In a world where death is not the end, but rather the gateway to the beginning of another journey, the question remains: Where does that journey take us? To heaven with its light and tranquility, or to hell with its torment and darkness?
In 1935, in a Western city called "The Ship"—a city floating on the water like a modern island—it was known for its narrow, waterlogged streets, foul odors, and dangerous alleys teeming with trouble, theft, and marginalization. In these streets lived a nineteen-year-old boy with black hair and moon-red eyes named Dandun. His family didn't call him that; they preferred to call him "Dan" because he hated his first name, which, he would joke, made him feel embarrassed.
Dan never knew the warmth of his real family; they abandoned him when he was young. But he found someone to raise him when he was adopted by a small family at the age of five. He considered himself one of them, and more than that. He saw them as his entire world.
Dan was known for his spontaneity, impulsiveness, and curiosity, as well as his courage. He always defended the weak in the city. His heroic deeds defined his character, not his fear.
The family consisted of father Victor Flair, mother Laura, and daughter Lyra. Dan was the fourth child, but he never felt out of place. Their home was filled with laughter and petty mischief, and in the midst of this warmth, Dan flourished.
One day, Dan invited his best friend Frank over for dinner. Frank entered the house and, as usual, crashed into the window, laughing and saying, "I swear this window holds a grudge against me."
The entire family sat around the table. Frank ate his food with childlike gusto, while Dan took in the scene: his mother to his right, his friend to his left, his sister Lyra, and his father in front of him. A small moment of pure happiness made him feel like he had it all. His father interrupted his thoughts in a calm voice: "Pass me the bread, Dandon."
Dan was a little annoyed and replied with a laugh, "How long will that nickname haunt me?"
Everyone burst out laughing, and Frank repeated, "Dandon? Dandon?"
That evening, the conversation dragged on for a long time. Frank dreamed of possessing supernatural powers to protect the weak, while Dan joked, "How will you protect people when you can't even protect yourself from a window?"
Frank smiled with the confidence of a child and replied, "You'll see."
It wasn't the conversation that stopped them; it was sleep that finally forced them to shut up.
In the morning, his mother woke him up, calling, "Dan, Dan, go get the milk quickly!"
Dan stretched lazily and replied, "Okay, okay, I'll go."
He went out into the street and headed to the nearby grocery store. He bought the milk and walked back, looking at the sky and thinking, "It looks like it's going to rain today."
But his steps were not complete; Suddenly, a body fell from above, right in front of him. He was one step away from having his life crushed with it at that very moment.