"Where... am I?"

A 17-year-old boy wandered aimlessly in a vast desert land populated with sand dunes. His formerly bright brown eyes were now darkened with fatigue, and the clothes he wore had been tattered beyond recognition. However, one could easily identify his clothes as a school uniform of some sort. The brown blazer he wore had faded intensely, and his trousers had one leg partially ripped apart, exposing his bruised leg.

How long had it been since he found himself in that desert? How many times had he asked himself where he was? He had no idea. He had no answer. The only thing he remembered before suddenly appearing in that desert was the vague image of a person. As for who that person was... he did not know.

Step after step, his body weakened. He had walked for what seemed to be an eternity, and it didn't look like he was going to make it.

*Rustle, rustle.*

Strange sounds immediately grabbed the boy's attention. They seemed to be coming from behind him. "What was that?" he muttered weakly and turned around.

Small volumes of sand ejected from the ground a few metres away from him as something seemed to approach the surface.

The boy's heart sank, and his eyes widened at the horrifying sight. A large lizard-like creature had erupted from beneath the sand, growling at him while drooling profusely. The creature had six eyes, spikes on its back, and was about a metre in length.

"N- Not again!" the boy staggered, taking a step back. "I'm not letting you get closer to me this time!"

With a burst of adrenaline, the boy swiftly dashed in the opposite direction, his legs moving at a blurring speed. Despite his internal exhaustion, no one would have noticed his fatigue if they had seen him in this state.

Otherworldly screeches shattered the once-silent desert as the lizard-like creature pursued the hapless boy with its serpentine movements.

"Ahhh, damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"

This marked the third time he had been attacked by a monstrous creature. First, it was an outrageously large centipede that would have surely killed him if not for a fortunate distraction. Then, a swarm of locust-like creatures, each half the size of a human, passed him by without interest. And now, he found himself being chased by this massive lizard-like creature?

Tears streamed down the boy's face as his vision blurred. Was this some form of purgatory? Was he being punished for something he had done? The assumptions he had made earlier resurfaced, and one thing remained etched in his mind: he had died. There was no denying it. The last thing he might have glimpsed was the unclear face of that person, accompanied by the scent of thick smoke and the sensation of his skin burning.

But if he had truly died, why was the afterlife so horrific? He had always imagined paradise awaited him after death, not this living nightmare. He couldn't accept it. There was no way he could come to terms with this cruel reality.

The boy's overwhelming fatigue began to dissipate as he slowed down, realising that his efforts were futile. Giving up seemed like the best option.

A bloodthirsty snarl twisted the predator's reptilian face as it sensed the tiredness in its prey's steps. Food was within its grasp, but then something strange happened. Its hunger faded, replaced by an unexplained sense of fear.

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"Huh," the boy turned back, his expression puzzled. "It's actually a lot smaller than I thought."

The boy's exhaustion had caused him to run from nothing more than a tiny lizard. Swaying from side to side, his body reached its limit. With no energy left, he collapsed to the ground with a dull thud. His consciousness slipped away, and his vision faded into darkness.

The sudden fall startled the small creature, prompting it to flee the scene. Was it over? Had his body finally succumbed to the heat and fatigue? Maybe, just maybe, he would find himself in a better place.

Several hours passed, and the lone boy regained enough strength to open his eyes. Struggling to fully open them, he still felt weak. Travelling through the wretched desert without water or food had left him hollow.

The faint moonlight made his pale brown eyes twitch occasionally. After a few minutes, he could discern some objects in his surroundings, and what he saw sent his heart into chaos. There was a stark difference—a vast one.

"What in the world..." His eyes widened at the sight before him. The once-dominant sand dunes had transformed into an expansive grassland stretching as far as the eye could see.

Gentle winds whispered through the grass, coaxing it into a mysterious dance, while the star-studded night sky shimmered with foreboding glimmers of light.

"But the desert..." Fear etched deep within the boy's eyes as he rose to his feet. "How did it suddenly vanish?"

Just as he was about to take a step forward, a calm voice spoke from behind him.

"Plane rotation."

Surprised, the boy turned around to find a humanoid figure sitting cross-legged near a peculiar campfire. What made the campfire strange was the absence of any visible source of fuel. The flame crackled and burned mysteriously in mid-air.

The peculiar phenomenon captured the boy's attention, even without his realisation. It was understandable; how could something like that be possible? Yet, it didn't disturb him too much. He had found himself in a strange world and narrowly escaped the clutches of the hideous monsters in the desert. Part of him expected things to be even stranger.

"How long do you plan on staring at the flames?" chuckled the calm voice.

The boy looked up and examined the figure closely.

"A human?" he muttered to himself.

Seated before the fire was a smirking young man, older than the boy. Most of his features were concealed by the cloak he wore, except for his feet and head. The young man donned traditional sandals, and his eyes gleamed, reflecting the firelight.

As the boy strained to see the young man's eyes clearly, he was taken aback.

"Heterochromia?" the boy blurted out, immediately covering his mouth.

"Huh?" The young man raised both eyebrows. "Really? That's the first thing you say?"

The stranger had a blue iris in his left eye and a brown one in his right. He studied the boy, whom he had found unconscious in the desert, and wondered where he had come from.

"Ahaha," a strained laugh escaped the boy's lips. "Sorry. Um, do you happen to know how I got here?"

"Yes," the young man replied, standing up. "But before that, I'd like to know your name. It feels awkward to answer questions from someone whose name I don't know."

"Oh, uh..." The boy assumed a formal posture, displaying respect. "I'm Zanetor, Xerq Zanetor."

"Edem," the young man replied simply. "Nice to meet you."

Silence enveloped them, stretching into an awkward stillness.

"Um, about the question I asked..." Zanetor began.

Edem placed his hands on his hips, a gleeful expression on his face. "Right! It's simple. You died, and now you're in the spirit realm."

Huh... Zanetor had already suspected that answer, but he didn't want it to be true.

For some inexplicable reason, a sense of unease washed over Zanetor. It felt as if he didn't belong in this place, as if his presence here was a mistake. If only he could remember what had happened before his death, perhaps he would have some clarity.

Meanwhile, Edem concealed a deep concern beneath his seemingly calm smile. Souls were supposed to arrive at the gate that connected the spirit realm to the material realm, where guides would escort them safely to the city of souls. Yet, Zanetor had somehow ended up in the middle of the desert, far from both the gate and the city. It was an anomaly that intrigued Edem immensely.

"Do you remember how you arrived here?" Edem locked eyes with Zanetor, his voice filled with curiosity.

"N-No," Zanetor replied dejectedly, avoiding Edem's gaze. "All I remember is a vague image of a person. Everything before that is a blur."

"Is that so?" Edem smirked, a glimmer of mischief in his eyes. "Would you like to remember?"

Zanetor's eyes lit up momentarily. Did he hear correctly? Could Edem actually help him recover his lost memories?

"Yes! That's exactly what I've been hoping for!" Zanetor's voice quivered with anticipation.

Without warning, Edem stepped closer to Zanetor, his smirk deepening. Fear gripped Zanetor's heart. What was Edem planning to do?

Suddenly, the wind ceased, the grass froze, and even the sky lost its charm. A peculiar golden circle materialised around Edem and Zanetor, and Edem gently placed his index finger on Zanetor's forehead. The circle began to pulsate, emitting an eerie melody that reverberated throughout the grasslands.

"Soul Requiem," Edem murmured, his heterochromatic eyes gleaming.

Space warped and twisted, and before Zanetor could comprehend what was happening, he found himself submerged in the depths of an endless ocean. Darkness enveloped his vision, yet an otherworldly presence calmed his racing heart, urging him to surrender to the depths.

Zanetor had no choice but to allow his body to sink deeper, placing his trust in the unknown force guiding him.