Chapter 8: The Day of Justice
Noir could feel it—something terrible was coming.
He didn't know how, but deep inside his chest, a cold certainty spread. If the Earth truly entered the black hole, no one could predict what would happen next. Not even he could imagine the outcome. One thing, however, was clear to him—death would not come easily for him. Something was waiting. Something inevitable.
Noir stared at the massive black hole in the sky.
Trees trembled violently as its pull grew stronger. Leaves, soil, and debris were torn from the ground, swirling upward like helpless insects. Even light itself bent and vanished into the darkness. Frost that had settled on the grass began to crack and melt, turning into droplets that floated upward as if gravity itself had been reversed.
The attraction was unbearable.
Although Earth was still far from the black hole, its gravitational force was strong enough to pull everything toward it. The closer the planet moved, the stronger the pull became.
Suddenly, Noir felt it.
"Wait… something's behind me."
The moment he turned, the dark entity appeared.
It struck without hesitation—its shadowy form slashing toward him like a living blade. Noir barely dodged the attack. He had never been trained in combat; fighting was never his strength.
"Hey! What's your problem?! Why are you attacking me?!"
No response.
Only relentless strikes.
Noir tried to defend himself, but the enemy's movements were sharp and merciless. The creature wielded a katana-like blade formed of darkness itself. Noir blocked one strike with a wooden staff lying nearby, but the impact nearly shattered it.
Then suddenly—
He remembered.
A memory flashed in his mind—Gabriel's comic.
The dark figure… the design… the presence.
His eyes widened.
"Hey… Void."
At the sound of its name, the entity reacted.
Its movements became faster. More violent.
Void lunged forward.
Noir tried to punch it, but Void effortlessly caught his arm and slammed him hard with the hilt of its weapon. Noir was thrown backward, his body lifted by the immense gravitational pull of the black hole. He struggled midair, barely managing to stabilize himself and land.
The ground beneath him trembled.
This thing… it's not human, Noir realized.
He took a deep breath and charged.
Void raised its katana, ready to end it in a single strike.
But at the last moment, Noir swerved past it and ran—not toward the enemy, but away.
Void immediately understood and chased after him.
As Noir ran, he spotted something ahead.
A door.
A large metallic door, floating unnaturally in space.
Above it, a single word glowed faintly:
**EXIT**
Noir didn't think.
He ran.
The closer he got, the stronger the gravitational pull became. Trees, rocks, fragments of buildings—all were being dragged into the black hole behind him. Even his own body began lifting off the ground.
He struggled to move forward.
Void was right behind him.
Just as the katana was about to strike—
Noir grabbed the handle.
He pulled with everything he had.
The door opened.
The world vanished.
---
When Noir opened his eyes again, he was somewhere else.
The sky was deep crimson.
The ground beneath him was flat and endless, made of dry, cracked earth stretching endlessly in all directions.
He stood up slowly, his heart pounding.
"Where… am I now?"
This place didn't feel like Earth.
Not even close.
As he looked around, he saw people.
At first, one.
Then another.
Then dozens… hundreds.
They walked in silence, moving in the same direction, their expressions empty—lifeless.
Noir felt a wave of relief. At least they were human.
"Hey! Can you hear me?" he called out.
No response.
They walked past him as if he didn't exist.
It was as if something was controlling them.
In the distance, a strange light glowed.
A deep, ominous radiance.
And slowly, every person began walking toward it.
Then—
A deep, echoing sound rang across the land.
Like a massive bell.
Noir felt it in his bones.
"This place…" he muttered. "Something's wrong."
As he watched the endless march of people, a thought crossed his mind.
Could this be some kind of ritual?
Then he saw them.
A group standing still—unmoving, unlike the others.
And among them…
He recognized someone.
The same figure who once sent him into a simulation to learn about Gabriel.
They were all here again.
Waiting.
Noir rushed toward them.
"I finally found you!" he shouted. "What is this place? What's happening? That door, the black hole—Gabriel—what does any of this mean? Where am I? Is Earth destroyed? Or was everything just a simulation?!"
He spoke nonstop, his voice shaking.
Before he could say another word, one of them stepped forward.
And spoke.
"Where you are now… is one of the greatest events in all of history."
Noir's breath caught.
"What…?"
The figure looked directly into his eyes.
"This is the Day of Justice."
To be continued...