Chapter 1
"Have you found the cause?"
The man wearing a doctor's coat asked the question while running a hand through his black hair in frustration. His eyes remained fixed on the screen before him, carrying a trace of sorrow.
"No, Doctor Irvan."
The nurse's answer caused his heart to tighten.
His grip slowly clenched as he stared at the information displayed on the screen.
[A strange disease. The patient's cells have suddenly begun to die. Within only one month, more than 90% of the cells have been destroyed.]
Irvan's expression grew heavier as he read the description of the disease.
He already knew.
This would not leave the patient with much time.
He was going to die.
And sooner than anyone could imagine.
[Patient: Jin Elvan]
[Note: The only recorded individual carrying this disease.]
...
A few days later.
"So... there isn't much time left?"
"I'm sorry."
Jin looked at Doctor Irvan sitting before him with an emotionless expression.
His deep blue eyes slowly moved toward the white paper held in his hand.
"Alright... is there anything else?"
"No... I... I'm sorry. Please take care of yourself."
Irvan felt a bitter ache in his chest as he looked into Jin's dark blue eyes.
He lowered his head slightly.
Irvan's dream had always been to save those who had fallen into despair and help them overcome their illnesses.
He never sought wealth or fame.
His kind heart only wished to help others.
And truly, he had achieved that.
He had healed countless patients, offering treatments at prices that were almost unbelievably low.
Within the medical field, he had become someone many described as a saint.
Yet even this so-called saint felt helpless sadness toward the young man before him.
"Then... I'll take my leave."
Jin looked into Irvan's sorrowful eyes but said nothing.
He did not tell him that it was not his fault.
He did not tell him that he should not apologize.
Because this was never Irvan's fault to begin with.
"Goodbye."
After a few minutes, Jin took the paper and left the massive hospital.
He walked through the stone corridor as light snow descended from the sky.
Although it was February, and the cold air pierced through everything, there were still many people outside.
Men ,Women and children.
All of them carried smiles beneath the falling snow.
"This damn thing is killing me..."
Jin muttered quietly before lowering the hood of his dark jacket, covering his face.
He continued walking for several minutes, forcing his weak body to move despite the struggle.
His cells were dying.
And even so, he could still walk...
Barely.
Breathing had become difficult.
His vision grew increasingly blurred with every passing moment.
Yet he continued forward.
"Ah... damn it..."
A violent cough erupted from his mouth.
He quickly covered it with his hand, trying to suppress the harsh coughing.
But it was useless.
The coughing only grew worse.
"Damn..."
Suddenly, his limbs stiffened.
The remaining strength in his body vanished with terrifying speed.
The limbs that once supported him, allowing him to walk and run, had now become obstacles dragging him down.
"Haha..."
Pain spread throughout his body.
It felt as if countless fire ants were biting every cell inside him, or as though his entire body was being carved apart by countless blades.
His eyes became covered with a faint shade of red.
The veins around his forehead became visible as sweat poured down without stopping.
His body collapsed onto the cold ground covered with snow.
The heat burning inside him felt unbearable.
"Red... again... haha."
Jin smiled bitterly as the pain slowly began to fade.
He looked at the crimson liquid covering his hand.
His own blood.
And like a fool...
He could only stare at it with a mocking smile.
"Hey, kid... are you alright?"
Jin coughed weakly once again before raising his gaze toward the source of the voice.
Several people approached him.
Among them was an elderly woman wearing a thick brown coat, holding a cane in one hand while extending the other toward him.
"Y-yes... I'm fine... Sorry for bothering you."
Jin wanted to reach out and take her hand.
But the moment he saw the blood again, he quickly pulled his hand back.
His heartbeat began to grow unstable.
Thump.
His heart pounded violently.
Heat spread through his body as some of his strength slowly returned.
"Thank you... I should go. bye."
Ignoring his body and the people surrounding him, Jin tightly held onto the paper and forced himself to stand.
He gave the old woman, who was still extending her hand, a faint smile.
Then he turned and walked in the opposite direction.
"What...?"
The elderly woman looked toward the young woman who had just shouted while staring at the ground.
Her gentle brown eyes widened slightly.
The snow-covered ground where the young man had fallen moments ago...
Was stained with blood.
"What a tragedy..."
The old woman tightened her grip around her cane, her fingers intertwining together.
....
"Haah... I made it... I'm finally here."
Ignoring his heavy breathing, Jin stared at the door of his apartment.
His vision had already begun to blur, making even the simplest things difficult to see clearly.
He reached into his jacket and pulled out a small black key.
With trembling fingers, he unlocked the door.
Inside was a small yet tidy apartment.
A simple bed.
A computer placed beside it.
A few books, pens, and several posters of fictional characters decorating the nearby wall.
"My safe haven..."
A faint smile appeared on Jin's face.
He removed his jacket and tossed it aside before his gaze slowly moved toward the bathroom.
"Alright... perhaps this will be the last time."
His smile carried a hint of sadness.
A trace of sorrow.
And even a slight confusion.
His eyes trembled as he felt his consciousness growing heavier little by little.
"Come on... don't waste time."
The smile disappeared.
The negative emotions surrounding him vanished as well.
His face became nothing more than a cold, indifferent mask.
Those emotions were not fake.
But after feeling them too many times...
After experiencing despair again and again...
There was barely anything left.
When a person drowns in despair for too long, even their emotions begin to fade away.
Familiarity leads to numbness.
His thoughts wandered for a moment before he entered the bathroom to take one final warm shower.
...
A body so thin that some of its bones, veins, and tendons could faintly be seen beneath its pale, sickly skin.
Delicate and well-defined features, yet weakened by illness.
A cold and melancholic appearance that carried the feeling of someone who had already lost something important.
Short, charcoal-black hair that appeared slightly messy.
But the most striking feature was his blue eyes.
They were not bright and lively like the surface of a beautiful ocean.
Instead, they were deep like the bottom of the sea.
They carried the darkness and depth of the abyss.
Jin stared at his reflection in the mirror, water droplets still falling from his hair.
"Tch... you really are something."
He smiled mockingly at his reflection, filled with self-ridicule.
Then he changed his clothes and left the bathroom.
After drying his hair, Jin lay down on the bed and stared silently at the ceiling.
Suddenly, he extended his hand toward the nearby desk.
His fingers grasped the white paper once again.
He lifted it slowly.
"Name: Jin Elvan."
"Age: 24."
"Health Condition: Extremely Poor."
"Cause: Unknown and newly discovered disease."
"Supervising Doctor: Irvan Nayon."
Jin remained silent for a moment.
"After everything that happened... after losing my family... having no friends... having nothing at all... after all those damn events and that meaningless studying... I'm going to die because of an unknown disease?"
His voice started as a quiet whisper.
As if he was speaking only to himself.
"Am I really the only one carrying this disease?"
His expression slowly changed.
The whispers turned into words.
The words turned into a voice filled with anger.
"Are you kidding me?"
Finally, his voice became a roar filled with pain, anger, and unwillingness.
"Whoever decided this... can go to hell."
For a moment, the hysterical emotions appeared on his face like an illusion.
Then...
They vanished.
Jin let out a quiet sigh and lay back down calmly.
Only a few tears slipped from the corners of his eyes.
Thump.
Pain spread through his body once again.
It was like countless ants crawling beneath his skin, endlessly devouring what remained of his dying cells.
Jin ignored the unbearable pain.
His hand moved toward the desk once more.
But this time...
He grabbed his phone.
"There is still something I need to do."
He spoke calmly.
Even though his left hand was tightly gripping his thigh, trying to endure the pain.
He quickly unlocked his phone and searched for several places.
"At least... let me do some good in the end."
Jin transferred most of his remaining wealth, around fifteen thousand dollars, to several trustworthy orphanages.
He stared at the screen.
The balance of his bank account had become zero.
A smile slowly appeared on his face.
"Ha... go to hell, you damn worms."
He placed the phone aside and lay back on the bed once again.
His eyes stared blankly at the ceiling.
"Life is like an ugly painting... filled with terrible mistakes created by people."
His voice was quiet.
"How unfortunate..."
The faint light within his dark eyes slowly began to disappear.
Meanwhile, his heartbeat continued.
Steady.
Calm.
Thump... thump... thump...
Then...
It became chaotic.
Thump... thump...
And finally...
Thump...
Silence.
Jin Elvan.
Died.
End of Chapter 1