"Wake up!"
Something shook me hard.
"Wake up!"
I groaned and forced my eyes open.
"I'm up… I'm up," I muttered.
The first thing I saw was a girl standing over me.
Pink hair. Bright eyes. Way too lively.
She smiled the moment I looked at her.
"Finally. I thought you were dead."
I pushed myself up slowly, holding my head.
…I should be dead.
That thought hit harder than anything else.
The last thing I remembered was a nuke going off.
And yet here I was.
Alive.
I looked around.
Small room. Wooden walls. Simple setup.
Not my world.
Definitely not my world.
"Who are you?" I asked.
"The name's Erin," she said with a grin. "What about you?"
"Ren," I said. "Nice to meet you… I guess."
I stood up and checked my body.
No burns.
No damage.
Like nothing ever happened.
Yeah… something was wrong.
"Where did you find me?" I asked.
"In the street," she said. "You were completely out cold. I thought you were one of the bandits."
I let out a small laugh.
"Bandit, huh? No. I'd rather fight them."
She studied me for a moment.
"You don't feel like a bad person," she said.
I looked at her.
"That's a risky judgment."
She shrugged.
"I'm usually right."
I walked over to my gear and started putting everything back on.
"So what gave it away?" I asked.
"The bandits all look the same," she said. "Leather jackets. Devil face on the back. And they all have a tattoo."
"What kind of tattoo?"
"An albatross."
I paused.
"A bird?"
She nodded.
I laughed.
"They really went from freedom… to devils."
She blinked.
"…Yeah, that's weird now that you say it."
I adjusted my jacket and looked at her.
"How do I look?"
She smiled.
"Like a ninja from an old story."
"I'll take it."
As I moved around the room, I noticed a table filled with pictures.
I walked over.
"Who are these?"
Erin's expression changed instantly.
"…People from the village," she said quietly. "The bandits killed them."
I didn't say anything.
I picked up another photo.
A woman.
"Your mom?"
She smiled, but her eyes watered.
"Yeah. She was strong."
Her hands tightened.
"She fought back when they came."
She looked down.
"I couldn't."
I grabbed another photo.
A small boy.
"Younger brother?"
Her face lit up… then dropped.
"They took him."
I felt something twist in my chest.
"They say he's alive," she said. "But I don't believe it."
I knew that look.
The kind people make when they're trying to believe a lie.
She grabbed my sleeve.
"I can't do anything on my own," she said.
Her grip tightened.
"But you can."
Her voice shook.
"So please… don't walk away."
I stayed quiet.
I just got out of a war.
I died.
I should have stayed dead.
And yet…
Here I was.
Again.
I tightened my grip on my sword.
"Fine," I said.
I looked her in the eyes.
"If this world wants a fight…"
My voice steadied.
"Then I'll give it one."
Erin slowly reached for my hand.
"HELP! THEY'RE TRYING TO KILL ME!"
We both froze.
Then I smiled.
"Guess I don't have to wait."
"Let's go."