Chapter 34: A Line That Should Never Be Crossed
(Part 3 – Walking Away from the Fire)
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The Cold Air Hits Me
The door slams shut behind me as I step out of the karaoke bar.
The night air is sharp, crisp—
A stark contrast to the suffocating heat inside.
For a moment, I just stand there.
My knuckles are bruised, bloodied.
My breath comes in ragged exhales.
My mind is spinning.
But my body—
It feels light.
Like something heavy has been ripped out of me.
Or maybe—
Something heavier has settled in its place.
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Everything Feels Distant
The neon lights from the bar's flickering sign cast a strange glow on the sidewalk.
Laughter and music still muffle through the walls, but it feels… far away.
Like it's happening in another world.
A world I don't belong to anymore.
I look down at my hands.
The blood stains my fingers, a deep red against my pale skin.
I flex them slowly.
They don't even hurt.
Not the way they should.
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I Should Feel Something
Relief.
Satisfaction.
Regret.
Something.
But I don't.
Not really.
It's like I've been moving on autopilot, running on some unseen instinct.
An instinct I didn't know I had.
An instinct I don't understand.
And that…
That bothers me.
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The World is Too Quiet
A car passes by.
A distant horn blares.
A few late-night stragglers laugh drunkenly in the distance.
The world keeps moving.
Like nothing happened.
Like I didn't just cross a line I can't uncross.
I exhale, watching my breath turn to mist in the cold air.
I need to go home.
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One Last Glance
I glance over my shoulder.
Through the tinted windows, I see shadows moving inside.
Jason and his friends, still struggling to pick themselves up.
Their world—shattered.
Their pride—broken.
Their faces—burned into my memory.
I know this isn't over.
I can feel it.
They won't forget tonight.
They won't let this go.
But I don't care.
Not anymore.
I turn back toward the street—
And start walking.
Away from the noise.
Away from the violence.
Away from the person I was before I stepped into that bar.
And into something new.
Something I don't recognize.