What would you do after finding yourself in a situation like this?
You die a sudden death, meet god, and spend time with him like he's your friend of sorts.
And then you sign a contract that forces you to work with people in the same situation as you!
So what could the first thought of a seventeen-year-old be after hearing a line like this after waking up inside an unfamiliar carriage?
"Is this... A reference to something?"
Those words seemed to slip out from my tongue a little too easily, earning me a pair of strange stares and a look of astonishment from an old guy who spoke back first, big grin plastered on his greasy face.
"Yes! Yes! Finally!"
The older guy screamed out, holding up his fists in triumph.
'This situation feels strangely familiar...'
On the other side, he noticed the younger-looking person exchange something with the driver, with a bright glint to it; something akin to a shard of glass was exchanged between them, a sour expression forming on the young boy's face as he let out a low snicker and turned away.
"W-what's going on?" I blurted out from beneath the visor.
I tried to move back, yet the heavy armor kept me stuck in place like a cold metal cage, chaining my limbs in a way that wouldn't let me as much as stand up.
"Kid, you signed the contract!"
The old guy said as he patted me on the shoulder. His touch felt surprisingly heavy even while encased in thick armor.
"Welcome to the team."
The young man said without turning to us, his face scrunched up as he looked out of the shaky carriage and let out a shaky breath.
'Team? What team?'
The driver, however, chose to stay silent, only showing off his back as the reins cracked under his fingers with a loud snap.
"What's your name?"
My eyes fell on the old guy, who was now a step away from me.
Now that I took a closer look, I noticed some similarities between him and the three people around me.
They all wore a medieval set of armor I've only seen in my school trips to the museum, with a stack of swords lying to my side, all hidden in dark leather sheaths. The armor didn't seem fake, with its weight being a clear sign, and the old man who was wearing nothing but cheap-looking daily clothes was clearly trying to hide his trembling skin as he wrapped a piece of torn cloth around him tighter.
Just like the three of them, I myself had a small snowflake tattoo on the side of my neck, a branding chosen by Maestro before he snapped his fingers and transported me here.
'Everyone whom you will meet is a soul just like yourself.'
His words finally made some sense, since, no matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't feel like I was truly alive. Even my thoughts that brought pain every time I started to rummage through my mind were now calm enough to help me stay cool-headed in the company of these strangers.
It was finally time to take a breather from whatever caused me pain back in the colorless world...
Giving the old man a side-eye, I tried to feign a cough before saying my name proudly!
"My name is ▇▇▇▇."
"..."
'?'
'Huh?'
"Hahah!"
Laughter broke out throughout the cold carriage, their voices falling deaf to my ringing ears.
The old man's grip over his cloth tightened while his eyes teared up from his hysterical laugh. The younger guy opposite him was trying to hold back his laugh as well as anyone would, letting out snorts and short breaths as if they both found the situation amusing.
My throat tightened, trying to squeeze out the word that came out only as dry gasps for air.
'Why can't I hear my name?'
I was sure it was ▇▇▇▇, so why is it that the word can't be heard?
Maestro never told me about something like this; his name was as clear as the sun in the sky, but mine? Why can't I say my name? There was nothing wrong with it, not like it had a mind of its own and just... vanished without a trace. I clearly knew what it was, so why?
"It's ▇▇▇▇! My name is ▇▇▇▇!"
Each word I spat stung harder than the one before; my throat kept closing the second I thought of saying ▇▇▇▇, keeping me from sharing it with others.
"Calm down already~."
The old man said calmly, trying to get a hold of me. His face was as red as the first time I noticed him, with two streaks clearly traced over his cheeks.
Through the heavy visor, I looked at the man, pleading.
"B-But my name-"
"Oh, the name~ They are so important to lose your mind over them..."
He brushed me off with a wave of his hand, losing his previous amusement.
His thick hand wrapped around my helmet, gripping it enough for it to let out sounds of cracking.
Without any problem, it slid off my head and returned to its owner, where it belonged.
"He should have given you a name."
The boy from the side chimed in, just as composed as the man who was adjusting his helmet.
"Let me introduce myself." He bowed his head slightly. "My given name is Eden."
The old guy flipped his visor, revealing a pair of grey eyes.
"He called me Bane, oh, and the guy who's driving." He pointed at him with his thumb, not bothering to turn around.
"His given name was Hydra, but you can call him Marco."
The reins let out a sharp snap that flashed across the carriage, making ▇▇▇▇ jump up from fright.
Bane grinned from beneath his helmet, which could barely cover half of his face.
"So, what name did he tell you?"
▇▇▇▇ stayed quiet for a moment, taking in the information they shared out of nowhere.
'He said they wouldn't understand my words.'
Was this what he meant by it?
The lack of ability to say a certain word made my whole body itch at the thought. What else was I supposed to call myself if not the name I was given since birth?
'I don't want to be some... Maestro.'
If the three used names god spoke of, then wouldn't it mean they just stole his name?
A little arrogant for someone like 'people'.
"Don't drag this out, kid."
- Clack!
Bane said as he took off another piece of armor, making me realise that beneath that thick layer of cold, rock-hard metal, there was not a shred of clothing. There was only my pale skin, which people always made fun of whenever they saw me pass by.
I earned myself quite a few nicknames for that; something along the lines of 'Zombie' or 'The Hunger Games mascot' often appeared during my school days.
But even though my body kept shaking from the cold, and Bane was trying to take off the rest carefully, my eyes stayed glued to my chest.
I stared at myself in silence... and then poked it carefully.
'It's... so hard.'
"Keep daydreaming, and you're going to get yourself killed."
Bane let out a short snort as my vision turned dark; something flew at my face, almost making me fall on my back.
"Let's leave it for when you wear some clothes."
I looked down at myself, covered with a torn piece of dirty cloth.
"We've got company."
Eden muttered.
And the world turned upside-down.