Prologue
He was stuck in traffic when it happened.
After 15 years, he'd finally proved Sachiro's guilt. He'd created a friendship with Airi and gotten a job at the pizza place he worked at before all this happened. Satoru was finally happy.
Until he caught a glimpse of a blue butterfly.
His Revival hadn't activated since the day he'd run into Airi under the bridge. But now, the world just… Froze. There was no flash, no return to a few moments prior, no saving the day.
There was nothing.
Subaru was alone with Emilia in the garden, listening to her stories of freedom and adventure. He was slowly lulled to sleep by her soothing voice, and when he woke, he was standing.
Staring at a manga.
In a gas station.
Screaming Emilia's name, he dropped the manga and fled. He didn't notice that he was in the street. He didn't notice the car.
Death was not something Subaru feared. He was immune, practically immortal. His Return by Death could return him to a point before demise, and in this instance he was thankful. He only hoped his checkpoint was back with Emilia. He braced himself for the pain, the darkness, and the shock of time travel.
But it never came.
The car was frozen at the moment of impact, its driver staring, his eyes wild with panic.
Satoru stared at the cars surrounding him. All were frozen, their drivers stuck with a permanent look of anger, boredom, tiredness. He adjusted his glasses, blinking to clear his brain from shock. He left his vehicle and took in his situation. Something must have interfered with my Revival. If I can find what triggered it in the first place, maybe I can fix this. He decided to start in Tokyo. Pulling the keys from the ignition and tucking them in his pocket, he began to run.
Subaru glanced up, relaxing as the impact didn't come. Still shocked from the initial return to his world, the sight of the world around him frozen in time was enough to send him into a panic attack. Breathing hard, mind racing, all he could think of was Rem. Her kind face frequented his mind in times of fear, and he missed her company more than ever before. If she was here with him, she would reassure him that everything was alright. She would smile, and everything else would disappear.
Her smile was what he missed the most. With that one gesture, Rem could say a thousand words, and just the memory calmed him somewhat. He could almost hear her gentle voice. What would Rem do? He explored his options. Deciding to be brave, he left the crowded street and sprinted toward the heart of Tokyo.
Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Sorry if it's short. The next chapter will be longer, I promise!