Zenji's eyes fluttered open, and in front of him, there was nothing but total darkness. Suddenly, he heard a soft, almost distant girl's voice:
"Hi Zenji, I have this bread. Let's divide it into two and eat it."
Blinking in confusion, Zenji's eyes snapped open. To his shock, he saw Rin standing there. "Rin, what are you doing here… I…I mean, why?" he stammered.
Rin simply replied, "Take it." Confused, Zenji stretched out his hand to take the bread. But as soon as he did, his vision began to fade. His voice cracked as he cried out, "Rin… Rin, listen to me… Don't ever visit the village door!"
When his eyes finally fluttered open again, Zenji found himself standing alone in utter darkness. "Where am I?" he whispered, his heart pounding.
A chilling voice broke the silence, "You are still at the beginning." Slowly, the surrounding darkness began to recede. Before him, emerging from the gloom, was a large mirror positioned in what appeared to be a bathroom area, its sink barely visible. On the mirror was etched a triangular symbol, and in its center, his bloody thumbprint glowed ominously.
Terrified, Zenji murmured, "Yeah… yeah, I remember the deal."
Suddenly, his mind was flooded with memories of that fateful night when a dark shadow first met him. He recalled the shadow's voice: "I have a deal for you." In a fit of tears, Zenji had cried, "What deal? I don't want to hear anything else. If you want to kill me, just do it!"
The shadow had laughed, its voice echoing eerily, "Hahaha, I do not want to kill you. I have a request—what if I told you a secret of the world?"
"What secret? And why tell me now?" Zenji had asked, his voice trembling.
The shadow had explained, "You are living in a world that is not real—your world is merely a replica of the real one."
Zenji was taken aback. "What do you mean? I'm real. Rin is real!"
The shadow laughed again, its tone both mocking and cold. "The whole world is fake. You are fake, and even Rin is fake—just a part of your curse and your blackened heart."
Anger surged within Zenji. "How do you know about my world? How did you even get here?" he demanded.
The shadow's laughter softened slightly. "As you wish, new upcoming Lord of Spirits," it said. At that moment, black smoke began to rise before Zenji's eyes. Slowly, the smoke coalesced into a large, dark figure with piercing red eyes.
Zenji's heart pounded in terror. The shadow spoke in a deep, creepy voice, "My name is Daigo… Daigo Kenshi, the Lord of Spirits."
Zenji managed to choke out, "And my name is Zen…"
Daigo continued, "I have watched you, Zenji Kejin, since your birth—my eyes have followed you for the past ten years."
A shiver ran down Zenji's spine as he stammered, "So that means you are the curse? All these deaths are because of you?"
The shadow laughed heartily. "No, that is your curse. I cannot act on it, but you can. You have the power to restore the cycle of the world."
Then Daigo explained further: "Listen carefully, Zenji. There are two worlds in this reality—one is real, filled with advanced knowledge and technology beyond your imagination; the other is the fake world, your world, which is nearly stuck in the Stone Age. When the real world reaches its limits, it will collapse and vanish. Then, your fake world will take its place, and a new world will be born to replace your current one."
He paused, then added, "And this cycle continues."
Zenji's mind reeled as he whispered rapidly, "It can't be real… it must be just a dream."
Daigo's voice grew more precise: "The main world is divided into four stages: the Pre-Creation World, the Fake World, the Real World, and the Destroyed World."
Zenji's voice trembled as he repeated, "It can't be real… it can't be real…" over and over.
Then, Daigo's tone softened, "Zenji, what if I told you that you will meet her again? I have a deal for you."
Zenji's heart skipped a beat. "Just tell me—I'll do whatever you need if it means meeting her again," he blurted.
The shadow inquired, "Is she really special to you?"
Zenji's eyes filled with longing as he answered, "She is the only friend I have in this vast, lonely world. I don't want to lose her. She's the only one who isn't afraid of me, who plays with me without judgment."
Daigo's voice turned somber. "Then you must destroy the real world."
Zenji was shocked. "How is that possible?"
"When the fake world replaces the real world, there is a chance to reset everything and to bring Rin back to life," Daigo explained. "Do you agree?"
Zenji hesitated, his mind reeling with the weight of the choice. Daigo continued, "This is the last option. If your answer is yes, step forward to the bathroom mirror and place your bloody thumbprint in the center of the triangular sign."
Before Zenji could respond, Daigo's form dissolved into the shadows. Overwhelmed, Zenji sank to his knees and thought, What should I do? Is there anyone left for me to cry for, or do I have to destroy the world to save the one I once cried for?
After a long moment, Zenji stood up. Determination filled his eyes as he walked toward the mirror. With trembling hands, he carefully cut his thumb along the edge of the mirror and pressed it onto the triangular sign.
Back in the present, Zenji's heart pounded as he whispered, "I remember the deal, but I still don't know where it all began. I'm confused… and I'm waiting for you to appear before me."
Then, Daigo's voice echoed from the mirror once more, "First, you need to train yourself—eat regularly, work out daily, and wait for five years before you start your plan. Let's begin with your first stage."
As if in answer, the mirror shuddered and Daigo reappeared, raising his hand before Zenji. "First stage: transfer to the next Lord of Spirits," he declared.
A swirl of black smoke rose from Daigo's hand, enveloping Zenji and compressing around him. Confused, Zenji asked, "What is that?"
"The plan has started now," Daigo said. Then, in a voice that resonated with ancient power, he proclaimed, "Lord of Spirits—first stage unlocked: 'Shadows'."