In 2030, a fog known by scientists as Ombrelith—or more commonly called the Devil's Fog—awakened from a long and silent slumber.
No one knew where it came from.
No one knew why it appeared.
All anyone knew was what happened next.
The fog was so thick and unnaturally dark that it swallowed the sky itself, turning daylight into a dim twilight. Within a single night, it spread across the entire planet like a living ocean of shadow, rolling across oceans, mountains, and cities without slowing down.
Civilization collapsed before sunrise.
Sirens wailed in cities around the world, but the warnings came far too late.
Anyone who stepped outside without full-body protection risked infection. And infection meant only one thing.
Mutation.
Those who were consumed by the fog no longer remained human. Their bodies twisted and warped into grotesque creatures now known as Fog Creatures. Some grew elongated limbs, others developedhardened skin like blackened stone, and many lost their voices entirely—replaced by distorted, inhuman sounds.
The world that humanity once knew disappeared almost overnight.
Global networks failed. Satellites went dark one by one, vanishingfrom radar screens like dying stars.
Modern weapons lost their effectiveness.
Advanced technology stopped functioning altogether, as if the fog itself rejected it. Circuits burned out, engines stalled, and even the most sophisticated machines became nothing more thanlifeless metal.
The world was forced back into an era where survival depended not on machines—
—but on human instinct.
People later named that catastrophic event The Fogalypse.
In the years that followed, the world slowly reorganized itself. Civilizationno longer stretched across continents. Instead, humanity survived in scattered pockets of safety, surrounded by walls, mountains, or natural barriers.
The world was now divided into two regions.
The Dead Fog Zone.
And The Safe Zone.
The Dead Fog Zone was exactly what its name suggested—a place where the fog ruled completely. The land there was silent, the sky permanently darkened by drifting black mist. Few humans dared to enter, and even fewer ever returned.
The Safe Zone, on the other hand, was where the remnants of humanity struggled to rebuild. Small communities formed behind reinforced walls, guarded day and night by those strong enough to fight.
But the Fogalypse did more than destroy civilization.
It changed humanity itself.
Something dormant within certain individuals began to awaken, as if the fog had stirred a hidden layer of existence inside the human body. Some called it magic. Others believed it was a miracle… or perhaps even a blessing from a higher power.
Scientists eventually gave this mysterious phenomenon a name.
Gumun.
"Dharma!"
The sharp voice cut through the classroom like a blade. The sudden shout echoed against the old stone walls.
"Dharma! How many times do I have to tell you not to sleep in my class?!"
"Huh—what?"
I jerked awake, my heart racing.
My cheek was still stuck to the desk, and a faint line from the wooden surface was probably imprinted across my face.
Whispers spread across the classroom as my vision slowly cleared.
Some of the girls giggled behind their hands.
The boys, meanwhile, avoided eye contact entirely, pretending to focus very hard on their notebooks.
Great.
Just great.
"Leave the classroom. Now," Ms. Clara said coldly.
"I—I'm sorry, Ms. Clara! I swear I won't sleep again!" I said quickly, rubbing my eyes and trying to sit up straight.
Her expression didn't change.
Not even a little.
"Out."
"…Yes, ma'am."
I grabbed my bag and dragged myself toward the door, feeling the weight of thirty pairs of eyes following me.
My name is Kaires Dharma.
Most people just call me Kai or Dharma.
I'm fifteen years old and a student at Rustvale academy.
And according to almost every teacher here…
I'm a troublemaker.
Personally, I think that's a little unfair.
Just because I fall asleep in class, skipping class or leave the rustvale... sometimes, doesn't mean I deserve that label.
Okay… maybe more than sometimes.
But it's still unfair though.
Rustvale academy wasn't just a school.
It was a fortress.
Built high on Young Stone Mountain, Rustvale overlooked the dense wilderness known as Rust Forest. Massive reinforced walls surrounded the campus, built from thick stone and dark steel plates salvaged from the old world, turning it into something closer to a bunker than an academy.
Watchtowers stood at the corners of the walls, where guards kept constant watch over the forest below.
In a world like ours, education wasn't just about books.
It was about survival.
Rustvale had been founded by a noble named Xander Kaelthryx, one of the people responsible for maintaining the Safe Zone in this region.
Which also meant his authority here was absolute.
Unfortunately for me…
His daughter also studied here.
I dropped onto a weathered bench outside the school building and stretched lazily.
The wooden bench creaked under my weight.
"Why does she always pick on me?" I muttered.
"Hey!"
A voice suddenly rang out behind me.
"What the—?!"
I nearly jumped off the bench.
"Hehehe."
Standing behind me was a girl with long black hair and a mischievous smile, her hands casually tucked behind her back.
"What are you doing out here, Kai?" she asked.
"Isn't Ms. Clara teaching your class right now?"
Her name was Mirable Kaelthryx.
Fourteen years old.
Second graders.
Only daughter of Noble Xander Kaelthryx.
And unfortunately for my sanity—
My childhood friend.
Normally she was quiet and well-behaved.
But for some reason…
Whenever she was around me, that personality disappeared completely.
"Just… the usual," I sighed.
She smirked.
"Heh~ You really are a troublemaker, Kai."
"Shut up."
I crossed my arms.
"What about you? Isn't Mr. Halberd teaching your class right now?"
"Well…" she said casually as she sat beside me.
"When I saw you leave the classroom, I decided to follow you."
"…Nobody stopped you?" I asked
She shrugged.
"Nope."
I stared at her.
"Damn… I wish I could do that."
"Hahaha."
She laughed softly.
A moment of silence passed between us as we looked up at the sky.
The clouds drifted lazily above Rustvale, glowing faintly in the afternoon sunlight.
Then Mirable suddenly spoke again.
"Hey… Kai."
"Yeah?"
"Do you want to sneak out tonight?"
I blinked.
"…What?"
"I want to show you something," she said.
I stared at her in disbelief.
"You're the one asking me to sneak out?"
"Well… if you don't want to—"
"Sure." I interrupted.
She blinked.
"What?"
"Do you know who you're talking to, Ms. Mira?" I said with a grin.
"Oh right."
She laughed.
"The famous trouble snake."
"Hey! That nickname is embarrassing!"
"Hahaha!"
"Don't laugh!"
That night, we slipped out of Rustvale.
The moon hung high above the forest, casting pale light over the ground like a thin layer of silver dust. The air smelled damp—earth, moss, and the faint metallic scent of stone.
The Rust Forest surrounded us like a sleeping giant.
Mist curled between twisted roots and towering trees, glowing faintly under the moonlight. Somewhere deeper in the forest, an unknown creature let out a distant cry.
"Careful," I said, offering my hand as Mirable stepped over a large root.
"I'm fine, Kai," she replied, though she took my hand anyway.
Her eyes reflected the silver light of the moon.
Sharp.
Alert.
Completely fearless.
She was definitely braver than me.
Or maybe just smarter.
Eventually we reached a small clearing.
A faint glow shimmered from the ground, barely visible beneath a thin layer of dirt and fallen leaves.
"What is that?" I whispered.
Mirable crouched beside the light and brushed away the dirt.
"Do you remember yesterday?" she asked.
"Nope."
"A meteor crashed here."
My eyes widened.
"What?!"
As the dirt cleared away, fragments of dark metal became visible beneath the soil. The surface shimmered like molten steel frozen in time.
"Woah…"
I knelt beside her.
"That's incredible. How did you even find this?"
She rolled her eyes.
"Dumbkai. Of course I saw it fall yesterday, didn't I explain it to you?" She said with a grin and a sarcastic tone.
"Right…"
Suddenly—
CRACK.
The meteor fragment split apart.
Shards scattered across the ground, bouncing across the dirt like pieces of broken glass.
Then something impossible happened.
A strange liquid metal shot upward into the air, twisting and swirling like it was alive.
"What the hell is that?!" I shouted, my voice rising without control.
"I—I don't know!" Mirable stammered, quickly stepping behind me. I felt her fingers clutch the back of my shirt, tighter than usual.
The metal twisted in the air, stretching and curling like something alive. It didn't move like an object—it moved like it had intent. My body tensed, every instinct telling me to get away, but I couldn't move. My feet felt rooted to the ground as I stared at it.
Then, slowly, it stopped.
Two sleek metallic bracelets formed in midair.
[Designation confirmed.]
[Bonded Pair detected.]
A voice echoed through the forest.
It wasn't loud. It wasn't distant. It simply existed—like it had always been there.
"Did you hear that…?" I muttered, my throat suddenly dry.
Before either of us could react, the bracelets shot forward.
"WAIT—!"
Click.
They snapped onto our wrists.
The metal fused instantly, wrapping perfectly around my skin. It was warm. Smooth. Too natural.
My heart pounded violently as I grabbed it, pulling, twisting—nothing. It didn't move at all.
"What the hell?!" I shouted, panic slipping into my voice.
"It's stuck!" Mirable said, her voice trembling now. She tried to pull hers off, but her hands were shaking. "Kai, it won't come off… what if it's dangerous?"
Then the voice came again.
Not around us.
Inside us.
[Remain calm.]
My breath hitched. My entire body went stiff.
[This system will not harm either of you.]
Mirable gasped softly behind me, her grip tightening again.
"What?!" I snapped, my voice sharper, almost desperate. "Who said that?! Show yourself!"
[This system did.]
[I am the bracelet.]
[True designation: Bonded Promise Bracelet.]
My stomach dropped as my eyes slowly moved to my wrist.
Mirable blinked, clearly trying to process what she just heard. "Bonded… what?"
[Confirmed: Bonded Promise Bracelet.]
[This system is an artificial intelligence unit created prior to the Fogalypse.]
For a moment, my mind went blank. If this was a fogalypse, that's mean.
Was it created before the fogalypse…?
That didn't make any sense. Nothing from that time should still work.
[This system possesses information beyond your current understanding.]
[This system will not harm you.]
Its voice was calm. Too calm. It didn't hesitate, didn't waver—not even a little.
Then the bracelet pulsed faintly.
Warm.
Slow.
Like a heartbeat that didn't belong to me.
[Designation in progress…]
I swallowed hard without realizing it.
[Status: Chosen.]
A chill ran down my spine.
[…Correction.]
Mirable's fingers tightened again, almost reflexively.
[Designation updated: Chosen Two.]
My chest felt tight. The word echoed in my head.
Chosen…?
"Can you take these things off?" I asked, forcing my voice to stay steady, even though my hands were still tense.
[Apologies.]
[This system does not possess the authority to remove them.]
That answer only made things worse.
Mirable hesitated beside me. I could feel it—the fear she was trying to hide.
"…Can you at least promise they won't hurt us?" she asked quietly.
[Affirmative.]
[This system guarantees your safety.]
The certainty in its voice didn't feel reassuring.
It felt absolute.
And that made it even more unsettling.
I exhaled slowly, trying to calm my breathing.
"…Fine."
"I guess… we don't really have a choice."
[Acknowledged.]
[This system will now enter standby mode.]
[Call upon me when required.]
And just like that, the presence disappeared.
No fade. No sound.
It was just… gone.
Silence returned to the forest, but it didn't feel the same anymore. The wind moved through the trees, leaves rustling softly, yet every shadow felt heavier than before.
Mirable slowly let go of my shirt.
"…Kai," she said, her voice quieter now, "you're really going to trust something we don't understand?"
I stared at the bracelet on my wrist. It looked normal. Completely normal. Like nothing had just happened.
"…We don't really have a choice," I replied.
She didn't respond immediately. Then she sighed softly.
"Yeah…"
"…You're probably right."
I glanced toward Rustvale in the distance. The lights on the mountainside flickered faintly, small and far away.
"We should head back," she said.
"It's getting late."
"Yeah."
We started walking back through the forest, but something felt different now. The bracelets pulsed faintly against our skin, slow and steady, like a second heartbeat. And for some reason, I couldn't shake the feeling that something behind us was watching.
That night, sleep didn't come easily.
Every time I closed my eyes, I could still feel it—that voice, that presence, that cold certainty.
My mind was filled with questions.
Who created the bracelet?
Why were we chosen?
And most importantly—
Had everything already begun to change?