In the deepest part of the Mariana Trench, buried beneath seven meters of soil, a faint thumping began to stir. Weak and irregular at first, it sent faint tremors through the dense, crushing darkness. Slowly, it grew stronger, each beat resonating deeper, each shake more pronounced.
...thump...
...thump...
And then, from the abyss, the rhythm shifted, gaining momentum.
Upbeat music plays.
On a beach near Taitung City in Taiwan, the world was alive. Parties spilled across the shore, laughter and music intertwined with the crashing waves. People danced under the sun, their joy as endless as the ocean before them.
But amidst the revelry, one man stood apart.
Josh sat slumped in a secluded corner of the beach, a bottle of cheap alcohol in hand. His ragged clothes and unkempt appearance made him an island of despair in a sea of celebration. As he stared into the horizon, he muttered bitterly, "How unfair and cruel this world is…"
Once, Josh had it all—a thriving business, a loving family, a life others envied. But life had stripped him of it all in the cruelest way imaginable. His company stolen, his family torn from him, he was left with nothing but the weight of his grief.
A fleeting smile crossed his lips as he recalled happier times. Yet, as quickly as it came, tears followed, carving silent trails down his face. The anger, despair, and hopelessness within him were bottomless.
He drank to dull the pain, to escape his memories, but the alcohol only sharpened the edges of his sorrow. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the beach grew quieter, the air cooler. A moonless, starless night descended—a darkness as complete as the one in Josh's heart.
Unsteady on his feet, Josh stumbled toward the sea. The cold water lapped at his legs, but he felt nothing. Step by step, he moved deeper, the waves enveloping him until only his head remained above the surface.
And then, he heard it.
A whisper, faint and indistinct, carried on the breeze.
"...lost... suffered... unjust... betrayed... blood..."
Josh froze, the hairs on his arms standing on end. He strained to listen.
"...justice... revenge... happiness... returned..."
The voice tugged at something deep within him, a pull he couldn't resist. He staggered back, trying to locate the source, his despair momentarily eclipsed by a strange, magnetic hope.
It came again, clearer now.
"Oh, lost soul… You, who have suffered such injustice. You, who have been betrayed by your own blood. I can give you the justice and revenge you seek. I can return to you the happiness you have lost. Tell me… do you want it?"
Josh's breath quickened. His heart raced, pounding in time with the voice.
"Yes," he whispered, the words spilling from his lips before he could think.
The voice pressed on, stronger, commanding.
"Do you want it?"
"Yes," Josh repeated, louder this time.
"DO YOU WANT IT?"
His answer erupted as a thunderous roar, echoing across the empty beach.
"I WANT IT! I WANT IT! I. WANT. IT!!!"
And then, the voice answered, calm and resolute.
"And so shall you have it."