----Chapter 1----
Bzzz… bzzz…
My phone vibrated in my pocket.
I pulled it out. Fingers clumsy, numb. One name glowed on the screen: Kenji.
I didn't answer.
I just stared at the name as the screen went dark.
Rain poured down, drenching my purple sweatshirt, water running from my hair into my eyes.
My sneakers squelched with every step, leaving dark, muddy footprints on the sidewalk behind me.
I closed my eyes for a moment, pressing my fingers against my eyelids.
I don't want to remember.
But the memory clawed its way back anyway, sharp and unwelcome.
It had been earlier that night when Yumiko called. My girlfriend, the one I thought I could trust with anything.
She'd asked me to meet her at the café near my apartment.
Excited, I practically ran through the streets, holding an umbrella in one hand and a small box of chocolates in the other. Her favorite brand, the expensive ones she only let herself have on special occasions.
I didn't want to keep her waiting.
Every step felt like a journey to some kind of happiness. I even stopped for a second to crouch down and wipe mud off my sneakers, wanting to look decent for her.
But when I straightened up, I saw them.
Kenji and Yumiko. Walking together under a single umbrella, their shoulders close enough to brush, their laughter carrying over the sound of the rain.
My chest tightened. A cold fist squeezed the air from my lungs. My legs wouldn't move.
I took a step back, the box of chocolates trembling in my hand.
Maybe they were meant for each other.
I told myself the thought bitter and hollow.
But then Yumiko's eyes met mine.
She didn't flinch, didn't look away. She didn't even seem guilty. Instead, her lips twisted into a smile, sharp and cruel.
And before I could even process what was happening, she reached out, grabbed Kenji's shirt, and kissed him.
My world shattered.
The box of chocolates slipped from my hand, tumbling to the ground. My umbrella followed, rolling into the waterlogged street. My favorite umbrella, the one Yumiko had given me last year for my birthday.
I turned and ran. Ran like a coward, maybe. But I ran with my chest on fire, my lungs burning, my mind screaming.
I didn't stop. Not when the rain blinded me, not when strangers glanced at me from the shelter of awnings, their faces a blur of concern and pity.
I didn't want to go home. I didn't want to face the silence of my room, the emptiness that waited for me there.
I just wanted to disappear.
That's when I saw it. A coil of rope, lying damp and forgotten near a pile of overflowing garbage bins.
I just stared at it.
Perfect.
The thought surfaced, dark and quiet, as if it had been lurking there all along, waiting for the right moment.
End it all. No more pain.
An abandoned apartment building wasn't far from here. Four stories tall, with access to the rooftop. The perfect place to end everything.
I picked up the rope, the rough fibers cold and heavy in my hand, and started walking.
My steps felt heavier with each floor I climbed.
The echo of my sneakers slapped against the concrete stairwell, the sound amplified by the emptiness. Water dripped from my clothes, leaving a dark trail on the gray concrete steps.
Finally, I pushed open the door to the rooftop.
The city sprawled out below me, a chaotic mess of neon streaks blurred by the rain.
I spread my arms wide, letting the downpour soak me to the bone, as though I could claim every raindrop for myself.
And then I remembered the rope in my hand.
But before I could move, something changed.
The rain slowed, each droplet hanging in the air like a crystal bead. A shadow twisted across the rooftop, pulling the light from the neon signs.
A figure emerged from the darkness. Not a man, not a beast. A shape shifting like smoke, its edges dissolving into the rain.
Before I could even scream, it lunged.
Pain exploded in my chest.
I froze. I didn't even see it coming.
Something was inside me, burning, tearing, spreading fire through every nerve.
I looked down.
A dagger.
Its hilt was black, carved with red runic symbols that pulsed faintly, almost alive.
The blade flickered with static red and black, humming like it wanted more.
My breath caught. I stumbled back, clutching my chest. Warm blood poured between my fingers, soaking through my sweatshirt, dripping to the ground.
No way...
This isn't real...
I coughed, the taste of iron filling my mouth. My hands wouldn't stop shaking.
I'm dying...
No... not like this...
The rain slowed. Each drop hung in the air, frozen midfall, like the world itself had stopped.
And then, on my last breath, I looked up.
The shadow stood there, silent, watching me.
It smiled. Slow. Unnatural. Like it was enjoying the sight.
Then something split open on its forehead.
A third eye.
It glowed red, wide and unblinking, staring straight into me.
"Finally, I found you."
The words cut through me, not sound but pressure. They didn't echo in the air. They echoed inside my head.
My knees gave out. The world tilted sideways.
The rain hung motionless above. The lights blurred into color.
And then everything went black.
••••
A void. Infinite, swirling, and empty.
And then, a sudden rush of air.
I was falling.
My eyes snapped open. Above me stretched an impossibly blue sky. No clouds, no rain. Just endless, unbroken azure.
I bolted upright, clutching at my chest.
The wound.
The blade.
It was gone. My sweatshirt was still damp, my sneakers still scuffed, but my skin was unmarked.
Impossible. I should be dead.
A voice answered, smooth and ancient, curling around inside my head.
Correct. You were. But I have little use for corpses. I pulled you back, Hiroki. You are mine now.
My breath caught in my throat.
"What… what are you?"
The chuckle that followed was dry, rustling like old parchment.
I am Zeberu, the God of Deception and Lies. And you broken, betrayed, hollow you made the perfect vessel. I only need a soul that doubts its own worth. Those are the easiest to chain.
My stomach twisted into a tight knot. Vessel? Chained? He revived me just to use me.
Zeberu's voice softened, almost mocking.
Do not waste your gratitude. I plucked you from the void for my own amusement. You live because I find you useful.
I staggered to my feet, realizing only now that the ground beneath me glowed faintly. Grass, yet not like any I'd ever seen. Each blade shimmered with its own light, pulsing softly.
"What is this place?"
The grass brightened as I touched it, the glow flaring against my palm. I snatched my hand back, my heart racing.
It's glowing? Why is it reacting to me?
Zeberu's laughter echoed in my mind.
They call it Aethergrass. It's attuned to the lifeforce of this world. It sings when touched by what does not belong. And I most certainly do not belong.
The glow pulsed violently, and I stumbled backward, away from the strange grass.
What have I done? What am I caught in now?
You may resist, if it comforts you. But choice is an illusion. You and I are bound together, Hiroki.
I opened my mouth to curse him, but movement in the distance caught my eye.
Two men were approaching across the meadow.
I noticed their boots first. Thick mud clung to them, almost black in color, caked high to their knees. It smelled faintly of stagnant water and something metallic, even in the open air.
The taller one wore dented armor, his stride confident. The other carried a bow, a sly smile playing on his lips.
"Hey, kid," the armored man called out, his tone friendly but laced with a hint of amusement.
"What are you wearing? And where did you come from, anyway?"
As he spoke, my vision blurred. My eyes itched, burning like they were full of sand.
I rubbed at them, but when I looked again, a faint red aura shimmered around both men, pulsing in rhythm with their words.
My chest tightened. What is happening to me?
Those are the auras of intent. A gift. Or perhaps a curse. Useful, nonetheless.
The Aethergrass flared again, its glow intensifying. A metallic taste filled my mouth. Every instinct I possessed screamed at me to run.
The armored man extended a hand.
"I'm Deran," he said, his voice warm and inviting.
But as soon as his hand shifted slightly toward the hilt of his sword, the red aura around him flared brighter.
The archer's smile widened, becoming almost predatory.
"And I'm Kaleen. Rogue hunter. Adventurer."
His tone was casual, but the aura around him flickered with deceit.
I forced a polite smile, clasping my hands tightly behind my back to hide their trembling.
I'm not from around here.
They exchanged a quick glance. A calculation passed between them.
Deran scanned the trees that bordered the meadow.
"There's a monster nearby. You should be prepared."
The aura spiked again, burning crimson.
They're lying. About the monster? Or is it something even worse?
My gaze flicked to the mountains in the distance, wondering if I could somehow escape.
But I was trapped. Stuck in this strange place with two strangers whose smiles didn't reach their eyes. Stuck with a lying god whispering in my head.
My jaw clenched.
Not again. I won't be fooled again.