DISCLAIMER: I claim no rights to K-on!

WARNING: Rated T for safety though I doubt there will be little to no explicit content.

Prologue

+Mio's P.O.V+

Cold steel surged faintly through my bloody hand as I tried to grasp anything within my reach. I wasn't sure how I ended up in this state, helpless and vulnerable. I tried to open my mouth yet no voice came out; it seems that my body denied my capability to mince words in this very time. My only communication was my tears flowing through my bruised cheeks, throbbing painfully as I grimaced.

Glancing at both sides, I could see strangers mumbling something to me yet their words never reach my ears. Perhaps my hearing dulled because of the increasing intensity of the pain that radiated almost my entire body. My vision started to blur, I can no longer tell the person in front of me was human or not. Everything felt distorted - - - like I'm in a sort of a twisted fairytale that was beyond my understanding. Suddenly, my eyes felt heavy; ready to shut any moment from now until everything went pitch black - - - that was the time I lost contact to reality.

I never knew what happened next after I closed my eyes, the only thing I remembered was I'm forever trapped in this endless dream - - - a dream where I saw myself standing in the spotlight, trying to chase something inexistent. It was very painful that I cried my heart out yet still, no voice came straight into my mouth. Did I just lose my voice that even my dreams will deny me of such privilege? No. It was like someone or something forbade me to utter those very words.

Then I saw flashes of orbs coated in golden hue dancing freely around me; I tried to reach one yet before I extend my arms, it was gone for good. I tried to reach all the orbs, like a kid chasing the bubbles to pop them, until I was left with none.

I fell in my knees, despairing. What was I in despair for? I really don't know, even I could no longer fathom my feelings that were going haywire. I knew all along that this was just a parade of illusions created by my mind but the pain felt so genuine as if I received a fatal blow straight to my aching heart. I cried and cried until I weltered on my own tears, lying on the groundless base waiting for someone to rescue me in this wakeless dream.

I felt darkness crawling in, eating away the remaining light until I'm forever buried in the shadows. Then came an orb, hovering in front of my face; its light exuded warmth and kindness, trying to pull me from the darkness that was about to swallow me in whole. I tried to reach it; this time, it's not fading like the previous orbs. Its light was as warm as a touch of human hand though I doubt that this was just my exaggeration. It glowed vibrantly increasing its intensity as seconds went by, erasing the darkness that attempted to enshroud me; then before I realized, I woke up from my dream while raising my hand, touching the orb that was nowhere to be seen.

"Mio? Mio-chan?" said a familiar voice trying to call me, her palms in my hands while rubbing it gently. I glanced at the figure that's occupying my field of vision then I realized it was my grandmother, my father's mother.

I asked the old woman, "Where am I?" then she replied that I'm in a hospital, ran by her former colleague. I shot another question, asking where my parents are yet she gave me a silent look, tears forming in her puffy eyes. By that look alone, I could surmise something bad happened. I shook my head, ready to embrace the revelation. Her shaking lips mumbled something, "They did not make it."

I laid there in shock upon hearing my parents' demise. My grandmother paused halfway when she was about to describe the detail of their deaths. I felt something disturbing creeping into my chest and not long after, I screamed on top of my lungs that reached even the farthest hallways of the hospital.

I struggled in my bed, pulling anything that was inserted beneath my skin. Blood was oozing out as I forcefully severed the IVs inserted in my bulging veins then my grandmother rushed to my side, hugging me tightly, hindering me to further advance my actions. I tried to move my legs to jump out my bed yet it didn't respond to my command. I slapped it repeatedly to urge it to move but nothing happened.

"No way" my eyes widened in disbelief when I'm about to embrace another harsh revelation that was yet to unveil, "my legs… won't move." I looked to my grandmother, waiting for her to utter those words I least wanted to hear. She held me before she said, "Your lower half body is paralyzed."

This was too much. I felt I wanted to sleep for eternity than live in this warped reality that doesn't make any sense at all. I clenched my teeth when I dwell on the thoughts that the gods have forsaken me and my family.

"Why?" I asked, my voice trembling while forcing a question, "why is the world so cruel?"

Long before I know, nurses and other medical men went into my room, bringing with them their charts and other instruments. What brought them to my plain-looking room that doesn't give off a pleasant vibe was my screaming. They held me in check, grabbing my wrists while the doctor pulled a syringe that was prepared beforehand on the tray. Drops of liquid oozed out on its tip before he injected it to my protruding vein. After a few minutes, I felt lethargic; seeing people in doubles then my eyelids felt heavy all over again. The jarring noises surrounding me lulled me to sleep.

+END of Mio's P.O.V+

"Madaam, why didn't you informed the nurses' station that your granddaughter finally regained her consciousness?" asked the man in white while his stethoscope was hanging freely in his neck.

"I'm sorry, doctor" she replied, her wrinkles were overlapping each other as she twitched her eyebrows, "it's just that I was carried away after she went into comatose for two months."

"I see…" he raised his glasses up and down, "but next time, you should inform the nurses otherwise we'll be held responsible to whatever happens to your granddaughter. You know it's not a good thing to put someone's licenses at stake."

"I'm really sorry." The old woman bowed before the doctor, expressing her sincerest apology.

The healthworkers exited the door after successfully injecting Mio with a sedative and reattaching her severed IVs. Everything went back to normal but the patient's grandmother knew that she had a lot of explaining to do when Mio will regain her consciousness.

She took a good look to the raven-haired girl's face, stroking her hair gently while humming Mio's favorite lullaby back when her son was still alive. She sung until she fell asleep from all those exhaustion - - - starting from the death of Mio's parents until from her granddaughter's comatose.

Today and from now on, the two of us will face the world's cruelty without looking back.

A/N: Hi, IQzero here. This is my first fanfic and I don't know what came into my mind when writing this one. Maybe this is the so-called unwanted effects of excessive intake of caffeine (O_o*). Probably inspired from the other authors though I know I need lots of practice especially in improving my English because it's not my native language. Lots of crying in the first chapter and I felt my eyes tearing up due to lack of creativity and choice of words. I might consider getting someone to betaread the future chapters. Reviews are highly appreciated. Thanks for reading.

By the way, the second chapter is up. So if you want to read it, feel free to do so. :)