> "This darkness... it's so cold..."
I don't know how long I'd been unconscious. Minutes? Hours? Days?
When my eyes finally fluttered open, the first thing that greeted me was a blinding red-gold light—not warm like sunlight, but painful, scorching. It felt like the world had changed. No, not just the world… I had changed.
Above me stretched a shattered sky—blood-red and groaning like a beast in agony. The ground beneath was scorched black stone, cracked and broken. All around me was devastation. A world seemingly devoured by the apocalypse.
My body ached all over, weighed down and numb, but I forced myself to sit up.
And then I saw him.
A man sat silently atop a large slab of broken concrete. He wore a white cloak, his back turned to me. Still. Calm. Unmoving. But I could tell—he knew I had awakened.
Ryon Azamura:
"Who... are you?"
He didn't answer right away. Slowly, he turned, pulling down his hood.
A man in his twenties. Long black hair. A sharp, tired face. His eyes... they carried a pain deeper than words. The kind of gaze someone earns after witnessing too many losses.
???:
"You're finally awake."
Ryon:
"What… happened? Is this… Jakarta?"
???:
"It used to be. Now? It's just the ruins of the old world. A shadow of what we once called 'home'."
His words struck something deep inside me. Memories flashed—
The meteor.
The airport.
My mother...
My eyes widened.
Ryon:
"My mom! Where's my mom?!"
I tried to stand, but my legs gave out immediately. He caught me before I collapsed.
???:
"Easy. Don't push yourself. The meteor's energy… it overwhelmed your body. For a time… you were dead."
Dead?
Ryon:
"W-What do you mean...? I died?"
???:
"But you came back. And you're no longer just human."
He opened his hand, and a glowing violet-blue light floated from his skin. It shimmered like stardust, softly fading into the air.
???:
"When that meteor struck Earth… something came with it. Ancient energy. Some call it the 'Heavenly Essence'. And you… are one of the few who were directly exposed."
I was speechless.
Ryon:
"Who… are you?"
He looked me in the eye. His gaze was sharp, yet somehow… kind.
???:
"My name is Raynard. I'm nobody. Just someone who's still trying to survive."
Ryon:
"Then why save me?"
Raynard:
"Because you're still alive. And because I believe—those chosen by the sky… are never chosen without reason."
He helped me to my feet. My legs trembled, but I stood.
Raynard:
"Come. I'll explain everything on the way."
---
We walked down cracked streets, flanked by collapsed buildings and flickering flames that hadn't yet died out. The world... had truly ended.
Raynard:
"It's been over a century since the meteor hit. Maybe longer. But it wasn't just a meteor. It was a harbinger of change."
Ryon:
"What do you mean?"
Raynard:
"After the impact, something shifted. Other dimensions opened. Creatures not of this world began to appear. Some call them 'Cosmic Entities'. Others… call themselves gods."
Gods?
Raynard:
"This world is being rewritten. Like someone hit a reset button. But not by humans. By something much older… and far greater."
We passed by bodies—stone-like remains covered in strange purple crystals.
Ryon:
"And you think… I have a role in all this?"
Raynard:
"Not think. I know."
He stopped walking and looked straight into my eyes.
Raynard:
"When I found you, your body had no life. But you came back. And on your chest… was a glowing mark. A symbol."
Instinctively, I touched my chest. Beneath my torn shirt, I could feel the faint shape of something etched into my skin—a small hourglass.
Raynard:
"It's not just a mark. It's a seal. You've been bound to something… far beyond our understanding."
Eventually, we arrived at a partially intact building. Inside, there was a small campfire, some food supplies, and a large map marked with red symbols and strange writings.
Ryon:
"This place…"
Raynard:
"A temporary shelter. And a meeting point."
There were people there—tired faces, but not hopeless. Some glanced my way. Not with curiosity… but familiarity. As if they recognized something in me.
Ryon:
"Why are they looking at me like that?"
Raynard:
"Because you're one of the 'Veil-Bound'. Those connected to the Veil of Time and Space."
Ryon:
"I… I was just a regular student. A high schooler. Student council president. I couldn't even save my own mother…"
Raynard:
"We've all lost someone. But now… you've been given a chance to save many more."
I sat by the fire. My hands were trembling. My head pounded. This was too much. Too fast.
Raynard:
"You're not alone. We'll move together. Search for survivors. Rebuild. But most of all… we'll seek answers."
He handed me a short sword and a worn set of field clothes—ragged, but still usable.
Raynard:
"From now on… you're no longer just Ryon Azamura from the past. You are hope—for those who still live."
I stared into the flames. Warm… but it couldn't melt the chill in my heart. Still—for the first time since I awoke—I felt like I had a path.
Ryon (whispering):
"Mom… I'll survive. And if there's a way to bring you back… I'll find it."