Chapter 1 The Boy Who Forgot
Rain fell like it was trying to erase the world.
Cold. Endless. Unforgiving.
In the middle of it stood a boy.
Yujin.
Small. Thin. No older than thirteen.
His oversized hoodie hung loosely on his body, sleeves covering half his hands. His shoes were worn out, splashing softly in the puddles beneath his feet.
He looked… ordinary.
Too ordinary for a night like this.
Too ordinary for what lay in front of him.
A man.
On the ground.
Not moving.
Yujin blinked, his dark eyes wide with confusion.
“…Hello?”
His voice was soft. Careful. Like he was afraid of the silence itself.
No response.
He took a small step forward.
Then another.
The rain soaked him completely, but he didn’t seem to notice.
When he got close, he slowly knelt down.
The man’s chest—
Blood.
So much blood.
Yujin’s breath caught in his throat.
“H-hey… wake up…”
His hand hovered in the air, unsure, trembling.
He had never seen something like this before.
Never.
A sharp pain suddenly struck his head.
Yujin gasped, clutching his temples.
Images flashed—
Too fast.
Too violent.
A blade.
Cries.
Shadows falling one after another—
“Stop…!”
He squeezed his eyes shut, shaking.
“I don’t understand… I don’t understand…!”
The pain vanished as quickly as it came.
Silence returned.
Only the rain.
Yujin slowly opened his eyes again, breathing heavily.
He looked down at his hands.
Small.
Shaking.
Clean.
“I didn’t do anything…” he whispered.
“I don’t even know what’s happening…”
And that was the truth.
He was just a child.
A boy who didn’t know why he was here…
A boy who didn’t know who he was…
A boy who had forgotten everything.
Footsteps.
Yujin froze.
From the darkness at the end of the alley, figures began to appear.
One.
Two.
Three.
Tall. Silent. Watching him.
Yujin instinctively stepped back, fear finally rising in his chest.
“W-who are you…?”
One of the men chuckled softly.
Not kindly.
Not warmly.
“Look at him,” another voice said. “He really doesn’t remember.”
Yujin’s heart pounded.
“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
The first man stepped forward, his face still hidden beneath shadow.
“But we do.”
A pause.
Then—
“Yujin.”
The boy flinched.
How do they know my name…?
The man continued, voice low and certain:
“You may have forgotten…”
A step closer.
“But the underworld hasn’t.”
Yujin shook his head, backing away.
“No… you’re wrong… I’m just—”
“A child?” the man interrupted.
A cold laugh followed.
“That’s what makes it terrifying.”
Silence fell again.
The rain grew louder.
And somewhere deep inside Yujin…
Something stirred.
Not understanding.
Not memory.
Something darker.
