Chapter 1 – Arrival in the Forest of Death
Jazz Mateo's life on Earth had ended in ruin. Betrayal, heartbreak, loss—he had known them all, and they had left him hollow. When the god appeared before him in the void of despair, he expected nothing, yet was offered everything.
"You have suffered greatly," the god said, radiant and impossibly calm. "What do you wish for in your next life?"
Jazz closed his eyes, his voice weary but resolute. "I want peace. I want solitude. A place where I can live alone, away from everyone, away from all of this…"
The god nodded. "As you wish." Light swirled around him, warm, comforting… and then, as often happens with the gods' interpretations, something went slightly awry.
When he opened his eyes again, he was falling—not through clouds, not air, but through an endless expanse of trees. Colossal, twisted, and looming, the Forest of Death stretched below him. Mist curled like serpents around gnarled roots, and distant glowing eyes followed his descent.
Jazz landed lightly, brushing dirt from his simple clothes. "Well…" he muttered, surveying the forest. "Not exactly the secluded meadow I pictured, but I suppose it'll do."
Almost immediately, he noticed something strange. Rocks fell harmlessly around him. Branches that should have crushed him instead bent at the last moment. His footing was unshakable. He frowned. "Hmm… extremely lucky. That's… new."
The god's voice echoed faintly. "Extreme luck… with a side effect."
Jazz shrugged. "Side effect of what?"
A sound from the shadows drew his attention. A low, menacing growl that shook the leaves. From the mist, a giant monster emerged. Its eyes glowed red, fangs long and jagged, claws capable of crushing trees. It roared, advancing slowly, calculating.
Jazz did not move. He tilted his head, eyes calm, lips curving into an awkward, nervous smile.
The monster froze. Its ears twitched, nostrils flaring. Slowly, its legs shook. And then, without warning, it turned and ran, smashing through the undergrowth, uprooting trees in its panic.
Jazz blinked. "Oh… did I scare it? Sorry." He returned to the small patch of soil he had found and began planting vegetables: carrots, radishes, tomatoes.
Unbeknownst to him, the forest itself seemed to recoil at his presence. The aura surrounding him—harmless in his eyes—pressed like an invisible weight. Anyone who saw him would feel fear in their bones. When he smiled nervously, that fear became suffocating, crushing, undeniable.
He hummed a quiet tune as the sun filtered through the canopy, brushing his hair and illuminating his calm, handsome face. All he wanted was peace.
And somewhere, deep in the shadows, the story of the man from whom even monsters fled began to form.