Why is it so dark?
Am I… dead?
The thought echoed endlessly in the void surrounding me. There was no ground beneath my feet, no sky above—only suffocating darkness that pressed against my senses.
No.
That can't be true.
That man saved me.
As the thought surfaced, the darkness began to stir. The air grew heavier, thick enough to make breathing feel impossible. Slowly, shapes emerged from the black.
I was standing on a mountain.
Not of stone.
But of corpses.
Monster corpses stretched endlessly beneath my feet—twisted bodies piled atop one another, blood soaking the ground until it formed rivers of crimson. The stench of death was overwhelming. Above me, the sky was pitch black, cracked with faint red light, like the world itself was breaking apart.
Then I saw him.
A man stood at the peak of the mountain, his back turned toward me.
His form was human, yet darkness clung to him like living smoke, swallowing his outline and hiding his face. I couldn't see his eyes—couldn't see anything—and yet I knew.
He was looking directly at me.
"You're weak," he said.
His voice echoed through the void, heavy and absolute.
I tried to move.
My body didn't respond.
"Too weak to protect anyone," he continued. "Too weak to change anything."
My chest tightened.
"Become strong," the man said, his tone cold. "Strong enough to save the world."
The darkness surged violently, swallowing everything—
And the world shattered.
I gasped.
My eyes flew open as blinding light flooded my vision. Air rushed into my lungs painfully, and my heart hammered in my chest.
A hospital room.
The steady beep… beep… of a heart monitor filled the silence.
I turned my head slightly.
Aniya was sitting beside my bed.
Her arm was wrapped in thick bandages. Her face was pale, her eyes red and swollen, dark circles beneath them telling me she hadn't slept properly in days.
She noticed my movement.
And broke.
"Aariz—!" She grabbed my hand tightly, her grip trembling. "You idiot… you absolute idiot… why would you do something like that?!"
I didn't answer.
Instead, I pulled her toward me, ignoring the pain screaming through my body, and wrapped my arms around her.
"Thank God you're alright," I whispered.
She froze for a moment.
Then her body shook as she started crying.
"You're still… worrying about me," she said between sobs. "Even after almost dying…"
She quickly wiped her tears and took a shaky breath. "You were unconscious for three days."
Three days…
Before I could respond, the door opened.
A doctor walked in, surprise flashing across his face.
"Oh! You're awake," he said with visible relief. "That's really good to see."
"Thank you for taking care of us," I said quietly.
He waved his hand. "It's nothing. But… it seems you may have awakened Slayer abilities."
"I think so too," I replied.
The doctor turned to another staff member. "Bring the mana measurement scale."
My heart tightened.
So this was it.
I placed my hand on the device.
The lights in the room flickered.
The air grew heavy.
Mana surged.
The doctors stiffened, eyes widening. For a brief moment, excitement flashed across their faces.
S-rank?
Then the light settled.
"…E-rank," the doctor said flatly. "The lowest rank."
The excitement vanished instantly, replaced with disappointment.
"Well," he continued, already disinterested, "you'll receive your Slayer card in a week. For now, get some rest."
After they left, Aniya smiled gently, trying to hide her worry.
"It's okay," she said softly. "You don't need to do dangerous work."
"I'll become strong," I replied quietly. "So don't worry."
She sighed. "Rest for now. I need to go to work."
"You're injured too," I protested.
"I'm fine," she said, standing up. "You rest."
When she left, silence filled the room.
I stared down at my chest.
"…It seems others can't see you," I muttered. "Just who are you?"
A small black, round creature appeared in midair.
It had two ears and empty, glowing eyes.
It tilted its head.
"Hello," it said cheerfully.
"Successor."