Chapter One ▪︎ The Core
Darkness…
That was the first thing I perceived.
It wasn't ordinary darkness—no, it wasn't merely the absence of light. It was more like a dense ocean swallowing everything it touched.
I was sinking within it—without a body, without limbs, without eyes to open—yet still… I could see.
I saw a faint flicker of light, pale and weak, reflecting against damp walls of ancient stone, as if the place were a cold, endless cavern.
But I was not in the cavern itself. I was inside something else.
I tried to move, but there was no motion. I tried to scream, but no sound came. I was nothing but awareness suspended in the void. And then the question struck me like rain: Who am I?
No answer came. My mind was like a blank page, all words erased—no name, no past, no memory.
I don't know how long I remained like that. Perhaps days. Perhaps weeks.
Then I heard it.
Footsteps.
The echo of human steps resounded through the narrow stone passage. And with those steps, my body—or what I thought was my body—trembled. I had no body, yet I felt the vibration ripple through the essence in which I existed.
"These are my first visitors… and I don't even know who I am."
The voices drew nearer, accompanied by scattered words carried through the echo.
"See? I told you there was an old dungeon here."
"Damn, the stench of rot is suffocating. I hope we at least find some treasure to make this worth it."
"Stay focused, both of you. Dungeons are always full of surprises."
Adventurers.
I didn't know how I recognized the word, but it leapt into my mind as if I'd been born with it.
Adventurers. Visitors. Invaders.
And that's when I realized the harsh truth: I was no longer human. I was… something else.
I tried to grasp my state, and felt strange boundaries enclosing me. It wasn't a body—not truly—but a crystal. A stone core, pulsing with faint light. And the more I focused, the more I sensed a stream of energy coursing within me, slow but alive. It was as if I were a buried heart deep within the earth.
Then the unexpected happened.
One of the adventurers raised his torch, lighting the cavern enough for me to see my reflection upon the cracked, damp wall.
A dark-blue crystal hovered in the air, strange glowing patterns carved into its surface. And from within it… I stared back.
That… is me?
The light within me shivered.
The adventurers drew closer, smiles spreading across their faces.
"Haha! I can't believe it! A real dungeon! We're in luck tonight!"
"Look at that crystal—it's the core! If we destroy it, everything collapses."
"Wait. Let's explore first. Maybe we'll find some monsters to hone our skills."
And then I heard something else—an alien murmur in my mind. A language not spoken, yet perfectly understood within me.
[ Warning: Core in danger ]
[ Activating initial defense protocols ]
Suddenly… the gates opened.
From the shadows crawled frail creatures: massive rats with yellowed teeth, skeletons wielding bones as swords, and broad spiders with eyes gleaming in the dark.
I didn't know where they had come from—but somehow, I knew they were mine. They followed me, or rather… they were part of me.
The adventurers gasped—then laughed.
"Rats?! Is that all this dungeon has?"
"Too easy. Let's get this over with."
The battle erupted. The clang of steel against bone, the screeches of spiders being cleaved apart, the squeals of rats pierced by blades. I watched them fall one by one, helpless before humans armed with swords and fire.
And with each monster slain, I felt a hollow void expand within me, as though my very life was being drained.
Panic seeped in. I didn't understand. Why was this happening? Why was I here? Why did these humans seek to destroy me?
But I had no time left to ponder. One adventurer charged forward, his sword gleaming under the torchlight, his eyes fixed upon the crystal that imprisoned me.
"Come on! Let's shatter the core! One strike and we'll walk out as heroes!"
He raised his blade high—
And then that mysterious voice thundered within me again, more urgent than ever
[ Imminent threat detected ]
[ First Guardian: Opening in progress ]
…And the cavern shook from its very foundations.