Do you hear me now ?

Prologue

As the moon hung low in the sky, its pale rays painted a surreal glow upon the barren landscape that unfolded before her. The girl, alone and vulnerable, stood in a dimly lit room that mirrored her own isolation. Cold, barren walls surrounded her, their atmosphere mirroring the emptiness in her heart.

Whispering into the void, her voice echoed and disappeared, unheard and unanswered, leaving her thoughts to ricochet endlessly within the confines of her own mind.

"Hello?" she called out, her voice barely a whisper, filled with desperation. "Is anyone there? Please... I need someone."

But the only response she received came in the form of distant, cold voices that echoed through the darkness.

"Don't bother," a voice sneered. "No one cares about you. You're all alone in this world."

Invisible hands of despair gripped at her fragile heart as tears welled up in her eyes. She yearned for someone, anyone, to validate her existence, to hear her cries, and to acknowledge her worth.

"But... I just want someone to hear me," she pleaded, her voice teetering on the edge of despair, "to see me..."

Mocking laughter reverberated through the barren expanse, another voice hissing cruelly in her ear, "Ha! Who would want to listen to someone as insignificant as you? You're not worthy of love or attention."

Unrelenting and unforgiving, the nightmare progressed, relentlessly deepening the void that swallowed her in its cold embrace, intensifying her feelings of abandonment and the gnawing ache of isolation.

"Why does it hurt so much?" she sobbed, her voice filled with despair. "Why do I feel so empty inside?"

Yet, the nightmare showed no mercy. The girl, her spirit fading, watched as the vibrant colors of her life faded to grayscale, leaving her trapped in a world where even the simplest joys lost their luster.

"Why can't someone love me?" she whispered, her voice trembling with sorrow.

A voice, cruel and mocking, responded, "Because love is not meant for you. It will always elude you, slipping through your fingers, just out of reach."

The nightmare pressed on, an unyielding weight on her chest, until finally, a pivotal moment arrived, shattering what little strength remained within her.

The girl watched, her heart breaking, as an intimate scene played out before her eyes – a display of love and warmth in a way she had never known. Its beauty captivated her, and yet, it gnawed at her fragile soul. She yearned for that love, that embrace, which seemed so unattainable.

"What... what is this?" she whispered, her voice quivering. "Why can't I have that? Why can't I be loved?"

As if in response, a familiar voice, gentle and caring, reached out through the darkness, embracing her with its warmth.

"We love you," the voice whispered, enveloped in the tender arms of a loving couple. "We've always loved you..."

Tears streamed down the girl's face, her heart shattered into countless pieces. She couldn't believe it. In a world so filled with despair, the glimmer of love she witnessed felt too good to be true.

"No... it can't be real," she choked out, her voice intertwined with pain.