Chapter 1: The Debt of a Lifetime
The hospital room smelled of antiseptic and despair. Monitors beeped steadily, marking the rhythm of life that felt more like a countdown than anything else. Ren Vale lay in the bed, staring at the ceiling, feeling the weight of every unpaid bill, broken promise, and unkept word pressing on his chest.
He should have been afraid, but all he felt was the hollow relief that came with inevitability.
Then everything went black.
When he opened his eyes again, he wasn't in the hospital. Floating before him was a faintly glowing ledger, translucent and humming with quiet authority. Numbers and symbols shifted within it, impossible to decipher at first, yet oddly familiar.
[Eternal Ledger Initialized]
Ren squinted. "What… is this?"
A voice, soft and neutral, echoed in his mind. "Balance detected. Outstanding debts: Life, Karma, Fate."
The numbers flickered.
Lifespan: -37 years
Karma Credits: -12,480
Fate Integrity: CRITICAL
Ren's lips curved into a bitter laugh. Of course. He had always been in debt—not just money, but every aspect of life seemed to have a price.
Liquidate assets, the voice suggested. Ren glanced around. There was nothing left. No money, no possessions, no allies. Only betrayal. And yet… something stirred in the Ledger.
[New Asset Identified: Betrayal]
Source: Marcus Hale
Market Value: Sufficient
A spark of something long-buried ignited in Ren's chest. A smile, sharp and private, tugged at his lips. "Then I'll collect," he whispered.
Memories rushed back—late nights working with Marcus, shared plans, laughter that now tasted bitter. And then the betrayal, like a knife hidden beneath a handshake. Now, it had value.
The Ledger pulsed, converting the betrayal into Karma Credits.
+15,000 KC
Balance Updated: +2,520 KC
Ren sat up, the first real sensation of purpose in months surging through him. Outside the hospital walls, life carried on oblivious. But for him, a new game had begun. Every debt, every unfulfilled promise, every slight and favor—all of it had value.
The world is a ledger, the voice murmured, almost approvingly. And you, Ren Vale, now hold the pen.
Ren clenched his fists. The air seemed to shift around him, charged with opportunity and quiet threat. He had lost much, but now, everything—every hidden value, every unnoticed obligation—was his to see, to manipulate, and to collect.
And he would start tonight.