"A long time ago, in a world much like this one—yet so different—there were humans, but there was also heaven and hell. There was God, and there were demons. Light existed, yet so did overwhelming darkness."
"This is the story of a boy."
"A boy who knew nothing of his past."
"A boy who lived only in the present, never sparing a thought for the future."
"This is merely a record of his life, a way to remember his struggles, a reminder of the happiness he felt after victory—and the despair that followed crushing defeat."
"It is the old story of a hero and a demon king, the eternal battle between light and darkness. But, as in many stories, this one tells of darkness overpowering the light. The demon king was stronger than the hero. The hero's journey—his friendships, his laughter, his pain, his sacrifices—ended in failure."
"But the story of a hero is only a small part of something greater."
"Over time, I have recorded many people—the selfless ones who saved lives, and the monsters who killed for nothing but their own twisted amusement."
"Yet, the one I cherish the most... is not in this story."
"Not yet."
[END]
"Hey, how was it, Lucy!?"
A voice pulled me from my thoughts, snapping me back to reality. I turned toward the girl calling my name.
She stood before me, a familiar yet distant figure. Her short brown hair, always slightly messy as if she had just run through the wind, barely brushed her shoulders. Her black eyes held a quiet warmth, a gentle but unshakable strength. Beneath her left eye, a small mole added a delicate charm to her face.
Her voice carried kindness, laced with a teasing edge, playful yet soft.
She was my childhood friend.
From my first life, but I forgotten her face before. Even her name had slipped from my memory.
But now... now that I saw her again, I realized something.
She was beautiful. Incredibly so.
Her name was—
"Kaori!! What are we talking about?"
The words spilled out before I could stop them. My mind was in a haze, struggling to make sense of the situation.
I remembered being in a dungeon.
But now, I was inside a girl's room.
Kaori stared at me, her black jade eyes unreadable. Her face was calm, but I could see it—emotions buried deep beneath the surface.
"Haah... We were talking about the novel I gave you," she said with a sigh.
I blinked.
Ah... that's right. The novel.
A strange book, one without a title. A novel that didn't exist online or anywhere else.
I still didn't know how she had gotten it.
"Ahh, I remember now. We were going to read the author's note at the end, weren't we?"
She smiled faintly. "So you do remember..."
I frowned.
Who wrote this book?
There was no author's name mentioned anywhere. Only a single name, buried in the pages.
But what was it?
"Hey, Kaori, what was the author's name?"
She stepped closer, reaching out to me. Her fingertips brushed against my cheek, warm and delicate.
She had always done things like this.
She was my childhood friend, yet she saw me as something more.
She treated me with a familiarity that I had never rejected, but never truly accepted, either.
It was just a memory now.
"Well," she whispered, her voice barely audible, "you really don't remember everything. Even if I told you, you wouldn't be able to hear it... because you lack enlightenment."
She smiled softly, her gaze filled with something deep, something unreadable.
"But... I'm happy you remember me, Lucy."
I lack enlightenment...?
I didn't understand.
But I did understand one thing—this novel, these memories, they were important.
Why?
What made them so significant?
I clenched my fists.
I hated this feeling—the weight of ignorance pressing down on me, suffocating me.
But then... a thought struck me.
This wasn't just a novel.
It wasn't fiction.
It was a record.
A record of real events. Or... perhaps, a possibility for the future.
And the world described in it—
It was the same as the world I was living in now.
After reincarnation.
But how did Kaori have this book?
I wanted to ask.
But did I have the right to?
I stared at her.
I had never accepted her love.
Because I knew—I knew—I was going to die.
But this...
This didn't feel like the past.
This felt real.
Present.
I reached out, brushing my fingers through her hair.
She flinched.
Then, slowly, she leaned into my touch.
"Hey... Kaori," I whispered, my voice barely above a breath. "Why did you die before me?"
The moment the words left my lips, I remembered.
Kaori was dead.
No...
She had killed herself.
Because of me.
"...."
She didn't answer.
Instead, her hands moved.
Toward my neck.
I didn't resist.
Her fingers wrapped around my throat, and she squeezed.
"Hey!! Lucy!! Why didn't you accept my love!?" Her voice cracked, filled with anguish. "Why did you always reject me!? Why did you keep talking about... about dying!?"
Tears streamed down her face.
"Why!?"
Her grip tightened.
I could feel my breath slipping away.
But I didn't stop her.
If my wish to die was being granted...
Then why should I fight it?
But—
I didn't want Kaori to be the one who killed me.
"Cough..." My vision blurred. "I thought... if I accepted your proposal... then I'd surely be afraid... of dying."
She gasped.
Her hands released me.
The next second, she threw her arms around me, clinging to me desperately.
"Baka!! Lucy, you idiot... Sob..."
I let out a small laugh, resting my chin against the top of her head.
"There, there... now stop crying."
"I'm not crying!!" she shot back, but her voice trembled.
I had forgotten her once.
Because of someone.
I would never forget again.
Never.
She sniffled, then pulled back slightly, her gaze flickering to my neck.
"Does it... hurt?" she asked hesitantly.
I smirked. "Yes. It hurt so much I thought I was going to die again."
Her face went pale. "Ahh! I'm sorry!! Sorry!! Sob... Please don't hate me!!"
I flicked her forehead.
"Ow!"
"I don't hate you, idiot."
She pouted. "...Okay."
I exhaled.
"Now, tell me. How did you get this book? Did someone give it to you?"
She hesitated.
"...I don't know. It was just in my room one day."
A lie.
Or rather, not the whole truth.
But I didn't push her.
Instead, I asked the real question.
"Then... who are you?"
She knew what I meant by that question.
A slow smile spread across her lips.
"You're smart, Lucy..." She leaned in, her breath warm against my ear. "But I'm not going to tell you."
She took a step back.
"You have to find out yourself." She looked at me blankly—no, beyond me.
Her voice grew faint.
"It seems our time is up."
"Wait! I still have one more question!"
She simply smiled.
"I'm sure another opportunity will come. Because... we were meant to be together."
I saw it with my eyes—
She was telling the truth.
"And don't forget," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
"You promised to marry me."
"...What!? Hey!!"
But before I could say anything else—
Everything faded into darkness.