Dai's life drifted behind a heavy curtain of fog—monotonous and hollow, like the ticking of an old clock in a deserted room. He lived in a cycle of grey, a ghost haunting his own skin. If it weren't for Jiro, his best friend and the only person who truly understood his silence, Dai might have believed he had stopped existing years ago. Jiro knew that behind Dai's calm mask lay a child forged in the embers of the "Inferno Night"—the cursed fire that had devoured his home, his parents, and his entire future in a single, horrific night.
Earlier that morning, Jiro had noticed the usual paleness on his friend's face. He placed a firm hand on Dai's shoulder. "Dai, you look like you haven't eaten in days. My mother cooked your favorite dish today and insisted you come over for dinner. No excuses; I'll expect you at seven."
That evening, Dai sat as a guest at Jiro's family table. As he watched a simple scene—Jiro's mother placing a warm dish before her son with a tender smile, while his father teased him with a playful nudge—a sudden, jagged chill pierced Dai's bones. It wasn't envy; it was an emotional hunger for a memory that had long since faded into ash.
He sank so deeply into the phantom warmth of his own mother's touch and the echoes of his father's laughter that the world around him went silent. He was only pulled back by Jiro's worried voice: "Dai... Dai! Where did you go? You look like you're standing on the edge of another world."
With a trembling voice and a fractured smile, Dai made an excuse. "I... I just remembered. I haven't visited my grandparents today, and I've completely lost track of time. I have to go now."
Jiro stood up immediately. "It's late, Dai. I'll go with you."
But Dai stopped him with a gentle, firm hand. He looked at Jiro's parents—the living, breathing heart of the home—and a sad smile touched his lips. "No, Jiro. Stay here. Your parents... they are the most important thing in this world. Don't waste a single moment away from them. Stay, finish your dinner... we'll talk tomorrow."
Dai fled the house, his movements mechanical. He climbed into his car, his hands gripping the steering wheel, but it wasn't his mind guiding the vehicle; it was a haunting, gravitational pull from a decade ago. He didn't drive toward his grandparents' home. He drove toward the ruins of his past.
He found himself standing before the scorched skeleton of his childhood home. Stepping through the blackened walls, the wind shrieked through the cracks like the lament of restless spirits. Digging through the debris with fingers blackened by a decade of ash, he unearthed a strange metallic artifact. The moment his skin touched it, a brilliant blue hologram erupted, throwing him to the ground in terror.
His parents appeared in the light, weary but resolute. His father, Hero, stared into the lens with eyes carrying the weight of a lifetime's legacy.
"My beloved son, Dai... my own blood," Hero began, his voice steady but carrying a faint tremor. "If you are watching this, then we are no longer with you in this world. Listen carefully, and do not let your grief blind you to the truth. In the basement, there is a steel door that will answer only to your fingerprint. Behind it lies the 'Book of Life'. Take it, and you will understand everything. But remember... if you find a way back, the mission is more important than us. Return for the truth... and whatever you do, do not try to save us."
His mother, Akari, whispered with tears shimmering like pearls: "We love you... more than life itself. Be brave."
The hologram died, leaving Dai in a state of absolute, crushing silence that soon broke into a bitter wail. Driven by a frantic, hysterical energy, he tore through the ruins to the basement. The steel door groaned open. He lunged for the glowing Book, and the moment his fingers closed around it, the world dissolved. The scent of ash was replaced by the sharp, metallic tang of lightning and the heavy scent of rain-soaked earth.
Dai woke up sprawled on the edge of a dark road, rain pouring down in torrents. A few meters away, an old sedan sat parked under the flickering amber light of a lone streetlamp. He tried to push himself up, but his body felt heavy and unfamiliar. In a daze, he crawled toward the vehicle, reaching for its side mirror. Under a jagged flash of lightning, he looked at the reflection and recoiled in horror.
The face was a stranger's—a young man in his prime he had never seen before. "Who is this? Where am I?" he screamed internally.
As he shivered in terror, a car pulled over. A tall man stepped out, his silhouette sharp against the rain. He approached with a voice full of concern: "Are you alright, son? This storm is getting worse."
As the man drew closer, Dai's breath hitched. His heart stopped. He knew exactly who this tall figure was. In that instant, all strength abandoned his body, and Dai collapsed like a withered leaf falling from a tree trunk. Before he could hit the cold ground, the man's strong arms caught him, pulling him into a firm embrace as the world faded into total darkness.