Chapter 1: The Awakening
Neox City was a place where life never stopped, no matter if someone's world came to an end. "James! Wake up, you're getting late!" Yumi's voice came from the kitchen. James slowly opened his eyes and pushed the blanket aside. "Good morning… why are you always in such a hurry?" he said in a sleepy voice. Yumi was his older sister. She was 22 years old and carried all the responsibilities of the house. After their parents died in an accident, she had become everything—guardian, family, and support. "Stop talking and get ready quickly," Yumi replied. James was a 17-year-old normal school student.
His life was simple, or at least that's what he believed. The two of them left the house. Neox City was as busy as ever—people rushing, cars moving fast, noise everywhere. But today, something felt strange to James. It felt like someone was watching him. He turned around to check, but there was nothing. Everything looked normal. "Maybe it's just my imagination…" he thought. Yumi didn't notice anything and stayed busy on her phone. After school, James was on his way to his friend Kenta's house.
There was an old tunnel on the way. James looked at it. It was dark and completely silent. "What's this tunnel?" he asked. Kenta paused for a moment. "People say it's cursed… whoever goes inside never comes back." James stared at the tunnel for a few seconds. His chest felt heavy, as if something inside was calling him. In the evening, Yumi came to pick him up. "Let's go home," she said. As they were walking back, Yumi received a message on her phone.
"The boss is coming tomorrow with an investor," Yumi said quickly. "We have to prepare the restaurant properly. If everything goes well, my salary might increase." James smiled, but then he noticed a little girl standing by the roadside. She looked scared and couldn't cross the road. Without thinking, James walked towards her. "Come on, I'll help you," he said softly. He held her hand and started helping her cross the road. Suddenly, a loud horn echoed. James looked to the side and saw a truck speeding towards them. "JAMES!" Yumi screamed.
Everything happened in a second. James pushed the girl away and saved her, but he couldn't move himself. The truck hit him, and his body was thrown into the air, landing straight inside the tunnel. "JAMES!!!" Yumi's mind went blank. She ran toward him immediately and knelt beside him. James lay completely still, blood slowly spreading on the ground. "James… please wake up…" her voice trembled, but there was no response. Her hands started shaking, her vision blurred, and she fainted on the spot.
Inside the tunnel, the darkness grew deeper. A cold wind passed through, as if something had always been there. From the shadows, a woman appeared. Her name was Yuki. Her eyes were cold, but deep inside them was hidden pain. She slowly walked toward James and placed her hand on his head. As soon as she touched him, she saw his memories—his life, his struggles, and his bond with Yumi. "…They are good people," Yuki said softly. Suddenly, the air shifted. Another presence appeared—Leo, a powerful cursed being.
"Step aside, Yuki," he said coldly. "I need this boy's life force." Yuki refused. Leo attacked immediately—punches, kicks, fast movements. Yuki dodged everything, but then Leo changed his strategy. He targeted James and Yumi directly. A powerful energy attack rushed toward them. Yuki instantly stepped in front and took the full impact. The ground shook as she was thrown back, badly injured. Taking advantage of this, Leo moved toward James and began absorbing his life force. Yuki tried to stop him, but she was too weak. James's life slowly faded.
After a few moments, Leo stopped.
"Enough… the rest will fade on its own," he said and disappeared. The tunnel fell silent again. Yuki looked at James, who was on the verge of death, then at Yumi lying unconscious nearby. She stayed silent for a moment, memories of loss and pain reflecting in her eyes. "I won't let this happen again…" she whispered. She placed her hand on James's chest and began transferring her life force. A soft light flowed from her into him. As the energy transferred, her body slowly turned into ash. "He is everything to her… I won't let her be alone…" her voice faded, and within seconds, she disappeared completely.
James's body began to react. His wounds started healing, the bleeding stopped, and his breathing returned. Suddenly, he opened his eyes. But he was no longer the same. Something inside him had changed. Around 3 a.m., a group of boys arrived near the tunnel. They saw Yumi and moved toward her with bad intentions. One of them walked toward James. "Looks like this guy is already dead—" Before he could finish, he was suddenly thrown away with force. Everyone froze in shock. James was standing. His presence felt heavy, and his eyes glowed faintly. He could now see something he couldn't before—the life force of people.
One boy tried to attack him, but James grabbed his face and slammed him into the wall. Another came forward, and James struck him with a knee to the face. A third one rushed in, but James punched him hard in the stomach. One by one, they all fell. The leader trembled in fear. James walked toward him, grabbed him, and slammed him to the ground repeatedly until he stopped moving. Then James paused. He looked at Yumi. For a few seconds, his expression softened. "…Sis…" he whispered, and then he collapsed.
Morning arrived. Yumi slowly opened her eyes. She immediately looked around for James. When she saw him, she froze in shock. "You… you're alive…" tears filled her eyes as she hugged him tightly. She brought him home. After some time, James woke up. "What happened last night…?" he asked, confused. He remembered nothing. Yumi simply smiled in relief. Later, both of them got ready for their day. Everything looked normal again. But deep down, everything had already changed.
That night, James had died… and something else had taken his place.