Chapter Text
Karkat storms in through the front door, loudly slamming it behind him.
"Karkat, is that you?" His mother calls out from the kitchen, but he just ignores her, going straight for the staircase instead. His older brother, Kankri, stops him at the stairs and asks, "Are you okay? You seem more agitated than usual. Did something happen at school again?"
Karkat just lets out an irritated sigh and shoves his brother out of his way, muttering "piss off" as he heads towards his room.
Once he's inside, he locks his door and walks up to his dresser. He opens the top drawer and scrambles around a bit before finding what he was looking for.
He sits on his bed and pulls up the sleeves to his grey hoodie, revealing cuts and scars all over his pale skin. The skin he resents so much, the skin that causes him to stand out so much, pale like a ghost.
He brings the small, shining object to his skin and pierces it, sighing in relief as he feels the stress of the day slowly fade out. He drags the blade across his skin repeatedly, welcoming the numbness that comes with each slice. He closes his eyes and begins cutting deeper, allowing himself to get lost in the overwhelming sensation. He can already feel the stream of blood pouring from his wound, the warm stickiness contrasting against the cool of his skin.
Karkat can't tell how much time has passed since he began, all he can tell is that the thoughts and emotions he felt prior have been completely numbed out. He feels himself slowly slipping away from consciousness and as he falls face-first to the ground he thinks to himself, This is the end.
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His name is Karkat Vantas, he is 15 years old, and this is the end, and the beginning, of his life.