"I... where am I?"
Gaku murmured in a hoarse, barely audible voice. As far as he could remember, only moments ago he had been sitting comfortably on his plush sofa, immersed in the pages of his favorite novel. But now, that reality had been snatched away. He was no longer in his warm living room; instead, he was stranded in a hollow, all-white room—vast without end, containing nothing but a deafening silence.
"Damn it... My head... it feels like it's going to split open."
Gaku's hand moved instinctively and tremblingly to his temple. He tried to press down hard on his head, as if attempting to stifle the violent throbbing that stabbed at the very center of his consciousness. Though the effort was hardly effective, the pressure at least provided a slight distraction from the agonizing pain.
With what little strength he had left, Gaku tried to stand up slowly. Both of his legs shook violently, not only from the lingering pain but also from a gripping sense of dread. As his vision finally focused, he froze. Before him sat a slender woman in blinding white clothes, her hair flowing beautifully like silk. She sat gracefully upon a blood-red throne that stood in stark contrast against the endless white void.
The first thing that crossed Gaku's mind as he gazed at the woman's elegance was a flicker of hope: "Am I dead? Is this heaven?" However, all those beautiful hopes were shattered when the woman cast a cold stare at him. It was a gaze full of disgust that felt like a blade piercing directly into the depths of his heart.
"The core of your soul is so filthy; it is revolting to look at. Have you truly never done a single good deed during your life in your world? Truly, you are more like a demon than a human," the woman said in a low tone dripping with contempt.
Those words hit Gaku's psyche with staggering force. A surge of indignation boiled in his chest until he unconsciously screamed hysterically, "No! That's impossible! I've never done anything evil before—not once!"
The woman only gave a thin, mocking smile that made his skin crawl. "You cannot lie before me. Your soul speaks for itself; it is already pitch black, leaving no room for conscience or even a sliver of light."
"What... what do you mean?" Gaku's voice trembled violently; he staggered as if he had just received a physical blow. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.
Throughout his life, Gaku believed he was a good person. He had never committed a crime; he worked hard, often helped struggling coworkers, and was always there for friends who needed a shoulder to lean on. How could all of that be called black?
"You still don't understand? In this universe, every being has a soul color as a mark of their identity. White symbolizes pure sanctity, and purple symbolizes deep evil. But you? Your color is black—absolute darkness. And do you know what that means?" the woman asked, narrowing her eyes, intimidating Gaku until he felt small and insignificant.
"I... but I really never did anything evil!" Gaku insisted, tears of despair beginning to well up in the corners of his eyes.
"Silence! Enough with all this exhausting nonsense. Go, and may you die quickly in your new world."
"New... world?"
Before Gaku could process those words, his entire vision suddenly turned white with a blinding light. His body went numb, his nerves stopped sending signals, and he felt himself being slammed down onto a hard surface before his consciousness finally vanished completely.
However, just before total darkness claimed him, a faint voice whispered in his ear. "Why does this creature have a black soul? I have never even seen this kind of darkness before..." That was the last sentence Gaku caught before he truly sank into unconsciousness.
A few hours later, Gaku's consciousness slowly began to crawl back. His body felt like it was starting to recover; his stiff muscles could finally be moved again. He felt a soft breeze caress his exposed skin, carrying the scent of fresh earth and leaves, providing a fleeting sense of comfort.
But the moment Gaku opened his eyes, he flinched. An overwhelming sense of shock hit him as he saw the landscape before him. This was not the modern world he knew. As far as the eye could see, there were only giant trees towering high, forming a dense forest that looked ancient and untouched by civilization.
"Where is this, exactly? I've never seen a place like this... this forest is so dense and dark," Gaku muttered in panic. "I have to find a way out quickly before I run into any wild beasts or predators."
Gaku cast his gaze around warily, looking for a place just to catch his breath. He saw a large tree trunk that looked comfortable enough to lean against. "There... that's good enough to rest for a moment," he muttered again, trying to calm his racing heart.
However, right before he managed to stand up, he stopped instantly. The breeze that was initially soft continued to touch his back, but this time something was different. He realized something was wrong; the gusts were too rhythmic and too strong. This was not a natural wind.
Gaku immediately spun around, and at that very moment, his eyes widened. His mouth opened but no sound came out, and his fingers began to tremble uncontrollably at the sight of the figure standing right in front of him.
The figure had massive wings covered in feathers as sharp as swords, and it stood twice the height of an adult human. It was a Valkorax—a legendary monster resembling a giant eagle, but with an aura far more aggressive and bloodthirsty.
"This... this is impossible, right? This must be a nightmare..." Gaku's gaze was locked onto the eagle's sharp eyes, which stared at him as if he were nothing more than a worthless scrap of meat.
Before Gaku could gather the courage to flee, a lightning-fast movement occurred. A giant claw from the eagle's foot swung with destructive force toward Gaku's back. With his remaining survival instincts, Gaku managed to roll away and brace himself against the tree behind him.
However, the relief of dodging the first attack lasted only a second. Gaku's face, which had been full of gratitude, immediately turned pale as he glanced to the side. In the spot where he had just been standing, he saw a horrific sight: one of his legs had been completely severed and was still lying there on the ground.
Gaku quickly looked down at his own body. Intense nausea pierced his entire being as he saw thick red blood flowing profusely from the stump of his leg. The delayed pain suddenly exploded, shattering his sanity.
Gaku's gaze turned back toward the Valkorax, his eyes now pleading and pitiful, filled with deep despair.
"Don't... don't come any closer! Don't kill me! I'll give you whatever you want! Please... I beg you, stop coming closer!"
Gaku's voice broke and stuttered; he was truly terrified and vulnerable. However, all hope vanished when he saw the Valkorax instead coming even closer, charging through the bushes, with even small trees collapsing under its extraordinary physical strength.
In one unavoidable motion, the Valkorax's sharp beak lunged forward, piercing Gaku's chest with full force until his body was pinned to the tree trunk.
"AKKKHHHH!!!"
Gaku's agonizing scream echoed throughout the forest, but it was futile. No one was coming to help. He was trapped alone in this cursed place. Besides, what was the point of begging? A wild monster would never understand human language; it only understood hunger.
Gaku's body grew weaker as his heartbeat slowed. His face turned white from the massive blood loss. He could only stare blankly at the beak lodged in his chest, unable to offer any resistance.
The Valkorax then straightened its body, pulling back from the strike while Gaku's body remained snagged and attached to its beak. Gaku thought that everything would end now—a peaceful death in the darkness. However, reality had other plans.
His suffering reached its peak as the Valkorax began to open its mouth forcefully, slowly tearing the wound in Gaku's chest apart. Gaku screamed once more even though his voice was spent, feeling his body begin to split in two.
But right before his consciousness was completely destroyed, the world around him suddenly shook. Gaku woke up again in the exact same spot where he had first arrived in the forest. There was no blood. There were no wounds.
"I... I'm alive again?"