Chapter 2:

Subaru's legs gave out along with a sharp gasp as he stood in the alleyway. He landed with a thud against the nearby wall. "W.. Wha-" He looked around, blinking due to how bright it was compared to that room, and swallowed hard. "What…?"

He looked at his body, ensuring that he was okay. He slowly rose to his legs, surprised at how the pain he had felt was now gone. He pulled up his shirt to look for any wounds and cocked his head slightly when he didn't even find a single bruise.

"I'm… back here?" Subaru looked around, he was in the same alleyway he had been in about half an hour before. "Is there some kind of healing magic in this world?" He looked around again, just totally confused at the recent happenings.

"Even if someone did heal me, why would they take me back here?" Shaking his head, Subaru pushed these thoughts away, deciding to just head out again and wander around more.

This time he went in the opposite direction.

He ended up walking through a section of the city that was housing-based again. As much as he tried not to think of what just happened, he couldn't help thinking about it. He shook his head again and continued wandering around.

While he walked he absent-mindedly rubbed his arms from the cold.

He once again saw some kids running around and playing with the snow. Subaru walked past them with his hands stuck in the pockets of his tracksuit.

He walked past a few houses, their fogged windows showed warm orange glows from fires within. Subaru sighed, mumbling, "I'll need to find a place to stay soon enough..."

"I guess I'll have to find work first..." As someone who had never gotten a job before, that was a daunting task.

After not too long, he ended up on another main street. Fewer people were walking on this street compared to the earlier one, though. He joined in with the flow of people and walked down the street. He looked around while he walked, gazing at the signs written in whatever language was spoken here. He looked at a few cafés and indoor shops along the street. He contemplated checking a few of them out but decided against it because he had no money. He doubted he could get a job at any of the places either.

He passed by a familiar old man. Subaru's eyes were drawn to his green and gray striped hair. It was the old man that had talked to him in the forest. Subaru stepped over to him and said, "Hey."

The old man looked curiously at Subaru. "Why, hello young man."

Subaru spoke. "Uhm.. did you happen to see what happened to me after I walked away from you earlier?"

The old man cocked his head. "Hm? I… I haven't ever seen you before."

"Eh? But in the forest with those crystals..."

"I certainly would have remembered seeing someone like you, despite my age. Especially with your strange clothing."

"But..."

"I'm only just on my way to that crystal forest, I go there every day. We could go there together and talk more if you wish."

Subaru began feeling weird as if there was something inherently wrong with all of this.

And so, he declined the old man's offer, and once again walked away from the old man.

The old man watched him as he walked. He shrugged after a few moments and continued walking.

Shortly after Subaru ended up at a bridge going over a mostly frozen river. He stepped over towards the short wall at the edge and looked across the river, wondering what was wrong with that old man.

"He probably just has some memory problems."

Pushing the old man out of his mind, he focused on the view. The river ran across the city. There were buildings built right up to the steep slopes leading down to the river.

Subaru reached down to his pocket and took out his phone to take a picture. As he flipped open his phone, it struck him that he had dropped it in that underground room.

"...Didn't I drop my phone?"

His phone read: 21:34. It had been dark on Earth before he was brought here.

He shook his head, whoever had healed him had probably just put it back in his pocket. He opened his camera app and snapped the picture. He flipped his phone shut, and turned to walk away.

Then, someone pushed him, knocking him into the wall. Subaru yelled, surprised, "Hey! What are you-" The person who had pushed him, a man with long green hair, who wore a gray cloak, ran at him. Subaru made an attempt to dodge, but the man grabbed Subaru by his neck. The man pushed Subaru's neck over the short wall. His lower back pressed against the edge of the wall.

"Hk-"

The man was squeezing hard on Subaru's neck, squeezing his airway shut.

Subaru dropped his phone.

A demihuman passerby noticed what was going on, and ran at the man. The demihuman tackled the man to the ground. He let go of Subaru's throat. Subaru gasped for air and coughed. He took a step away from the two as he massaged his bruised neck. Then, he heard a scream from the demihuman. Subaru looked down at him, still taking deep breaths.

The man with green hair pushed the demihuman off of himself, revealing a dagger stuck into the demihuman's chest. The demihuman coughed up blood and made an attempt to stand, but the green-haired man pulled out a second knife and skillfully slit the demihuman's throat, before standing himself.

Fear and disgust filled Subaru as blood began pooling around the demihuman's throat.

The man looked Subaru dead in the eyes. Subaru froze with intense fear for a moment, before yelling and lunging at the man. He realized just how stupid of a move it was a second before he grabbed the surprised green-haired man's arm and tossed him against the wall of the bridge.

The man hit it with a thud but showed no pain. In fact, he sighed, seemingly bored as Subaru turned to face him. In just the blink of an eye, the man took out a third dagger and threw it into Subaru's leg. Shock coursed through Subaru's veins as he screamed in pain and stumbled back. The green-haired man grabbed him by his collar. He threw the young man against the wall of the bridge. Subaru slumped down against the wall.

Though, before he could hit the ground, the green-haired man swiftly grabbed Subaru by his collar and lifted him back up. Subaru's eyes fell upon the crowd, who were paralyzed with fear. He didn't blame them.

Subaru looked at the green-haired man and opened his mouth to speak. Yet before he could, the man threw him over the edge of the bridge.

Time slowed as Subaru fell. He probably fell around seven meters. He barely was able to brace himself for the pain of hitting the ice below.

Subaru hit the ice with a crack. He wasn't sure if it was from a bone or from the ice. He found out which one when the ice under him began drifting apart. Subaru had landed on his back and was winded by the impact. He groaned as black spots appeared in his vision. His blood began pouring into the water between the cracked ice and began staining the ice.

Subaru slowly tried to move. He groaned again.

The ice under him cracked more and Subaru felt that he was going to fall in soon. He began panicking, and quickly rolled over and began trying to crawl away, ignoring the screams of his body from the wound on his leg.

Then, the ice under him cracked into large pieces, and Subaru's lower half fell in. He gasped and began shivering almost immediately. His legs went numb after only a second or so.

He yelled, "Someone! Help!"

Subaru began slipping in more. He dug his fingernails into the ice in a desperate attempt to stop.

Yet, his fingernails tore off as he lost his grip and fell in. The current of the river swept him under the ice. His body went entirely into shock. He gasped from the sudden cold. Freezing cold water flooded down his throat and into his lungs. It was a terrible feeling.

He desperately tried to find an opening in the ice. He found it hard to even move his muscles because of the incredible cold. Panic and fear filled his mind, pushing out any rational thoughts he had.

In a last-ditch effort, he pounded on the ice above him.

His vision began fading and he found it too tiring to even continue trying kicking his legs.

As he sank towards the bed of the river, his vision fading, one last thought bubbled up in his oxygen-starved mind.

So, this is how I die, huh.

I was hoping my death would be a little more interesting.

Then, Natsuki Subaru's consciousness faded once again as his body was swept away by the current.