"No, stop! Please! I promise I won't do it again!"
It was the third time Shinji had been bullied by his classmates. He stepped back, trying to keep his balance, clutching his books tightly.
"Stop treating us like fools! This isn't the first time you've said that!"
"Really… you could have done like usual: said nothing while I filmed you. But now, you had the audacity to take my phone and delete the video! You really are the king of idiots!"
Shinji turned on his heels and ran. The laughter and insults followed him like shadows.
"Ha ha ha! She's hiding in the girls' bathroom, that little girl!"
He reached the bathroom and slammed the door behind him, out of breath. His hands trembled as he gripped the handle. Silence reigned, yet the teasing still echoed in his mind.
Why is this happening to me?
What did I do wrong to deserve this hatred? Tell me… tell me what I did wrong!
Three hours passed. Shinji cried in silence, regretting not defending himself.
If only I had superpowers… I could have defended myself!
Everyone would respect me, and I would never have suffered this humiliation!
He decided to go home alone. He didn't really have a choice. He had never had friends, and the few words he exchanged with anyone were limited to his parents. The streets felt wider, colder, and each step echoed in a silence that reminded him he was… completely alone.
"I'm sick of this crappy life. Nobody understands me! All they ever do is insult me! They gang up on me, four against one… they have no dignity, those bastards!"
Shinji suddenly felt a hostile hand on his shoulder. It was them—the bullies. They had followed him here. They hadn't even known he lived in this place.
"What did you just call us, coward?!"
"Go on, say it again!"
"Bastards. That's what I called you!"
Shinji, shocked that those words had slipped out, realized they had escaped his mouth without him even noticing.
The bullies, furious, began hitting him again and again. But this time… Shinji fought back. For real.
He threw punches without holding back, without thinking—but they were stronger. Blows rained down on him. Blood trickled from his lip, his vision blurred… yet he kept fighting, as if his body refused to give up.
"You still think you can win?" one of them sneered.
A sudden motion. A flash of metal glinted too fast under the hallway lights.
The pain was sharp—quick, piercing, impossible to ignore. Shinji felt something drive into his chest. He gasped, as if the air itself had been stolen from him.
He fell to his knees. The world spun. The laughter faded, then returned, distant and hollow. His hands searched the floor, seeking something—anything—to hold onto.
Why… why now? he thought, but the thought slipped away before it could finish.
His eyes turned toward the hallway one last time. No one ran to him. No one screamed.
The bullies exchanged glances, then walked away—too rushed, too used to it all.
No one stopped to help him. No one reached out to catch his fall. No one cried.
Silence stretched on. Shinji felt his vision fade. A final breath, warm and fleeting… then nothing.
When life left his body, there were no witnesses filled with regret, no hands reaching out. Only footsteps fading away, laughter resuming, and a hallway returning to its calm—as if nothing had ever happened.
Shinji blinked, expecting to feel the cold floor… or the familiar hallway beneath him. But no—none of that.
He was standing. Perfectly fine. In the same body as before. Everything seemed normal… except for one thing.
His fingers ran through his hair without thinking, and he let out a small yelp of surprise.
"Uh… why is my hair… diamond pink?!"
The light made it shimmer like it had been carved from pure crystal. He spun around, staring at the imaginary mirror in his mind, wondering if this new look would make the bullies run away… or just draw even more attention.
A sarcastic little voice in his head whispered:
Congratulations, Shinji. New life… and now you're stylish.
Shinji jumped, startled.
"Wha—who… who's talking?!" he thought, heart pounding. He shook his head, trying to clear the confusion.
Don't worry. I'm here to help.
"H-Help me? And why the hell are you in my head?!"
The voice chuckled softly—not quite human, but not terrifying either.
Relax. I'm not a hallucination… well, not exactly.
"Then what are you?!"
Call me whatever you like. System. Spirit. Parasite… or a temporary ally.
Each word carried a faint echo, like it came from everywhere at once.
I'm here because your 'arrival' in this world triggered something. Let's just say… I'm a bonus.
Shinji frowned.
"A bonus? Like in a video game…?"
Yeah, if that helps.
He let out a deep breath, fingers brushing through his still-glimmering pink hair.
"Fine… I'll call you Shini."
Shini… the voice repeated softly, with a hint of curiosity.
I like that name. How'd you come up with it?
"It's… just my name. I dropped the 'j'."
There was a short silence, then a dry reply followed:
Wow. Zero creativity.
"But—thirty seconds ago, you said it was a good name!" Shinji protested, voice rising.
I never said that, Shini replied, still sarcastic—but with a faint warmth now.
Alright, listen up, Shini said firmly, because I don't plan on repeating myself three times.
"Wait… you're actually gonna give me instructions now?!" Shinji exclaimed, eyes wide.
Exactly. Your arrival here isn't random. This world… well, let's just say it plays by its own rules. And trust me, you don't want to get caught up in trouble on your first day.
"But… I have no idea what I'm supposed to do!" Shinji said, voice trembling with a mix of fear and excitement.
Yeah, I figured. That's why I'm here. I'm your guide—or your bonus, remember? I can give you information, show you how things work… but I'm not doing the work for you.
Shinji looked down, fingers playing with the strands of his pink hair.
"And… can you help me defend myself?" he asked softly.
Defend yourself? Shini chuckled, a cold amusement in her tone.
Relax, I'm teasing you. There's no real danger right now, and you don't even have a main quest yet. But yes, I'll protect you. Don't worry.
"Thanks… you really scared me for a second."
But make no mistake, Shini continued. You didn't just appear here for no reason. This world has its own set of rules.
"Then… what are these rules? And more importantly… why did I end up here?" Shinji asked, voice trembling with impatience.
Ah… that part, I can't tell you.
"Why not?!" Shinji shouted.
For the suspense, kid.
"…Okay, but at least tell me the rules of this world. Please."
In this world, there's something called Astralium.
"Astralium?" Shinji repeated, intrigued.
"Yes. And trust me, learning to sense and control it will be very useful to you."
"Well then," Shinji interrupted, "tell me exactly what Astralium is."
"Hey! Has no one ever told you it's rude to cut people off like that?!" Shini snapped, clearly annoyed.
"Sorry… I'm not really used to talking with people," he mumbled awkwardly.
"…Hmph. Fine, since you sound so pitiful, I'll forgive you."
"Do I really sound that pathetic?!" Shinji growled, cheeks flushing.
"Anyway," Shini continued, "Astralium is the life energy of this world. It flows through everything—the air, the ground, living beings, even objects. It's the source that keeps this world running.
Every person has a certain amount of Astralium. Some use it to enhance their bodies, others to unleash attacks or control elements. But it's not just raw power—Astralium reflects your mind. If your mind is unstable, your Astralium will be unstable too. But if you master yourself… you can shape it in your own image."
Shinji leaned forward, eyes shining. "So then… how much Astralium do I have?" he cut in excitedly.
"Tsk. Again with the interrupting?" Shini barked.
"Sorry! I really don't know how to talk to people…"
"…Ugh. You're hopeless. Fine, I'll let it slide. Since I feel sorry for you."
"Wow… I really do sound pitiful," he muttered under his breath.
"Alright," Shini sighed. "Let's calculate your Astralium level. Let's see… you're 1 meter 65, 55 kilos, slightly toned body, black eyes… so your Astralium score is—"
"…One."
"Only one?!" Shinji shouted, completely stunned.
"What? That's normal. Everyone starts with one Astralium point."
"Please tell me I at least have something special!"
"Look at your stomach," Shini said calmly.
"Huh? Why would I look at my—wait, what?!"
Shinji froze. Right in the center of his abdomen… was a pitch-black hole. A void. He didn't know whether it was a blessing—or a curse.
"Don't worry," Shini reassured him. "That black hole won't harm you. It grants you an extraordinary absorption ability tied to Astralium. You can absorb objects to gain Astralium—and even copy them at will."
"Whoa… that's awesome! Alright then, let's try it out—wait, can you wake me up first?"
"Already done."
Shinji's eyes snapped open. He was inside a dark, cramped space. A disgusting stench burned his nose.
"Why is it so dark… and why does it smell so bad in here?" he coughed.
"You're probably inside a garbage bin," Shini replied casually.
"A garbage what?!"
Just as he reached up to push the lid open, it flew off with a loud BAM.A shadow loomed over him.
"Delinquent! You're under arrest!"
"…WHAT?!" Shinji yelled in disbelief.