"Human"

Chapter 1 "Human"

There are all sorts of ways to live a human life.

Some people ride the winds of success.

Some people live in constant trepidation.

Some people have a future as bright as brocade.

Some people suffer through hardship and misery.

Yet for a child who is only two years old, none of these are attainable.

So, how then should one describe this child's way of living?

Walking on thin ice?

Filled with endless fear?

At the very least, to an outsider, this is how the child ought to be living.

Of course, a child of only two years, no matter what, could not possibly comprehend these helpless miseries and sufferings of life.

Therefore, even if fate were truly unfair to him, forcing him to live in such a manner, the child should be unable to grasp it.

However, at this very moment, the child is indeed "understanding" all of this.

The disorder of his breath is not due to physical exhaustion.

The blurring of his consciousness is not due to mental decay.

Everything within is gradually spiraling toward misalignment.

All methods are insufficient to sustain this existence that is slipping away, unable to provide even the slightest bit of comfort.

This is all that the child can feel.

Thus, he knows.

He is already preparing for an "end" in the truest sense of the word.

Yet, the child does not harbor any thoughts about this.

It cannot be helped.

Long before this, the boy already knew he would eventually face this day.

It is just that this day has arrived a little too soon.

According to the results displayed by the most advanced calculation devices, he should have had about ten more years before facing this moment of "stoppage."

In other words, meeting his fate on this day was not in the "plan."

But what difference does that make?

"Either way, arriving early or late makes no difference."

Perhaps, if it were an ordinary person, having ten extra years would surely allow them to create many beautiful memories.

Humans are like that; even knowing they will one day walk into the grave, they still live desperately, just to leave more footprints and meaning in this world.

If he were an ordinary person, he would surely complain about the unfairness of fate for ruthlessly snatching away those precious ten years, perhaps even roaring at God or cursing the Gods.

But even that is a luxury.

"Even if there were ten more years, there would still be no way to leave anything behind."

This is not due to any overly complex reason, but simply because there is "no way to act."

Like an old man whose oil is running dry, the boy's body cannot support him in performing activities no different from an average person.

In view of this, to put it bluntly, even with ten more years, the boy would only be able to lie in bed, unable to take a single step toward the outside world.

No matter how small that step might be, it remains the same.

Since that is the case...

"Then why continue to waste time?"

This is neither self-pity nor self-abandonment; the boy has simply reached the conclusion that he "does not want to continue like this anymore."

Therefore, at this very moment, the boy is welcoming the end that should have been his with a mind free of distractions.

The operation of the world.

The passage of time.

Confusion.

Anxiety.

Fear.

All of this is already irrelevant to the boy.

All he can feel is himself, and his body that is gradually collapsing.

Gradually, even this awareness begins to drift away.

Calculating by time, in just a few more seconds, the boy's bodily functions would cease.

In other words, he would die.

No, it should be called "dying young."

This was the boy's fate.

Logically speaking, it was a fate that should not have been perceivable by a two-year-old child.

The means to salvage this fate did not exist in the modern era.

Unless it was—a "miracle."

But in this modern age, could such a thing exist?

The boy thought to himself.

In this very second, the boy had no inkling of what was to come.

In the very next instant, he received exactly what he desired.

"If this is what you lack, and since God will not grant it to you, then I shall grant it to you myself."

When such a voice resonated, the boy's spirit, which was on the verge of exhaustion, could not help but falter.

This was because the voice did not merely transmit directly into the boy's fading consciousness; it could be said to have reached the very depths of his soul, where it was acknowledged.

It was a voice that carried a sense of indifference, transcendence, and could even be said to be entirely devoid of any human emotion.

Upon hearing this voice, the boy could only be stunned, lacking even the strength to comprehend what was happening.

Although the boy, at the mere age of two, possessed an incredible understanding of everything he was facing, he had "knowledge" at best, but no "experience."

Thus, the boy's fading consciousness, which was drifting so far away that he could barely recognize himself, could only pose one question.

"Who are you?"

This was the only thought the boy could muster.

And the other party answered.

Furthermore, it was no longer that indifferent, transcendent voice devoid of any human emotion.

"Me?"

The other party responded after a long pause, in an incredibly complex tone.

"I am merely a 'human'."

To the boy, this existence, who seemed like a god, not only referred to itself as an individual "human" but even bestowed a single sentence upon him.

"I hope that you, too, can continue to live on as an ordinary human being."

This was the last sentence the other party left for the boy.

At the same time, it was a heartfelt, sincere statement.

This sentence would accompany the boy throughout his entire life.

Naturally, the voice of the one who spoke these words would also profoundly influence the boy's future destiny.

The boy knew none of this; he did not even have the right to refuse it.

For now, the boy only knew one thing.

That was...

"Can I... continue to live...?"

This question received a silent answer.

"----"

A brilliant, dazzling radiance suddenly illuminated the boy's entire world.

"Ah, ah..."

Gazing at that radiance, the boy let out a cry.

It was a sound emitted only when one is moved to the absolute limit.

His instincts had understood it a step ahead.

That light would save him.

Thinking this, the boy immersed his consciousness into it, as if reaching out toward that light.

And in the very end, the boy saw one thing.

A ring, floating within the radiance, as brilliant and dazzling as the light itself, yet appearing incredibly ancient, mysterious, and even alluring.

Thus, the boy was finally able to continue living as a human, gaining a new life.

It was just a pity that this life would not be able to be—as the owner of the voice had said—ordinary.