After resting for a while, Amon slowly woke up. He subconsciously glanced at the space beside him. It seemed as though the ghost that had been hovering in his room had gone out for a walk.
He stood up sluggishly and went into the shower to freshen up.
Afterward, he stepped out of his house. His sister and parents were already having a pleasant meal. However, upon stepping outside, Amon's expression froze.
His mother was a middle-aged woman with dark blue hair, the same shade as his sister's. His father, on the other hand, was a middle-aged man with slight wrinkles on his face. He looked fatigued, and his eyes carried a heavy air of solemnity.
The man had dark brown hair, now thinning at the top, a consequence of years of hard work and chronic exhaustion.
Surrounding his parents and siblings were three grotesque, deformed monsters. Their limbs were twisted at unnatural angles, and their empty eyes stared into space as if waiting for something unseen. Amon paused for a moment before walking toward his seat. His movements were stiff as he silently passed through one of the ghostly figures.
'This world is truly terrifying. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately for my family, I am the only one who can see these things.' Amon had grown used to the horrors over the years, so he wasn't completely scared anymore. Just... tired.
After a hearty meal with his family, he walked out of the house, heading to his workplace.
He worked at a gaming studio that specialized in creating horror games designed to frighten players so badly that their souls felt like fleeing their bodies.
'That last part is an exaggeration, right?'
Amon moved in a daze, keeping his head low so he wouldn't accidentally meet the eyes of any lingering spirits drifting nearby.
His pace remained steady for a few minutes, until suddenly a loud horn split the air like a blade.
Honk!
Amon's head snapped up. His eyes widened in shock as a massive truck barreled toward him at full speed, its metallic body gleaming under the morning sun.
'This... but I was walking in an alleyway!' Amon's face contorted in horror as the truck collided with him. He felt the terrifying impact ripple through his bones.
His mind spun uncontrollably, and within the blink of an eye, he lost consciousness.
…
"Amon, the underworld enigma…" a soft voice called out gently. It was distinctly feminine, and carried a strangely coquettish tone.
Amon, who felt a splitting headache the moment he woke up, glanced around. His gaze landed on a breathtaking woman standing before him.
Her body, her face, and everything about her was flawless. Her curves were perfectly sculpted. Her eyes shimmered like emeralds, and her long, black hair cascaded down like a waterfall. Her skin was pale, as if untouched by sunlight, yet the eerie glow only made her beauty more ethereal.
For a moment, Amon was stunned. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. However, he soon shook off his daze as the memory of the truck resurfaced.
"What happened? Did I die?" Amon muttered aloud, his voice low and uncertain.
The lady stared at him and giggled, her voice ringing like a melodic chime. She gazed at Amon with amusement in her eyes.
"Die? Of course you died!" she laughed again, her eyes twinkling. "This is the crosswalk between life and death. I don't have much time to explain all the details, so I'll get straight to the point...
"I need your help."
Amon's eyes widened in horror as the realization of his death sank in. He let out a long sigh.
'So my torturous life of seeing ghosts is finally over. Even though I faced horrors every day, I still found some strange sense of joy in my life…'
His thoughts began drifting until the beautiful lady snapped her fingers repeatedly in front of his face, dragging him back to the moment.
Amon blinked and looked at her. "You said you needed my help? Also, how are you even here if I'm dead?" he asked curiously, finally realizing the oddity of her presence.
The lady smiled. "That's because I'm a ghost. Isn't that obvious?"
Amon's expression shifted to one of realization.
'Such a beautiful woman is already dead?' He felt a strange twinge of pity for her but raised an eyebrow in response.
She didn't waste time and quickly continued, her voice now serious. "From your expression, I can tell you don't know much about your world."
"I'll give you a quick explanation, but you will need to understand the rest by experiencing it firsthand. In your world, there are beings known as Horrors. These are humans who form contracts with ghosts and inherit the abilities possessed by the spirits. By absorbing negative emotions, they can evolve their powers and grow stronger."
"There are other forces lurking in the shadows, but that is the basic idea."
She paused to give Amon time to digest everything before moving on.
"I am one of the rarest types of ghosts, and that is because I possess two SSS-grade abilities. The first is a one-time-use skill that allows me to resurrect someone who hasn't fully transitioned into a ghost."
"As you can imagine, it's useless on me now that I'm already dead. As for the second ability, that remains a secret."
The amount of information she revealed in just a few minutes was overwhelming. Amon tried to process it all, his thoughts spinning in circles.
'This... this is too much!'
'So I've been living in a supernatural world this entire time? Is that why I can see ghosts? Did I unknowingly form a contract with one?' His mind overflowed with questions, but deep down he knew he was running out of time.
Something inside him was shifting. He could feel a change occurring at the core of his being. An awakening.
Amon understood what it meant.
'If this part of me fully awakens, I will no longer be human!'
He knew hesitation was no longer an option. He looked at the ghost and nodded.
"What do you need me to do?"
"Like I called you earlier, the underworld enigma. Every ghost shares a single dream — to become human again. I've studied many souls, listened to countless stories, and observed all kinds of people. But I believe that only you can create this miracle."
"And that is because…" Her words began to fade as her voice seemed to dissolve into wisps of memory, seeping into Amon's consciousness.
His thoughts became foggy, yet deep inside, he understood the contract he had just formed.
It was a partnership. He would help the ghost become human again — someone with life, flesh, and blood. In exchange, she would bring him back to life.
…
Amon slowly regained consciousness after what felt like an eternity. He opened his eyes and looked around.
He was still in the same familiar alley. Truck-kun had tried to transmigrate him into the ghost world, but somehow he had bounced back.
He touched his head, where his skull was still cracked and slowly regenerating. His body screamed in pain. Nearly all his bones were fractured.
'I died... and so did my old understanding of this world. I guess I should say…
Amon, welcome to a new world.'