After a deep sleep, I opened my eyes again.
Like every time, I expected to see the familiar ceiling of my room.
But this time, something was different.
I widened my eyes as I looked at the unfamiliar ceiling of my room.
I quickly lifted my body and sat up to look around, and the place shocked me.
Although it had almost the same design as my room, it was not my room.
I looked around quickly again to confirm the strange room I was in.
But nothing had changed.
I suddenly stood up from the bed, and surprisingly, it was very easy.
Previously, I always felt my body getting heavier and heavier, but not now.
I ignored the strange feeling that had been inside me since I woke up and started looking for the bathroom.
The room's design was similar to my room, which made me even more confused.
My eyes landed on a door, and suddenly I felt a strange yet familiar sense of recognition.
It was as if it was answering my question and telling me, "This is what you're looking for."
I quickly walked toward the bathroom while anxiety slowly began to take over me.
I felt light and strong—something completely new to me.
Have I recovered from my illness? Has my body returned to normal?
I thought while walking toward the bathroom door, ignoring that strange familiar feeling inside me.
I opened the door and rushed toward the sink, turning on the faucet quickly.
I extended my hand, and water began to flow—but…
Huh?? Is this my hand?
I widened my eyes in disbelief.
But it was still a pale hand that looked like it belonged to a young person.
I closed my eyes and opened them several times to confirm what I was seeing.
Then panic began to take over me—the fear of the unknown and the realization that this was not my body.
The feeling of strength, the calm heartbeat, and most importantly—the absence of the usual pain I always had.
Sudden realization and cold sweat made me raise my head toward the mirror.
Jet-black hair reaching my shoulders, silver eyes like the beautiful moon, sharp and handsome features.
But panic spread through those silver eyes, and cold sweat dripped down my forehead in the reflection.
Who is this? This is not me. No… who is this, and where am I?
I asked myself many questions while staring at the reflection that was staring back at me.
I tried moving my mouth slightly, thinking maybe this was just a screen and not a mirror—but the reflection copied me perfectly.
While drowning in questions, a sharp pain suddenly began to rise in my head.
A burning, throbbing pain like thousands of sharp knives.
"Damn it!" I grabbed my head with both hands and screamed in pain.
After a few seconds, I collapsed to the ground, still holding my head tightly.
Then images started appearing like a video stream.
The first image was of a beautiful woman with long jet-black hair, silver eyes, and a gentle smile.
The second image was me standing in front of her corpse, covered in blood.
The following images showed me in training grounds, practicing swordsmanship until blood dripped from my hands.
Then another image appeared—me in a brightly lit room, surrounded by countless books.
The stream of images continued invading my mind, and the pain intensified with each one.
In the past, I was confident in my ability to endure anything.
I knew I had gone through a lot and possessed strong willpower, but this pain was something else entirely.
It destroyed all my defenses. Tears formed in my eyes as the pain increased again.
And as the pain intensified further, I could no longer endure it and collapsed onto the cold floor, trembling.
After an unknown period of time, I found myself in complete darkness, feeling nothing.
The darkness surrounded me from all sides, and I felt something strange while staring into the shadows.
More images began appearing in my memory.
They were from a first-person perspective, and although they were not my memories, I felt familiarity.
I felt like the person in those memories… was me.
And I felt everything. These were no longer just images.
"Memories…"
This was the only word I managed to say as they continued to appear in my mind.
And inside those memories, I felt all emotions—especially a rising hatred from deep within.
A consuming hatred and a burning desire for revenge.
I understand that.
I understand why he feels this hatred.
And through these memories, I learned who this person was.
From a simple child who lost his mother…
To a teenager consumed by hatred.
And then I saw myself in a small place, in front of a small closed door.
The door opened, and a beautiful woman appeared—jet-black hair and moon-like eyes, smiling brightly.
"I found you, Raven." The woman laughed as she looked at me.
"Mom, how did you know?" Raven asked his mother.
"Hehehe… you fool. I'm the one who taught you how to hide, and more importantly, I'm your mother."
She smiled proudly and tapped his head twice.
"That's not fair," Raven muttered, feeling wronged.
"Hahaha! You should always consider your opponent, my foolish son," she laughed loudly.
"Hmph, I won't talk to you for a minute," Raven said stubbornly.
"W-What?! R-RR-Raven, how can you be so cruel to your mother?!" she suddenly began to tear up dramatically.
"Mom, don't cry! I'll talk to you, I promise!" Raven quickly hugged her while panicking.
He didn't notice the mischievous smile on her face.
And then the scene changed.
I was in the same small closet as before, but this time the door was open.
The woman was injured, blood dripping from her mouth, tears falling uncontrollably.
"My dear son Raven… promise me you will never come out no matter what happens."
She extended her finger weakly while speaking. /
"But—" Raven tried to protest.
"Promise me, Raven… please." she interrupted him, forcing a weak smile.
"I promise… but please be safe," Raven said while crying.
They touched fingers and made the promise. /
"I will always love you, my dear son," she said. /
That was the last thing he heard before the door closed.
He waited… and waited… until the outside sounds finally disappeared.
He opened the door slowly and stepped outside.
And what he saw shattered him completely.
Monstrous corpses filled the area.
A creature with a terrifying grin and wings made of shadows lay dead.
Another distorted beast lay pierced by swords.
Raven shook his head, trying to ignore the horrifying sight, and ran to find his mother.
After minutes of searching, he found her leaning against a wall.
But her condition… was devastating.
A dark spear pierced her body, and her lifeless eyes no longer shined like before.
Raven held her body.
And he cried.
For hours that no one would ever hear