Chapter 4
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Silence dragged Nazu into the void.
He felt as though he was drifting away from himself, moving without truly moving. Everything that had happened—it had all occurred within a single minute. Now nothing remained except endless darkness riddled with hollow gaps.
Bubbles.
Bubbles.
"I… can't breathe… agh—!"
Nazu struggled desperately as his body sank deeper beneath the freezing water. His eyes wandered aimlessly through the abyss, unable to see clearly or hear a single sound. In that terrifying moment, realization struck him like lightning.
He was underwater.
Something brushed against his arms and legs—small, sharp bites tearing at his skin from creatures hidden within the darkness.
"Ughhh…"
He tried to scream, but no voice came out.
No sound.
No air.
As his consciousness slowly faded, memories began flooding his mind: every mistake he had made… every happy moment he had ever lived.
"Suze…"
His father's words echoed faintly in his head.
"When you die, all your memories begin to replay before your eyes."
Nazu's body drifted farther into the depths as the darkness swallowed him whole.
Then—
"AGHHHH!"
Nazu jolted upright.
Snow crunched beneath him.
Cold winds lashed against his face as he looked around in confusion. This place was nothing like where he had come from. The environment, the people—even the atmosphere—felt completely foreign. Yet strangely, the technology surrounding him seemed just as advanced.
"Yo! While we were out swimming to catch fish, we saw something biting you. Haha… you okay, friend?"
The man speaking looked to be around thirty years old. He had dark brown skin, sharp blue hair, and wore thick winter clothing unlike anything Nazu had ever seen.
"W-Where am I…? This isn't San Mangolia…" Nazu asked hesitantly.
The man's expression shifted.
"Oh… the Republic?" he replied quietly. "You seriously haven't heard the news?"
Nazu frowned.
"A tsunami destroyed that country. Military forces and emergency aid were sent there immediately… but nobody was expected to survive." The man paused before continuing grimly. "People started calling it the Judgment of Hell."
"Judgment of Hell…?" Nazu muttered. "What are you talking about?"
The man spread his arms proudly.
"Welcome to the Kingdom of Nezaru, where the sun shines brightest!" he laughed. "One of the twenty-four nations of the Horn Continent—and among the most prosperous!"
Nazu stared blankly.
"The Kingdom… of Nezaru…?"
His heartbeat quickened.
This was impossible.
The Horn Continent was ruled by King Menis VI—a ruthless monarch infamous for crushing entire rebellions without mercy. Reaching this place alive should have been impossible.
"How the hell did I even get here…?" Nazu whispered.
"Well," the man shrugged, "for a survivor to wash up here alive? That's practically destiny." He grinned. "So you should be celebrating instead of worrying."
Still dazed, Nazu slowly stood from the snowy ground. His trembling hands moved across his face, checking his eyes, ears, and skin as though confirming he was truly alive.
"My EyePhone…" he muttered suddenly. "Did I lose it in the ocean?"
The man burst out laughing.
"EyePhones? Don't worry—we've got plenty of those over here."
Nazu finally exhaled.
"Thank you… for saving me. My name is Nazu Khah."
"The name's Enzo Behalm," the man replied with a smile. "Actually… I've been looking for a partner for a certain job."
Right on cue, Nazu's stomach growled loudly from hunger.
For now, staying with Enzo seemed like his only option.
As they began walking away from the shore, Nazu hesitated before asking quietly:
"Have you seen a girl? Red hair… blue eyes?"
Enzo's smile faded.
"No," he answered. "You're the only person I found."
Nazu lowered his head.
"Oh…"
The two continued through the snowy forest as dawn slowly painted the horizon gold. But the deeper they walked into the city, the more Nazu's eyes widened in disbelief.
Spaceships soared across the skies.
Towering buildings pierced the clouds.
Massive holographic advertisements spoke from floating screens suspended above the streets.
" who want to explore who want's to conquer there fear histories are created from change"
As they both began to see the hollow screen crowd marched forward to in amaze.
The technology here far surpassed anything in San Mangolia
"This place…" Nazu whispered. "It's way more advanced…"
Enzo smirked as the fading sunlight reflected across the city.
"So," he said bluntly, "should we get started?"