Shadows of the Deep Space Chapter 1 - 1 1 Abyss Approaching
Darkness.
Profound, immensely profound, an endless void bereft of even the tiniest glimmer.
Amid this infinite blackness, a torturous sense of asphyxiation gripped him, joined by a relentless downward pull that swelled inescapably, defying all resistance.
What utter despair, profound helplessness, and sheer dread it evoked.
Suddenly, from the remote shadowy chasm, a subtle radiance emerged.
This ethereal glow, hazy initially, steadily widened and sharpened, soon bathing the whole expanse in vivid hues.
As the colors stabilized, a pair of eyes fluttered open.
Aged walls filled his sight, while the fierce choking and agony still dominated his thoughts.
He labored to raise his head, peering sideways through the corner of his eye, when a tight rope abruptly entered his view.
At that instant, one could behold a youth clad in a blue and white school uniform dangling from the cord, his face flushing to a deep purple.
“Ah!”
The youth's eyes bulged wide, flailing wildly, though puzzled by the circumstances, he refused to perish by hanging.
Creak~
The rope swayed to and fro from the youth's fierce thrashing.
Regrettably, these efforts proved in vain, as the noose bit deeper into his neck's flesh, the severe lack of air making his eyes bulge outward.
Yet, right when he neared surrender,
Crack!
The weathered metal beam overhead crumbled with a deafening roar.
Boom~
The youth plummeted hard, slamming into the scattered rubble below.
The clamor echoed sharply through the quiet night.
“Cough cough~”
The youth sprawled on the floor, gasping ravenously, devouring the crisp air.
Thump thump~
Shortly, hurried steps sounded from beyond the entrance, and the door burst open as two silhouettes dashed inside, spotting the youth prone, they cried out in relief.
“We found Su Ming, he’s here!”
The youth strained to elevate his gaze toward the doorway figures, but before grasping the situation, a growing throng gathered.
The group encircled the youth, fretting,
“Quick, take him to the infirmary.”
…..
Soon after, within the pristine medical room.
Su Ming reclined on the sickbed, gazing vacantly at the overhead, his expression brimming with bewilderment.
In the medical room, numerous pupils in blue and white uniforms buzzed with talk.
“What’s wrong with Su Ming?
He hasn’t spoken a word in ages, could it be he’s had a mental breakdown?”
“Normal, if the love letter I wrote was made public throughout the school, I might react the same way.”
“This guy really has it tough!”
…
“Quiet, stop talking now!”
A gaunt fellow with sharp cheekbones and pallid complexion, attired in a gray educator's outfit, curbed his frustration and berated the noisy pupils.
“Yes, Mr.
Tang.”
The pupils exchanged glances and fell silent.
Just then, the medical room's door flew open with a thud, a fellow roughly 1.5 meters in height sporting a potbelly, clad in a black formal coat with neatly combed gleaming locks and a neat little mustache, stormed in alongside a statuesque lady in a crimson gown adorned with a jewel choker.
They spotted Su Ming on the sickbed and hurried to him, fretting,
“Son, are you alright?”
“What’s bothering you?”
“Who has done this to you?
Tell Daddy, I will definitely sue them!”
…
Su Ming stared dazedly at the middle-aged pair, offering no reply.
With no response from Su Ming, the pair grew more frantic, pressing,
“Son, what’s wrong with you?
Say something!”
“Don’t scare us!”
…
“Parents, please stay calm!”
Tang Yan and a senior medical staffer hastened forward to soothe them.
“Doctor, what exactly is wrong with my son?”
Su Ming’s parents inquired desperately.
“Su Ming attempted to hang himself in the storage room not long ago.
Although he was saved, the lack of oxygen might have caused minor brain damage, leading to his current state of consciousness.
Let him rest quietly for a while, he may recover.”
The school doctor said with a sigh.
“Yes, that’s right.
Please, don’t be upset right now; Su Ming needs peace and quiet.”
Tang Yan echoed before turning to address the other students who had helped in the search.
“Everyone, go back to your dormitories and rest early.
We have class tomorrow.”
Although the students were somewhat reluctant, they eventually dispersed.
After hearing what the doctor and Tang Yan said, Su Ming’s parents’ tense hearts eased slightly, and they looked back at Su Ming.
“My child, please look at me, I am your mother!”
Su Ming’s mother said, her eyes red.
Su Ming glanced at the middle-aged woman but did not speak.
His headache was worsening, and he was utterly confused about what was happening.
“Really can’t remember?”
“Mother?”
Su Ming’s lips moved slightly as he murmured softly.
At that moment, a fragmented memory flashed through his mind.
In the memory, he stood in the playground surrounded by many figures in blue and white school uniforms, who were laughing at him incessantly.
Then the memory cut to him lying on a classroom window, looking at a graceful figure on the playground.
As more fragments of memory emerged, Su Ming felt as if his head was being torn apart, the agonizing pain causing him to moan in agony.
“Ah~”
“Son, what’s wrong?”
Su Ming’s parents asked, extremely anxious upon seeing this.
“Ah, my head hurts so much!”
Su Ming, clutching his head in pain, writhed on the hospital bed as countless fragments of memory continued to emerge.
The school doctor quickly grabbed a sedative and rushed over, shouting.
“Hold him down!”
Tang Yan and others frantically reached out to hold Su Ming.
Just as Su Ming was about to remember everything, the needle was jabbed into his arm.
Immediately, he felt a wave of intense fatigue wash over him, and he fell asleep.
…
A day later.
The serene sunlight poured through the clear full-length panes, illuminating the expansive mattress.
Su Ming gradually parted his eyelids and labored to prop himself upright.
He pressed his brow and hazily slipped from the bed, heading to the lavatory.
In the lavatory, Su Ming vacantly twisted the faucet.
Water gushed forth—
Su Ming cupped the streaming liquid to splash his face.
The chill instantly sharpened his foggy senses, and he lifted his gaze to the mirror.
At once, a plump, rounded visage reflected back.
“Ah~”
Su Ming recoiled in shock, his frame quaking.
His immediate thought was—who am I?
Where am I?
His whole psyche reeled in disarray.
Nevertheless, Su Ming quickly composed himself and organized his jumbled notions.
He drew a steady breath and peered into the glass once more.
He examined the figure in the reflection, utterly stunned.
This marked his initial glimpse in a mirror.
After five minutes, Su Ming exhaled in defeat, accepting his fresh persona.
“ε=(´ο｀*))) Alas,”
“Never thought this body would be so heavy—must be over 180 pounds at least?”
Su Ming gazed down, inspecting his new form from every side, then whispered.