The Crossroads of 23 (23歳の交差点)

[Verse 1]
Woke up at dawn, spirit was high.
Yoake to tomo ni, yume o oikaketa.
Just a soul chasing the sun, no "why."
Laughing, crying, it was all so free.
Ano koro no jibun ni, mou ichido naritai.
Everything was gold, everything was mine,
Before the world drew a boundary line.

[Verse 2]
At 18, they took me. Promised a start.
Kibou o misete, kokoro o kowashita.
But five years later, they’ve broken my heart.
Washing away the years with the grime on the floor,
Raising a life that isn't mine anymore.
A ghost in a house where I never win,
Trading my breath for a world made of tin.
My dreams are drowning in a deep sea.

[Verse 3]
23 now, colors turned grey.
Nijū-san-sai, iro o nakushita.
Dreaming of empires to get away.
In my mind, I’m a king on a throne,
But in this cage, I’m all alone.
Kabe no mukou ni, nani ga aru?
Searching for a door, searching for a star.
I’m screaming inside, but I’ve gone too far.

[Verse 4]
The years are heavy, the air is thick,
The clock on the wall is a cruel tick.
I trade my soul for a place to sleep,
But the promises they made are ones they never keep.
A giant soul in a borrowed frame,
Trying to find a face without a name.
Every "thank you" feels like a sin.

[Chorus]
Back to the start, before it got cold.
Subete ga kōru mae no, ano basho e.
Before my youth was traded and sold.
One more step in this thankless race.
A dreamer bound by a stranger's face.
Kono sora o, torimodoshitai.
Please, just give me back my life.

[Bridge - CHAOS]
I can’t breathe!
Iki ga dekinai! Kurushii n da!
Five years for a plastic cup? SHUT UP!
Kuso kurae! I’m bleeding out!
The stars, the sky, the world I was promised—
While I drown in your shadows instead!
My lungs are full of dust and shame!
Don’t turn the bike... Don't turn...
Yamete kure! Mou yamete kure!
Just let me go
Kowareru! Subete ga kowareteiku!
Can you see I'm dying in front of you? 

[Verse 5]
Silence falls like heavy snow,
The fire in my chest is burning low.
I see the reflection in the dirty glass,
Watching the ghost of my future pass.
No more empires, no more light,
Just the weight of a long, cold night.
God, I’m so tired of being strong.

[Outro]
The noise is gone.
Shizuka da. Kaze no oto dake.
I saw that human at the crossing at dawn.
I chased them hard, but they ran so fast.
Mou, hashirenai yo.
I fell to the ground; I’m done with the past.
I won't run anymore. I’m just... here.
Tada, koko ni iru.
Ano koro no jibun o, omoide no naka ni tojikomete.
Zutto... koko ni.

female, The Tragic J-Rock Ballad, Cinematic Orchestral Emo, melodic heartbreaking part