His eyes fluttered open, and the world shifted from darkness to light in an instant. He found himself lying on what seemed like a bed of sorts, with a pillow under his head. He stared up at a white ceiling, his consciousness slowly piecing together the reality of his situation. 'What the heck?' The thought raced through his mind, capturing his confusion and disbelief. 'I died… Where am I?' The realization only brought more questions.

He tried to move, intending to rise, but as he attempted to lift himself, a searing burst of pain coursed through his body like a thousand needles of fire. He winced, paralyzed by the intensity of the agony, a stark reminder of his limitations.

His lips parted, but the unspoken scream of pain was curtailed by his sealed voice. Panic welled within him as he realized his vocal cords were unresponsive. 'What's happening?' The question echoed within him, bouncing off the walls of his own mind without finding an answer.

Desperation fueled his attempts to recall his memories, his past, anything that could provide a shred of understanding. Once upon a time, he was called Ethan Parker. A man whose life had been marked by misfortune, struggles, and relentless hardships. A life he'd tried to escape, but even that had been denied him.

He used to be a bright youngster, effortlessly sailing through school. This gave him a false sense of confidence that led him to make a pivotal decision - attending college to become an engineer. However, obstacles were strewn across his path. His failures felt preordained, as if the universe itself had conspired against him. He could almost hear the mocking laughter of fate as he stumbled through life.

The first failure was his own fault, a result of thinking he could attain his wishes without effort. The second came as a betrayal by a professor. His family's abandonment, the treacherous job market - each challenge felt like a defeat dealt by fate.

But a glimmer of hope shone amid the darkness. A wounded cat he'd rescued, nursed back to health—a creature as discarded by life as he had been. They'd formed a silent bond, two souls seeking solace in each other's company.

The day he'd discovered a bag filled with cash, his heart had swelled with possibilities. A chance to escape despair, to regain control over his life. Yet, the world had thwarted him again. Greedy hands had stolen his shot at redemption, leaving him bleeding and broken.

He remembered it all—the blood, pain, and his desperate cries unanswered. Only Fluff, the cat, had responded, offering comfort in his final moments. And then, the voice—the strange, ethereal voice.

"Do you want to live? Do you desire a second chance?" It had asked, and he had gasped his answer, his last breath, into the world. "Y-yes."

And now, here he was, weak and unfamiliar with his body. The room around him remained a blurry expanse, hidden by the veil of his condition. His journey was just beginning, laden with unanswered questions. Could it be true? A second chance? 'If I have it, I'll squeeze every drop of opportunity. I won't fail again,' he promised himself.

'For now, I need to find out where I am and what happened to me. I'm like a piece of wood, lying on the ground. I could move, but the pain is too much… My voice is absent… Am I at the mercy of others once again?'

Dark thoughts began to creep into his mind, only to be chased away by a soft noise, the sound of something sliding on the floor. Footsteps followed. He longed to turn his head, but even the slightest muscle twitch was too much to bear, so he remained still.

"You're awake?" a man's voice spoke as he stopped several steps away.

The man had long silver-mingled hair tied into a ponytail, and a sparse mustache and goatee adorned his face. Dressed in a dark kimono, he seemed lean and muscular. In his hand, he held a bowl of water.

The pause was brief as he approached, kneeling beside Ethan. "Can you speak?" he inquired, waving his hand above Ethan's face. "Are you here? Do you hear me? Blink twice if you can understand me."

Blinking caused pain to ripple across Ethan's face, but he managed to respond with two blinks.

A chuckle escaped the man. "So you can hear and understand. That's good. My name is Noroi Satoru, and I saved you from the brink of death. I found you on the street, covered in blood. At first, I thought you were dead, practically shredded, but you were breathing. So, I brought you to my friend Hayashi Hiroshi. He's a medicine expert and somehow managed to put you back together. You didn't wake up for a long time. It's good to see you finally awake," he finished with a genuine smile, holding the bowl to Ethan's lips.

Though painful, the presence of liquid quenched his thirst, and he drank as much as he could endure. Satoru eased his head back onto the pillow as he finished.

Then the man left. Ethan was once more alone, but now with a bit more understanding of his situation. Unable to do much, he closed his eyes and succumbed to sleep, which came surprisingly quickly.

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He was roused by the stranger's presence again, sitting on the floor by his side. Ethan's attempt to speak resulted in a faint exhaling sound.

"You're awake again, good. I brought you some soup. You should eat," Satoru informed, raising Ethan's head and bringing the bowl to his lips.

The soup was simple and bland, but he could sense a bit of saltiness. Still, he was grateful for the sustenance. This encounter, like the previous ones, was short. The man disappeared, and Ethan returned to slumber.

This pattern continued for a few days, pain gradually receding. He slowly regained movement, though not enough to stand, and his voice showed signs of recovery. Now he could manage weak moans and grunts.

On a sunlit morning, Satoru appeared again with a bowl of rice and meat. Ethan shifted, and the man sat beside him, saying, "I thought you might want something more solid now." He fed Ethan, remarking, "It's been many days, but no one in Hikarimura seems to know you."

'Maybe because I'm not from this world...' Ethan mused, unable to verbalize his thoughts.

"You can stay here as long as you want. I don't mind having you in my house," Satoru assured. "Eat and get healthy." He said, before beginning to feed Ethan.

He finished his meal and returned to lying down as Satoru left. Loneliness gnawed at him, and after a few hours, he couldn't bear it any longer. Despite the pain, he mustered his strength and sat up.

Carefully, he moved toward the paper door and slid it open, revealing a corridor. Another room lay ahead, while to the right, the path led outside. He grunted and groaned, forcing his muscles to obey as he moved toward the exit.

His muscles protested, causing pain, but he reached the door and slid it open, revealing a porch with Satoru sitting on the stairs and smoking a pipe. The man looked at him with surprise.

"You can walk," he observed, widening his eyes.

Ethan responded with a confirming grunt.

A chuckle escaped the man. "Come, sit beside me."

Ethan complied, stealing a glance at the street. The area was quiet, with similar houses nearby, but distant noise hinted at more activity. The faint sound of metal striking metal reached his ears, as if someone were forging something.

As his eyes raised a bit, he noticed a single mountain looming over in the distance, its peak covered by clouds. It was massive, and really, really close, complitely obscuring the horizon.

"I don't know how much you remember, if anything, but welcome to the house of the Noroi clan," Satoru said, exhaling a cloud of smoke.

'No-thing,' Ethan forced out, providing a faint whisper.

"You speak now," Satoru chuckled. "If you don't remember, let me fill you in. You're in the city called Hikarimura, ruled by the Divine Sovereign of the Radiant Throne, Akihiko Takashi. We're in the outer part of the city that belongs to the Noroi clan. We're renowned blacksmiths known for crafting cursed swords."

Ethan grunted, acknowledging the newfound information.

'I've been isekai'd... Maybe because of that cat? Doesn't matter. I have a second chance,' he thought, his lips forming a slight smile. 'I won't waste it.'

"Do you have a name, stranger?" Satoru asked, turning his gaze to Ethan.

With effort, Ethan shook his head.

Satoru chuckled again. "Then let me give you one. Ren. Noroi Ren. You could become part of the clan. What do you say?"

Ethan nodded slightly, accepting the name.

"Good," Satoru smiled. "Welcome to the clan. If no one else wants you, I will take you. From now on, you'll be known as my son."

'Strange...' Ethan thought, surprised by the unexpected turn.

"I'll bring you back to health," Satoru promised. "In exchange, take care of this old man. Make me proud, son." He chuckled, but his eyes held a trace of sadness.

Ethan sensed more beneath the surface, a mixture of sadness and mystery, as if there was some secret to be uncovered hidden behind those words.

His short walk exhausted him, which combined with the short conversation compelled him to return, but the pain kept him rooted in place. Fortunately, Satoru noticed his struggle and provided assistance, guiding Ren back to his room.

Upon arrival, both noticed something peculiar. On the blanket lay a small black cat. "Is it yours?" Satoru asked. "It's been showing up here recently. Lying on the porch every morning. I chased it away initially, but then grew accustomed to it. I've never let it inside. It must have slipped in through the open door."

‘Fluff?’ Ren's thoughts questioned, paying little attention to Satoru's words.

The cat's meow seemed like confirmation.

"Lie down," Satoru instructed when he received no response.

The cat vacated its spot as the two men approached, giving up the bedding but not venturing far. Once Ren was lying down and Satoru left, the cat climbed atop him, settling on his chest. From that vantage point, it stared into his eyes.

‘Hi there,’ a voice echoed in Ren's mind, familiar yet requiring a moment of thought to be linked to a past event. It was the same voice he had heard as he was dying. Melodic, soft, and yet powerful.

‘So it was you,’ Ren responded, his eyes widening.

‘Yes,’ the cat communicated in Ren's mind. ‘I'm Tsukiko, a goddess of this realm. I aided you because you helped me when I was injured during my visit to your world. A good deed for a good deed.’

‘Couldn't you have given me a body that doesn't hurt every time I move?’ Ren complained.

A giggle resonated in his mind. ‘This is the best I could manage. Technically, what I did is forbidden, and I could get in trouble for doing it. I shouldn't intervene in a world beyond my domain, but I did. You should be content with what you have, for there's much more to your current body than you can fathom.’

‘What do you mean by that?’

Another burst of laughter. ‘That's something you should uncover on your own. I've assisted you enough, and though I intend to remain by your side a little longer, to ensure your adjustment, I won't provide further aid. The debt is repaid. You got your second chance, so you can reforge your life from the broken fragments’ The voice concluded as the cat curled up on Ren's chest.

‘You could at least tell me more about this world so I can understand my position,’ Ren inquired, but no response followed. ‘Hey. Hey! Are you there? Tsukiko!’ With no response forthcoming, he sighed inwardly, realizing the goddess had seemingly drifted off.

With nothing more to attend to, he shifted to his own thoughts, contemplating about the situation he found himself in. Slowly but surely, it allowed the exhaustion to spread, and clime his mind.  Before even realizing it, he succumbed to the realm of dreams.