That night, the air felt strange. The road leading home was quieter than usual, as if every sound had deliberately distanced itself from me. The streetlights flickered faintly, as though warning me of something… something I chose to ignore.
When I reached the front of the house, the door was slightly open. Even though Mom always made sure it was locked by seven. I swallowed hard.
"Mom…? Dad…?" I called out softly.
No answer. Only a cold gust of wind slipped through the gap in the door.
I pushed it open slowly. Creeeak. The sound tore through the silence like a small scream. The living room was dark, except for the dim, flickering light from the kitchen. A metallic stench assaulted my nose—an unfamiliar smell… and a terrifying one.
"Don't tell me…" I muttered, my steps faltering.
As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I saw it. Mom's body was slumped against the sofa. Dad lay not far from her. My little sibling was lying on the floor—motionless, not breathing. The floor was stained with dried red marks.
My entire world collapsed in a single glance.
"D-Dad… M-Mom… L-Little sis…" My voice cracked. My legs trembled, barely able to support me. I fell to my knees and reached for Mom's hand—cold. Far too cold.
Tears spilled uncontrollably.
"What… what actually happened?"
Suddenly, soft footsteps echoed from the dining room.
Clack… clack…
The footsteps were unhurried—careful, like someone trying not to step on a pile of toys, not human bodies. I turned around, my body trembling. Someone emerged from behind the kitchen door. A figure I knew all too well.
My best friend. The person who sat next to me every day. The one who laughed with me over the smallest things. The one I believed… was someone I could trust without hesitation.
They smiled faintly, as if tonight were nothing more than a small game I had happened to witness. "So, you're finally home," they said lightly. The same tone as always—yet it felt terribly wrong.
I froze. "Why?" I whispered.
They tilted their head, puzzled. "What do you mean, why?"
"WHY DID YOU DO THIS!?" My voice shattered, my throat burning.
They shrugged, as if the answer were painfully simple. "Why not?"
My blood boiled—not with anger, but with fear.
I was afraid of the truth—afraid that he truly felt no guilt at all. "I thought you could be trusted," I said, my voice breaking.
"Yeah," he replied casually. "That's exactly why it worked." I nearly threw up. Every word from his mouth was like another knife in my chest.
"Wh… why…?"
"Why did you kill my family?" He laughed—a small, bored laugh, not joyful. "You still don't get it, do you? Your family was just a path… and you are the goal."
I staggered back, breath caught in my throat. "A… a goal…?" He looked at me like something about to be unwrapped. "Yes. You are the path for me to become stronger." His lips curled slightly. "I was merely making sure you were in the right condition."
"R-right… condition?" I stammered. He didn't answer. Suddenly, something struck me from behind—cold, sharp, stealing the air from my lungs, like an ice spike through my spine. "AGH—!" I slammed onto the cold, sticky floor. Once again.
"You must be completely empty in order to be opened by me." The ceiling spun, everything blurred. Then… darkness.
Why… why me? What was my sin? I muttered silently. Then a figure appeared from the distance, noble in the face of darkness. "You're right. The heavens have never been fair," it said, walking toward me.
"W-who… are you?"
"That isn't important. What matters is this—I can heal you… if you still have the desire to live."
He crouched, eyes locked onto mine, cold and unwavering.
"Hoo… so, what's the condition?" I asked, trying to sound brave.
"You're smart enough," he said with a faint smirk, then rose and walked behind me. "The condition is simple. You come to my world… and train there," he added, circling me, his presence suffocating.
"Huh… what's that? I—"
"I won't waste time! Answer now!" he snapped, cutting me off.
Silence…
"Huh… fine. I agree!" I shouted, forcing courage into my voice.
He stopped, gazing at the sky, smiling as if he had unearthed a priceless treasure. Then he began. Hands moving with inhuman precision, forming seals as energy crackled around him. One hand rose, shaping an impossible pistol. And with one word:
"KOI… NECROSOUL"
A vision unfolded—countless souls, screaming, swirling through the air like chaotic stars, all obeying him. One soul broke free and lunged into me, piercing my chest, my very being. Pain, cold, fire—all at once.
Darkness swallowed me.
And a single voice whispered in my mind:
"WELCOME BACK, RYOMU REI"