Daigo awoke in a cold sweat, gasping for breath, his heart pounding in his chest. The voice still echoed in his mind—
"I... am the Abyss!"
He stumbled to the bathroom, splashing water on his face, trying to shake off the feeling. But that's when he noticed it in the mirror—a strange mark, black and twisted, right below his collarbone. It pulsed faintly… as if it were alive.
As he stared, a chill ran down his spine. His reflection seemed… delayed. The mirror image smiled slightly, though he hadn't. He blinked—and it was gone.
The rest of the day felt wrong. Everything was sharper—too sharp. He heard whispers from far-off alleys, noticed movements others couldn't see, and felt emotions bleeding off people like waves. But something else stalked the edges of his awareness.
The shadows were following him.
In the class, in the streets, at home—he caught glimpses from the corners of his eyes. Black, formless figures that vanished when he looked directly at them. At night, they gathered in the corners of his room, whispering in a language he couldn't understand. But one voice stood out—deep, calm, ancient. It came from within.
"Do not fear them. They fear you."
Sleep became a stranger. His thoughts scattered. His hands trembled. But his body… it felt powerful. Reflexes sharpened, and strength surged. One night, startled by a sound, he crushed his phone in a panic.
He was terrified of himself—and amazed.
Days passed. Then, one evening, while walking home through a narrow street, he was ambushed.
The Devil was malformed—spider-like, bleeding from empty eye sockets, radiating pure hatred. It lunged.
Daigo raised his arm on instinct—and from his shadow, a black mass erupted, slamming into the creature and devouring it in seconds. Silence fell. The world slowed around him.
He stared at the twitching remains. His breath caught in his throat.
Then—crunch. Footsteps behind him.
Daigo turned sharply.
Two figures emerged from the darkness. Cloaked. Their coats bore strange symbols—jagged rings around a crimson dot. One had a silver badge engraved with the name Covenant.
One of them, tall, with white hair and golden eyes, stepped forward. His voice was calm.
"You're not ordinary... That thing inside you... it's special."
Daigo, shaken and breathless, stayed silent.
"What do you want?" he finally asked.
The man gave a slight smile.
"What if the nightmares were real… and we were the only ones who could stop them?"
"Come. Join us. We're offering a path few dare to walk. Become a Curse-Bound… and see the world as it truly is."