Pitch black.
My eyes opened, but… nothing. No pain, no sound, just this endless dark pressing down on me, like the whole world had been swallowed.
Where the hell am I? The thought kept echoing in my head. My hand shook as I dragged it across my chest—smooth skin. No wound. No blood. The sword that went through me was just… gone.
That's when I saw him.
Or—no. Not really him. Not a man. Not something I could even put into words. At first, I thought he was walking away, drifting into the dark. My instincts went wild before I even thought about it.
"Stay back! Don't come any closer!"
But then I realized… he wasn't coming closer at all. He wasn't even moving. What I saw—it wasn't walking. It was something else, something off.
He had this long hooded cloak that bled into the dark, like it never ended. One hand clutched this massive curved scythe, the kind that just screamed death. The other held a lamp. And god, that lamp—it burned so bright it hurt to look at. Not fire, though. The glow was different. Too clean. Too pure. Almost… beautiful.
The lamp cracked open.
Light just exploded out. Streams rushing from the void itself, pouring into it like rivers. Millions of tiny stars swallowed by that brilliance until everything around me shook with it.
Then he spoke.
"How long are you going to stay here?" The words dragged through me, heavy, like they had weight. "It is not time for you. Not yet."
He turned, and I saw his face—or, well, the lack of one. No mouth, no eyes, no nose. Just blank. A faceless monster staring at me without really staring.
He said something else after that, but it was all static, like the dark itself was eating the words. My ears burned from even trying to understand.
■■■■■■■■.
I couldn't breathe. Couldn't think.
And then—
"Get out of here."
The faceless thing lifted the lamp higher, and light swallowed me whole.
My eyes snapped open.
Cold. That was the first thing. Cold stone against my back. Air filling my lungs like I'd forgotten how to breathe. For the first time since that nightmare, I actually felt alive.
I blinked. The dark wasn't absolute anymore. A thin shaft of light slipped through a crack in the cave ceiling, just enough to see the place. The air was damp, thick, and smelled of stone and blood.
And then… I felt it. Someone else was here.
A shadow shifted at the cave entrance. My throat tightened, voice cracking as I forced out, "Hello? I know you're there… you hear me?"
The figure stepped forward.
Black hair, messy, clumped with dried blood. Black eyes—empty, tired, like the fire inside had burned out ages ago.
My heart stopped.
"Brother…?" My voice broke. "Why are you here?"
It was him. Roen.
But he wasn't the brother I remembered. His body… god, it was wrecked. His right arm was gone, hacked clean off at the shoulder, blood soaking down his side. Cuts everywhere—neck, chest, what was left of his other arm. Some shallow, some so deep I couldn't even look straight at them. He looked like death had already claimed him once but just… forgot to finish the job.
"You're supposed to be an adventurer," I whispered, my chest trembling. "You were… doing tasks in another world. Weren't you?"
He didn't answer. With the only arm he had left, he lifted a finger to his lips. Silence. A simple gesture, but it carried a weight I didn't understand.
Roen… my brother, though not by blood. He was adopted before I was even born, and when I was five, he'd left—off to adventure, off to chase the same path as Father. I'd idolized him, envied him, prayed he'd come back to tell me stories of the worlds beyond.
And now, here he was. Broken. Silent.
I felt my chest cave in.
The happiness of seeing him alive, clashing against the pain of what had happened to us, what I'd just endured. Tears spilled before I realized it, hot and unstoppable. I couldn't stop crying.
The scars weren't just on my body anymore. They had burrowed into my heart.
Roen staggered closer, each step trembling, noiseless, as if the cave itself swallowed the sound of his movements. His eyes met mine—tired, pleading. Let me rest, they seemed to say.
His breath rasped, broken. "You've always… huff… huff… been a crybaby."
I froze.
"You never listen to others. Always doing as you please." His words dragged, heavy, but he forced them out. "What I'm leaving you with… will be nothing but a burden. My sin. The sin I committed. And you… you'll suffer for it more than anyone."
His voice cracked, and blood dripped from his lips. Still, he went on.
"A year ago, I asked my friend to warn you all about the invasion—the one that would take countless lives. He came up with an idea to stop it, one sacrifice in exchange for peace. My master never approved… but it was too late. They found out what I was planning, and to silence him, they destroyed his mind."
(notes: Master (Zet's Father))
My stomach twisted. The invasion?
All at once, my mind drowned in the memory—countless people, their faces, their screams, everyone in my village dying.
I wanted to ask, to demand what he meant, but before I could speak, the memories hit me like knives.
The man.
The same one who forced his way into our village. The one Father had confronted, shouting, demanding he leave.
The very next day—that same man came back.
He grabbed Anna. I can still hear her scream. That sound—it tore through me.
And then… he killed her.
Right in front of me. No hesitation. Just gone.
He clutched his head, like it was about to split open, muttering, "I need that girl's body… I need someone… I can't endure this pain, I can't."
His eyes were wild, his voice cold. He said it again, clearer this time: "I need a new body."
Then he tried to force himself into her, some twisted ritual of possession. I can still see it—her body convulsing, like something unnatural was clawing its way inside.
Father and his friend arrived just in time. Together, they struck him down before he could finish.
But it wasn't enough.
That was the day I learned what regret was. My first. My worst.
And now, standing before me—my brother spoke of that same man.
The man who destroyed Anna. The man who started everything.
I couldn't hold it back anymore. The memories, the pain—they tore through me like knives. My throat burned as the words ripped out of me.
"Why?!" My voice cracked, echoing off the cave walls. "Why would you send that savage bastard to our village? You knew what he did! You knew!"
I was shaking, every word carrying years of hatred and grief. "He destroyed everything—my life, my friend… Anna. Do you know how her family looked at me after that day? Do you know how much I've had to suffer because of what you did?!"
The silence that followed felt endless.
Then Roen moved.
With his remaining arm, he drove his fist into the ground. The impact roared through the cave, stone trembling beneath us. Dust fell from the ceiling. The force wasn't just strength—it was rage, frustration, despair all colliding in one blow.
His chest heaved. His voice broke as he shouted, "Master… Master died trying to save you… three days ago!"
Tears blurred his vision, spilling freely. He wasn't just hurt—he was hollow, breaking under the weight of everything he carried. He had been hiding it, shouldering all that pain alone.
The sight of it shattered me.
I couldn't hold back anymore. My tears fell, unstoppable. Memories of him—his smile, his gentle hand ruffling my hair, the warmth of the Father I once admired—rushed through me, flooding my chest with agony and love all at once.
I broke down.
After a few minutes, Roen calmed himself. His shoulders lowered slightly, the tension in his voice smoothing out—but the warmth was gone.
"The group that attacked your village…" His words were cold now, precise as if he knew someone was coming. "I led them. I was one of them. It was all planned from the start."
The edge in his tone froze me in place. The man who had moments ago wept and raged before me was gone, replaced by this… calculated version.
"My aim, years ago, was to capture you. To stop everything. To prevent the invasion… from spreading. It was inevitable. And Master… Master got in my way." His eyes hardened. "And yet… when his last words were to take care of you, how could I leave you? It broke me… seeing you in that state."
I could feel my chest tighten. My mind screamed at me to respond—but I couldn't. My body was frozen, my heart shattered.
I understood, perfectly, who my target was. The betrayal cut so deep it burned my entire being. This… so-called brother… had stolen everything from me.
I tasted blood. My teeth had bitten my lip until it bled. Rage, grief, and heartbreak swirled into a storm in my chest. I hate him. I hate him.
"I don't care about your excuses," I thought, every nerve screaming in denial and fury.
Roen continued, calm, cold, his words striking like arrows:
"Become an adventurer. Find them. Make them pay for what they did. The sins I've committed… you have to bury them. Set things right. Restore what should've been. I know you're special—that's why they needed you. All of this happened because of you. Everything was lost because you exist, and now it's up to you to make it right. You were meant to be special for a reason."
He paused, and the name fell from his lips like a blade.
"They are called… the Reptigue of God. ROG."
(Notes: Re Ho = Power
Tigue = Destroyer)
Without a sound, a pure white sword plunged into his back. He stumbled forward, blood spilling down his body. The tip had pierced straight through his heart, poking out from his chest, glowing so bright it almost blinded me in the dim light.
"Whoa there… making so much noise, I could hear you from far away."
He coughed, vomited blood, barely able to whisper, "Damn…Fu"
I could only watch in terror.
She appeared out of nowhere. White hair shimmered like moonlight, cascading around her shoulders. Her eyes—deep, piercing blue—left a mark on my mind I knew I'd never forget. She wore a light, flowing dress that moved like liquid silk, beauty so unnatural it seemed almost otherworldly.
The moment her gaze met mine, she smiled. A smile that felt wrong—so pure in beauty, yet carrying a darkness that made my stomach turn.
"Hey, kid," she said, voice soft, almost playful. "He talks too much, doesn't he?"
I swallowed hard, my throat dry. "I… I didn't feel anything as he fell. That's what he deserved." My voice sounded hollow even to myself, though inside I felt the weight of seeing him lifeless.
She laughed—light, almost amused. "He betrayed us, and that's all you have to say? You're… truly a different beast."
Her expression shifted, serious now. "That's what I hate the most."
The air thickened. My lungs burned. Breathing became a struggle, as though some invisible weight pressed down on my chest. Black energy leaked from her presence, dark and suffocating, and I felt like I might collapse under it.
"Oops…" she said, almost casually, "I almost killed you. Say, boy… do you want to follow me quietly, or should I kill you and take you're lifeless body with me?"
"No…"
The lifeless body at her feet seemed to move, gripping her leg weakly. "Leave him alone…" it croaked.
I could only choke out one desperate plea: "Please… no more… leave us alone…"
She tilted her head, that same unnatural smile curling her lips. "Is that so?" she asked, amusement twinkling in her eyes. "How about I give you candy… if you come with me?"
I blinked, confused. "What?"
"You heard me," she said, voice honey-sweet yet edged with malice. "Candy. Sweet candy. Don't kids like that?" She is in deep thought.