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đ Chapter 1 â The Gate of Bleak Awareness
I'm just a student. My name is Khai.
One day, a strange gate appeared in front of me.
Without a second thought, I stepped through it. No suspicion. No fear.
It was one of the legendary Twelve Doors of Humanity, or so I had read.
But this one... something about it felt different. Off.
I didn't realize until it was too late.
When I walked into the first gate,
what struck me wasn't wonderâbut tragedy.
My parents.
Dead.
A car accident.
> [Gate Title: Pessimistic Awareness]
[Memory: Does Not Exist]
I screamed, standing before two cold white sheets.
They were gone. I was alone. No one left in this world.
I couldn't find a reason to live anymore.
I climbed high, driven by a subconscious urgeâŠ
And I was ready to jumpâuntil someone grabbed me.
âŠA girl?
"Let me go!!" I screamed.
"Don't do anything stupid, Khai!!" she cried.
I tried to calm myself down and looked at the one who had saved me.
"But why? There's no one left. My family is gone. What's the point of living?"
"I'll give you one," she whispered.
And thenâŠ
She kissed me.
Everything shattered.
I was thrown out of the gate.
It closed behind me.
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đ Chapter 2 â The Gate of Rejection
The second gate shimmered in a strange shade of gray.
As I stepped inside, I felt my thoughts scatterâ
Then I woke up in a dorm room, confused.
> "Was that⊠a dream?"
A friend entered the room, looking surprised.
> "How are you feeling after yesterday?"
> "Yesterday�"
> "You seriously forgot?" another voice joined.
> "What are you two talking about?"
> "If he forgot, maybe it's better that way."
"Less trauma to carry."
"Yeah⊠he's the only one left now."
> "The only one�"
Then it hit me.
The memory.
That day.
My parents were only out to see meâŠ
When a truck lost controlâand killed them both.
> "No... NO!!"
I cried out. I couldn't hold it in.
> "Is he okay?!"
"Hold him! I'll get the teacher!"
Thenâ
Darkness.
I collapsed.
The gate spat me back out once again.
Sealed shut behind me.
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