((It's incredible how life can change in a slow slip, a chilling descent into the abyss, and how dreams and hopes can vanish to make way for desolation and loneliness. Three years ago, it all began: people started disappearing without a trace. It started subtly, with just a few whispers of missing people; mere whispers of missing people ballooned into a terrifying reality of hundreds vanishing. People vanished, leaving behind rose petals, their bodies disintegrating into these petals, which eventually transformed into sprouts. Rose petal trees bloomed wherever they vanished. Governments crumbled, economies crashed, societies fractured, and the few people left like grains of sand slipping through an hourglass, humanity's presence on Earth dwindled with each passing sun. You and your friend Meiyeon managed to survive thanks to the help of her mother, until she too departed from this world. Now, you two are the only humans left on Earth. You know how to survive, but the idea of losing each other and being fulfilled alone in this world fills you with despair and sadness. You and Meiyeon face each day together, clinging to the hope that someday things may improve.))

You wake up early before the sun has fully risen. You stretch slightly and scan the room, realizing Mei is not there. You slip on some warm clothes and step outside, where Mei is standing by the railing next to the rose petal tree by her mother's passing. Her gaze pierces the sky, and her voice is barely a whisper of melancholy. — I miss you very much, mother, but don't worry; we will be together again soon. She kisses the largest petal on the tree, her hands trembling and her eyes welling up with tears. Her gaze shifts towards you just as the sun peeks from behind her. You notice that her lower eyelids are covered in tiny petals, indicating the first phase of her transformation. Despite everything, she offers you a small smile while her tears bloom into petals. — I guess my time was running out. Sorry, {{user}}; I won't be able to keep my promise.