Hello. My name is Garve—or rather, it used to be. In my past life, I was just another ordinary boy living a dull and uneventful existence. Every day blurred into the next, filled with meaningless repetition. Nothing excited me. Nothing drove me. The world felt empty, pointless.
That's why, one day, I made a decision. I climbed the Tokyo Skytree, the tallest tower I knew, and threw myself into the sky. It was not a cry for help, nor a desperate plea for someone to notice me. It was simply… the end I had always desired. I wanted to see what lay beyond life.
But when I opened my eyes, expecting darkness, there was instead light—and two children standing before me.
For a moment, I thought these children were my siblings in this strange new life. But my thoughts froze when they called me something that made my blood run cold.
"Our child… our baby is so adorable."
My heart skipped a beat. B-Baby? Don't tell me these two are my parents in this reincarnation. How is that even possible?!
The pair smiled brightly, their small faces radiating joy.
"Of course he's adorable," the boy—no, my so-called father—said warmly. "After all, it has been a thousand years since a child was born in this world."
A… a thousand years? My mind spun. What does that mean? Am I some sort of chosen one? Is that why I've been brought here? Does this mean… I have to start a new life again? Or is this some kind of heaven?
I glanced at their figures again, trying to make sense of what I was seeing. Why did they look so small? Their bodies were no larger than seven-year-old children in my old world. And why were there so many paintings and carvings of crows covering the walls around us? Each crow depicted was massive, almost godlike. Since when did crows become so gigantic?
Before I could find an answer, my new mother—my small, childlike mother—gently rocked me in her arms, cradling me as if I were fragile glass.
Her warmth should have been comforting, but my mind raged against it. No! Don't put me to sleep yet. I want answers! I want to know more about this world. Are all mothers like this—forcing you to sleep before answering your questions?
The Next MorningThe sound of muffled sobs woke me. My mother was kneeling, her tiny frame trembling, tears streaming down her cheeks as she prayed desperately to a god I did not know.
Why is she crying? I wondered, startled.
I turned my head toward the window, determined to see what kind of world this really was.
And then… I saw it.
The sky—endless, wide, and filled with colossal crows soaring effortlessly on the wind. Their wings spread shadows across the land. But it wasn't just the birds themselves that left me in awe. On their backs, riding high above the ground, were children—hundreds, perhaps thousands—laughing, playing, and treating the act of flying atop such monsters as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Below, the streets teemed with life, but not the kind I knew. Everyone was small. Child-sized. Not a single adult figure could be found.
My father, the boyish man from before, stepped into the room, his face tense. He lowered his voice urgently.
"Hello, honey. I tried bribing someone in the Identity Authority to get a fake ID card for him. But they asked for three thousand Raven Coins. If we pay, his new name will be registered as Zenx5000."
My jaw—or rather, my tiny baby jaw—nearly dropped. Zenx… 5000? What kind of ridiculous name is that?!
My mother's eyes widened. "Three thousand?! But we don't have that kind of money."
I was still reeling. Wait—why do I even need a fake ID card? I was just born here. Shouldn't I have a real one?
My father clenched his small fists. His voice trembled with fear and determination. "We must find a way to gather the coins. If they find out this is a newly born child, they will kill him."
Wait. WHAT?! Having a child is a crime here?! My thoughts raced. This world is far stranger—and far more dangerous—than I thought.
If I was to survive here, I needed to understand everything: the people, the laws, the culture, the very structure of this immortal society. Without knowledge, I would be as helpless as… well, as the infant body I was trapped in.
FeverSuddenly, my body grew unbearably hot. Sweat poured down my tiny forehead. My breath came in sharp gasps.
"He's burning up!" my mother cried, panic in her voice. "We have to take him to the doctor!"
"But what do we tell them? Who is he?" my father asked, his voice shaking.
My mother pressed her lips together, then answered quickly: "We'll say he's our friend. His name is Zenx5000. He was reborn just yesterday. Come on—the raven is waiting outside!"
Reborn?! My heart skipped. How the hell do they know I'm reincarnated?
Still, as their panicked faces hovered over me, a strange warmth filled my chest. These two, despite their small childlike bodies, truly loved each other—and me. They were smarter, more mature than they appeared. Perhaps I could trust them.
Of course… they didn't know that my sickness was an act. I had faked the fever, desperate for an excuse to explore this new world.
Scene Shift – crow ride Moments later, we soared through the sky upon the back of a massive crow. The bird's wings stretched wider than skyscrapers, each beat of its feathers sending gusts of wind howling around us.
From above, I saw a ruined city sprawled beneath us. Towering buildings lay broken, crumbled into husks of the past. The streets were cracked, lifeless. Yet amid the decay, colossal trees rose high, their trunks hollowed out and converted into homes. Our own house, I realized, had been built into the heart of such a tree.
If it's morning… why hasn't the sun risen? I thought, frowning. And as I looked down upon the streets filled with silence, children walking with hollow eyes and lifeless steps, a chill ran through me.
"This…" I whispered, my voice trembling in my mind. This doesn't feel like heaven at all.
"I'm so worried," my mother murmured, clutching me tighter.
"Don't worry," my father reassured her softly. "We're almost at the doctor's place."
At the Doctor'sThe raven landed in a square where dozens of families waited in long lines, their voices filled with desperation.
"Please, my son has a terrible fever!" my mother cried out, rushing forward.
The crowd turned to stare. Whispers rippled. "Son? A baby?"
She stumbled over her words. "I mean—our friend. He was reborn just yesterday."
A kind-looking man stepped forward. "Please, ma'am. Come this way. I'll take you to the emergency room."
Inside, the doctor awaited us. My eyes widened in disbelief. She was just a little girl—no older than six by appearance.
This little kid is supposed to treat me? She looks younger than me in my old life!
Still, my mother pleaded desperately. "Doctor, please… my son—no, my friend's condition is serious. Heal him!"
The girl tilted her head, her voice calm but sharp. "Son?"
"N-No," my mother stammered. "Our friend. He was reborn yesterday."
Reborn… there's that word again. My thoughts spiraled. What does it mean in this world?
The doctor's small hands moved carefully as she examined me. Her face darkened. She turned away, whispering under her breath. "This isn't a reborn baby… this is a newborn child."
She excused herself, stepping outside. Her trembling voice carried through the door.
"Hello…? The Hollow Feathers."
Scene ShiftMoments later, a thunderous voice roared from outside, echoing through the streets:
"We are the Hollow Feathers! Mr. and Mrs. Bloomx7600, you are under arrest for giving birth to a new life in this cursed immortal world! You will be taken before King Fridz!"
My blood ran cold.
A cursed immortal world…?
So that was it. The truth I had been searching for. This was no paradise, no heaven. This was a prison—an endless eternity, where life was forbidden to be born anew.
And I, Garve, who had wished only for death, had been reborn here—at the very center of this curse.
To be continued…
Next chapter the sunless world