Night had already swallowed the city.
Inside a quiet office, only the white glow of computer screens remained. Papers were scattered across one desk, and at its center sat a young man slouched in his chair, eyes heavy with exhaustion.
Ryu slowly leaned back and stretched his arms above his head.
"Ahh… this is way too much work," he muttered, letting out a tired breath. "But thank God… I'm almost done."
He stood up and walked toward the coffee machine, dragging his feet. Just as he picked up a cup, footsteps echoed behind him.
"Hey, Ryu," a voice called out. "I'm heading out. You staying again?"
Ryu glanced back and gave a weak smile. "Yeah. Just thirty more minutes, I think."
His coworker laughed. "You and your overtime." He grabbed his bag and headed for the exit. "My wife's probably waiting for me. You, on the other hand… I've told you so many times—get yourself a wife already."
Ryu shook his head. "Nah. I'm only twenty-three. I'll think about marriage at twenty-five or twenty-six." He took a sip of coffee. "And you know it—four days every week I stay late."
"That's true," the man replied. "Alright, I'm leaving. Don't die here."
"Good night," Ryu said.
The office fell silent once again.
Ryu finished his coffee and returned to his desk, fingers moving across the keyboard as he pushed himself to finish the last bit of work. His eyes burned, but he didn't stop.
Then—
A sharp pain exploded in his chest.
"—!"
Ryu froze. His breath hitched. The pain intensified, crushing, unbearable. His vision blurred as he slipped out of his chair and collapsed onto the floor.
"W-what…?"
He clawed at the ground, dragging himself toward his phone, which had fallen just out of reach. His fingers trembled. His lungs burned as if they refused to take in air.
His eyelids grew heavy.
Is this… the end?
No one is even waiting for me…
His chest tightened one last time.
"I… I don't want to die…" he whispered.
And then—everything went dark.
Ryu gasped.
He shot upright, breath rushing violently into his lungs. His heart pounded as he looked around in panic.
"This… isn't a hospital."
Tall trees surrounded him. Dense greenery stretched endlessly in every direction. The air smelled fresh—too fresh. The ground beneath him was soft, covered in grass and soil.
"A jungle…?" he muttered. "Where… am I?"
For a moment, a ridiculous thought crossed his mind.
Did my office dump my body somewhere thinking I was dead?
"No… no, that's impossible," he said quickly, shaking his head.
He stood up and called out, "Hello!? Is anyone here!?"
The sound of his voice made him freeze.
That's not… my voice.
Nearby, he spotted a small river flowing gently. Without thinking, he rushed toward it and looked down at the water.
The reflection staring back at him wasn't his.
A younger boy—around sixteen or seventeen—stared back in confusion. His face was unfamiliar. His hair color was different. Even his eyes weren't the same.
Ryu staggered back. "No… no, no…"
He touched his face, his hands trembling. "Who… is this?"
"This isn't my body… this isn't me!"
Before he could think further—
Grrrrrr…
A deep, threatening growl echoed through the forest.
Ryu slowly turned around.
Behind him stood a massive wolf, far larger than any normal one. A single horn protruded from its forehead, sharp and ominous. Its red eyes were locked onto him.
His mind went blank.
Then the wolf charged.
"—!!"
Ryu turned and ran.
His legs moved faster than he thought possible, weaving through trees with unnatural speed. But the wolf wasn't slow—it was gaining on him.
Panicking, Ryu spotted a tall tree ahead and leapt toward it, climbing instinctively, his body moving as if it already knew how.
He reached a branch and looked down, breathing heavily.
"Hah… hah… come on," he muttered weakly, trying to calm himself. "You're not climbing this, right…?"
The wolf stepped back.
For a split second, Ryu felt relief.
Then it sprinted forward and leapt.
"—!!"
The massive shadow rose toward him, jaws wide open.
Ryu's eyes widened in pure terror.