Reiji Kurozawa stopped believing in warmth a long time ago.
Not in winter.
Not in snow.
But in people.
It all began when he was ten.
His father — once a gentle man with a tired smile — walked out on them after a quiet night's argument turned into shouting. The next morning, Reiji came downstairs to an empty kitchen and a letter on the table.
No goodbyes.
No explanations.
Just silence.
His mother shattered.
But instead of grieving, she pointed her anger somewhere else.
At him.
> "If it weren't for you... maybe he'd still be here."
At first, he didn't understand.
But words became glares.
Glares became curses.
Curses became hits.
And it didn't stop there.
His older siblings — a sister two years above him and a brother just one year older — followed their mother's lead.
They turned on him like he wasn't blood.
Like he didn't belong.
They mocked him, took things from him, hit him, and laughed.
He cried.
At first.
Begged.
At first.
But no one ever came. No one ever cared.
Eventually...
He stopped reacting.
---
By seventeen, Reiji no longer felt anything at all.
He walked through hallways like a shadow.
A name on the roster. A desk by the window.
Just another quiet kid with messy hair and tired eyes.
No one noticed him.
And he was fine with that.
But there was one exception.
Aika.
She had always been there — a classmate, nothing more. But one rainy afternoon, she sat beside him when no one else would.
She talked.
Listened.
Smiled.
> "You don't have to pretend with me, you know. I like the real you."
And just like that, something inside him stirred.
Maybe, just maybe, he wasn't invisible.
Maybe… he wasn't alone.
---
That illusion shattered on an ordinary Tuesday.
Reiji had left his earphones in the classroom.
The school was quiet — most students had gone home.
The sun was setting, casting long shadows through the empty corridors.
He pushed open the door.
And time stopped.
There she was.
Aika.
In his seat.
Kissing someone.
Not just anyone.
His best friend.
They noticed him immediately.
She gasped. "R-Reiji, wait—"
The boy stepped forward. "It's not what it looks like, bro. Please just let me explain—"
He said nothing.
He walked in.
Picked up his earphones.
Turned around.
And walked out.
No questions.
No screaming.
Not even a look.
Just silence.
---
That night, his room was darker than usual.
The only light came from his monitor — a familiar logo glowing on the screen:
> Origin Dev: Supreme Sandbox
"Create. Control. Become."
It was his escape. His quiet retreat.
A massive sandbox god simulation game where you could create entire worlds from scratch.
You weren't a player.
You were the world's origin.
He clicked "New World."
The interface slid open with subtle animations and low ambient music, like breathing in a quiet void.
---
▸ 🌍 World Preset:
☐ Earth-like
☑ Fantasy (Recommended)
> "Choose the type of world you wish to create. Earth-like follows scientific evolution. Fantasy supports mana-based physics, mythical biomes, and arcane systems."
He hovered a moment… then clicked Fantasy.
---
▸ 🌐 World Size:
☐ Small (Isolated Continent)
☐ Medium (Multiple Regions)
☑ Massive (Full Planet Simulation)
> "Recommended for experienced players. Supports large-scale civilizations, weather systems, global magic flow, and ancient ruins."
---
▸ 🗺️ Biome Generation:
☑ Default (Auto-generated with regional variety)
☐ Manual (Custom each region)
---
▸ 🏛️ Starting Civilizations:
☑ Default (All)
> "Various fantasy civilizations will evolve in real time. Includes humans, beastkin, elves, and unknown emergents."
---
▸ 🔮 Energy System:
☑ Mana-based Core
> "Enables magic circulation, leyline formation, and arcane weather influence."
---
▸ ⏱️ Simulation Speed:
☑ Real-Time (Adjustable post-creation)
---
▸ 🧿 God Mode:
☑ Solo Player – Manual Influence
> "Act as a singular god-entity. You may bless, destroy, or ignore as you see fit."
---
He took a breath.
Every time he made a world, he started with something structured. Balanced. Safe.
But not this time.
This world…
Would be untamed.
Raw.
Free.
He entered the name:
> 「Orivis」
---
The loading began.
Terrain formed like ancient breath — deep valleys, jagged peaks, rivers that pulsed with light.
Twin moons cast silver reflections across oceans.
Forests shifted as if whispering.
Glowing veins of mana wrapped around the land like lifeblood.
He watched as civilizations seeded themselves:
Nomadic tribes beneath stormy cliffs.
A lone city rising on a floating island.
Ruins buried beneath molten glass in a desert wasteland.
And yet…
No sound.
No chaos.
Just peaceful, quiet beauty.
> "A place where no one lies… and no one leaves."
He clicked "Start Simulation."
---
Then—pain.
It wasn't sudden.
It built slowly — a sharp tightness in his chest that bloomed into something unbearable.
He gasped, clutching his shirt.
The monitor distorted.
Lights flickered.
> "What the hell…?"
His knees hit the floor.
His vision blurred.
And on the screen—calmly, with no sound—the final message appeared:
---
> "Link Established.
Soul Sync: 87%... 98%... 100%.
Beginning Soul Integration…"
---
The screen went dark.
And so did everything else.
---
➤ To Be Continued…