wall began to become solid once more, slowly blocking my view of her.A terrible panic gripped my chest. I felt as though I were being forcefully torn away from the most precious person in my entire world. My mouth went completely dry. I tried to scream, but my throat tightened, blocking the sound.In the final, painful moment before the wall closed completely, I found my voice. With every bit of strength left in my lungs, I cried out into the shrinking gap."What is your name?!"Across the closing barrier, her lips moved, throwing her final words against the closing stone.She replied…