Warnings: In future chapters: graphic descriptions of violence, skewed morals, language, criminal life...you get the gist. Gen for now. If there's going to be any romance it will take a long, long time.

Once upon a time, the world ended.

The sky shattered. The earth wailed. The sun warped and shifted and caved in on itself. The ocean screamed. The forests shriveled up. The moon melted. The canyons tore themselves apart. And even when only the stars remained— they, too, burst into thousands upon thousands of shards, strangely reminiscent of fireworks. Only, instead of fading away like sparks in the wind, the shards reached the world and everything was burningburningburning.

And one boy stood in the middle of it all.

Dead.

He was dead on his feet, dead like people around him, dead like the sky and the earth and the sun and the ocean and the forests and the moon and the canyons and the stars. Dead like the world.

And he—

giggled.

.🌟.

Once upon the time, the world ended.

But at least he got the last laugh.

He wakes up.

.🌟.

Why?

He was supposed to be dead.

Why?

How can he breathe when there is only smoke left?

Why?

How can he see when everything is either black or red?

Why?

How can he cry if all that is left is fire?

Why?

Why is he awake?

(Why is he alive?)

.🌟.

This isn't funny anymore.

(He falls back asleep.)

.🌟.

It is the stars that had died last, and so, it is the stars that would live first. They wait and wait and then they don't have to wait any longer. The canyons sigh quietly and the stars watch over them. The moon is whole and the stars chatter with excitement. The forests flourish and flower and the stars bloom along with them. The ocean sings its lullaby and the stars hum along. The sun peeks over the horizon and the stars dance with merriment. The earth remains sturdy and the stars whisper with relief. The sky remains unshattered and the stars shine with joy. The stars are alive, alive, alive, and no longer alone. The world learns to breathe again.

The boy wakes up to the twinkling lights above him and cannot believe his eyes. There is no smoke, no ashes, no embers. There is no fire. No flames. The air is crisp and clean. The sky is not falling. The stars hang in the sky. He must be dreaming. Dead boys don't dream. Why isn't he dead?

It is the boy that had slept last, and so, it is the boy that would wake up first.

He blinks, and the world is still there. He holds his breath, and the world still inhales and exhales.

He cries.

The world is beginning.

.🌟.

The stars ask him, what is your name?

He replies, "The boy."

silly, they chide. that isn't a name.

"But it is, because I'm the only boy left. So I'm the boy."

but you aren't the only boy anymore.

…

what is your name?

He does not know.

then make a new one!

What is his name? He isn't "the boy" anymore. He's only "a boy". But there are other boys now. He needs a name. What is his name?

What does he want? Parents name their children strength in hopes that they become strong. Parents name their children beauty to let them grow up beautiful. What does he want? Not beauty. Not strength. Those are insignificant compared to survival. He wants to live. He wants to see another day. He wants to see the future.

He wants the future.

"My name is Fuuta."

future.

The stars shine.

that's a beautiful name.

.🌟.

may the future shine ever brightly.

And in his euphoria, he does not notice that something is off about this new world. He does not notice the way that the flames have not disappeared, just hidden. He does not notice the way the stars curl around him protectively, help him see things that only they can see.

He does not notice, and so, even if it's just for a little longer— he remains blissfully ignorant.

It's a Fuuta SI fic...haha...ha...

...I don't even have an excuse. I know I shouldn't be posting new stuff when I have Sweet Dreams and WSF, but, well...

I am working on WSF, though. And I'll be making a separate story for the omakes, AU's, and side stories that don't make it into the rewrite. It'll be called The Akashic Record, and will probably be posted once I start putting up the rewrite. Be on the lookout! The linebreaks with the stars will be used in WSF, too! This story, although I say SIOC, it's more like an OC insert. But that doesn't really matter, does it? It's basically reincarnation.

This OC!Fuuta has no knowledge of canon. I repeat: NO KNOWLEDGE OF CANON.

His goal is to survive, and he'll do whatever it takes to do so.

This fic will be my experiment with flowery wording and purple prose and abstract nonsense and...basically my writing in general. Although not too much. Anyway, I hope you'll look forward to it!

See you!