The world Hikaru woke to was nothing like the one he left behind. He remembered the headlights—bright and blinding—the screech of tires, the sharp gasp that tore through his throat. Then, nothing.
When he opened his eyes again, he stood in a place that felt alive in ways it shouldn't. The cobblestone streets beneath his feet pulsed faintly, a slow and deliberate rhythm, like the beat of some ancient heart. Above him, there was no sky, only a swirl of colors—violets, golds, and deep blues—spiraling endlessly. The air was heavy, yet electric, humming with life that didn't feel entirely… human.
He turned slowly, taking in the chaos. Stalls lined the streets, manned by vendors with faces half-hidden in shadow. Some were humanoid, but others were twisted: too tall, too short, with too many arms or none at all. Their voices rose above the din, shouting over one another.
"Memories for sale! Trade your dullest regrets for power!"
"Lost your courage in life? Find it here, bottled and fresh!"
"Step right up, play a game, win your way out of despair!"
Hikaru's stomach turned. His mind raced, but no answer came. Where am I? What is this place?
"Oi, you're in the way!"
A sharp voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Hikaru turned to see a woman in tattered robes glaring at him as she pushed past, dragging a cart loaded with what looked like glowing bones. He stumbled back, muttering an apology, but she was already gone, swallowed by the crowd.
"This… this has to be a dream," he whispered to himself, gripping his head.
"Dream? Oh, sweetheart, you wish."
The voice was silky, almost teasing, and it sent a shiver down Hikaru's spine. He turned to see a tall figure leaning lazily against a crooked lamppost. The man's outfit was flamboyant—striped trousers, a long coat with tails, and a top hat adorned with feathers and clockwork gears. His face was pale, painted like a harlequin's mask, but his eyes… his eyes were sharp, gleaming like a predator's.
"Welcome to Limboheim, kid," the man said, tipping his hat with a theatrical bow. "Home of the lost, the dead, and the desperate."
Hikaru took a step back, his heart pounding. "Dead? No… no, that can't be right. I'm not dead. I can't be dead!"
The harlequin chuckled, low and melodious. "Oh, but you are. You wouldn't be here otherwise. Limboheim only opens its doors to those who've already had their last dance."
Hikaru shook his head violently. "No, there has to be a mistake. I was—" His voice caught. "I was going to my art exhibit. It was my first big break. I can't be dead!"
The harlequin's grin widened, sharp and unsettling. "First big break, huh? Guess it wasn't meant to be. But don't fret, kid. Here in Limboheim, you get a second chance. Sort of."
"A second chance?"
"Oh, didn't they tell you?" The man gestured grandly to the chaos around them. "You're in the Carnival of Shadows, the grand heart of Limboheim, and home to the Dead Man's Game. A little competition for souls like you."
Hikaru's throat felt dry. "What kind of competition?"
The harlequin stepped closer, his grin never faltering. "A chance to return to life. All you have to do is survive the trials, face your regrets, and beat the other players. Win, and you get to be reincarnated in any world you choose."
"And if I lose?" Hikaru asked, though he wasn't sure he wanted the answer.
The harlequin's grin faded slightly, his voice dropping to a whisper. "If you lose, kid… you vanish. No afterlife. No reincarnation. Just oblivion."
The weight of his words settled like a stone in Hikaru's chest. He tried to laugh, to shake off the absurdity, but the fear in his gut wouldn't let him.
"I don't belong here," he said, his voice trembling. "I'm not like these people. I don't… I don't have regrets."
The harlequin raised an eyebrow, then burst into laughter. "Oh, sweetheart, everyone has regrets. Big or small, they brought you here. And until you face them, you're stuck."
Hikaru opened his mouth to argue, but a deafening sound cut him off—a horn, long and low, echoing through the streets. The crowd fell silent, all eyes turning toward a towering building in the distance. It looked like a twisted circus tent, its spires reaching impossibly high into the swirling sky.
The harlequin's grin returned, more menacing than before. "Looks like the game's about to begin."
"What game?!" Hikaru shouted, panic rising in his chest.
"You'll see soon enough, kid." The harlequin tipped his hat one last time. "Good luck. You'll need it."
And with that, he vanished into the crowd, leaving Hikaru alone as the streets began to shift and the world around him started to change.
THE FIRST TRIAL
The silence following the horn's echo was deafening. Hikaru stood frozen, his mind racing as he stared at the towering, grotesque circus tent that loomed in the distance. The cobblestones beneath his feet began to thrum more violently now, like an eager drumroll building to an inevitable crescendo.
"What did he mean, the game's about to begin?" Hikaru muttered, his voice barely audible. He glanced around, hoping for an answer, but the crowd was already in motion.
Creatures and people of every shape and size surged toward the tent, shoving past him without care.
"Move it, newbie!" a woman hissed as she elbowed her way through.
"I don't belong here…" Hikaru whispered, his words lost in the chaos. He tried to step back, to retreat into the alleys behind him, but the ground suddenly split beneath his feet
The street cracked open with a deafening roar, cobblestones sinking into an abyss as the buildings around him groaned and warped. The tent in the distance began to glow ominously, its spires unraveling like threads from a tapestry.
"Welcome, challengers!" A booming, disembodied voice filled the air, echoing from every direction. It was theatrical and cruel, laced with dark amusement.
"Today marks the first trial of the Dead Man's Game! Face your regrets, conquer your fears, or perish. The choice is yours!"
Hikaru's heart pounded as he stumbled back. The ground beneath him tilted, forcing him to run toward the growing crowd.
"What is this?!" he shouted to no one in particular.
"It's survival, kid!" A man with wild hair and a jagged scar across his face shoved past him, laughing as he sprinted ahead. "Run or die—it's that simple!"
Hikaru turned to look back and immediately regretted it. The buildings behind him were collapsing, stone and wood crumbling into a swirling void. Screams filled the air as the crowd surged forward.
Hikaru ran. His legs burned, his breath came in ragged gasps, but the instinct to survive drowned out every other thought. Around him, the crowd was a chaotic mix of desperation and cruelty.
A burly man shoved a smaller figure aside, sending them sprawling to the ground. "Out of my way!"
Hikaru skidded to a stop, glancing at the fallen figure. It was a boy, no older than sixteen, his face pale and streaked with dirt.
"Get up!" Hikaru yelled, grabbing his arm and hauling him to his feet.
The boy looked at him with wide, terrified eyes. "Th-thanks…"
"No time for thanks! Just run!"
They bolted together, weaving through the panicked crowd. The collapsing world behind them was gaining, and the glow from the distant tent seemed to grow stronger, pulling them toward it like a black hole.
"What's your name?" Hikaru shouted over the chaos.
"Leo!" the boy replied, his voice shaky. "I don't know what's happening, but I think I hate it!"
"Join the club!" Hikaru snapped, dodging a falling beam.
Ahead of them, the crowd funneled into a narrow alley. People clawed and shoved, desperate to escape. Hikaru and Leo reached the bottleneck just as a section of the alley began to collapse.
"Watch out!"
A girl with short, fiery red hair and sharp green eyes darted past them, her hand glowing with a faint, bluish light. She slammed her palm into the crumbling wall, and it froze solid, halting its collapse.
"Go, go, go!" she shouted, waving them through.
Hikaru didn't hesitate. He grabbed Leo's arm and followed the girl. As they cleared the alley, he turned to her.
"Thanks for that!" he said, breathless.
"Don't thank me yet," she replied, her voice curt. "We're not out of this nightmare."
The three of them emerged from the alley onto a massive open field. The tent loomed ahead, now impossibly large, its fabric rippling like liquid.
"Why is it glowing?" Leo asked, his voice trembling.
"Because it's calling us," the girl replied grimly. "It's part of the trial. We have to get inside."
"That thing?!" Hikaru exclaimed. "You're kidding, right?"
"Do I look like I'm joking?" she snapped. "Either we go in, or we get swallowed by that!"
She pointed back at the crumbling city. The void had consumed nearly everything behind them, and its edge was creeping closer.
Hikaru swallowed hard. "Fine. Let's Let's move "
The trio reached the base of the tent just as the last remnants of the city vanished. The entrance was a gaping maw, its edges lined with jagged teeth that seemed to shift and writhe.
"This doesn't look like a tent anymore…" Leo muttered.
"No time for second thoughts!" the girl barked, shoving him forward. "Move it!"
As they stepped inside, the world shifted again. The ground beneath them vanished, replaced by a swirling, starry void. Platforms floated in the distance, connected by precarious bridges. Shadows flitted between them, too quick to make out.
"Welcome, challengers!" the disembodied voice boomed again. "Your trial begins now. Survive the maze, reach the core, and claim your mark. Fail, and you will join the void."