Anger and desperation. That was all Seojin felt.
For years, he had bet in underground tournaments, clawing for a way out of his miserable life, hoping for luck to shine on him. Once a promising student and football athlete, he was now nothing more than a 29-year-old office worker—alone, broke, and drowning in regret. His gambling addiction had driven away even his own parents. And now, after borrowing money from loan sharks weeks ago, he was desperate to pay off his debt before they came collecting.
Usually, luck was on his side. Not today.
He had lost five bets in a row. Five brutal defeats. Five punches to his already crumbling life. His hard-earned money was gone, slipping through his fingers like sand.
As the fifth fighter he had bet on collapsed to the ground, Seojin clenched his teeth, his hands tightening into fists. He forced himself to take deep breaths, but it did little to cool the frustration burning inside him. Nothing ever went his way. Nothing.
With a bitter scowl, he stormed out of the underground tournament. The cold Seoul night greeted him, sharp and unforgiving, chilling his anger but not his growing dread. Tomorrow. He would have to wait until tomorrow.
Seojin trudged toward his apartment, the only sound accompanying him was the rhythmic crunch of gravel beneath his shoes. It was oddly soothing—almost enough to make him forget the ticking time bomb of his debt. Almost.
Then, a distant roar.
A car that he remembered all too well. The knock-off Lamborghini the Loan Sharks used
His heart dropped as he went pale, his .
Oh shit.
Panic surged through him as reality hit like a sledgehammer. The loan sharks. They hadn't forgotten. They were here.
Seojin bolted, sprinting toward his apartment. If he could just—
Tires screeched. A pair of headlights flared in the dark.
He was too late.
Rough hands seized him, dragging him into an alley. His breath came in ragged gasps as he struggled, but there were too many of them. A balding man with a bloated gut stepped forward, pressing a gun against Seojin's forehead.
A slow, cruel smirk spread across the man's face.
"Trying to run, huh? Bad news, pretty boy." He cocked the gun. "The boss says you're dead.
Before Seojin could even say a word to beg for just one more day—
click
The trigger was pulled and the world went to black. A searing pain running down his whole body, it was as if someone was pouring molten metal into his skull and cooking his brain with it.
Just one more chance.
Thought Seojin to himself as his heart finally stopped.
He felt as if he was swimming in a vast ocean. his body relaxing and cooling rapidly. He felt as if he was floating.
Suddenly, he heard a whisper, the voice was soft and gentle. But the authority and power in it was evident. It belonged most probably to a woman, judging from the sultry tone.
"One more chance, you thought about that. Right. Seojin?"
Seojin's eyes burst open in shock and surprise. The place where he was at was definitely not Earth. The ground was pure black, and the sky, purple. Adorned with white stars barely the size of a pea, that glimmered, illuminating the ground below for Seojin to see clearly. It felt heavenly.
Where am I? In the Afterlife?
Seojin looked around. Frantically searching for the source of the voice, was it god? The devil? The Buddha even? Whatever it was, how'd it know Seojin wanted another chance at life?
Seojin's eyes landed on a woman, sitting on a throne that mirrored the appearance of the sky of this realm. But the stars were much brighter and slightly bigger. But the woman, she was utterly beautiful.
Her hair was white, the strands long and silky, reaching to her ankles. She was wearing a black dress that had a crescent moon on each of her shoulders. Her eyes were a glowing shade of violet. One that enhanced her already immense beauty, her right arm was resting on the throne's armrest and her hand was balled up into a fist as she rested her cheek on it, tilting her head. She spoke to Seojin. Her voice now loud and clear, the authority and respect she commanded was obvious, but her eyes had intrigue in them.
"Your quite strange aren't you, Seojin Taemyung. Your will power was quite strong if I do say so myself."
Out of nowhere, Seojin felt as if an elephant had been dropped on him as he was forced into a bowing position on his knees, his forehead on the ground and his mouth unable to utter any words as the woman continued.
"You see, each soul after they die. Are reincarnated back in their original world. But your hate for your world was so strong, The god of Death himself was reluctant, he thought that if he reincarnated you back onto Earth, you'd end up becoming evil and do some horrific acts."
Seojin struggled against the unseen force holding him in a deep bow. His heart pounded as he fought to move, but it was useless. The pressure alone told him—this being was beyond anything he had ever known.
The woman on the throne let out a soft chuckle.
"How amusing. Even now, you resist," she mused, her voice carrying an almost playful lilt. "But I suppose that's what makes you interesting."
With a wave of her hand, the crushing weight vanished. Seojin gasped, his body trembling as he pushed himself up to his knees. His breaths were ragged, but his mind was sharper than ever.
"Who... are you?" he managed to croak out.
The woman leaned forward, a small smile playing on her lips. "I am Neyrith, The goddess of the Twilight, the personification of Darkness. One of the 7 Deities that govern all planes of existence."
Seojin swallowed hard. "So... am I dead? Neyrith?"
"Yes. And no." Neyrith rested her chin on her fist, studying him, amused by him calling her directly by her name. Most don't have the guts to do that. "You should have been cast back into the cycle of your world, but your hatred rejected that path. Instead, you have ended up here—in my domain. A rare occurrence."
Seojin clenched his fists. "Then... does that mean I have another chance?"
Neyrith's smile widened. "Perhaps. I could grant you a new life—one with strength, power, and the freedom to carve your own path."
His breath hitched. This was it. His second chance.
"But," Neyrith continued, her voice turning sharp, "such gifts do not come without a price."
The temperature seemed to drop. The stars in the sky above pulsed like watchful eyes, and Seojin felt something vast and incomprehensible lurking just beyond them.
"There is a man," Neyrith said, her voice now laced with something heavier—something ancient. "A man who seeks release the Outer Gods, beings of great power that want to annihilate all of creation. His name is Cassius, and he is a threat to the balance of this world. He plans on opening the gates of Savila, the very gate that prevents the Outer Gods from coming in."
Seojin's gut twisted. "And you want me to stop him? Why not do it yourself?"
Neyrith gave a slow nod. "We simply can not, if we were to fight against the Outer Gods. Reality will be destroyed, that's why we need someone else to act as our proxy, and destroy the source of the problem itself."
Seojin exhaled sharply. "So that's the deal. So, I need to act as a hero?"
The goddess's eyes glowed with approval. "Precisely."
Silence stretched between them.
Seojin had nothing left in his old life. No family, no dreams, nothing but regret. If this Cassius was truly as dangerous as she claimed, then fine—he'd kill him.
A smirk tugged at his lips. "Alright, Goddess of Twilight. You've got yourself a deal."
Neyrith's lips curled in satisfaction. She raised her hand, and the space around Seojin began to warp and shimmer. He suddenly felt a piercing, pain shoot up his spine as he felt as if he was burning, his skin changing. His bones growing and muscles tearing apart to change their structure.
"Then rise, Seojin Taemyung," she commanded. "Your new fate as Gabriel Lupus begins now. You'll be in the Kingdom of Eldoria."
A brilliant violet light engulfed him, and the world faded into nothingness.