Long, long ago, no… in an unknown time, it was said that there was nothing at all.
In that empty nothingness, a single existence created itself. That existence became the beginning of everything. The being that became the beginning created the path it would walk upon, and from that, universes were born.
That existence was the beginning… yet also emptiness.
Just like the beginning and the end.
How lonely.
.........….
"I must be insane. I really must be insane."
He muttered to himself. Ever since he arrived in this world, he had thought that he must have gone mad. Arriving in another world sounded like something out of a childish fairy tale, ridiculous, and impossible, so madness seemed like the only explanation.
"Yes! I'm probably just dreaming. Of course, there's no other possible explanation."
But how was he supposed to wake up?
It had already been almost two days since he arrived here… in this strange world.
It felt like a dream that he couldn't wake up from. And he truly wanted to wake up.
Because he was afraid.
Fear of the unknown was simply part of human nature. There was nothing he could do about it. No matter how hard he tried to appear brave, it would only make him feel even more embarrassed than afraid.
He needed to find a way to leave this place quickly. Otherwise… would he be trapped here forever?
For now, there was no answer.
At the very least, he should try to return. But he felt a little lazy. His head felt heavy, and he just wanted to sleep.
Tsk, tsk. He really was a very lazy person.
Even before coming here, he had always been lazy and sleepy. That made life difficult for someone like him, an ordinary office worker. In the end, even when he felt sleepy, there was always an endless amount of office work waiting for him.
Thinking about it now only made him feel more tired.
Well… that wasn't very important right now.
He still had no idea where he was. Other than the fact that it was another world, he knew nothing.
After spending two days in this strange place, it felt to him like an old fantasy world. He had also discovered that there was a small village not too far from the house.
But he hadn't done anything.
Or rather… it would be more accurate to say that he hadn't tried.
He simply lacked the confidence.
Even now, he couldn't fully believe that he had arrived in another world. Even if he truly had… how? How had he come here?
Did he die and get transported here?
Or had he simply been moved here somehow?
…Was his real body still alive?
There were far too many questions in his mind, and none of them had answers.
Maybe he would find them soon, he hoped so.
But hope could promise him nothing. In the end, he would have to find the answers himself.
His gaze shifted toward the single window in the room.
Outside the window, far away, he could see the small village. After staring at it for a while, he finally decided to go there.
He walked to the old wooden wardrobe in the corner of the small bedroom and opened it.
When he first arrived here, he had been so panicked and frightened that he ran outside the house immediately. At that time, the air outside had been rather cold.
Perhaps because gray clouds were completely covering the sun.
So this time, he decided to wear something warmer.
Over the white long sleeved shirt he was currently wearing, he put on a brown vest that looked as though it was made of gray leather. He didn't bother changing his simple black pant.
Just as he was about to close the wardrobe, he noticed a single red wool scarf in the corner.
After thinking for a moment, he picked it up and wrapped it around his neck.
Once he finished dressing, he left the bedroom and walked straight into the living room. Then he headed toward the door at the edge of the room and opened it.
When the door opened, he was not greeted by bright sunlight.
Instead, the sky was filled with thick, dim clouds that covered the sun entirely.
Without thinking much about it, he began walking toward the village.
On the way there, he didn't encounter much, just a few apple trees and a forest at the edge of the village.
Before long, he arrived.
The village seemed calm and quiet, not particularly lively.
As he walked along the road, he observed the surroundings. There were several shops and houses, but in the center of the village stood the largest building of all, a church.
"The religion in this world must be different as well."
He murmured quietly to himself.
As he continued mumbling, the people passing by glanced at him strangely.
He couldn't quite tell what those looks meant.
Maybe it was because he was a stranger they had never seen before.
Or maybe they thought he was some weirdo who talked to himself.
Interesting… but not very important right now.
Suppressing his curiosity, he decided to enter a shop.
After all, during the two days he had spent here, the old wooden house he was staying in had contained very little food.
There had also been money in the house.
Or rather… coins.
Unfortunately, he knew nothing about this world, so he didn't understand how money work here either.
But that wasn't a problem anymore.
Inside the old house, there had been several books, and he had read a few of them.
Strangely enough, he could understand the language written in them.
Perhaps that was just luck.
Anyway, he began searching for a food stall.
He didn't want to go hungry today.
After wandering around the village for a few minutes, he spotted several stalls where people were selling bread and various other goods.
He approached a stall selling bread.
The owner was an elderly woman, probably in her sixties, with graying hair and drooping eyes and face.
When the old woman saw him approaching, her eyes widened.
Was it surprise… or happiness?
It was hard to say.
Perhaps she was surprised because no one had come to buy bread.
Or maybe…
No need to think about it.
He gave the woman a polite smile.
"How much for one bread?"
The old woman remained silent for a moment before answering hesitantly.
"Two bronze coins."
He nodded and thought for a moment.
'I have ten bronze coins right now. That means I can buy two bread and still have enough left for some potatoes.'
He smiled again.
"I'll take two."
The old woman nodded and quickly wrapped two breads in a bag.
After taking the bread, he went to a vegetable stall. He checked the potatoes, pressing them gently to see if they were soft, and chose the firmest ones.
After weighing them, the total came to three bronze coins.
With bread and potatoes in hand, he began heading back to the old wooden house.
On the way back, he overheard three children talking.
A brown haired boy said,
"I heard that detectives from the big city are coming because of the murders in the village!"
Another boy beside him, smiling mischievously, replied,
"Yeah! I heard the adults talking about it too. I also heard detectives are really cool."
The third boy added,
"I've never seen a detective in my life. I want to see one soon!"
The three boys laughed as they talked.
Hearing this, he found himself speechless.
The children were laughing and talking about the deaths as if it were nothing.
It seemed they still didn't truly understand what death meant.
Then again… children were always like that.
There was nothing he could do about it.
So he continued walking toward the old wooden house.
As he walked, a thought crossed his mind.
'Dead people… so there have been murders in this village.'
Just thinking about it gave him a strange, uncomfortable feeling.
Perhaps it was fear.
The thought that detectives were coming brought him some relief.
But before they arrived… he might be killed.
The more he thought about it, the faster he walked. Sweat ran down his back.
Finally, he arrived.
He quickly opened the door, stepped inside, and shut it behind him.
Being indoors made him feel a little safer.
"Welcome. Thank you for coming all this way after hearing our request," said a female priest with a soft voice to the two people before her.
The woman spoke first, her voice gentle and sweet.
"It's nothing, Sister. After all, it's our duty. Right, Dien?"
she said to the man standing beside her.
The man gave a small nod in response.
The priest silently observed them for a moment before speaking again.
"I'm grateful for your help. I suppose I should introduce myself. I am Seren, the priest of the church in the village of Mite."
After introducing herself, she waited for them to do the same.
The woman smiled politely.
"I'm Lily, an agent of the Special Investigation Bureau. And this is my partner, Dien."
After introducing both herself and Dien, Lily's voice became more serious.
"So, Priest Seren. We need information. Could you tell us what you know?"
Seren sensed the change in atmosphere and replied calmly, her tone sharp yet polite.
"I don't know very much. We have only found three bodies. I can write down the details for you later."
Dien and Lily glanced at each other and nodded.
"In that case, we'll take our leave for now."
The two of them walked toward the main door of the church.
Just as they were about to leave.
"Please be careful. May God protect you both."
Dien and Lily paused and turned back.
As the door opened, a breeze entered the room.
Seren's black, silk-like hair, tied behind her, fluttered in the wind. A faint beam of moonlight shining through the doorway illuminated her blue eyes.
Lily smiled at Seren's blessing and nodded.
Dien simply nodded once.
Then the two of them left.