Somewhere within the endless universe—
Past countless stars.
Past enormous galaxies filled with worlds humanity had never discovered.
Past burning suns, frozen planets, wandering comets, and the endless black sea of space—
There existed one small blue planet.
Earth.
A world where billions of people lived their ordinary lives.
Some laughed.
Some cried.
Some chased dreams.
Some searched for love.
Some fought for money, fame, power, or recognition.
And others simply tried to survive another day.
It was the year—
2026
Night had already fallen over a large city.
Streetlights illuminated rain-covered roads while countless cars moved through the streets below.
VROOOOM!
HONK! HONK!
Neon signs reflected across wet pavement.
People hurried beneath umbrellas.
Restaurants remained filled with customers.
Office buildings still glowed with lights from workers finishing late shifts.
Somewhere, teenagers were laughing with their friends.
Somewhere, families were sitting around dinner tables.
Somewhere, children were complaining about school the next morning.
Life continued normally.
But several blocks away from the busiest streets stood something entirely different.
A large hospital tower rose against the dark sky.
Its countless illuminated windows formed pale squares against the night.
Above the entrance, glowing white letters displayed the hospital's name.
Ambulances came and went.
WEE-OOO! WEE-OOO!
An emergency vehicle rushed beneath the covered entrance.
The rear doors flew open.
"Move!"
"We need Trauma Two prepared immediately!"
"Blood pressure is dropping!"
"Clear the hallway!"
Doctors and nurses hurried through the building.
Families sat nervously inside waiting rooms.
A young mother hugged her sleeping child.
An elderly man stared silently at the floor.
A nurse pushed a wheelchair down one corridor while speaking gently to the patient sitting within it.
The smells of disinfectant, medicine, and sterile equipment filled the halls.
Shoes clicked against polished floors.
Machines beeped from behind closed doors.
Phones rang at nursing stations.
Voices echoed softly through the building.
It was a place where lives were saved every day.
And where others ended.
Far away from the emergency department—
On one of the hospital's quieter upper floors—
Was a long hallway.
Unlike the chaos downstairs, this corridor was calm.
Almost unnaturally calm.
Beep...
Beep...
Beep...
Machines could occasionally be heard through the doors lining either side.
Nurses walked between rooms carrying charts and medication trays.
Two doctors stood near a workstation speaking quietly.
"How are the evening patients?"
"Mostly stable."
"And Room 417?"
The nurse hesitated.
Her expression changed slightly.
"Still declining."
The doctor sighed.
"How long?"
"We don't know."
"Family?"
The nurse slowly shook her head.
"No one."
A brief silence followed.
The doctor glanced toward the end of the hallway.
Room 417.
"Keep monitoring him."
"Yes, Doctor."
Behind that door—
A sixteen-year-old boy lay completely still beneath thin white blankets.
His name was—
ELI CROWE
Sixteen years old.
Yet his appearance made him seem almost unreal beneath the harsh hospital lights.
Eli was a quiet, handsome but painfully fragile boy.
Messy black hair rested loosely around his face, some strands falling over his forehead.
His skin was extremely pale after years spent indoors.
His once youthful face had grown thin from illness.
And beneath heavy eyelids were unusual—
Violet eyes.
Beautiful eyes.
But exhausted ones.
Eyes that looked as though they had already spent far too long staring at the same walls.
Several wires were attached to his body.
A heart monitor stood beside his bed.
An IV line entered his arm.
A breathing tube rested beneath his nose.
Other medical equipment surrounded him.
Beep...
Beep...
Beep...
The machines created the only consistent sound inside the room.
Eli stared at the white ceiling.
He didn't move.
Not because he didn't want to.
Because moving required strength he barely possessed anymore.
His fingers rested limply against the blanket.
His chest rose slowly.
Then fell.
Then rose again.
Every breath felt like work.
Every heartbeat felt borrowed.
Every day had become another battle against a body that had already surrendered years ago.
Eli Crowe had spent nearly his entire childhood inside places exactly like this.
Hospital rooms.
Doctors.
Needles.
Medicine.
Tests.
Machines.
White walls.
White ceilings.
White sheets.
The world outside his window might as well have been another universe.
He had watched other children grow up from a distance.
He had seen them playing outside.
Going to school.
Riding bicycles.
Running through parks.
Traveling.
Arguing with parents.
Making friends.
Falling in love.
Living.
Things most people considered normal.
Things Eli would have given almost anything to experience.
He couldn't even remember the last time he had walked outside without assistance.
His only true escape had been books.
Especially—
Dark fantasy novels.
Stories about forgotten ruins.
Ancient gods.
Dangerous monsters.
Cursed kingdoms.
Adventurers traveling wherever they pleased.
And most of all—
Shadow mages.
Mysterious figures who appeared and vanished beneath moonlight.
People who ignored kings.
Ignored nobles.
Ignored churches.
Ignored anyone who attempted to control them.
They walked through darkness without fear.
They traveled where they wished.
They fought who they chose.
They lived—
freely.
Eli had always liked those characters.
Perhaps because they possessed everything he didn't.
Strength.
Freedom.
Choice.
A life beyond four hospital walls.
His tired violet eyes remained fixed on the ceiling.
So...
His thoughts were faint.
This is probably it.
Beep...
Eli listened to the machine beside him.
Sixteen years.
A tiny breath escaped his nose.
Pretty short run.
His expression didn't change.
That was simply how Eli was.
Quiet.
Calm.
Almost impossible to read.
People often assumed he was cold.
He wasn't.
He simply learned long ago that complaining didn't change anything.
Crying didn't cure him.
Anger didn't make his body stronger.
Fear didn't stop another needle.
So eventually—
He stopped wasting energy on things he couldn't control.
He watched.
He listened.
He endured.
Outside his room, several voices became audible.
"Did you see what happened downstairs?"
"No."
"That patient in emergency apparently tried fighting one of the paramedics."
"What?"
"I know!"
A nurse laughed quietly.
Another joined her.
"You're kidding."
"I wish I was."
Their conversation continued.
Ordinary conversation.
Ordinary laughter.
Ordinary life.
Eli's eyes slowly shifted toward the closed door.
He couldn't move his head.
Only his eyes.
For several seconds, he listened.
Then thought—
Idiots.
There was no real anger behind it.
Mostly bitterness mixed with dry amusement.
Everyone running around worrying about stupid things.
His gaze returned toward the ceiling.
And I'm over here trying to remember what breathing normally feels like.
His chest tightened.
Eli's expression twitched.
"Kh..."
He coughed weakly.
"Cough..."
Pain struck his chest.
His fingers curled slightly.
"Kh...!"
He tried taking another breath.
It wasn't enough.
His violet eyes narrowed.
Again?
A sharper pain spread through his body.
His lungs felt heavy.
As though invisible hands were squeezing them.
Beep... beep... beep...
The monitor beside him began accelerating.
Eli stared upward.
Come on...
His breathing became uneven.
"Haah..."
He swallowed painfully.
Just... breathe.
"Haah... haah..."
His chest refused to cooperate.
Outside, the laughter stopped.
A nurse noticed something on the monitor station.
"Wait."
Another nurse looked over.
"What?"
"Room 417."
Her expression immediately changed.
"His heart rate's spiking."
"What?"
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
Inside Eli's room, alarms suddenly erupted.
His body trembled.
His vision blurred.
"Haah...!"
The door slammed open.
BANG!
"Eli!"
Two nurses rushed inside.
One hurried toward the monitor.
"Heart rate one-forty and climbing!"
"His oxygen is dropping!"
"Eli, can you hear me?"
Eli barely moved his eyes toward her.
She leaned over him.
"Eli!"
He wanted to answer.
Nothing came out.
Another nurse shouted into the hallway.
"GET THE DOCTOR!"
Footsteps thundered outside.
A doctor rushed through the doorway moments later.
"What happened?"
"Sudden respiratory decline!"
"Blood pressure?"
"Seventy-eight over forty-two!"
"Damn it. Increase oxygen."
"Yes!"
"Eli?"
The doctor moved beside him.
"Eli, stay with me."
Stay with you?
Despite everything—
A faintly sarcastic thought crossed Eli's mind.
Where exactly am I supposed to go?
Another spike of pain hit him.
His eyes widened.
"Kh—!"
"Doctor!"
"His pressure is collapsing!"
"Prepare emergency medication!"
"Got it!"
Hands moved all around him.
Someone adjusted his oxygen.
Someone checked his pulse.
Someone injected medication into the IV line.
The doctor continued speaking.
"Eli! Keep your eyes open!"
His violet eyes stared weakly upward.
Their voices became distant.
So loud...
"Heart rate dropping!"
"Eli!"
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
His vision began darkening around the edges.
The room stretched strangely.
Faces became blurry.
Sounds slowed.
Then—
Memories surfaced.
Not deliberately.
They simply came.
A younger Eli sitting beside his mother.
She smiled while running a hand through his black hair.
"There you go."
"Mom..."
"Yes?"
"When I get older, can we travel somewhere?"
She laughed.
"Of course."
"Anywhere?"
"Anywhere."
His father looked over from nearby.
"You better start saving money, then."
Young Eli frowned.
"I'm eight."
"That sounds like an excuse."
His mother laughed.
Then—
Rain.
Police lights.
Adults whispering.
A stranger kneeling before him.
"Eli..."
Young Eli stared.
"Where are my parents?"
The woman couldn't answer immediately.
His small hands tightened around the edges of his chair.
"Where are they?"
Her eyes lowered.
And somehow—
Before she even said it—
He understood.
The memory shifted again.
A children's home.
Other kids laughing.
Playing.
Running.
Eli sitting alone beneath a tree holding a book.
Then—
Coughing.
A fever.
A hospital.
Tests.
More tests.
Doctors whispering.
An illness.
A serious one.
Days became weeks.
Weeks became months.
Months became years.
Eight years old.
Nine.
Ten.
Eleven.
Twelve.
Thirteen.
Fourteen.
Fifteen.
Sixteen.
Hospital rooms changed.
Doctors changed.
Nurses changed.
But Eli remained.
Still trapped.
Still weak.
Still watching life happen somewhere beyond the glass.
His awareness returned.
Barely.
Doctors continued moving around him.
"Pulse is weakening!"
"Come on!"
"Eli!"
But their voices seemed miles away now.
Eli stared through his fading vision.
Mom...
Dad...
He couldn't remember their voices clearly anymore.
That hurt more than he expected.
I wonder...
His heartbeat slowed.
Beep...
Was I even alive?
Beep...
Sixteen years.
Most of them spent lying down.
Watching.
Reading.
Dreaming.
Never doing.
Never exploring.
Never becoming anything.
Never choosing his own path.
His breathing grew shallow.
If I could've just been healthy...
The world became darker.
I didn't need to be rich.
Beep...
Didn't need to be famous.
His eyes slowly began closing.
Didn't even need some perfect life.
A final thought appeared.
Simple.
Painfully simple.
I just wanted to be strong enough to live.
His eyelids lowered further.
And free enough to decide what living meant.
The doctor's voice echoed.
"Eli!"
His vision nearly vanished.
Maybe there's something after this.
His body relaxed.
Probably wishful thinking.
A faint trace of his usual dry humor remained even now.
But if there is...
Beep...
I'd like another chance.
His violet eyes finally closed.
Just one.
The monitor beside his bed went flat.
BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP—
Everyone froze for half a second.
"Eli?"
The doctor immediately moved.
"No pulse!"
"Start compressions!"
"Beginning compressions!"
"Charge the defibrillator!"
"Charging!"
"Clear!"
His body jolted.
Nothing.
"Again!"
"Clear!"
Another shock.
Nothing.
The doctor continued.
"Come on, kid..."
But Eli Crowe heard none of it.
His body remained on the hospital bed.
Silent.
Motionless.
And eventually—
The room became quiet.
The doctor slowly lowered his hands.
One nurse turned away.
Another stared down sadly.
The doctor glanced toward the clock.
His expression hardened with professional sadness.
"Time of death..."
The words faded away.
Because Eli Crowe—
Was already somewhere else.
There was darkness.
Not ordinary darkness.
Not the absence of light.
Something deeper.
Something almost alive.
Eli slowly became aware of an unusual sensation.
Cold.
But not unpleasantly cold.
Soft.
Weightless.
Like floating underwater.
His eyes opened.
Violet eyes stared into—
Blackness.
Except...
It wasn't completely black.
Ripples moved around him.
Dark liquid surrounded his body.
It resembled an endless lake made from shadows.
Deep violet lights occasionally shimmered far beneath the surface.
Tiny specks resembling distant stars drifted overhead.
There was no visible sky.
No shore.
No horizon.
Only—
Darkness.
Water.
Silence.
Eli remained floating on his back.
His black hair drifted around his head.
He blinked once.
Then twice.
He looked to one side.
Nothing.
Then the other.
Still nothing.
His expression remained completely flat.
Well.
Several seconds passed.
I'm dead.
Another ripple moved beneath him.
Eli considered his surroundings.
Black endless lake.
He looked upward.
No angels.
Another pause.
No fire either.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Hell has better atmosphere than I expected.
Silence answered him.
Eli floated.
And floated.
And continued floating.
Minutes passed.
Then what felt like hours.
There was no hunger.
No pain.
No weakness.
For the first time he could remember—
Breathing didn't hurt.
Actually—
He wasn't even sure he needed to breathe.
Eli slowly raised one hand.
He stared at it.
His fingers moved normally.
No IV.
No shaking.
No pain.
He clenched his fist.
Then relaxed it.
Interesting.
He lifted his other arm.
Perfect movement.
So death fixed my body.
His bored expression remained unchanged.
Bit late.
More time passed.
Nothing happened.
Eli eventually placed both arms behind his head while floating.
If this is my eternal resting place...
He stared into the endless darkness above.
I should probably get comfortable.
Silence.
Eli closed his eyes.
Then—
A voice spoke.
"Are you giving up?"
It was a woman's voice.
Soft.
Elegant.
Calm.
Yet it seemed to come from everywhere simultaneously.
Eli opened his eyes.
He did not jump.
He did not panic.
He simply looked around.
"Giving up on what?"
The darkness remained still.
Eli continued in the same calm tone.
"I was sick from eight years old until I died."
No answer.
"I spent most of my life staring at ceilings."
His gaze shifted upward again.
"I never really lived."
A slight pause.
"So what exactly would I be giving up on?"
For several moments—
Nothing happened.
Then the mysterious woman spoke again.
"You truly aren't frightened."
Eli shrugged slightly against the black water.
"I already died."
His expression remained blank.
"Feels like that should lower the list of things worth panicking about."
A soft sound echoed through the darkness.
Was that—
A laugh?
The mysterious woman seemed amused.
"I see."
Eli stared toward the direction he thought the voice had come from.
"Now my question."
"Ask."
"Who exactly are you?"
Silence followed.
Then—
The voice answered.
"Me?"
Something changed.
The black lake suddenly rippled.
Eli's violet eyes sharpened.
Dark mist began rising from the water several meters away.
Fwoooooosh...
Shadows gathered.
At first, they were shapeless.
Thin strands of darkness twisted around one another.
More shadows rose.
The entire space seemed to react.
The distant star-like lights dimmed.
The black water became completely still.
Eli watched carefully.
His mind immediately began analyzing.
Not human.
The shadows spiraled upward.
Probably.
A silhouette gradually appeared.
Ghost?
The figure became clearer.
Spirit?
Black and violet light spread through the darkness.
Some kind of monster?
Long hair formed first.
Then arms.
A face.
Clothing.
A body.
The shadows condensed further—
Until a woman stood upon the surface of the black lake as though it were solid ground.
Eli stared.
For once—
His normally unreadable expression showed faint surprise.
The woman was unbelievably beautiful.
Not beautiful in the ordinary human sense.
She possessed an otherworldly, primordial beauty that made her seem less like a person and more like the night itself given human form.
Very long raven-black hair flowed behind her despite the absence of wind.
Near the ends, its black coloration gradually faded into a deep violet, blending naturally with the darkness surrounding her.
Her skin was flawless and pale.
Her features elegant.
Mature.
Graceful.
Almost unreal.
But her eyes immediately caught Eli's attention.
Violet-purple.
They glowed softly like stars hidden deep within a midnight sky.
The woman wore a long divine gown colored black and violet.
Faint silver stars decorated the fabric.
Crescent-moon patterns shimmered along its edges.
Parts of the dress appeared almost smoke-like, constantly shifting and flowing as though made from living shadows.
A celestial darkness surrounded her.
Tiny lights floated throughout the aura like distant stars.
The entire endless lake seemed to belong to her.
No—
It seemed as though the darkness itself recognized her.
Eli's eyes narrowed.
Yeah.
Definitely not human.
The woman took a step.
Tap.
Her bare foot touched the surface.
A violet ripple spread outward.
Then another.
Tap.
She approached him calmly.
There was no hostility in her expression.
No arrogance.
No demand that he kneel.
Only a small—
Gentle smile.
Eli studied her closely.
His instincts told him something obvious.
This woman was powerful.
Absurdly powerful.
The type of existence that probably didn't need to threaten anyone because nothing here could threaten her.
She stopped several feet from him.
The woman placed one hand lightly against her chest.
"You wanted to know who I am."
Eli continued floating.
"Yes."
Her smile grew slightly.
"My name is—"
The shadows around the endless lake rose.
Stars suddenly appeared throughout the darkness.
A massive crescent moon briefly formed behind her.
Her violet eyes shone.
"NYX."
Eli's eyes widened.
Nyx continued calmly.
"THE PRIMORDIAL GODDESS OF NIGHT AND SHADOWS."
Silence.
Eli stared at her.
Once.
Twice.
He had spent years reading mythology.
Greek legends.
Old stories.
Fantasy interpretations.
And among those names—
Nyx was impossible to forget.
One of the primordial beings.
The personification of night itself.
His thoughts became unusually active.
Nyx?
His eyes moved across her appearance again.
The Nyx?
Primordial night goddess Nyx?
She smiled knowingly.
"You recognize my name."
Eli remained silent for another moment.
Then replied flatly—
"I read a lot."
"A benefit of your previous circumstances?"
"Calling being hospitalized most of my childhood a benefit is generous."
Nyx's smile faded slightly.
There was no pity in her expression.
Something closer to understanding.
"Yes."
Eli watched her.
"You're actually that Nyx?"
"I am Nyx."
"The primordial goddess."
"Yes."
"Of night."
"Yes."
"And shadows."
A hint of amusement returned to her eyes.
"Yes, Eli."
Eli stared at the dark lake.
Then at Nyx.
Then at himself.
Then back at her.
"I died."
"You did."
"And immediately met a famous goddess."
"That also happened."
Eli remained silent.
Nyx waited patiently.
Finally, he spoke.
"This is a pretty crazy afterlife."
Nyx gave a soft laugh.
"I imagine it would seem that way."
Eli slowly sat upright.
To his surprise, the black water supported him.
His eyes remained on her.
"So why am I here?"
Nyx became quiet.
The shadows around them slowly settled.
Her expression turned gentle again.
Because despite the terrifying power surrounding her—
There was warmth within her gaze.
Something almost—
Motherly.
"You spent sixteen years existing, Eli Crowe."
Eli said nothing.
"But you were rarely given the opportunity to live."
His violet eyes lowered.
Nyx continued.
"You watched the world from windows."
"You experienced adventures through books."
"You learned freedom through fictional characters because your own body denied you even the simplest forms of it."
Eli's fingers slowly curled.
Nyx watched him carefully.
"No child should need to understand that kind of helplessness."
Eli looked at her.
"I don't need pity."
Nyx's expression didn't change.
"And I am not offering you pity."
That caught his attention.
Nyx stepped closer.
"I am offering you something else."
The darkness around her moved gently.
Eli remained silent.
Then Nyx extended one hand toward him.
Her violet eyes shone beautifully.
"A second chance."
Eli's eyes widened slightly.
Nyx smiled.
"A second life."
The endless shadow lake began glowing beneath them.
Eli stared at her outstretched hand.
Nyx continued.
"A world different from Earth."
"A world of magic."
"Monsters."
"Adventurers."
"Kingdoms."
"Ancient ruins."
"Dungeons."
"Different races."
"Mysteries."
"And dangers you have only encountered within stories."
Eli slowly looked up.
For the first time since awakening here—
Something changed within his expression.
Interest.
Real interest.
Nyx noticed.
Her smile became warmer.
"You would have a healthy body."
Eli froze.
"A body capable of walking."
His eyes widened.
"Running."
His breath caught despite not needing air.
"Fighting."
Nyx's violet gaze remained fixed upon him.
"Exploring."
The shadows around them spread outward.
"And choosing where your own feet carry you."
Eli stared at her.
Nyx's next words were simple.
"You would be free."
That word hit him harder than anything else she had said.
Free.
A healthy body.
A new world.
Magic.
Adventure.
Choice.
Everything he had watched other people possess.
Everything he had dreamed about through books.
Nyx lowered her hand slightly.
"I will not demand that you become a hero."
Eli blinked.
"You will not owe loyalty to a kingdom."
His eyes sharpened.
"You will not be required to worship me."
That surprised him more.
Nyx smiled faintly.
"You will not be forced to save humanity."
"No prophecy?"
"No."
"No chosen hero nonsense?"
Nyx chuckled.
"No."
Eli stared at her suspiciously.
"No defeating a Demon King because some king tells me to?"
"No."
"No church ordering me around?"
"Absolutely not."
Eli became silent.
Nyx tilted her head slightly.
"Disappointed?"
"No."
A faint trace of amusement appeared in his tired expression.
"Relieved."
Nyx laughed softly.
She stepped closer.
"My wish is quite simple, Eli Crowe."
Her dark hair flowed gently behind her.
"Live."
Eli stared at her.
"Experience the life your first world denied you."
Her expression became tender.
"Make friends if you wish."
"Remain alone if you wish."
"Become an adventurer."
"Become a mage."
"Travel."
"Explore."
"Fight monsters."
"Sleep beneath unfamiliar stars."
"Eat terrible tavern food."
Eli raised an eyebrow.
"Oddly specific."
"I have watched many adventurers."
Nyx's smile became playful.
"Most tavern food is terrible."
Eli almost smiled.
Almost.
Nyx continued.
"Love someone."
"Protect someone."
"Argue with kings."
"Annoy nobles."
"Disappear into the wilderness."
"Do absolutely nothing for an entire week."
Her violet eyes softened.
"I do not care."
Eli stared at her.
"All I ask..."
The endless darkness around them shimmered.
"...is that this time, you actually live."
There was silence.
A long one.
Eli looked down at his hands.
Healthy.
Steady.
Strong enough to move.
His mind returned briefly to the hospital room.
The ceiling.
The machines.
The years.
The books stacked beside his bed.
Stories about people who could walk beneath moonlit skies without asking permission.
People who traveled wherever they wanted.
Shadow mages who lived beyond the rules of kings and heroes.
Then he looked back toward the woman standing before him.
Nyx.
The Primordial Goddess of Night and Shadows.
Eli's normally calm violet eyes showed something new.
Something he had rarely been allowed to possess.
Hope.
"So..."
His voice remained quiet.
"You're serious."
Nyx nodded.
"Completely."
Eli stared at her.
He considered laughing.
Crying.
Questioning whether any of this was real.
Instead—
He responded in the most Eli Crowe way possible.
"I died..."
Nyx waited.
"...and met the famous Goddess Nyx."
"Yes."
Eli looked around the endless shadow lake.
Then back at her.
"This is a crazy afterlife."
Nyx's gentle laughter echoed throughout the darkness.
And for the first time—
The boy who had spent sixteen years trapped inside a dying body stood at the edge of something he had never truly possessed before.
A beginning.
TO BE CONTINUED...