My heart was beating fast. I lay on the road that led through the great forest toward the Black City of the Hatless.
I regretted what I had done. I wanted to apologize to the man I had beaten so brutally. My eyes were barely able to stay open. Still, I forced myself to stand and move forward. The soldiers of the Kingdom had abandoned me halfway on the road.
Because I had lost my position, my inner strength was gone as well. But the small hope of surviving pushed me forward until I finally reached the city.
The moment I entered the city, my legs gave up and I collapsed to the ground. At that moment, the chance of me dying felt greater than the chance of surviving.
The people around me were busy with their own work. Some were working, while others were arguing about food. No one cared about me. Two men passing by laughed and said to each other,
"Look, another man with a Black Position has arrived here… without a hat."
This was not a small matter. If people saw someone suffering and did not care, that was one thing. But in this city, people arrived… and then disappeared without anyone knowing where they went.
Whether a person survived here or vanished completely depended only on that person.
This rumor had spread across the entire city, and everyone in the Kingdom knew about it.
I was lying there, half-dead, when suddenly I heard something fall nearby. Gathering what little strength I had, I raised my head.
A large piece of bread had fallen in front of me.
I quickly grabbed it and began eating. I was afraid someone might take it from me, so I ate it desperately. I didn't even realize when the bread had finished.
Only after it was gone did I look around to see who had thrown it.
When I looked to my left, I saw a girl walking away. She was wearing a large black jacket, and her head was covered. She must have been the one who threw the bread.
She suddenly turned back for a moment. Her hair moved gently in the wind. Her hair was white, and her face was pale and beautiful.
Then she turned forward again and continued walking.
I slightly bowed my head in gratitude and continued on my way.
As I wandered around the city, I learned many things. Food and supplies were sent to this city only twice every thirty days, and people had to survive on them for fifteen days each time.
Because of that, theft was very common in this city.
But there was also a strange question—what exactly were the thieves stealing?
People with hat positions rarely came here, and most of them had Black Hat positions. Usually they came only for some kind of work.
Every road was filled with dirt and fallen people. Some were fighting each other, while others argued endlessly.
From what I saw, it became clear that the Kingdom had done nothing to maintain or develop this place. Even the system here had become completely corrupt.
While walking, I reached a broken building. A crowd had gathered below it.
Suddenly, a man from the crowd rushed toward me with a knife in his hand.
I didn't understand what was happening or what I should do.
I quickly stepped to the right to avoid him—but it was too late.
The man stabbed me.
The knife pierced my chest, straight into my heart.
My eyes slowly began to close, and I collapsed.
When my eyes opened again, everything was dark.
A strange black-crimson mist began to appear around me.
Inside that mist, I saw a flat hat resting on a small stool.
Then a voice spoke.
"So you are Davidson. A criminal who came to the Hatless City… and died as soon as he arrived."
I didn't understand what the voice meant.
"What are you talking about?" I asked quickly. "I'm dead? I don't understand. And who are you?"
The voice replied calmly.
"I'm right in front of you. Look carefully."
I looked forward—and realized the voice was coming from the hat itself.
It was a flat hat with a black-crimson color. On top of it was a feather of the same color.
I was shocked. How could something like this be possible?
The hat spoke again.
"It's simple. You are dead now. The man you brutally beat… he killed you."
"I am the hat of the Chosen One."
"The one who decides death."
"The Death Decider."
"I have chosen you as my Chosen One. That is my decision."
Most of these words went over my head, but one thing was clear to me.
This was not an ordinary hat with a normal position.
The term Chosen One… I had heard it somewhere before.
But where?
Just then, the hat slowly began to disappear.
"Do not think too much," it said. "When the time comes, you will understand who you are now."
With those words, the hat and the crimson mist vanished.
Suddenly, I heard a girl shouting.
"Hey! Wake up! You're completely fine now—wake up!"
My eyes slowly opened.
In front of me sat the same white-haired girl wearing the black jacket. She was trying to wake me.
"So you finally woke up," she said. "How are you feeling now?"
I nodded my head slightly.
Seeing that, the girl stood up and began to leave.
"Well then, I'll go now. Take care of yourself."
She walked away, and I could only watch her silently. Not a single word came out of my mouth.
When I finally came back to my senses, I thanked her and prepared to leave.
But when I looked to the other side, I saw the man who had stabbed me in the chest
.
He was walking away.
Strangely, I felt relieved. I had finally received punishment for my sins.
He was the same man I had beaten before. Now he looked completely fine.
But the dream I saw—the hat that spoke to me—was that real?
Or was it just my imagination?
While thinking about this, I continued walking until I reached a large building.
The building looked special. Its glass windows reflected my face.
When I looked at my reflection, I was completely shocked.
I looked like an eighteen-year-old boy.
But before… I had been a thirty-year-old man.
How was this possible?
Then a realization slowly came to my mind.
Everything that had happened until now… someone had made it happen.
This was not a coincidence.
The false accusation against me.
Coming to the Hatless City.
Meeting that girl.
My death.
Meeting that strange hat.
And now… becoming young again.
How?
Was something unbelievable happening to me?