Kuro's bleary eyes slowly opened as the tendrils of sleep loosened their grip on his weary limbs. Disoriented, he found himself surrounded by an eerily familiar yet distant scene. The room was filled with a sterile white that seemed to radiate an unnatural purity.
The air was thick with murmuring, hushed chatter that echoed faintly against the eerily immaculate walls. Kuro's gaze darted around the room, taking in the sight of a dozen other people his age, immersed in whispered conversations.
"What the hell?" Kuro murmured, his voice laced with both confusion and bewilderment.
He pinched himself cautiously, hoping against logic that his senses might have been playing tricks, but the sharp sting seemed to confirm the reality of his surroundings.
His memory, a tangled web of foggy impressions, began to slowly emerge from the depths of his mind.
Kuro's gaze fixed on the boy in the corner with curiosity, his mind eager for any clue to the strange situation he found himself in.
The boy sat with slightly slumped shoulders, his messy hair framing a contemplative expression. His ember-colored eyes, despite the quiet melancholy in them, held a captivating intensity that drew Kuro's attention.
The boy's face was defined by a strong yet elegant nose, enhancing the subtle ruggedness in his otherwise delicate features. His body was lean and poised in a way that suggested a hidden strength beneath his laid-back demeanor.
As Kuro's gaze lingered on the boy, he noticed a few other details. The boy's fingers fidgeted with a small coin in his hand and others it between his fingers with practiced ease. His attire seemed to be quite different from the others in the room.
While the others seemed to be wearing fancy clothing that resembled what Kuro suspected nobles wore, the boy, on the other hand, wore simple clothing like Kuro, which made Kuro feel slightly more comfortable.
Intingly, despite being surrounded by the hushed conversations of others, the boy seemed to be in his world, completely aloof to the whispers of the world around him.
This only deepened the mystery surrounding him, and Kuro's mind filled with questions. Who was this boy? Was he as lost and confused as Kuro himself felt?
For the moment, Kuro couldn't help but feel increasingly drawn to the boy's enigmatic aura.
"What the hell are you staring at?" the boy's voice surprised Kuro.
Kuro was suddenly jerked back to reality as the boy's voice cut through the air, breaking the silence between them.
Kuro blinked as he realized he had been staring at the boy for far too long. But before he could stammer out an awkward explanation, curiosity got the better of him.
"What's going on with this place?" Kuro looked up at the white wall.
The boy followed Kuro's gaze to the stark white walls and let out a short chuckle.
"Ah, this place?" the boy's voice echoed with a hint of sarcasm. "If you truly don't know, it's probably gonna be your grave."
He leaned back casually against the wall, his gaze studying Kuro with a mixture of interest and nonchalance.
The boy's statement sent a shiver down Kuro's spine.
"What do you mean?" Kuro asked, his voice tinged with fear.
The boy shrugged, twirling the coin in his hand once again.
"This place," he gestured around them, "it's the Beyonder, you either pass or die," the boy looked up at Kuro.
"Let me guess, you're a firstborn."
Kuro's heart skipped a beat, the boy's words hitting a nerve.
"Firstborn?" he echoed, the term unfamiliaamberhe boy chuckled once more, a sound that was almost taunting.
"Yeah, firstborn," he said, his amber eyes glinting with a hint of mockery. "First bloodline Beyonder, aka a corpse."
Kuro's mind raced with confusion and anxiety at the boy's words. Bloodline? Beyonder? Corpse? None of it made sense to him.
"I-I don't understand," Kuro stammered, trying to make sense of the mysterious boy's words. "What are you talking about?"
A voice, almost robotic, echoed in the giant white room.
"You'll see soon," the boy said, suddenly his face turned cold. "Can't believe I wasted my time talking to the dead."
Kuro's confusion deepened, but before he could question the boy further, a sudden voice echoed through the room.
The boy's demeanor changed instantly, his expression hardening as if he regretted engaging with Kuro.
The boy stood up, pocketing the coin he had been playing with. "Can't believe I wasted my time talking to the dead," he said, his voice devoid of emotion.
Kuro needed more information, this situation was beginning to seem insane"Wait!" Kuro yelled causing many of the other participants to turn towards him.
The boy raised one hand and with a dismissive tone, "I've already wasted enough time on you."
The sound of footsteps faded into the distance as the mysterious boy walked away. Kuro stood there, feeling more confused than ever. Just then, a sudden robotic voice echoed through the room again.
"Attention all participants," it announced, its tone chilling and impersonal. "The Beyonder Test is about to begin. Please listen closely to the rules."
Kuro's heart pounded in his chest as the reality of the situation sunk in. He had no idea what he was in for.
"Rule number one," the voice continued,
"All those who fail will perish"