Chapter 1 – The Awakening
The Last Moments
The air was heavy. Thick with moisture. The distant scent of wet soil lingered, mingling with the faint iron-like smell of blood.
A storm was coming.
He felt the weight in his arms first. A girl. Motionless, her body limp against his. He could feel the slow departure of warmth from her skin, her life slipping away like the final embers of a dying flame.
Thunder rumbled overhead. The sky split apart, a streak of lightning illuminating the darkened jungle. The trees swayed violently, as if nature itself was mourning her passing.
She’s gone.
His grip tightened around her, but his body remained still. There was no panic, no denial—only acceptance.
Then he felt it.
The first tremor.
Beneath him, the ground shuddered. The vibration crawled up his spine, rattling his bones. It was subtle at first. Then another. Stronger this time. A deep, guttural noise echoed from below, as if the very earth was alive and angry.
He looked up.
In the distance, beyond the jungle, the sky burned red. A distant volcano awakened, molten rivers spilling down its sides like veins of liquid fire.
Wind howled through the trees. The earth split apart, cracks forming in jagged lines. He felt himself sinking, falling as the jungle crumbled beneath him.
And yet—
He wasn’t afraid.
His final thought drifted to his grandfather.
“If you ever die, it will be because nature itself has claimed you. And if that happens, then you will know… it was simply your time.”
His breathing slowed. The chaos around him faded.
He let go.
The last thing he saw was the sky—a brilliant flash of white as a massive tree snapped and crashed down upon him.
Then—nothing.
The Waiting Room
A door creaked open.
He stepped forward.
Silence.
The jungle was gone. The storm, the fire, the trembling earth—all of it had vanished.
Instead, an endless white hall stretched infinitely in every direction.
The floor beneath him was smooth and cold, reflecting a faint glow that had no clear source. The air was eerily still. It felt neither warm nor cold, but empty.
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Then, from across the vast space, another door opened.
A girl stepped out.
She had long black hair and an eerily calm expression. Her eyes flickered toward him briefly, but she didn’t say anything.
For a moment, he felt something—something familiar.
Do I know her?
But the thought slipped away before he could grab onto it.
More doors began to open. All around him, souls emerged, stepping into the endless white hall.
Some looked around in confusion. Others stood still, silent. A few whispered amongst themselves, trying to make sense of their situation.
And yet, no one moved forward.
They were waiting.
There were about a hundred souls gathered.
A few murmured to themselves. Some fidgeted uncomfortably. Others simply stared, trying to process where they were.
A young man with short, sharp blonde hair stood off to the side, arms crossed, his eyes flickering with quiet calculation. Max.
A few feet away, another presence stood out—a broad-shouldered figure with a scowl, shifting his weight impatiently.
He cracked his knuckles.
Then, the final door opened.
The last soul stepped through—a young man with silver hair. His expression was unreadable, but something about him felt… off.
Not in a dangerous way. But different.
His presence lingered, as if the air itself noticed him.
And then—
A low hum filled the room.
The Guide Appears
The center of the hall trembled.
From the smooth white floor, a massive stone golem rose, its bark-covered body cracking and shifting as vines twisted around its limbs.
Glowing emerald eyes flickered as it finally spoke.
“Welcome to the Afterlife. You’re all dead.”
Silence.
Then—a scoff.
The broad-shouldered figure rolled his eyes. “What kind of joke is this?”
The golem ignored him. “Listen up, because I hate repeating myself.” It adjusted its seated position, its weight making the ground tremble slightly. “You are now in the waiting room. Beyond this point, you’ll be assigned to your afterlife path. But first—”
A low vibration filled the air.
A massive black orb descended from above, floating effortlessly at the center of the room. Small, glowing memory stones hovered around it.
“This is the Memory Crystal Machine,” the golem continued. “Place your hands on it. It will show you a glimpse of your last moments and awaken the power you received from death. It will also determine your tier.”
Murmurs spread through the souls.
The broad-shouldered figure clenched his jaw. “Yeah? And why the hell should I believe you?”
A hand gripped his wrist.
His Younger Brother.
“Relax,” he murmured, voice quiet but firm.
The older one exhaled sharply but didn’t push further.
The golem sighed. “Just touch the damn thing.”
One by one, souls stepped forward.
The moment their hands touched the black orb—a flash of energy. Their expressions changed.
A girl’s body shimmered blue. A tall man’s eyes flickered gold. Another soul’s hands glowed molten red.
Then—his turn.
He stepped forward. Placed his hands on the smooth surface.
A pulse of energy surged through him.
Then—
The jungle. The storm. The trembling earth.
And his grandfather’s words—
“If nature takes you, then you know… it’s your time.”
The earth split. The wind howled.
Then—nothing.
His body jolted back to the present.
A strange golden aura flickered around him. Unlike the others, whose energy remained stable, his pulsed wildly—erratic, shifting like the wind.
The golem didn’t react.
“Tier 4,” it stated plainly. “Next.”
But the others were staring.
The golem gave its final instructions.
“Your journey isn’t over. You’ll be sent to the Academy next. There, you will train, learn, and be judged.”
The group moved forward, entering a vast corridor leading to their next destination.
As they walked, his eyes drifted to the side.
Something rustled.
His gaze snapped toward the edge of the path, where strange, leafless trees stood.
A rabbit.
But not just any rabbit.
It had small, curved horns.
The creature met his eyes, tilting its head—as if it understood something he didn’t.
Then, just as quickly, it turned and vanished.
He frowned. “I just saw a rabbit with horns.”
Max glanced at him. “Yeah? You lived in a jungle, didn’t you?”
He shook his head. “I’ve seen every kind of animal. That wasn’t normal.”
Max didn’t press further.
As the last souls exited the waiting room, the golem smirked.
A whisper escaped.
“This batch is… different.”
From the shadows, a figure watched.
And the gods were listening.