Leaf arrived at his home—and froze.
The house was empty. Silent. Lifeless. It felt as if he were standing inside a grave. The familiar warmth of home had vanished, replaced by a chilling emptiness that slowly crawled up his spine.
"Mommm!" he screamed, his voice cracking as it echoed against the bare walls. But the house swallowed his cries. There was no answer. Only the heavy, eerie silence remained.
He ran through the rooms, each one more desolate than the last. His heart pounded like a relentless drum inside his chest. Every step felt heavier, as if the house itself was dragging him down into something dark.
Then he reached the kitchen—and stopped.
A strange scent lingered in the air. Sweet… yet faintly metallic.
Leaf stepped forward, hesitant.
And then he saw it.
A birthday cake stood on the table. Flickering candles danced in the dim light, his name written neatly in icing.
And beside it… the lifeless, headless body of his mother.
Leaf's knees buckled instantly. The world seemed to tilt sideways, the air growing thick with disbelief and horror. He collapsed onto the floor, staring blankly, unable to comprehend what he was seeing.
"Why… why… why?!" His voice trembled violently. "Why is this happening to me? What did I do to deserve this?!"
His hands clawed at the floor, shaking uncontrollably. Anguish and rage mixed inside his voice.
"I hate you, God! Why are you doing this to me? What should I do now? I hate you… I hate you!"
He crawled forward and dropped beside his mother's body, cradling her gently as if she might still wake up. He sobbed uncontrollably, his tears falling onto the cold floor, blending with a scent he knew he would never forget for the rest of his life.
And then…
Neon The First's words echoed inside his mind, sharp and merciless, cutting through his grief like a blade.
"I will destroy all you hold dear."
A fire ignited deep inside him. His sorrow twisted into fury. His fists clenched tightly, trembling as if holding back a violent storm. His eyes burned—not with warmth, but with something far colder than the emptiness of the house.
"I… I'll make you pay for this," he whispered through clenched teeth, his voice low but deadly. "Everything… you will regret everything. I swear I will make sure of it."
He rose slowly, his body shaking, his heart still hammering like a war drum. Outside, the world continued as usual—the sun shining, people walking, cars passing—completely unaware that his life had shattered beyond repair.
Leaf Delta's journey had crossed the point of no return.
From this day forward… nothing would ever be the same.
Leaf stood there, unmoving.
Slowly, memories began flooding his mind—his mother's gentle smile, the way she brushed his hair back when he was tired, the soft laughter they shared during simple dinners. The warmth of those precious moments clashed violently with the horrifying reality before him.
His chest tightened painfully.
With trembling hands, he pulled her body closer, hugging her for the last time.
"No… no… no…" His voice shattered into pieces. "Why does this only happen to me? What is my fault? Is it wrong to smile through pain? Is it wrong to laugh even when I'm breaking inside?"
His tears continued to fall endlessly.
"Today is my birthday… I thought maybe today… maybe today someone would finally see me as human." His voice cracked again. "But I was wrong. To them, I'm just a joker… someone who laughs so they don't notice the pain."
He clenched his teeth, his entire body shaking.
"What are you doing to me, God? I believed in you. On everyone else's birthday, you give them blessings. You praise them even when they have done nothing. But me? You only give me pain… pain and more pain."
His breathing grew heavier and uneven.
"I ask you again… what is my fault? Is it because I stayed kind? Because I helped others without expecting anything in return? Is that my sin?"
And then—
A memory surfaced. Something he once overheard.
Some time ago…
Leaf had been in the school bathroom when he overheard two boys talking near the sinks. He had not meant to listen, but their voices carried clearly through the quiet hallway.
"Hey, did you hear? Leaf's father was killed by Neon's father."
"Yeah, I heard… but why would he kill him?"
"Seriously? You don't know? Everyone knows—except Leaf and his mom. The Chief warned everyone to stay silent. If anyone speaks, they'll disappear too."
"Why target them?"
"Because their family is the only Delta family in our country. And the Chief hates Deltas. After killing them, he even renamed the country after himself."
There was a short pause.
"I think they'll kill Leaf too."
"Forget it. Let's go. Everyone's waiting to welcome our dear Chief."
Their footsteps slowly faded away.
Leaf had stood frozen inside the stall, his heartbeat pounding loudly in his ears.
"Huh…? That has to be a lie…" he had whispered back then, trying to convince himself.
Leaf slowly released his mother's body.
For a few seconds, he just stared at her, his mind refusing to accept what had happened. Then suddenly, a thought struck him.
"No… no… he doesn't know about it… he can't know…"
His heart pounded violently.
If he doesn't know… maybe they're safe… maybe they're still safe…
Without thinking further, Leaf stood up and ran.
He ran so fast his vision blurred. His chest burned with every breath, and his legs felt like they might collapse beneath him. But he kept going.
Through empty streets.
Past staring strangers.
Through the wind that cut against his face.
He ignored the pain in his lungs.
He ignored the weakness in his body.
There was only one place in his mind — the forest.
The place where he once smiled.
The place where animals weren't afraid of him.
Where birds landed near him without hesitation.
Where trees shielded him from the harshness of the world.
It was the only place that had ever felt like home.
After what felt like endless running, he finally reached it.
He stopped.
Something felt wrong.
The forest was silent.
Not peaceful.
Dead.
Leaf stepped forward slowly.
The trees… were gone.
Only rough stumps remained where life once stood tall. Broken branches lay scattered across the ground.
And then he saw them.
The animals.
The birds.
Still.
Unmoving.
The place that once felt alive now felt like a graveyard.
Neon the First had destroyed everything.
Everything.
Leaf's knees weakened.
Now everything he loved was gone.
His father.
His mother.
His favourite place.
The animals were his only friends.
The birds sang when he felt alone.
The trees that stood quietly beside him.
Now there was only silence.
Only pain.
Only emptiness.
He looked up at the empty sky.
"Please… God…" His voice trembled. "Just take me too."
Tears streamed down his face.
"I don't want to live anymore. I have nothing left. Only pain. If this is life… then I don't want it."
His shoulders shook.
"Kill me… please… I don't want to see this world anymore."
For a long moment, he stood surrounded by loss.
Then something changed inside him.
If he wanted death…
He would go to the one who caused all this.
He began walking back toward the city.
As he entered the streets, people took notice of him.
Whispers started.
"Why is he still alive?"
"After everything… he should've disappeared already."
"Go die somewhere else."
Some of the voices belonged to neighbours. Some to classmates. Some to relatives.
Leaf heard them all.
Inside his heart, he whispered silently:
You don't know what pain is.
You don't know what it means to wait for someone to call your name.
You don't know what it feels like to smile so others won't see you breaking.
Have you ever sat alone while everyone else laughed?
Have you ever waited for someone to notice you… And they never did?
If you haven't… then don't speak about emotions you've never felt.
But he didn't say it aloud.
The crowd grew closer.
Someone pushed him.
Another shoved him harder.
Soon he was knocked to the ground.
He didn't resist.
He didn't fight back.
He just lay there, staring at the sky.
Then the crowd parted.
Neon — the son of Neon The First — stepped forward calmly.
He looked down at Leaf with cold amusement.
"So this is what's left of the Delta clan," Neon said. "Born into a powerful family… yet look at you."
He crouched slightly.
"You helped people. You stood up for others. And now?" He gestured around them. "These are the same people you protected."
A small laugh escaped his lips.
"Unlucky from birth. That's what you are."
Leaf's breathing was weak.
But even now… he forced a faint smile.
Neon frowned.
"How can you still smile?"
Leaf's voice was barely audible.
"Because… even if you destroy everything around me… You can't destroy who I am."
For a moment, silence fell.
Leaf slowly closed his eyes.
The noise around him faded.
The laughter.
The whispers.
The cruelty.
Everything became distant.
Darkness slowly covered his vision.
The last thing he saw…
Neon's face was looking down at him.
And then—
Nothing but black.