The sun hung low as a new day began, its golden light spilling over the jagged cliff and painting the jungle in amber and pink hues. It was a fine, refreshing morning. A young man lay sprawled on the grass, his plain white tunic stained with dew. His black hair clung to his forehead, framing a pure, innocent face of brown complexion.
"Yaaaawn…" He stretched lazily, squinting his dark eyes at the morning sun. One thing occupied his mind: 'Today… I will…' However, there was a problem—he didn't know what to do. To do something, one needs memories, and this boy, who looked around 20 years old, had none. Still, he smiled as the morning sun warmed his skin, savouring the good smell of the place. He was simply happy, without knowing anything at all.
"What am I supposed to do?… Well… well… well… does it really matter?" He looked ahead, where from this cliff, a distinct city stretched across the distant horizon. The city looked enormous even from far away, but he didn't care. He liked sleeping; it made him feel good. A slight hunger nibbled at him, though it wasn't truly bothersome.
Behind him stood a tree that he chose to honour as his sleeping partner. It was then that he noticed a cryptic note attached to the bark:
You have awakened without a name
Bereft of memories, hollow as a phantom's breath
Emotions: serpents coiling around your nascent consciousness
Your sole companion: the razor's edge of awareness
Fate has woven you into a tapestry of whispers and screams
Where destiny bleeds between choices and consequences
The wise shall navigate civilization's labyrinth
The fool shall stumble, leaving wounds of regret
The arrogant will carve lonely paths
The nirvana will rise above all with price of being alone
The ambitious shall dance with power's sharp edges
The broken… shall remake worlds in their shattered image
In this realm where magic breathes like forbidden scripture
Where secrets bleed from forgotten tongues
Magic is no mere instrument, but a contract signed in shadow and blood
You are a reflection of me, same yet different
Unique in the great ocean of the cosmos
Possibilities in your sky as the countless stars
The Darkened Shadows beckon
Your silence is their invitation
"What the hell???" He screamed after reading the entire message.
"No name? Don't need emotions… awareness is okay…" He attempted to analyze the poetic description with a calm nature, all while losing his tiny mind over and over again.
He screamed again, "Why does destiny bleed… What if I die?" It was a question whose answer could only be found as he progressed through life.
"I guess I have no choice but to be wise… The others are scary as hell… Magic… hmm… this thing sounds interesting. Magic's a contract—what does that mean?"
"I am a reflection… Reflection… Copy?… Am I a copy, or did I have a life before this? Then, I lost my memories… Wait… What if I just spawned?" He was trying his best to deduce the cryptic note's meaning.
"'The wise shall navigate civilization's labyrinth'… Hmm… eh… maybe I should go to that city. A city is a civilization," he mused, gazing at the land yet untouched by him. Before him, a city kissed the sky, its structures shining in the distance. "Something's shining as well."
"Being the wise one, I need to make plans first… Descend from this cliff… Magic is something I would love to know after that… Find someone that could help me reach that city…" He racked his brain, which barely had any memories. "How do I travel so far? I guess I'll never know if I don't try…"
With every pebble diffracted by his foot, magic dominated his thoughts. He was like a child who had discovered a fantasy world where magic ran through the veins of the earth. His simple thoughts centred on reaching the enormous city he'd seen from the cliff. 'If I find someone, I'll ask them the way to the city, and I can also ask for some food… What if they won't give me any food and use magic on me? I can steal the food… Hehe.' His thoughts were different, it was his nature... maybe he was supposed to be like this... Murdering, stealing and anything that could make things work his way, he wouldn't hesitate, guilt didn't exist for him.
As soon as he started moving through the heart of the jungle toward the city, he felt the world was beautiful. The sounds of birds and insects made him happy. He felt interested in walking and developed an urge to discover. His emotions were starting to form, gradually influencing his decisions. As he walked, he kept thinking, growing increasingly curious about magic, this world, and its people. He wanted to talk to someone.
Sometimes he ran like a little kid, then laughed at monkeys fighting. Soon after, he found a river, drinking water like an animal but quickly finding the method inefficient. He used his hands to drink as much as he could and then started to play, throwing water at the gathered monkeys.
Curiosity and playfulness defined him. One frustration consumed him: the world had magic, and he had no idea how to use it. So, he started making up incantations. He desperately wanted to use magic, no matter what. 'I am pretty sure this incantation must be linked to magic,' he thought.
Taking a deep breath, he looked at a tree and pointed both hands, believing magic would make it fall. "Chin Tapak Dum Dum," he chanted. It almost broke his heart when not even a breeze stirred. He couldn't even console himself by claiming he'd moved the wind.
Heartbroken, he wanted to use magic so badly. Yet his dreams had to wait, and this was how he learned patience.
Soon after, he found a trail leading in the same direction as the city. He moved along the trail for over an hour. Hunger began to gnaw at him—he wanted to eat something. A mango tree caught his eye, but it was really high. He hadn't yet discovered he could climb trees.
As time passed, he began thinking about the city he would enter. Curiosity drove him, though the city remained more than 50 kilometres away. He felt no hope in his heart, only an insatiable curiosity to discover more and more things. This drive was maddening. He could go on for a day or two without food, driven by his search for the city.
Soon, he found exactly what he wanted most at that moment: people. Silhouettes appeared in the distance—four young individuals, two boys and two girls. They were a party of adventurers heading toward a dungeon, deeply engaged in conversation and paying no attention to potential dangers. Unlike them, the nameless protagonist was constantly alert, scanning his surroundings for any potential threat, just as the cryptic note had suggested.
Seeing them together, he felt envious. 'I wish I could talk to someone…'
His initial plan was to find someone and gather as much information as possible. However, his intentions shifted when he spotted their bags. Something about them attracted him intensely, it was as if his emotions had taken over him... He was mischievous. 'These bags—what do they carry? Maybe lots of food. If I ask, they won't give me their bags… Then what do I do? I can steal their bags… Hehehe…'
He was becoming a fool, exactly as the cryptic note had prophesied... The fool shall stumble, leaving wounds of regret
For thirty minutes, he followed them, hiding right under their noses. He made many mistakes, but the party was so absorbed in their conversation that they never suspected someone had been trailing them for so long.
'The first one is this fat boy. He has the biggest backpack in the party, steel armour that looks shiny, and lots of rings. The second has two spears on his back, making a cross—they look shiny and pointy. He has two spears, so I could ask for one...eh...why would he give me any though. His armour looks golden and shiny… Wait, why is their hair golden while mine is black?' He meant blonde hair.
'This girl looks tiny compared to them. She has a wood log in her hand? How does she use it?' It was a staff for magic, though he tried to analyze it as a potential weapon. 'Maybe it's used to smash an opponent's head,' he thought.
'This last girl has a sword, that thing... looks... so cool... and scary... it's shining' he observed. It was a longsword, nearly as tall as she was, sparkling in the sunlight.
'What can I do?' A sudden memory of relieving himself sparked an idea. 'When one of them goes to pee, I'll smash their head and take all their stuff… Hehehe…' Now he was becoming increasingly cunning, crafting sinister plans despite his short time alive. Something he knew he shouldn't do, but he didn't care. He would do exactly what he wanted. He was being a fool. Driven by his emotions, he changed his primary goal.
Only a fool easily gives up on something just because of their emotions.
After a while, they stopped by a cave—actually a dungeon. A guard sat on a chair by the gate, watching over the entrance. A sign indicated this was a grade D dungeon, a starting place designed only for rookie adventurers.
After discussing their plans, the two boys wandered elsewhere while the two girls remained at the dungeon gate. The boys were heading off to relieve themselves before entering.
Silently, as shadows pooled beneath the jungle canopy, he followed after them. His logic was simple: two would be easier prey than three, especially with one wielding a blade that sparkled in the sunlight. Patience, he reminded himself, gripping the deadwood club tightly.
'The opportunity will come,' he thought.
When they started to urinate, the nameless guy hid behind a tree, eager to eavesdrop.
"Are you going to propose to her right now?" the fat boy asked in shock.
"Yeah, I know I might be rushing things, but we won't have any disturbance like yesterday," the other replied.
"That is true… I will explain the details to Grace," the fat boy said, leaving his bag beside the same tree where the nameless guy was listening. At this moment, a new feeling emerged inside him—he discovered the joy of thrill.
"I'll keep my bag right here. Come back in 5 minutes," the fat boy said as he left.
"I'm counting on you," the other responded.
The fat boy left, and the nameless guy felt an overwhelming urge to peek inside the big bag. Yet, he waited for the right moment. He looked toward the guy with the spears, who were forming a cross. This adventurer was searching his pocket for something—a ring.
When he pulled the ring out, he gazed at it with intense emotion. At that precise moment, the nameless guy struck the spear-wielding adventurer's head with the dead wood log. The man fell to the ground, unconscious.
First, he grabbed the bag and ran toward a small cave which he spotted a while ago. Then, he dragged the unconscious adventurer inside to ensure they wouldn't be discovered.
'Now I am safe, hehehe… I have the bag and a human to talk to,' he thought, delighted that his plan had succeeded. He looked at a human up close for the first time. '…Does everyone in this world love to talk and keep things shiny?' he mused, noting the shiny spears and armour.
He ransacked the bag like a wolf tearing into its prey. Inside, he found books, plenty of food, spare weapons, and a few coins—several silver coins and two gold coins.
The books caught his attention. One, in particular, stood out: "A Guide Towards Illusion"—a hardcover book with a white cover featuring a black crest that looked like a pegasus. The book contained an introduction, preparatory information, and a section about expectations. In this section, he discovered something fascinating: the ability to read and manipulate thoughts and memories.
Seeing the book teaches how to 'read someone's memories' or manipulate someone into answering all questions, he knew exactly what he was going to do. However, the book warned practitioners to first practice this magic on something else before attempting it on a real subject. Considering himself smart, the nameless guy completely disregarded this warning—he was being a fool once again.
He began studying the method. The first requirement was to take the subject's blood and make it boil using dark magic's fire. Then, he needed to add his own blood and send it to the subject's head while keeping them awake. The instructions emphasized asking questions in a quiet place with minimal sound, avoiding sensitive questions, and maintaining a steady dark magic presence in the subject's brain.
'So, we have the subject—the spear-wielding guy, the user—me, and the blood of both people. The place is dark and quiet, but how do I use dark magic fire? What is dark magic in the first place? Shouldn't magic just be magic? Why does it have to be "dark" at all? How do I use this magic?' The nameless guy grew frustrated and angry, never expecting magic to be so complex.
Among the books, he found additional magical texts: volumes on light magic, Pyro magic with light magic, Pyro magic, and water magic with light magic. One book, simply titled "The Basics of Magic for Children," caught his attention. He immediately flipped to the contents section, searching for dark magic.
There, he discovered the various basic magical types: wind magic, water magic, fire magic, earth magic, light magic, black magic, and dark magic. 'What the hell is the difference between dark and black magic?' he wondered. 'Dark and black are both black… What is the difference? Who wrote this crap?' Frustration mounted.
Skipping the other sections, he went directly to the dark magic pages. To his dismay, only two pages described dark magic in a thousand-page book. 'Oh, come on… That's it?' he thought.
The world was new to him, magic was new to him, still going after something just because you find it interesting before knowing other options is being foolish. He was being a fool, again.
'If I find the author of these books, I will kill them,' he muttered, then began reading. Skipping the introductory sections, he focused on the core instructions: "To get into the dark magic class, you have to make a cut on your hand and the hand of another human while holding them together. You must then channel as much mana as possible. If the other human dies, you would have the affinity of pure dark magic."
He wondered about mana, quickly realizing it was a feeling of something running through his body like blood—but unlike blood, this substance could reach anywhere and even condense to some extent.
The instruction seemed clear: make a cut, combine blood, channel mana. But as the nameless guy raised the knife, a strange sensation crawled up his spine. Something about this ritual felt… wrong.
Then he heard a whisper—so faint he wasn't sure if it came from inside the cave or from his own mind—a sensation or realization he hadn't expected.
The cryptic note's warning echoed in his mind: Magic is no mere instrument, but... His fingers trembled slightly, hovering above the knife's edge. The silence of the cave seemed to breathe with an anticipation that was almost tangible.He remembered what magic was… A contract signed in shadow and blood.
'A contract… magic's a contract… The affinity of dark magic is the contract… contract with whom… Should I proceed or not…???'