An End and a Beginning

A two-story house stood surrounded by wooden fences, then the golden fields. Twilight had ended a long time ago, and even though there were puffy clouds in the moonlit sky, it was windy outside. In a room, on the second floor of the house, someone flicked on a switch, and a glass bulb radiated the light throughout every corner of the room.

The windows rattled quietly as the wind pushed against them. In the middle of the night, while everyone had fallen asleep, the two were still awake. A mother and a boy. His head was resting against his mother’s forearm, and they were covered by a blanket. Mother patted her son’s head gently, then stretched her other arm slightly to grab the book that was laying on the shelf beside the bed, and opened it.

“Mother, mother!” He said cheerily, beaming at his mother. “Read it from the first page!”

“Again?” She murmured with a teasing tone as a smile curled on her lips. “Even I have forgotten how many times I’ve read the first chapter to you!” She rubbed his head with her maternal warmth. “Is it really that interesting?”

“Mmm!” The boy hummed as he nodded eagerly with his cheeks slightly reddened.

As the mother flipped the pages to the first chapter, the boy moved closer to her because he wanted to look at the pictures inside the book that fascinated him.

“Then, Kurose. Here I go.” Mother cleared her throat, and brushed his hair with her fingers as she began reading the words on the page in a dramatic, yet in a tone that will soothe him.

“Years and years ago!”

“There was a king.”

His expression turned joyous. How cute! Mother thought as she stared at him with her mouth parted slightly. “Mother… Are you okay?” Kurose asked, wondering why his mother's cheeks flushed. She turned her head away and moved her hand swiftly. The boy pinched the hem of her sleeve. The mother looked at him, grabbed his hand gently and continued reading the story.

His expression brightened. How cute! His mother thought, staring at him. He looked at her, bewildered. “Mother… Are you okay?” She turned her head toward him gradually, and smiled.
He pinched the hem of her sleeve, and mother resumed reading the story.

“But calling him a king was merely an accolade!”

“He was a Hero—”

A man…clad in a black robe was falling upside down in an endless white dimension. There was no sea, land, or sky, and no horizon to begin with, therefore no beginning to ever exist. His expression was grave, but soon it turned weary as he sighed. Is it really okay to end my life like this? He thought, pulverizing into particles, slowly, along with a sword tucked at his waist. But, I don’t want to go back there now. Suddenly, a shrill, monotone voice crossed his mind.

Yusaka Kurose.

What will you do?

Eternal slumber, or—

Fall into a deep slumber for an eternity, or—

“You don’t have to say it.” He interrupted the voice, and closed his eyelids. As he deeply sighed, and opened his eyes again, this time, with an exhausted look in them. A word left his mouth.

“Reincarnation.”

As he opened them again, this time, with a tired look in his eyes.

And as he closed his eyelids, his mouth

There was no horizon to begin with, and no beginning to ever exist. His expression was grave, as if a smile hadn’t touched his lips for years. He was letting himself disappear into particles along with a sword tucked at his waist. He caressed the air as a wry smile appeared on his lips. “Expected, huh? So, this is how much I can tolerate. I see.” As he sighed deeply, a robotic female voice came through.

“Hero: Yusaka Kurose.”

“What will you do?”

“Eternal slumber… Or—”

His eyes narrowed softly as he averted them while a smile curled on his lips. He began to utter a single word as he closed his eyes.

“—”

“The story ends.” Mother closed the book and placed the book onto the shelf.

“Mother,” said the boy, with a smile. “When will the Hero Yusaka return?”

“Well, it’s written that Hero Yusaka Kurose will come back after five hundred years,” she rested her cheek against her hand. “We don’t know in what year, though.”

“Mother! Can I become like him too?” He said suddenly, looking at his mother with the eyes brimming in hope. “Can I become a king… No. A hero like him?”

“If you will become like him, what will happen to my Kurose?” She said, puffing out her cheeks. Then she smiled. “But, I have faith in you. Kurose.”

He beamed. “Mother, I’ll become like him! Like Hero Yusaka—”

Suddenly, his eyes widened and he struggled to breathe. Crimson red markings appeared on his neck as if someone was strangling him. “Huh…” His mother froze in place, staring at him. He brought his trembling hands to his throat, touching it with his quivering fingertips.

“Kurose! What happened?” Mother launched into a panic.

“...Mother—” His voice came out, crackling, looking at his mother as thin red veins spread across the whites of his eyes.

She raised her shivering arm to reach him—but all of a sudden, tears began welling up in her eyes. She gulped, and started looking for something, until she noticed a wooden closet and ran to it.

His vision grew distant and his balance grew unsteady. He noticed his mother wasn’t by his side anymore with his blurry vision.

“...Mother…?”

“Kurose! Kurose!” The mother murmured, delving into the closet, throwing things away hastily, to just find one, a single book she was looking for.

The mother picked up the book and a glimmer of hope shone in her eyes, but then the door slammed open—a man shouted as he stepped in.

“What happened?!”