The morning sun softly made its way through the crevices of the Tokyo Metropolitan Skyline, onto the bustling commutes at the train station of Ikebukuro.
Clusters of people, each with destinations of their own, formed in pockets along the platform. A businessman, crisply suited and polished shoes, tapped his foot impatiently as he checked his watch. Tourists, wide-eyed and some with cameras at the ready, weaved through the crowd with a mixture of excitement and mild confusion.
One of said Tourists was Abel. His eyes were wide with wonder, mirroring the vibrant energy of the station. He couldn't help but bounce slightly on his toes; his fingers dancing nervously over the handle of his suitcase as he waited. Every few seconds, a nervous grin tugged at the corners of his lips, revealing his anticipation of what comes next on his journey.
Amidst the background hum of voices and shuffling feet, the station's intercom crackled to life.
"Rapid train bound for Akihabara will be arriving at platform two shortly. Please stand back behind the yellow line."
Abel's heart raced. A delighted smile surfaced on his lips. His feet shifted briskly; his fingers, once fidgeting, were now tightened their grip on the edge of his jacket's sleeve.
It was his third day of vacation after a stressful final. A deserved respite to his fleeting school life, if he had to say.
Next to his destination was Akihabara, where a convention he was attending was underway.
His friend, a fanatic of a certain game, has always been present in its official events. However, due to her schedule becoming unexpectedly tight, Abel found himself persuaded to stand in for her at the event, all in the pursuit of acquiring some coveted merchandise. She even lend him a matching suitcase of the franchise to boot!
Abel sighed.
Ah how lucky he was to be able to visit Japan.
Just in time as the train stopped, a scream of terror filled the area, shattering the hustle and bustle on the platform. The air seemed to thicken with tension as heads turned, their expressions shifting from curiosity to alarm. Abel's heart raced, mirroring the sudden change in atmosphere.
His head swiveled around, his body turned to face the source of the commotion.
He almost regretted it.
A jolt of searing intensity erupted from the pit of his stomach, as if a white-hot blade had materialized out of thin air and thrust itself deep within him. The world around him momentarily blurred, his focus narrowing to the acute, consuming sensation at his core. His breath caught, a gasp arrested in his throat by the sheer shock of the pain.
A sickening wave of nausea rolled over him, a visceral response to the violent intrusion. His feet stumbled back, just in time for the train doors to hiss open.
His back landed on something soft.
As the edges of his vision began to fade, a surreal scene unfolded before him. Colors bled into one another, forming intricate patterns. Shapes and shadows morphed, twisting and contorting into whimsical figures that seemed to materialize from the depths of his subconscious.
Hallucination, he concluded.
In a daze, Abel wondered what drove the man to stab him.
His figure resurfaced in Abel's thoughts, the regretful look he gave reminded him of a crazed animal. The motive behind the attack became infuriatingly clear.
What an ironic way to die, he thought.
His surroundings faded into the darkness. Sounds retreated, muffled, as if heard through a distance. The world seemed to tilt, his perception swaying on an unsteady axis. His limbs grew heavy, falling limp on the soft surface beneath his body.
It's the end for him.
So as darkness claimed him, he silently wondered:
"Ah... I haven't even had a bowl of ramen yet..."