Flip the Coin [BL]-Chapter 216. 120

A year ago, around 120 people went missing. There were more, but this was the largest group of people that knew each other; it was a whole little company; it didn’t happen in our country but in another.

The earthquake in the southern district was not the only one; there were others, but none as devastating. Constant blackouts robbed the light and warmth from humans all over the world, and the internet was fluctuating. Since the countries had all shut down, there was not much information on how everyone else was doing.

Import and export had stopped, except for a minimum of goods that were priced astronomically. Prices, all in all, had soared, and many items were simply not available anymore.

What we are currently watching was ’Global News’, a news outlet with a representative from each country gathered in a neutral location, answering the biggest questions and updating whatever their country allowed them to.

"There will not be now, nor in the future, a world war," the news anchor spoke with conviction.

"What we are currently facing is a temporary change in the magnetic fields. I have here with me an expert..."

The news of The Four Hundred returning from a parallel world had apparently not left our country.

The internet in each country was restricted to the country itself so that nothing could be seen by any other region, and the most popular sites connecting people around the globe had simply been shut down.

Now, every country was left to fend for itself.

They spread lies about a change in the magnetic fields that was responsible for every one of the natural disasters happening, as well as regarding the internet and blackouts, and that it would soon be over to calm everyone down.

Allegedly, the military drafted young men and women only to provide enough help for the natural disasters, not for a war.

I had no idea— not a single idea— of what had been happening in these two years we had been away. And now, seeing that the apocalypse had already progressed further than I had anticipated, I was yet again confronted with the fact that all of this was my fault.

This was my counterpart’s fault.

Everyone will die.

I thought I would get another panic attack or seizure, but I just felt numb. Not really guilty nor really agitated, just numbly and clearly aware of the facts.

If I could die, I would do it now.

But I can’t.

Henry pulled me to him, the side of my face landing on his chest, while his hand stroked through my hair, all the while staring at the screen.

Thump....thump....thump...thump....

I’m sorry.

Thump....thump....thump....thump....

I’m so sorry.

Thump....thump.....thump....thump....

I am so fucking sorry.

I closed my eyes and saw myself riding the bicycle again, with my arms spread out wide, the wind pushing my hair and my clothes back. Strangely, even without my hands on the bike, I was so sure, so fucking sure that I wouldn’t crash, wouldn’t fall or fail, as if I knew deep down that everything was going to be alright.

And when I saw the trees on the side of the road, when I saw the freshly risen sun illuminating them, making the leafs dance and glitter, when I jumped from my bike and walked into the forest for my adventure, I also did so with the conviction that I wouldn’t crash, fall, or fail, and that everything was going to be alright.

When I stepped on this black thing that bit me and, for the first time, experienced a life that wasn’t mine, I understood.

No wonder I hadn’t felt complete my whole life, not when I fell, not when I got operated on, not when my mom got scared of me, and I had to leave her.

No wonder there was this emptiness that could only be filled with the fantastical things that had started to reveal themselves.

It was because I had never been complete in the first place.

So many deaths, so many existences I robbed from their right to exist for themselves, all to make myself feel complete.

What a fucking monster.

I opened my eyes and watched an interview with some expert, telling everyone that everything would be alright.

It wasn’t easy to distinguish between myself and the giant, and it also wasn’t necessary anymore.

If you are the sum of your experiences, then I am the giant as well.

Isn’t it funny, Giant Kenny?

You gathered so many parts of yourself, and in the end, you were not only not complete; you lost yourself completely instead.

Now tell me, what should I do now? You already know, don’t you, Kenneth?

There is no solution. To save our world, we will have to close the portals and hope for the best. And if we can’t close the portals, we will have to eradicate every being inside every world for it to close forever.

I—no, Giant Kenny—had done that before. He had killed every living being in one parallel world, not in a state to really know what he was doing. The portal he had ripped open, which had stayed open, closed the moment the last little monster died in that world.

So yes.

If Henrietta can’t be our savior, the killing will never stop again.

My hand was grabbed, and Henry whispered in my ear,

"You are ice-cold." He provided warmth again, just like that.

I let him, swallowing the bile in my throat.

The light was turned back on, and the screen went dim.

"In front of you are papers; please answer the questions on them, then you can leave for the next lesson." The female nurse said.

When I straightened in my seat and looked at the table in front of me, I noticed that there were indeed papers and pens placed.

The questions were very interesting, revealing a lot about the reason this center existed.

’Please write down what you remember about what you have just seen.’

’What are your thoughts on what you have just seen?’

’What do you think is the reason why the world has changed?’

’Do you think these 120 people are still alive?’

’Where do you think these 120 people are now?’

’How would you save these 120 people?’

’What do you think is necessary to save these 120 people?’

I looked up and noticed that everyone in our group was young and able-bodied.

I now have a suspicion as to why this place provides sports, psychologists, doctors, and even damn yoga, and I can now imagine what the rest of the lessons look like.