Tokyo was quiet that night.
Just… strangely quiet.
Not the peaceful kind of quiet.
The strange kind… the kind that makes you feel like something is wrong with the world.
Rishiro Kagami sighed as he stared at his laptop screen.
"Rejected again."
Another email.
Another polite message.
Another novel thrown away like trash.
He leaned back in his chair and laughed weakly.
"Maybe I'm just not meant to be a writer."
Outside the small apartment window, neon lights flickered across the streets of Tokyo.
Cars passed.
People laughed.
The world moved normally.
Yet for some reason, he felt like he was watching it from very far away.
"...I need air."
He grabbed his jacket and stepped outside.
The cool night wind brushed against his face as he walked through the streets.
Tokyo at night was alive.
Vending machines humming softly.
Convenience stores glowing like tiny islands of light.
People talking, walking, living their ordinary lives.
Rishiro shoved his hands into his pockets and walked without thinking.
Then he noticed her.
An old woman standing near the corner of a grocery store.
Two heavy bags rested beside her feet.
She looked like she was struggling to lift them.
People walked past without stopping.
Rishiro sighed.
"...Fine."
He walked over and picked up the bags.
"Need help?"
The old woman slowly turned toward him.
Her eyes were sharp.
Too sharp for someone her age.
"Oh my," she said with a gentle smile.
"What a kind young man."
Rishiro shrugged.
"It's nothing."
The bags were surprisingly heavy.
"What did you buy? Bricks?"
The old woman laughed softly.
"Oh, nothing like that."
She looked at him strangely.
"Just things that might change the world."
Rishiro chuckled.
"That sounds expensive."
They walked quietly through the dim street.
After a few minutes, they reached a small old house tucked between two buildings.
The old woman opened the gate.
"Thank you for helping me."
She reached into one of the bags and pulled out something.
A book.
The cover was completely black.
Old.
Ancient even.
Silver letters were engraved on the front.
The Lie of the World
Rishiro blinked.
"...What's this?"
"A gift."
She gently placed the book into his hands.
Rishiro looked confused.
"For helping you?"
The old woman nodded slowly.
"This book contains something very interesting."
Rishiro raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
The woman looked directly into his eyes.
And said quietly—
"The truth of the world."
A cold breeze passed through the street.
Rishiro laughed awkwardly.
"That sounds like the start of a conspiracy theory."
The old woman didn't laugh.
Her gaze remained calm.
Ancient.
"Inside that book," she said,
"is the exact date the world will end."
Rishiro stared at her for a moment.
Then laughed.
"Right."
He tapped the cover lightly.
"Nice joke."
The old woman simply smiled.
"You will understand eventually."
Rishiro scratched the back of his head.
"Well… thanks for the book."
When he looked up again—
The old woman had already closed the gate.
The lights in the house were off.
The street was silent.
"...Weird."
He looked down at the book again.
The Lie of the World
"...Not a bad title."
Back in his apartment, Rishiro dropped onto his chair.
He opened the book.
The pages were filled with strange writing.
Systems.
Belief energy.
Gods observing humanity.
A world controlled by something called the Reality Governance System.
Rishiro slowly leaned back in his chair.
"...This is actually pretty interesting."
He opened a blank document on his laptop.
His fingers started typing.
A story about a world where belief shapes reality.
Where humans become players.
Where gods fight using believers.
Where the world becomes a battlefield.
Hours passed without him noticing.
Finally, he leaned back and stretched.
"...That was fun."
He posted the chapter online.
Just another random story.
Nothing serious.
After saving the file, he stood up.
"I should go grab something to eat."
He left his apartment and walked into the quiet night streets again.
The city lights flickered softly.
Everything looked normal.
Peaceful.
Rishiro crossed the street casually.
Then—
Something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
The streetlights flickered.
The air suddenly became cold.
Rishiro stopped walking.
"...What?"
A strange sound echoed behind him.
Footsteps.
Slow.
Heavy.
He turned around.
But there was nothing there.
The street was empty.
"...Okay that's creepy."
He laughed nervously and started walking again.
Then—
Something moved in the darkness.
Before he could react—
A sharp pain exploded through his chest.
Rishiro looked down.
Blood slowly spread across his shirt.
"...What…?"
His body collapsed onto the cold pavement.
His vision blurred.
The city lights above him looked distant.
Like stars fading away.
His breathing became weaker.
The last thing he remembered…
Was the strange black book sitting on his desk.
Then—
Darkness.
But somewhere…
Deep inside the darkness…
A voice appeared.
Cold.
Mechanical.
Ancient.
[Unknown System Detected]
[Irregular Event Confirmed]
[Beginning Restart Sequence]
End of Chapter 1