Hello… my name is Garve. Or at least, it once was. In my previous life, I was a boy who wanted nothing from life but death.
Yes, death.
I wanted to see the end of everything—of myself, of this world, of existence itself. But fate had other plans. When I finally took that leap and ended it all, I awoke in a place where death was no longer possible.
I was reborn into an immortal world.
Here, my name is Zenx5000. Strange, isn't it? A name that sounds more like a number than a person. But in this world, that's normal. What's not normal—what's forbidden—is giving birth to a child.
Yet… here I am.
And now, because of my existence, my parents are being dragged away.
The Crow RideThe sky was a bleak canvas—gray, endless, sunless. The giant black wings of ravens beat the air with terrifying rhythm as they carried us higher, further, toward a destiny none of us wanted.
I sat cradled in my mother's trembling arms, feeling the vibration of each flap reverberate through my small, fragile body. All around us, black-armored soldiers rode atop monstrous crows, their eyes sharp and merciless.
We were treated like criminals. No—worse than criminals. As though bringing me into this world was a sin greater than murder itself.
My thoughts churned.
Is giving life… truly more forbidden than taking it away?
I looked up at my parents—their faces pale but their gazes unbroken. Even after thousands of years of immortality, they wanted only one thing: a family. They never asked for power or wealth, just… love. A simple love denied to them for millennia.
And because of me, because of my impatience to see this world, their lives were in danger.
ReflectionsAs the raven soared over ruined towers and skeletal cities, my chest tightened. This wasn't the radiant paradise I had imagined an immortal world to be. No golden light, no eternal happiness. Only shadows, silence, and sorrow.
In all this time here, I had not once seen the sun. Not a single beam of warmth.
How do they live without the sun? Is it truly immortality that sustains them? Or is this… a curse?
I remembered the faces of my parents—both my new ones and the adoptive ones I had in my past life. Perhaps immortality was not about living forever, but about clinging to the only bonds that made existence tolerable. Family. Without it, eternity would be unbearable.
My heart ached. I had always rejected family, rejected love. But here, in this cursed sunless world, it seemed to be the only light left.
A soldier shouted from the front:
"Prepare yourselves! We are approaching the Land of Thrones!"
The sound jolted me from my thoughts. My tiny fists clenched.
King Fridz… The one who will decide our fate. Who is he? Why does everyone fear him so much?
The Throne HallThe raven's talons struck stone as we landed. Soldiers dragged us forward through towering gates carved into jagged obsidian rock. Flames burned cold blue in sconces along the walls, casting eerie shadows that danced like restless spirits.
And then, the throne room.
It was vast, echoing with a silence heavy enough to crush. At the far end sat a massive throne of black steel and bone. I braced myself to meet the terrible ruler everyone whispered about.
But when the figure appeared, my breath caught.
"Yoooooo! How are you all doing?"
The voice was high-pitched. Childish. Playful.
And when my eyes finally adjusted, I almost laughed in disbelief.
A child? Another child?!
There, perched on the throne like it was his playground, was a boy. He couldn't have been older than ten. Yet his presence made even the hardened raven soldiers quake.
The air grew heavy as their voices rang out in unison:
"Bow! Before King Fridzx99990!"
Around me, everyone dropped to their knees. My mother's tears splashed against my cheek as she lowered her head, still holding me close. I peeked from her embrace, my mind racing.
This… is the king? Why is he a child? And what is with those numbers in his name?
JudgmentKing Fridz's grin widened, revealing teeth too sharp to belong to a child. His voice echoed unnaturally, stretching and distorting like a thousand whispers layered together.
"Yoooooo… I heard something. I heard… that you broke the rules of this world. You brought a new child into existence. Did you think I wouldn't know? Did you think you could hide it? Hm? Hm? Hmmmm?"
The words rang with mockery, but the weight behind them was lethal.
My father, Bloomx6000, pressed his forehead to the ground. His voice cracked with desperation:
"Greatest of the great… please forgive us! Forgive our mistake!"
Fridz's laughter cut through the air like a blade. "Mistake? Do you call this a mistake? Do you not understand? Such an act can destroy the balance of our entire world! Immortality is not a gift we earned—it is a gift given to us by Lord Gyaku! And it must never be repaid with defiance!"
I felt my mother's arms tighten around me. Her tears wet my hair, but her eyes never left me—soft, warm, filled with love.
Father's voice trembled. "Please, Lord! We accept punishment! Lock us away for ten thousand years if you must! But spare our child. Let us offer a death-prayer ritual in his place!"
The chamber went silent. Even the soldiers seemed to hold their breath.
The Golden SwordThen, slowly, the king leaned forward. His eyes gleamed with a madness that sent chills down every spine.
"No… no prison this time. I have something new for you. Something… exciting."
The raven soldiers flinched. Fear rippled through them. Whatever their king was about to reveal, even they dreaded it.
And then, a servant approached. He carried something wrapped in cloth, golden light leaking through the fabric.
With a flourish, he revealed it.
A sword. Gleaming gold, radiating warmth that this sunless world had never known. Its edges hummed with power.
King Fridz giggled, his voice dripping with twisted delight.
"Look what I've brought from the Sun World. Beautiful, isn't it? Isn't it? Isn't it? Hmmm? Why don't you… try it out?"
He tossed the sword casually, as if it were a toy. But the moment it touched the ground, the floor cracked, glowing veins of light spreading like wildfire.
I froze. My heart slammed in my chest.
The Sun World? That… that's Earth's metal. How is it here? Are the worlds connected? And if this sword can kill… does that mean immortals are not truly immortal?
My father looked up just in time to see the madness in the king's eyes. But before he could speak, the golden blade flashed.
A deafening boom.
Light exploded across the throne room. My parents' screams pierced the silence—then were cut short. In an instant, their bodies were consumed, reduced to nothingness.
Gone.
AftermathThe sword clattered to the floor, still glowing faintly. The echo of the blast faded, leaving only silence… and the pounding of my heart.
I stared at the space where my parents had been. Just moments ago, they held me, shielded me with their love. And now… nothing.
The grief was too sharp, too sudden. Tears blurred my vision, but I refused to cry out. Instead, questions surged like a storm.
If immortals can die, what does that mean? If Sun World's metal can kill, then are the two worlds connected? Why… why would god give such a cursed gift of immortality if it could be broken?
My tiny hands trembled. For the first time since I came here, I felt something stronger than despair. Not just grief, not just confusion… but rage.
This was no heaven. This world, this throne, this so-called king—none of it was divine. It was cruel. Twisted. Rotten.
King's Words
King Fridz rose from his throne, laughter echoing.
"Ahhh, what a beautiful sound! Did you see it? Did you see it? With just one strike, even immortals crumble. Just a little longer now… just a few more years, and Lord Gyaku's dream will be fulfilled. We will win. We will all win!"
He threw his arms wide, shouting:
"Glory to Gyakuuuuuuuuu!"
The soldiers roared in return, their voices shaking the chamber.
I remained silent, buried in the arms of absence, my parents gone. My heart whispered one truth:
This is not heaven.
I am slowly sinking into that same deep darkness… or rather, I should say, I am dying.
So does that mean I'm finally going to see the end? Am I now going to witness what lies beyond the universe?"
To be continued