Chapter 1 … "Ring"
—
"I didn't ask for this, yet it was destined for me."
"I sought to escape, only to find the door slammed shut before me."
"I tried to adapt to reality, I tried... and yet you abandoned me."
"You conspire against me instead of aiding me."
"You feign kindness, while deep down you question whether I am in the right."
"No, no one is right."
"We are all mistaken."
"We are all guilty."
"I am your creation, just as you are mine."
"For in the end, we are..."
-----------------------
'What an exhausting day…'
'And I'm down to just 20 dirhams... How miserable!'
'Anyway, tomorrow is payday!'
'Finally, I'll be able to buy a decent computer. It took me three whole years to save up for it! Curse poverty…'
'Here's the plan: first, I'll get a haircut because I'm starting to look like a chimpanzee at this point. Then, I'll send a portion of the money to my family as usual. And after that…'
'Ugh, forget it! I'll figure it out later. I'm just too tired today... I'll have dinner and then head to bed!'
Louay lay on his bed for a while, lost in thought. After a few moments, he opened his eyes, deciding to cook something to fill his empty stomach.
Louay, a 23-year-old young man, works as a production manager at a company with a monthly salary of around 4,500 dirhams.
Out of this amount, 2,500 dirhams go to his family, leaving him with 2,000 dirhams. From that, 1,200 dirhams are paid to his landlord for the rent of his apartment, leaving him with only 800 dirhams to cover his personal expenses. It's not much, but for a single man, it's not insignificant either. He can manage a modest lifestyle on this amount, at least on his own. Of course, this comes after careful budgeting, meaning even the smallest unexpected event could throw everything off balance.
He lived in a modest apartment. It consisted of a small kitchen connected to the main room, which also served as the bedroom (with no wall separating them). On the far right stood a small table in the center of the room. A silver teapot and a basket of bread sat on it, accompanied by a backless plastic chair in front of the table.
On the far left lay a floor mattress just big enough for him, with two pillows: one for resting his head and the other... to hug??
Beside the mattress was a simple wooden desk, holding an empty tea cup, a laptop placed in the middle, and a book with a few pens on the left side. This time at least he had a proper office chair, which was relatively more comfortable.
The laptop was an old, second-hand model—barely good enough for work and occasional content viewing . He had purchased it from a weekly market at a price that fit his budget. For that very reason, he had spent the past few years dreaming of buying a proper computer—one capable of gaming and opening up other possibilities for him. How painful it is to see people enjoying trendy games every year while all you can do is stare in silence!
Of course, even if he managed to buy a decent PC, there was no way he could afford the games. Spending money on something like that was out of the question. Instead, he would take a risk and turn to those "friendly" websites that shared them for free.
He always believed that enjoyment was a part of life. You could find joy for free, but living itself? That required payment. So, if you couldn't "pay" for entertainment, why not take a different route?
-
"I only have lentils left, damn it. I could treat myself to a meal outside, but I don't have the energy to go out right now..."
"Fine then, I'll have lentils for dinner!"
"Though it's bound to cause a political conflict in my stomach..." he added sarcastically.
Having made up his mind, Louay placed the pot on the "stove," which was nothing more than a small gas cylinder with a circular iron stand on top—the kind typically used by "the poor" or "travelers" for cooking.
He filled two cups of water and poured them into the pot before lighting the flame. Then, he placed the lentils in a strainer, rinsing them thoroughly to remove any remaining impurities. Afterward, he tossed them into the pot and added a bit of onion, some spices, and a clove of garlic to give the dish a modest touch of flavor. Finally, he covered the pot and left it to cook on low heat.
Meanwhile, he opened the window near his bed to let some fresh air into the room. He felt the gentle breeze brushing against his face, soothing and refreshing. The weather was cold and dark, with the sky painted in a grayish-white hue.
In truth, it wasn't entirely dark outside. Thanks to the white clouds, it seemed as though an invisible light illuminated the surroundings. Living in a coastal area, Louay was used to seeing bright night skies, often lit up by the overcast clouds.
After finishing his moment of reflection, Louay headed to the bathroom to relieve himself—only the liquid kind this time! The bathroom door was directly opposite his desk, and the bathroom itself was relatively spacious. On the right side of the entrance was a toilet, a sink and a mirror by the door, and a decent shower on the far left.
Shrrrrrrrrrr…
'Ah, the relief…'
His entire body shuddered with a strange relaxation that accompanied the moment. A feeling as if you were melting and evaporating amidst a cold blizzard! with the soothing sound of trickling water you feel as if you are gazing beneath a warm waterfall during a snowstorm!
What a feeling! What relief!
After this mental massage session, he headed to the sink to clean up the traces of the crime.. In the mirror, a face with thick, unruly black hair and yellow-toned skin stared back at him. His dark brown eyes and somewhat lean frame were nothing out of the ordinary, but what truly stood out was his thick beard, making him look like a man in his thirties despite his young age.
"Handsome as always!" he declared confidently.
-
When he was done, Louay went to check on the pot before lying down on his bed, grabbing his phone to scroll through the latest on social media—a typical, routine life.
That's when he noticed a new post from one of the accounts he followed: "Announcement of a new anime about a man reincarnated in another world as... a turd."
"..."
'Have they really run out of ideas? What kind of nonsense is this! But honestly... it's kind of intriguing. I'm curious about the story of this 'turd hero,'' he mused sarcastically to himself.
After browsing aimlessly for a while, he checked his messages to see if there was anything new. By chance, he noticed one of his friends typing something.
"Louay, do you remember that silver ring we found by accident, the one you decided to give me? It's gone... Seriously, I've looked everywhere, and I can't find it!" his friend messaged.
'Huh? What does that have to do with me? Maybe you dropped it or something.' Louay thought to himself, smirking as he typed his reply: "Oh, you mean that weird-looking ring? Maybe it was cursed or something, or maybe a jinn stole it... You're probably doomed!"
"You're the real curse! Don't think I've forgotten the 500 dirhams I lent you that you still haven't paid back. Not to mention all the times I had to cover for you at restaurants because you conveniently 'forgot your wallet.' You damn money-leech!" his friend shot back at lightning speed, as if he had been ready for this!
"..." Even though he knew he was just joking, Louay could only stare in silence; he was speechless!
In truth, his friend wasn't being serious. Even if Louay genuinely wanted to repay the money, the other would refuse it time and time again. In fact, he always rejected Louay's attempts to pay for meals, covering the bills himself, knowing full well that Louay's situation was far from ideal. That was just the nature of their friendship.
The conversation continued, with the two friends engaging in their usual back-and-forth of playful banter and "roasting" one another. Eventually, they completely forgot about the ring.
After the chat ended, Louay returned to scrolling through social media and those cursed "reels" to kill time. Slowly but surely, his eyes began to grow heavier, and he felt sleep creeping up on him…
-
Before his eyes lay a desolate forest, shrouded in a dense fog that stretched endlessly in every direction. He couldn't move; he could only see the withered black trees surrounding him, as if a raging fire had consumed them.
Above, the dark night sky was adorned with an infinite number of stars, evoking a sense of wandering trough a strange void—or being lost in a cold, unyielding desert with no escape in sight.
Frozen in place within the silent gray forest, he suddenly felt a strange prick beneath his body. He glanced down and saw a pitch-black raven pecking at his bare feet, with a large pool of blood emerging beneath them!
The raven was carving something Into his flesh. Though the blood flowed relentlessly, Louay felt no pain at all.
He tried to watch the raven's performance very closely, but due to the blood that covered the entire place, he couldn't determine exactly what it was carving.
But It seemed, however, as though the raven was writing something—something in an incomprehensibly foreign language....
Suddenly, the raven stopped carving and raised its head! It stared directly into Louay's eyes!
He felt as if the raven's eye was piercing his mind. Although he hadn't felt any pain just a moment ago, fear completely took over his body, and his heart raced terribly!
At that moment, Louay noticed a strange symbol in the crimson raven's eye. He couldn't see it clearly due to the distance, but it looked like a die, a black die with the number "4" on it, flanked by two crossed scythes.
Ba-dump Ba-dump Ba-dump...
His heartbeats quickened more and more, and the surrounding world began to crack as if it were a broken mirror.
Louay was frozen in place like a suspicious statue, able to move only his eyes. He tried to speak, to move his body. But it was all in vain.
Then suddenly, he heard a cold female voice whispering in his ear...
"The winds of death are approaching."
As soon as the voice faded, a violent gust of wind surged through the forest, as though it sought to devour the entire world!
Ba-Boom!
Before he could comprehend what was said, a deafening explosion erupted from his chest!
His heart exploded!
-
In a spacious room with a floor mattress next to a wooden desk, someone jolted awake, eyes wide with terror.
It was none other than Louay! He had been dreaming.
"Huff... huff... A nightmare?"
"Looks like I dozed off..."
"Damn, I've never been this shaken by a nightmare before..." Louay muttered, recalling his childhood and the countless nightmares caused by the black magic horror movies he used to watch with his family back then.
He tried to reflect on the dream he had just experienced. But after straining his memory for a while, all he could remember was an overwhelming sense of fear and dread. Most of the details had already slipped away.
Deciding not to waste more time dwelling on it, Louay dismissed it as nothing more than a chaotic nightmare brought on by exhaustion.
At that moment, he remembered the lentils! He had completely forgotten about them amidst everything that had happened.
"Damn it! My precious dinner, my beloved lentils!" he exclaimed as he bolted toward the gas cylinder to turn off the flame—just in time!
He lifted the lid, and steam mixed with the strong aroma of cooked lentils filled the air. The delicious smell made his mouth water instantly. In fact, at this point, even if you put food he doesn't like in front of him nowhe would still drool from hunger.
"Fortunately, only a little bit from the bottom got burned... No problem!"
Suddenly, a silly idea struck him: 'Is not eating burnt lentils considered racism too? Hmm, well, I'm not racist then because I eat green and dry! Or should I say "red and black" here? Donate to the burnt lentils rights organization!' His lips smiled at the absurdity of the idea, then he set the lid aside.
He took a medium-sized plate from the "dishes" basket and poured lentils into it, just the amount he needed.
Then he picked up the plate and placed it on the plastic table in the middle of the room. He also preferred to watch something while eating, something light that didn't require focusing on his phone screen, so he would always play educational clips or similar things, just to listen to; he didn't really care about "watching."
He sat on the backless chair and picked a loaf of bread from the basket, divided it into two halves, then took one half and began the process! He dipped his fingers surrounding the piece of bread into the hot lentil stew in front of him, then stuffed it into his mouth. He felt a mix of the sting of heat with the softness of the bread and the tenderness of the warm lentils as they ground and melted in his mouth. A feeling of warmth spread throughout his body...
Despite its simplicity, due to his extreme hunger, he felt as if he were eating the most delicious food in the world. If someone had seen his facial expressions, they would never have guessed he was eating lentils and nothing else!
After finishing half a loaf of bread at lightning speed, he headed towards a small, pristine white cabinet. It was a refrigerator, a knee-high refrigerator!
He opened the refrigerator door and took out a small metal bottle, which looked like a cold soda.
Check.
He returned to his seat, unscrewed the cap of his drink, and took a sip.
"Ahh!" What a refresh! The combination of the hot lentils and the icy cold soda created a strange flavor in his mouth, one that oddly heightened his appetite. Without hesitation, he dug into the lentils like someone who hadn't eaten in a week!
…
Louay sat contemplating the plate in front of him, lost in thought, looking like a troubled person carrying the burdens of the world on his shoulders.
He had already finished his "luxurious" lentil dish.
After taking a brief break to digest his meal, Louay glanced at the clock and was startled.
"Damn, it's already 1 a.m.! I still have to wash the dishes, take a shower, and—"
"Ugh, I'll leave the dishes for tomorrow. I'm exhausted. A warm shower and straight to bed it is!"
After skillfully cleaning the table, Louay opened the bathroom door and walked in slowly—only for his brows to furrow suddenly.
'What the... what's happening?!' he thought, with a growing sense of fear inside him. He had discovered a bunch of broken glass pieces scattered everywhere.
Then, with a quick glance to his left, he found the source of the mess!
"The mirror is broken!" His heart began to race from the shock, but despite his fear, he tried to remain calm and analyze the incident "logically" as much as possible.
He spun around quickly and checked behind the bathroom door, making sure no one had broken into his apartment while he was asleep
After confirming there was no intruder, he turned his attention back to the bathroom, scanning the space carefully. His eyes were soon drawn to something shiny and silver glinting atop the sink.
It was a ring—a silver ring!