As Kami stood before the devastating sight, his mind shattered—his heart unable to comprehend the truth. The vessel that bled before him… was his own grandfather. Life drained from the old monk's body, and the light in his eyes flickered like a dying flame. Kami screamed—a soul-rending cry so fierce it startled the birds from the trees and echoed into the heavens.
The dust still hung in the air, thick and unmoving. But within it… a figure began to take shape. Tall, cloaked in shadow, with no clear form to tell if it was man or woman. It wore a long, flowing robe, and as the dust slowly cleared, strands of long, silky hair shimmered into view. Kami, gripped by fear and confusion, charged toward the figure with all his strength—but struck only empty air.
Panting, he stumbled back, questioning his sanity.
Then—suddenly—a cold, frail hand touched his arm. A whisper followed.
"Live it."
Tears streamed down Kami's face. His voice broke as he fell to his knees.
"Don't leave me to wander this world alone…"
The monk smiled faintly, eyes weary but kind. He gently patted Kami's cheek.
"You will never be alone. You have yourself, always."
The old man reached into his robes and brought forth a bundle of worn clothing, inside it a few strange, hidden items. He pressed it into Kami's hands.
"Take this. It will guide you… teach you."
But Kami, refusing to accept fate, pushed it back against the monk's chest.
"No. You're not going anywhere. Stay with me."
The monk exhaled a trembling breath, then embraced Kami. In that final moment, he shed silent tears.
"I couldn't fulfill my oath to you... not completely. But know this—a piece of my soul lives on in you."
Kami trembled in his arms, unable to speak. The old monk tightened the embrace one last time and whispered:
"Run. It's coming."
And then… silence.
Kami froze. No heartbeat. No breath. Nothing.
Staggering back in shock, his lungs gasped for air as he cried out in anguish:
"Why must the world be so cruel?"
He knelt beside his grandfather's still body, grief swallowing him whole. But through the haze of pain, he remembered the bundle. Slowly, he picked it up. Inside were objects he'd never seen before—tools, scrolls, relics of an ancient legacy.
His broken heart urged him to give his grandfather a proper burial. He reached to lift the body—but in that instant, the sky above cracked open.
The firmament tore like fragile fabric, revealing a blinding rift between time and space. His grandfather's body began to rise… levitating toward the light. Around them, everything lifted—stones, leaves, debris… even Kami himself.
Desperate, Kami leapt from one floating object to another, reaching for his grandfather—refusing to let go. But then, the air shimmered with strange glyphs—mystical text carved into reality itself.
He froze as he read the glowing message suspended near the rift:
---
THE DIVINE PATH TO ASCENSION
To the Heavenly Lands
IDENTITY
The Lord of Mastery
NOTIFICATION
No Interference
---
Kami's breath caught in his throat. The rift pulsed with power. His destiny… was no longer his own.
Kami stood frozen on the floating rock, watching his grandfather ascend slowly toward the rift. His tears—light as air—rose with him, dissolving into the firmament. A brief wave of relief swept through Kami's heart.
"So… Gramps is going to the heavens," he whispered.
But that solace was fleeting.
"I will have my revenge."
Suddenly, a shadow opened beneath the surface—swirling, violent. A black hole, foul and unnatural, tore into reality. From it, grotesque creatures began to emerge. Diabolical beasts, twisted and malformed, their very presence capable of unraveling the mind. Their howls echoed like nightmares.
Kami trembled. His breath stilled. These were horrors no living being should witness.
And then—he saw it. They were heading for his grandfather.
The fear in Kami's chest turned to fire.
He inhaled deeply… then slowly exhaled. He remembered his grandfather's voice—steady, calm, commanding.
With a sharp focus, Kami gathered himself and moved. Darting through the floating debris, he scavenged the remnants of his shattered home—a plank of wood from the roof, elastic red ropes, rusted nails from the broken tool room. Floating amid chaos, Kami improvised. He tied the ropes to either end of the wood, anchored them between two levitating stones, and secured them with nails onto a drifting tree trunk.
Creating a makeshift launcher, he muttered:
"If my life is the cost to see you safely to the beyond… then so be it."
With raw determination, he launched himself like a bolt from a crossbow—slamming into several of the beasts with brutal force, scattering them mid-air. The impact sent him crashing back toward the ground. The world blurred.
But not all the creatures had been stopped.
Kami watched, helpless, as more moved toward the rift—toward his grandfather. He tried to stand—but he couldn't feel his legs.
Panic gripped him. He looked down—and horror took root.
One of the creatures had pierced through his lower body with a grotesque fang, its long jaw ready to devour him whole.
Pain erupted through Kami's body. But he refused to yield.
With a cry, he hurled his scarf around the creature's neck, pulling with every ounce of his strength. It barely flinched—only grew angrier. The monster roared, lifting Kami like a rag doll and slamming him into a floating tree. The impact was thunderous.
Kami screamed in agony—but still he fought.
Then, from the corner of his fading vision, he spotted something—an ethereal mineral, pyramid-shaped, pulsing with light. Summoning what strength remained, he twisted the creature's neck just enough to force its gaze toward the mineral. Its eyes locked on the glowing stone—and in that moment of distraction, Kami tightened his scarf and pulled again.
The beast staggered.
But others still swarmed toward the rift.
More floating runes ignited in the sky above, glowing with urgent light:
---
-WARNING- Enemies Approaching
-SAFETY- Rift Closing
-HELP- Fast Ascension Required
---
Kami watched with failing eyes as his grandfather drew closer to the rift's light.
He smiled faintly, blood dripping from his mouth.
"Rest in peace… Gramps."
His blood fell softly upon the crimson leaves of autumn, and as the last of his strength left him, his vision blurred.
Then—a shadow fell across him.
A tall, noble figure descended from the sky—clad in polished armor, weapons gleaming, a warrior's aura radiating from him. Kami could barely make out the face.
But he saw hope.
And then, his eyes closed.
And Kami slipped into an eternal slumber.