In the dazzling glow of the stone, I brought it home.
Upon arriving, my first action was to sleep. The bed's allure was irresistible; its warmth, the small town's weather – they all conspired to lull me into a deep slumber.
The absence of my mother's comforting presence, due to her early demise, unsettled me. The silence echoed, unsettlingly void of parental sounds.
As my eyes followed the ticking of the wall clock, a peculiar sensation enveloped me, and I felt something was amiss.
At 4:17 am, I jolted awake, my body strangely aglow. The radiance seemed to transcend into another realm. Yet, on closer inspection, transparency enveloped the side where my heart resided. Gazing too long threatened physical collapse, but I held back.
Returning from school with the stone in my pocket, my heart pulsed vividly. It glowed red, a testament to the unbelievable – my heart had become a stone.
In my shock, a voice emerged. At first, I thought it originated from my home, but it resonated from within my mind.
"...Hey, can you hear me?"
"Yes, who are you, you son of a b****?"
"I am a new part of you."
"What does that mean? How?"
"Allow me to explain!"
During my attempt to end my life with a stick, the pain I felt made me hesitate.
"You have 10 seconds to explain."
"Actually, there's no time limit. You can't detach me or end your life anymore."
Was I truly immortal now? While not my desired fate, it was undeniably fantastical.
"I am from a Xyrus planet in your universe. Two days ago, our planet fell to our archenemies, forcing me to come here."
And then?
"Simply put, you found me, and our souls are now linked. You need to meet with nine others, steal their stones, just like mine."
So, am I an immortal now? This was already too fantastical.
"Yes, you could say that."
Trying to dissuade the stone, it countered, "For every person you don't kill, you lose five years of your life."
Panicking, I attempted to resist, but the revelation changed my mind.
"Whether you do it or not, don't blame me for what will happen."
My shock lingered. Then a sound – someone kicked my worn-out door. Goosebumps covered me; the stone in my heart would be enough if I ran.
I attempted to escape through the back yard, pursued by the relentless kicker. Gasping for air, I realized he might not be chasing me anymore.
Wondering how the stone heard me, it replied, "We are now telepathically connected."
I exclaimed, "What about your divine revelation?" It responded, "We are nameless, formless entities. I am Takanashi Yorū, a godstone. There are nine more like me, and you need to find and remove their stones."
Essentially, I was being asked to become a murderer. "Yes, you could say that."
The precious godstone then informed me, "For every person you spare, five years will be deducted from your life."
Overwhelmed, I considered suicide but restrained myself. "First target: Nakamura Akane."
I couldn't kill someone I loved, especially Akane.
"Your choice. Just don't blame me for what happens."
Unable to move, I collapsed from exhaustion. When I awoke, it was 11:10 pm, and I hurriedly went to school.
While running to school, I thought of the horrible task ahead.
I entered the school, went to my classroom, knocked on the door and walked in.
I sat at my own desk. It is unknown at that time, but Akane-san and I were staring at each other. When the sentences that the God Stone told me yesterday came to my mind, I turned my eyes away. The main thing that was different was that his eyes were smiling and this time, when I focused entirely on his face, I noticed something.
Akane-san was smiling at me.
Here we are talking about Akane-san, who has white hair, green eyes, very big breasts and a very big butt, which is pursued by millions of men. It's no joke.
I smiled slightly at him, but I still didn't know how he looked at a loser like me that way.
Maybe that's why I was tall.
During the lesson, I laid my head down for sleep and fell asleep. When I woke up, the lesson was already over and everyone had gone home. The first thing I noticed was the note on my desk. The note said:
"After the school, come to the tree in the far right corner of the garden. -Nakamura Akane."
Arriving there, she was waiting for me. I asked why she called me, and she smiled again.
"Where is the godstone?" she asked, surprising me.
In the ensuing conversation, she revealed that she was part of a group with similar stones. After this revelation, my life turned darker.
The story took a dark turn from here, becoming both bleak and sinister.