Kurayama Ishigami, a boy who lost his family at the age of 13, got kidnapped and tortured for ten years. Then, he killed a total of 60,000 people on his rampage for revenge.

Kurayama was feeling empty, emptier than he ever felt before.

Before, he had rage and sadness. Something that kept pushing him forward, something that fueled his energy, something that made him determined to do something, something that filled the emptiness inside of him.

But now, he has nothing. It was a mixed feeling of sadness and emptiness that constantly plagued his mind, something that made his vision of life, not blurry, but dark.

He wasn't moving forward; he was only walking. Walking forward to somewhere he doesn't know. He was stepping forward as his and the other subjects' memories and mental pain plagued his mind. He was only walking forward because...what else can he do?

Kurayama walked from dawn until midnight until he reached a cave that he sought shelter in. He didn't enter the cave because he has to or because he was afraid of something or someone. He only did it because...what else can he do?

He entered the cave, curled up in a corner, and held his head down, looking at the ground with an empty look. He was waiting, waiting for mercy. He was waiting for the mercy of death to come and free him from this pointless life.

Kurayama at least wanted something to hurt him, to make his mind stop focusing on the eternal memories of pain that he has. But there was nothing; nothing made him forget about those memories.

Everyone he ever knew was gone. Even his torturers had a place in his life, but now they are gone. Everything that he ever loved or hated was gone. Everything that made him what he was, was gone.

He was a happy boy, then a monstrous killer, but what now? What has he become? A body with no soul? No emotions? No feelings? Nothing that makes him human anymore? Nothing that makes him exist?

If only he were able to start again, a million miles away. He would do it, he would find a way.

-----

Kurayama was still sitting in the corner, looking at the ground with an empty look. Suddenly, he started laughing. His laugh was an internal one that kept the same pace, not louder nor quieter.

"Hina, I missed how adorable you were. How you always annoyed Katsu for me, how you always drew pictures for me, and how you always praised my dream of becoming a hero. I missed it-...so much. I am sorry-...Hina. Your brother isn't the hero you dreamt of him becoming." Kurayama quietly stated to himself as he continued laughing.

"Katsu-...oh my god, Katsu-...I miss you so much-...I miss your cheery yet protective personality. I wish you could come back and show me that smile one more time-...I wish you could annoy me one more time and tell me how cringy I am while talking about heroes. Oh my god-...Katsu. Katsu, please come back-...I swear I will give you all of my special pudding just for one more time-...one more smile." The boy's insane laughter went silent as tears started uncontrollably coming down his eyes like a waterfall. At the same time, he tightly pulled his hair from frustration and unimaginable pain that he felt in his heart.

"Aiko-...Oh, Aiko-...I still remember how you woke me up every morning, how you always taunted me, how you always mocked me for dreaming of becoming a hero-...yet-...yet-...yet I still remember how you were always my number one supporter. You always helped with studying, and you were always there in my aid, you were always there for me. You were always my number one support-...I remember how one day after I sent my application to the 'Heroes Highschool' and got rejected, I cried more than I ever did in my life, but you were the first that lent me his shoulder to lean on. You were the first that comforted me and the first that cried for me. I am sorry-...Aiko. I am so sorry that I didn't become the hero you encouraged me to be." The boy's cries gradually grew louder as his voice started cracking between sentences, while he was pulling his hair out more and more.

"Mother, I always remember how you always smiled at me, how you always comforted me, how you scolded me so lightly, yet you laugh it off and tell me to learn from it. Mother-...I miss your comforting voice-...I wish I can hug you again and cry in your shoulders as you're telling me that everything will be okay. Mother, I am so sorry-...for turning out like this." The boy's started weeping. His cries were that of real despair as he held his head tightly and slammed his fists on the cave's wall.

"Father, I am sorry for doubting you for a single second. I am so sorry for thinking that you were the one who willingly killed your family. Father, please come back. Please talk to me again. I'll buy you as many beer cans as you want, just please sit with me and talk to me again. Please talk to me, and smile again. Please, laugh at my stupid jokes again. Please-...give me more life lessons. Father! I am so so sorry-...I am so terribly sorry for becoming a disappointment-...I am so sorry." The boy's cries were so loud to the point where it could shatter a glass window. He rapidly started slamming his bloodied fist on the cave's ground after he knelt down and started crying louder.

"My old self, I wish you were still here. I miss how you never cared about anything, how you never cared about people's insults and mockery, and always just shrugged it off. How you had a family, a passion, a dream, a bunch of friends, and a life-...worthy of living. Oh, Ishigami, what have you become? How did it turn out to be like this? What did you do in your life to get struck by a tragedy this sad? What-...What have I become?" Kurayama's gut-wrenching sobs stopped before he stated in a voice full of sadness and despair, yet so quiet, gentle, and soft.

His bloodied fists started trembling as his tears began cleaning them from the dry blood they were painted by. Kurayama looked at his fists, at himself, and released one last mocking smirk as tears started racing down his cheeks.

"Ishigami-...what have we become?"

-----

While Ishigami was lying down on the ground, completely broken beyond all repair, someone was looking for him.

In the forest, in front of the cave's entrance, a middle-aged man wearing a lab coat was carrying a black duffle bag and a flashlight. He had an anxious look on his face as he kept pointing his flashlight at many different parts of the forest, searching for someone.

After a few minutes of anxiously searching, his flashlight shined on the sight of a cave entrance. The man was skeptical at first but still mustered up the courage to walk towards the cave and enter it.

"Kurayama?" The man widened his eyes in shock as he saw the young boy sitting in the corner with fists painted with dry blood and puffy red eyes with tears still running down his cheeks. His facial expression was that of...Emptiness.

"Kurayama?!" The man exclaimed as he rushed towards the boy with a panicked look.

"Nothing happened, so please just stop," Kurayama replied in a shallow voice after he wiped his tears away.

"So, how did it go?" The man asked in curiosity and wonder, seemingly uninterested in the boy's condition anymore.

"The plan...succeeded. Everyone is gone." Kurayama replied after he averted his eyes and went back to staring at the ground.

"Really? So, the plan did work after all." The man said in a relieved yet disappointed voice as he stared at the ground, feeling guilty about letting a young boy commit mass murder.

"Yeah...Thank you. Thank you for letting this moment be possible." Kurayama shifted his gaze towards the man and gave him a sad yet grateful smile.

----

Four months ago, the man that Kurayama was sitting with was a researcher working in Lab 5. He was one of the few researchers that opposed the weapons program, yet at the same time, he never publicly addressed it or ever opposed the direct orders of Katsuri. He hated working for the lab, but he didn't want to die. He was Kurayama's father's best friend.

His power enabled him to wipe out people's traumas and mental illness. Four months ago, he used his power on Kurayama and made him conscious again. He was no longer the lifeless doll that Katsuri loved torturing so much. He was finally back to being the Kurayama that he was ten years ago.

The man talked with Kurayama so many times and struggled to make him believe him. He told him about the brain chip experiment and how it was the perfect timing to initiate his revenge plot. He was the one that made this moment possible.

----

"So, Kurayama. What are you planning to do now?" After clearing his throat, the man asked Kurayama in a hesitant voice after he averted his eyes.

"I...I honestly don't know. I don't have anyone or anything. I honestly don't think I exist anymore." Kurayama closed his eyes and placed his head on his hands before he stated in a regretful voice. "I think...I think I'll go to the 'New World'. The common world doesn't have a place for me anymore. I am too much of a monster. I can't blend into society anymore."

"No, Kurayama. Don't break your family's heart. Don't fail them because you still have a chance, a chance to continue living a good life for the sake of you and your family." The man eyed Kurayama and spoke with confidence after he grabbed hold of the boy's shoulders.

"W-What?" Kurayama asked in confusion.

"Kurayama, I failed your father, your family, and you, for a total of ten years. But...I won't fail them again. I won't let the last Kurayama waste his life and become something that neither he nor his family wanted him to become. Kurayama, don't waste your life." The man gripped tightly into the boy's shoulders and squeezed them.

"What do you suggest I do?" Kurayama unenthusiastically asked, still empty inside.

"Kurayama, stay in the common world. Stay in Japan, and try to find a purpose in your life. Find trustworthy friends, create a family, and become the hero you and your family always dreamt of becoming. If you don't find a purpose, create one. Just...never give up. That's your family's last wish." The man said in complete confidence, his words slapping some sense into Kurayama.

"O...Okay. I'll try it." Kurayama said, forced to try one last solution, forced to walk one last path in his life. One final...restart.

"Kurayama, I am so sorry that I failed you for so many years. I am sorry for being the coward that I am. I am so sorry for not helping your family ten years ago. I am truly, so sorry." After tightly hugging Kurayama, the man stated in a profoundly apologetic voice, failing to suppress the single tear that came down from his eye.

The man stood up, wiped the dust off of his clothes, and opened the black duffle bag that he was carrying. He pulled out a black leather jacket, black pants, and a pair of black boots and handed them to Kurayama.

"Here, take this, and this." The man said as he pulled out a book and a ticket from the same bag.

"What is this?" Kurayama asked as he grabbed the set of clothes.

"That's a lottery ticket, try your luck and see if you can win. The book is something that I wrote for you, the world has changed in the past ten years, so I wrote to you some things to help you.

These are your father's casual clothes. He left them in the lab after he rushed to save your family, the day he died, ten years ago. These are the last souvenirs that I have of the Kurayamas. Take it, wear it with pride. Wear it and hold your head up, as someone who went through hell and survived the impossible. Someone who went through the worst, yet still is the best. The last Kurayama." The man stated.

Kurayama looked at him and widened his eyes in shock. He gripped into his father's clothes and tightly hugged them, he hugged them harder than he ever did.

As the man was making his way out of the cave, Kurayama called out to him.

"Old man, what is your name?" Kurayama asked him, almost pleading.

"Me...My name is Takumi Kiomaru." The man stated in a voice filled with disappointment.

"Mr.Kiomaru...Thank you so much, Mr.Kiomaru. Thank you so very much!" After bowing his head on the cold and hard ground of the cave, Kurayama said in a genuinely grateful voice.

"Please-...lift your head, Kurayama. You must never bow your head to anyone. Especially me." The man stated in a deeply apologetic and regretful voice before he continued walking out.

"Takumi! Where will you go? What will you do now?" Kurayama asked, almost pleading for him to stay beside him.

"Kurayama, I am only going to continue living my life with all the regrets that I have. I will keep living and waiting for my punishment, the punishment that I deserve. Because...after all...we always get what we deserve...Kurayama." The man stated for one last time before he continued walking out of the cave, walking towards a life that he regrets living.

Kurayama...was finally seeing life again. He finally saw a clear path, a clear vision, something to do...something that distracted his mind from replaying the same sad memories.

Kurayama was finally...alive.