Chapter 1: Awakening in a Dying World
The world was silent.
Haruto's eyes fluttered open to a dark sky, littered with endless stars, a sight unfamiliar yet eerily calming. His body ached, the weight of an unknown existence pressing down on him. His breath came in ragged gasps as his fingers dug into the cold earth beneath him. The last thing he remembered was… nothing. There were no memories to cling to—just an overwhelming sense of loss.
"Where… am I?" he muttered, his voice hoarse.
Rising to his feet, Haruto took in his surroundings. He stood amidst the ruins of a forgotten battlefield. The scent of blood still lingered in the air, though the bodies had long turned to dust. Weapons—rusted kunai, broken swords—lay scattered across the ground, relics of a war fought ages ago. Yet, as he moved, he felt something stir within him, a force foreign yet familiar.
Then he saw them.
Figures—transparent, flickering like dying embers—wandering aimlessly across the battlefield. Some wore armor, their faces twisted in agony, while others seemed lost, trapped in an existence between life and death.
Ghosts.
Haruto's heartbeat quickened. He could see them, hear their whispers carried by the wind. But more than that, he could feel them—souls crying out for something they could not grasp.
Why… why can I see them?
A sudden gust of wind howled through the ruins, and with it came a voice—soft yet commanding.
"You are not of this world."
Haruto spun around, his hand instinctively reaching for a weapon he did not have. Standing before him was a woman—tall, regal, with hair as pale as the moon. Her eyes held wisdom beyond comprehension, yet there was a sadness in them, a burden carried through the ages.
"Who are you?" he asked, his voice steady despite his confusion.
The woman studied him for a long moment before answering.
"Kaguya."
The name struck something deep within him, though he did not know why. There was power in her presence, an aura unlike anything he had encountered. And yet, he did not fear her.
"You…" He hesitated, glancing at the spirits lingering around them. "You can see them too, can't you?"
Kaguya nodded. "This world is broken. The cycle of life and death is no longer as it should be. That is why you are here."
Haruto clenched his fists. He didn't understand everything, but something told him this meeting was no coincidence. He had awakened in a world that had lost its balance, and somehow, he was meant to fix it.
A gust of wind swept through the battlefield once more, carrying the whispers of the dead. Haruto took a deep breath, his resolve hardening.
"Then tell me," he said, meeting Kaguya's gaze, "what must I do?"
Kaguya's lips curled into a small, knowing smile.
"Rebuild what was lost."
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[End of Chapter 1]