A sudden shriek pierced through the sound of pouring rain as thunder rumbled and lightning tore across the sky.
She was a petite woman, clutching an umbrella against the downpour, her eyes wide with horror at the scene before her.
She had only stepped out to grab a few snacks from the convenience store nearby. But just a few steps down the street, she saw it , a body falling from the top of the apartment building.
Her whole body trembled as she stared at the lifeless figure lying on the wet pavement, blood already spreading in the rain.
With shaking hands, she fumbled for her phone. She had to call for help — an ambulance, the police, someone.
Her fingers refused to work, trembling as she tried to unlock her phone while gripping the umbrella tight in her other hand.
Finally, she managed to swipe the screen open and dialed 911.
"911, what's your emergency?" came the calm voice on the other end.
"A… a man jus–st f–fell f–from the top of the… the apart–ment building," she stammered, barely holding the phone steady.
"Ma'am, please stay calm. Are you in any danger right now?"
"N–No… I–I just saw it happen. He—he's not moving. There's b–blood everywhere."
"All right, I need you to stay where you are. An ambulance and patrol unit are already on the way. Do not approach the body, understood?"
"O–Okay…" she whispered, voice cracking.
"Can you tell me your location?"
She looked around quickly, trying to focus. "Um… Maple Heights Apartments… on Third Avenue. It's right by the convenience store."
"Got it. Help will be there in a few minutes. Please stay on the line with me until they arrive."
The woman nodded even though the operator couldn't see her. Her heart pounded as she clutched her umbrella tighter, the rain masking her tears.
In the distance, faint sirens began to echo through the storm.
The operator's voice softened. "You did the right thing, ma'am. Just breathe. Help is almost there."
She swallowed hard, staring at the unmoving body as red mixed with the rainwater and ran down the street.
And as the flashing lights approached through the mist,
A few hours earlier…
"Your brain tumor is spreading—at a fast rate."
"Brain tumor?" I blinked in confusion. I never knew I had a brain tumor… it was just mild headaches, dizziness, and heaviness. When did it become this serious?
"What? You didn't know you have a tumor developing in your brain?" the doctor asked, eyebrows raised in disbelief.
Kael could only nod in defeat.
The doctor sighed. "So what have you been doing when you experienced all these symptoms?"
"I thought it was due to stress, so I never thought much of it. I just took painkillers to feel better, but they only dulled the pain nothing more."
"You should have visited the hospital earlier," the doctor said, his tone sharp but weary. "Now you'll need surgery as soon as possible. Otherwise, you won't live beyond six months. Even five months would be a miracle."
"But doctor, I don't have any money for surgery," Kael said, his voice trembling as he looked up, eyes glistening with tears he tried to hold back.
He had come for a checkup yesterday only because his coworker had forced him to take come for check up. His headaches, dizziness, and blurry vision had gotten so bad that he'd nearly collapsed at work. He couldn't believe that those symptoms had led to something this terrifying.
The doctor exhaled heavily and leaned back in his chair. "We can't do anything without the funds, Mr. Ryden. You'll have to find a way to pay for it, or we can't proceed with the surgery. I'm sorry."
Kael's chest tightened.
The doctor hesitated, then asked quietly, "What about your family? Can they help?"
Kael froze. The question stung more than the diagnosis itself.
"I don't… have a family," he said softly, swallowing hard. The words tasted bitter.
The room fell silent, save for the faint ticking of the clock on the wall.
Kael's eyes drifted toward it..
His heart dropped.
I'm late for work.
He quickly stood, wiping his face. "Thank you, doctor," he said, forcing a small, broken smile before hurrying out of the office.
The doctor called after him, "Mr. Ryden! You need to take this seriously.."
But the door had already closed.
Kael walked down the hallway, his footsteps echoing in the sterile silence, the words "You won't live beyond six months" repeating in his head like a curse.
What made his day even worse was when he arrived at work , his first part-time job of the day. He had other ones too.
He rushed into the mall, seeing it busy as usual. He just had to hurry up, change into his work clothes, and sneak into his position before his boss noticed. But luck didn't seem to be on his side, because just as he was about to enter the changing room, his boss appeared.
"Kael!"
Kael froze mid-step.
The short, broad man stormed toward him, his expression already twisted in anger. "You're late again! Do you think this is a playground?"
"I'm sorry, sir, I.."
"I don't want to hear your excuses!" the boss snapped, his voice echoing across the staff corridor. A few workers nearby glanced over but quickly looked away. "Every time, it's something new with you! Do you even care about this job?"
Kael bowed his head. "I do, sir. I just...."
"You just what? Overslept again? Got lost?!" The boss scoffed and crossed his arms. "If you keep showing up like this, don't expect me to keep you on the schedule. I've got plenty of kids begging for this job."
Kael clenched his fists behind his back, swallowing the lump in his throat. "It won't happen again, sir."
The boss snorted. "Yeah, I've heard that before. Don't think I won't deduct your pay for today either. Consider it a lesson."
Kael's chest tightened, but he managed a quiet, "Understood."
"Good. Now get changed and get out there. And try not to drag your feet , customers aren't going to wait for your pity party."
With that, the man walked off, muttering something under his breath about "useless employees."
Kael stood there for a few seconds, staring blankly at the door to the changing room.
Deduct my pay… that's just perfect.
He let out a shaky sigh and finally went inside to change, the doctor's words still echoing in his head, mixing with his boss's insults until they all sounded the same.
Kael couldn't stop himself as he checked his bank balance on his phone once again. The numbers weren't bad , after all, he had been saving for a long time.
He had plans of going to college, doing something with his life… but here he was, estimating the cost of a surgery that important. It was going to cost millions, and he didn't have that kind of cash.
"Slacking off again, are you?" his boss said, appearing out of nowhere.
Kael quickly hid his phone and gave a small bow.
"No, sir," he said, trying not to cause any more trouble.
"Hmph," his boss grunted in anger.
---
The day had finally come to an end. After working through several part-time jobs, Kael was completely exhausted. He felt weak, and anger clouded his head. His stomach growled for food.
But he decided to go home and heat some leftovers from the fridge. That would do him better, he thought.
The streets were quiet that night. The cold wind brushed against his face as he walked through the dimly lit road, the sound of distant traffic blending with the occasional barking of a stray dog. His feet ached, his body screamed for rest, but his mind wouldn't stop replaying everything — the doctor's words, his boss's insults, his empty wallet.
What's the point of all this? he thought bitterly. Work, sleep, repeat , just to die in the end anyway.
He hated how unfair life was. Some people were born with everything ,money, family, opportunities. And people like him? They had to claw for every crumb and still get blamed for not being "enough."
By the time he reached his apartment, he didn't feel like going inside. Instead, he climbed the stairs to the rooftop — the highest point of the old building. The rain clouds gathered again, the air heavy and wet, as if the sky itself was holding back tears.
Kael couldn't take it anymore. He stood at the edge of the building, looking down, realizing he was higher than he thought.
He just couldn't take it anymore. With all the suffering and pain, he gulped as a tear rolled down his cheek.
"I should have killed myself long ago… I wouldn't have been suffering for this long," he whispered, his voice trembling. "I'm tired. I'm tired of this fucking world."
He wiped his face roughly, his breathing uneven.
"I don't care about the consequences. I just want to die… I just want to be gone." His stomach grumbled again, a cruel reminder of his hunger.
He had worked hard all his life, never had time to rest, always on his feet because he wasn't wealthy. He was an orphan ,no one to care for, no one to care for him.
That made him realize that maybe… killing himself would finally make it stop.
He had been working part-time jobs all his life. Now, he was juggling four just to save money for his surgery. The tumor in his brain , the one he hadn't even known about until recently , was already in its final stage.
He was going to die of brain tumor anyway. So why live to feel the pain?
Death was the only option. Death was—
HIS ESCAPE.
He closed his eyes as tears rolled down his cheeks. He smiled , though deep down, he was breaking apart.
Just die, and everything will be okay, the voice whispered in his mind.
He smiled faintly as the rain began to pour heavily. "At least I can experience such lovely rain before my final moments," he murmured.
He opened his eyes again, reminiscing, wanting to feel the rain against his body for a little longer. Then he closed them once more , this time, ready to throw himself off the roof.
"Goodbye, cruel world," he whispered, spreading his arms wide.
And then he jumped.
The wind howled past his ears, the cold air biting into his skin as the ground rushed closer and closer. His heart pounded once , twice and then, nothing.
The crack of impact echoed through the street, followed by the faint, horrified scream of a woman.