章 2: chapter 1 Strangers in the City
Pov Toji's
The ceiling above him was cracked and yellowed, the paint peeling in patches that exposed the wooden beams beneath. He stared at it, his mind heavy with the fragmented memory of how he'd ended up here. Shibuya. The chaos. The sharpened playful cloud that he stab to his head.
He clenched his fists, feeling the weight of his body pressing down on the thin mattress beneath him. This wasn't the afterlife, nor the hell he might've expected.
A faint voice broke his reverie.
"David, you're late again! Dinner's almost ready!"
Toji turned his head slightly, his gaze falling on the source of the voice: the red-haired woman who'd introduced herself earlier as Gloria. She called someone while cooking something in the kitchen.
His thoughts swirled, each one a jagged piece of a puzzle he couldn't quite complete. He'd died. That much he was sure of. And yet, here he was, his body aching but intact, his senses as sharp as ever indicating that he still have his heavenly Restrictions the aching is slowly fading too.
Why am I here?
The door creaked open, snapping Toji out of his trance.
Pov David's
David pushed the door open with a groan, tossing his school bag onto the couch without a second glance. The weight of the day hung on his shoulders, a mix of exhaustion and frustration from another run-in with those arrogant corpos at school.
"Mom, I'm back," he called out, running a hand through his messy hair as he kicked off his shoes. The faint scent of stew wafted through the air, momentarily lifting his mood.
"You're late again," Gloria's voice carried from the kitchen.
"Yeah, yeah," David muttered, trudging toward the source of the smell. "Had to deal with—" His words trailed off as he entered the room and saw the sitting on the couch.
Uh... Mom? Who the hell is that? Your boyfriend?
Pov Gloria's
Gloria turned from the stove slowly, her smile softening when she saw her son. "David, meet Toji," she said, gesturing toward the man on the couch. "I found him in an alley last night. He was in bad shape barely breathing. Figured I couldn't just leave him there."
David raised an eyebrow, his gaze flicking between the stranger and his mother. "So you just... brought him home? What if he's dangerous?"
Toji snorted from the couch, his deep voice cutting through the tension. "Dangerous doesn't even begin to cover it, kid."
Gloria shot Toji a look before turning back to her son. "He was hurt, David. You know I couldn't just leave him there."
David crossed his arms, clearly skeptical. "Fine. But don't blame me if this guy robs us blind or something."
Toji's lips curled into a faint smirk as he watched the exchange between mother and son.
Don't worry, kid, I'm not here to rob you,
David scoffed but didn't say anything else, retreating to the small table on the other side of the room.
Gloria set a bowl of stew on the table before turning back to Toji.
Sorry about my kid you should eat something, You've been out for a while.
Toji hesitated, his pride warring with the gnawing hunger in his stomach. Finally, he nodded, accepting the bowl with a quiet grunt of thanks.
As he ate, his mind drifted back to Shibuya. The memories were sharp, each one a knife twisting in his gut. He remembered the chaos, the curses, the blood, his son And then, the end.
I should be dead yet why I'm here breathing?
If ths is an illusion cursed technique i should be able to sense the killing intent of the caster yet there is no sorcerer around, this not a Domain Expansion either if this is domain expansion, i should consider be invisible to the sure hit effect of the domain, yet my senses is telling me this is reality the hearing, vision, smell, touch and taste my senses that heightened to that peak are telling me this is all real.
My thought was as heavy as the silence that filled the room.
Pov Gloria
Gloria watched Toji carefully, noting the faraway look in his eyes as he ate. she knew the danger picking someone that she didn't know in the alley yet she did for the reason? She didn't know too.
She leaned against the counter, her arms crossed and asked him a question
So, are you going to tell me what happened to you?
Toji didn't look up from his bowl.
Doesn't matter.
Gloria frowned but didn't press the issue. Well, for what it's worth, you're safe here. At least until you figure out what you're going to do next.
Toji set the empty bowl down on the table, his gaze finally meeting hers. Thanks, he said gruffly. But I don't plan on sticking around.
Pov David
David rolled his eyes, his suspicion clearly showing on his face he want to chase this guy off as soon as possible, Yeah, great. Thanks for the gratitude. Real classy.
He doesn't trust this stranger even a tiny bit after all this is night city where betrayal is common as eating shit in the alley.
Toji ignored him, rising to his feet with a low grunt. the aching is gone now
Hey oldman, where do you think you're going? David asked, he staring intently to his every move.
To find where i am, Toji replied simply, his voice carrying an air of finality.
David looked to his mother, but Gloria only sighed, shaking her head. Let him go, she said quietly. It's his choice.
Pov Toji
The cold night air hit Toji like a slap as he stepped out of the apartment. The neon lights of Night City stretched out before him, their glow reflecting off the slick pavement.
He paused, glancing back at the building one last time. Gloria's kindness had been unexpected.
I'll repay the favor, he muttered under his breath, though he doubted she'd ever hear him.
Woosh,
With that, he turned and vanish into the night, his mind set on one thing: finding out why he was here.
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