《ASCENDANT》 Chapter Zero: Plan Silent, lonely, and peaceful. The twilight sky, tinged with dark red, was truly beautiful. I glanced at the scenery from the fourth floor of my school. Dragging my backpack, I walked into the classroom. Since today was Sunday, there was no way anyone else would come to school. But not for me. I had already made up my mind to do something I had long kept inside. I tossed my backpack into the middle of the classroom before sitting on a chair. "I''m tired. Tired of everything," I said, lowering my head onto the desk. "Kryd." I stood up and walked toward my backpack. I took out a rope, a book, and a pen. I laughed at the desk that had become wet with tears. "Funny." I climbed up and stepped on those tears. The rope I brought was tied to a fan above. Unknowingly, my tears began to fall heavily. "No! I can¡¯t stop here!" I said in a shaky voice. Yes, my plan was to end my life! I... hate... everything!! "HA! HA! HA!" I laughed without control, not realizing how my face contorted¡ªdistorted by grief, soaked in tears that wouldn¡¯t stop." Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. As I took a deep breath to calm myself before dying, memories of my parents'' and siblings'' accident surfaced. It had happened exactly a year ago. Only my youngest sibling was saved by me. However¡­ they died too, in a fire last night. But instead of help, I received laughter and bullying! Now, I have nothing, and no reason to delay this plan from a year ago. "I''m coming, everyone. Sorry, Shirasi-san. Even though you¡¯re the aunt who often helped me¡­ I still have to leave you. I¡¯m sorry¡­ the only friend I ever had, even if just through a screen. Looks like you¡¯ll have to win today¡¯s tournament on your own." As I kicked down the desk I was standing on, I was suddenly struck by a powerful bolt of lightning, right on my neck. What happened after that was¡­ I was in a never-ending white dimension. It was very beautiful. ¡®Looks like I¡¯m dead.¡¯ "Thanks. By the way, we tied. Can¡¯t wait to meet you in the real world. Even though our memories will disappear, I¡¯m happy I met you. Please take care of the immature me, hehe." ¡ª a male voice echoed in my mind. His words sounded sincere, grateful, and from the heart. Moments later, I felt like I was falling at the speed of light. I opened my eyes and found myself in a room that felt unfamiliar. The pain and exhaustion in my body made me think I had been asleep for months. As I walked to open the window, countless questions began to swirl in my mind. ¡®Wait¡­ the design of this room¡­ I¡¯ve seen it before.¡¯ I monologued internally, trying to recall something similar. ¡°OMG!! This is just like an anime!! A fantasy world!!¡± I shouted, half in disbelief, half in excitement. As the window opened, I was left speechless. Magic! I see magic! I see a dragon! Aaaah! I screamed in excitement inside my heart. Crunch ¡°Miss Lis?!¡± shouted a woman dressed as a maid, her face filled with surprise. She quickly walked over to me, grabbing my hand with a joyful smile. ¡°Shira¡ª¡± I tried to speak but was cut off. ¡°Wait here, Miss Lis! I¡¯ll call your father and mother!¡± she said gleefully before rushing off. ¡°Mom?... Dad?...¡± I whispered, unable to believe it. Not long after¡ª ¡°Lis!! Our daughter is finally awake!!¡± cried the two people who appeared at the door ¡ª the two people I had longed for so deeply. I ran to them and embraced them, tears pouring down uncontrollably. ¡°W-wuu..hic..ugh..waa..sniff..waa¡­¡± To be continued¡­ Please like and share... SeeYouNara Chapter One: Where it Begins ¡°What¡¯s happening...? Where am I...?¡± The thought echoed endlessly in the boy¡¯s mind, swallowed by a sea of light. He couldn¡¯t feel his body ¡ª not his arms, not his legs ¡ª nothing. Just a numb existence floating in an infinite expanse of brilliant white. There was no sky. No ground. No sense of direction. Only light¡­ and silence. ¡°Did I die...?¡± The realization struck with a dull thud in his chest. ¡°Yeah... I must have. There¡¯s no other explanation.¡± --- One Hour Earlier A small, modest room bathed in sunlight. A teenage boy lounged on his bed, eyes glued to his laptop screen, totally absorbed in the climax of an anime episode. "That baldy still isn¡¯t giving it his all. If I copy and refine his full power now, I can win!" "Here," said a man wrapped in a swirling cosmic aura, tossing a glowing core toward the caped baldy. "You¡¯re late," he added coolly. The caped baldy¡¯s eyes widened as memories of his cyborg student flashed through his mind. Without hesitation, he surged forward ¡ª a blur ¡ª and launched a devastating punch. The cosmic man mimicked his face and returned the exact same punch with terrifying precision. Then ¡ª everything froze. A spinning loading circle appeared, mocking him. ¡°No!! Come on! Not now!¡± the boy cried, shaking the laptop. His eyes darted to the corner of the screen. Data expired. Subscription ended. ¡°Hahh... are you kidding me?¡± he groaned, flopping back with a sigh. After a moment, he glanced at his wallet and the clock on the wall. ¡°Well... might as well grab some cola and snacks too,¡± he muttered, dragging himself up and heading out. Outside, the sun was warm and the air felt gentle. A perfect, peaceful day. Not a single cloud threatened the sky. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. --- A short while later, the boy exited a small shop, plastic bags in hand. Inside them ¡ª cola, snacks, vegetables, and meat. ¡°Careful on your way back! Looks like rain¡¯s coming!¡± the cashier girl called out from inside. Turning with a smile, he replied, ¡°Got it!¡± But as he stepped outside ¡ª the sky had changed. Dark clouds swirled above like ink spilling across a canvas. Faint flashes of lightning flickered in the distance. He paused for a moment, watching the sky. ¡°It¡¯s... kinda beautiful.¡± Opening his umbrella, he picked up his pace, starting to jog. High above, unnoticed ¡ª a glowing circle began to form in the heart of the storm clouds. A dragon¡¯s roar boomed from the heavens. He looked up, eyes narrowing ¡ª A massive black bolt of lightning tore through the sky. Before he could move, it struck him. --- His body collapsed to the ground. The bags scattered. His vision faded. The last thing he saw ¡ª a girl running toward him, her expression lost in the haze. --- ¡°What¡¯s happening...? Where am I...?¡± There was no sensation. No warmth. No cold. Only the endless, blinding light. ¡°I¡¯m dead... I really died.¡± He tried to move, but there was nothing to move. Not restraint ¡ª but oneness. He had become part of the light itself. ¡°Will I be trapped here forever...? Just the thought is enough to drive me insane.¡± A hollow chuckle echoed in his mind. ¡°Hah... Guess I have no choice but to get used to it.¡± Then ¡ª a voice. Soft. Gentle. Female. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. You won¡¯t be stuck here. That world might hurt... but you¡¯ll find the happiness you¡¯ve always been looking for. See you in the real world, Moari Rinkato-san.¡± Her voice trembled with warmth, fading like a dream. ¡°Wait¡ªwho are you? What do you mean? Don¡¯t leave me here!¡± His thoughts screamed, desperate for answers. Suddenly ¡ª sensation returned. He could feel again. The brush of air, the pull of gravity, the beat of his heart. ¡°I¡¯m Lis... I won¡¯t forget you. I promise.¡± Her voice echoed once more, soft as a whisper. He couldn¡¯t see her face, but felt her hand gently touch his eyes. They opened ¡ª and he was staring at a bright, blue sky. ¡°Wha¡ª?!¡± His body twisted instinctively. He was falling. Below ¡ª a vast, ancient forest stretched as far as the eye could see. Giant trees loomed like titans. There was no sign of people, no city, no life. Panic surged. His heart raced. Not just because of where he was ¡ª but because he was about to crash. ¡°SPLASH!!¡± The serene lake shattered under his impact, waves rippling outward. ¡°Ugh! Cough... cough!¡± he sputtered, dragging himself to the shore. Collapsing onto the grass, he gasped for air, his clothes soaked and heavy. A strange, green moss clung to his leg. He grabbed it, trying to pull it off ¡ª but it wouldn¡¯t budge. ¡°Arghh...¡± With one hard yank, it tore away. Blood oozed from the moss itself. ¡°...Eh?¡± Staring at it, breathing heavy, he slowly stood. Water dripped from his hair. His body ached. But a crooked smile tugged at his lips. ¡°Well then... what now, Isekai?¡± His eyes gleamed ¡ª for a second ¡ª with something unseen. --- To be continued... Please like and share... SeeYouNara Chapter Two: The Howl in the Mist Lying on his back, he gazed up at the sky. Slowly, he raised his right hand toward the light above, lost in thought. ¡°I can do this,¡± he murmured, slipping into a daze. But the moment didn¡¯t last. His thoughts were interrupted as he sat up abruptly, shaking his head roughly and slapping his cheeks a few times. ¡°Alright. I need to survive in this world.¡± The words echoed in his mind as he scanned his surroundings. First, he had to see if there were any human settlements nearby. His eyes locked onto the tallest tree in the area, and he pointed toward it with determination. ¡°There,¡± he said to himself, his finger pausing on a massive black tree that towered over the rest. While the average trees here stood around 30 meters tall, this one easily reached 50 meters, its dark bark unlike anything he¡¯d ever seen. He made his way quickly toward it. ¡°HOLY¡ªTHIS THING¡¯S HUGE!¡± he shouted, stunned by the sheer size of the trunk. If the inside of this tree were hollow, even an elephant could fit inside, he mused, circling it. Its coarse bark gave him some hope. His confidence to climb it rose from zero to about fifty percent. With that sliver of courage, he began his ascent. It wasn¡¯t easy. His hands slipped more than once, and he struggled to find decent footing. Eventually, he gave up and slid back down. ¡°Stupid tree!¡± he yelled and kicked its massive base. Pain shot up his leg. ¡°Argh! Damn it!¡± he hissed, clutching his foot. ¡°You¡¯re evil,¡± he muttered, slumping against the bark. A voice echoed in his head¡ªhis own. ¡°You¡¯re weak and lazy, blaming a tree? Not cool, man.¡± He smirked at the mockery, closing his eyes. ¡°Yeah, yeah. It¡¯s my fault,¡± he said. ¡°Mocking yourself now? Classic.¡± ¡°I am myself,¡± he replied to no one. His inner monologue spun on. And as he sat there, he began to reflect¡ªnot just on the tree, but on his life. He didn¡¯t have many friends. He used to tell himself it was fine. But deep down, that wasn¡¯t true. His heart knew it, even if he pretended otherwise. No real love from family either? Maybe. These days, he could go a whole month without talking to them and not feel a thing. But maybe that was just him lying to himself again. ¡°You do want to be loved, idiot. Admit it. You¡¯re always doing everything alone. You think that¡¯s normal?¡± He found himself talking louder now, half laughing, half pained. Stolen story; please report. ¡°Whatever,¡± he said. ¡°No time for this.¡± Survival came first. He forced a grin, brushing aside his own feelings like he always did. ¡°Alright. If I follow a river, I might find a human settlement,¡± he recalled from a survival guide he once read. ¡°Damn, I¡¯m brilliant.¡± But then a dark thought crossed his mind. What if this world has no humans? The idea terrified him. Still, he kept walking. A strange feeling washed over him, like he was being watched. He scanned the forest warily, senses sharp. Hours passed, yet no sign of a city. Exhausted, he slumped against a tree. The sky was orange now¡ªprobably around 4 or 5 PM. He needed to make a fire. He gathered dry wood, leaves, and two decent-sized stones. He hadn¡¯t done this before, but hey, how hard could it be? Turns out... pretty hard. Sparks refused to come, and frustration mounted. Then he remembered¡ªthere was a lighter in his backpack. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± he whispered, relieved. Night fell fast. He sharpened a stick with a stone and headed to a nearby river to try catching something¡ªanything. Before that, he made a crude shelter from large leaves and sticks. ¡°Man, I¡¯m beat,¡± he muttered, poking around the riverbank. The fish here were weird. He saw them dart between rocks, quick and cautious. It took a while, but he finally speared one. ¡°What the hell is this?!¡± he yelled, holding it up. Five eyes stared at him¡ªwhite, black, red, yellow, and blue. Its body was purple, and its tail glowed faintly. Freaked out, he crushed its head and tossed it aside. Black blood oozed out. ¡°Poisonous, for sure,¡± he thought, his stomach growling in protest. He hesitated. Then, hunger won. Gras... gras... A faint rustle from the bushes to his left. He froze. Something was there. The night air thickened, the silence broken only by his own breath¡ªuneven, shallow. His skin prickled. The hairs on his neck stood on end, and dread coiled in his gut like a serpent. He stared into the thicket. Nothing. But the silence wasn¡¯t comforting. It was wrong. Too quiet, too still. A cloud drifted past the moon, casting strange shadows. Then, a low mist began to seep between the trees, clinging to the ground like a creeping hand. He couldn¡¯t breathe. His instincts screamed¡ªRun. Without thinking, he gulped several mouthfuls of water from the river, but his eyes stayed locked on the forest. Every step backward felt like a gamble. Then, he turned¡ªand ran. But something was following. He didn¡¯t hear it. He didn¡¯t see it. But he felt it. Every crunch of leaves beneath his feet echoed in his mind like thunder. His heart pounded wildly, and his vision blurred as terror gripped him. The fog thickened, wrapping around the trees like a shroud. His feet stumbled over roots, leaping over them as if his life depended on it¡ªbecause it did. ¡°What the hell is happening?!¡± he gasped, breath ragged, panic surging. He didn¡¯t dare look back. The forest blurred around him, shapes shifting in the dark. Something was there. Watching. Chasing. Hunting. He sprinted faster, driven by pure fear, not knowing what lay ahead. Just escape. Survive. A hill loomed in front of him. He scrambled up, legs burning, lungs screaming. He crested the top¡ªand froze. A cliff. The land just ended. Cold wind whipped against his face as he stared into darkness. The fog masked everything beyond the ledge. ¡°No... no no no!¡± He spun left, then right¡ªnothing but steep drops. His breath came in short, ragged gasps. Panic clawed at his throat. Then¡ª Rawwrghhwoooohhh!! A howl. Not a wolf. Something else. Deeper. Darker. Inhuman. It echoed from the river, where he¡¯d just been. His blood turned to ice. He spun, eyes wild, searching¡ªanywhere, anywhere to hide. There. Below. About twenty meters down¡ªtangled roots jutting from the cliffside, forming a hollow space. Move. He slid down, grasping branches, clawing at rock. His hands bled. His arms ached. One slip and he¡¯d die. The wind howled around him, carrying whispers he couldn¡¯t understand. He reached the hollow, his body trembling. Cramped, but hidden. He collapsed into the space, heart still racing. The fear didn¡¯t leave him. It pressed against his chest, heavy and suffocating. In the distance, the howl echoed again. Closer. --- At the riverbank, the beast stood still. Not just a wolf¡ªsomething far worse. Taller than a man, built of sinew and shadow, with three thick tails swaying behind him. His red eyes gleamed, locked on the horizon. Not a sound. Not a breath. Just stillness... Then, in an instant, he moved. The ground beneath his feet shattered, splinters of earth scattering as he launched forward, a blur of power. In moments, he reached the top of the hill¡ªthe same hill where the human boy had stood. He scanned the dark forest below. Eyes narrowed. Silence. Then, with a voice like a growl soaked in disgust¡ªlow, calm, mocking¡ª > ¡°Is this a joke?¡± His claws flexed, and the air grew colder.