The gray sky carries the sins of a nocturnal city. The towering skyscrapers illuminate the air and transform the world's notion of beauty.
But the planet is surrounded by evil: parents kill children, brothers murder each other — a cycle of hatred that never ends.
Many say: "Hate is nothing but a bird without wings that saw death and tried to fly."
They killed my precious sister, the one I was responsible for after our parents died.I… couldn't protect her.
Everything sounds like a romanticization of once-respected values, now glamorized in series and films. That's Tokyo. That's the entire circumference of this hell.
People continue their mediocre lives alongside their daily habits, unaware that the world is disintegrating bit by bit.
"Jin, can you cover my shift today, please?" asked one of my colleagues at the company where I work, the one responsible for the country's internet systems."I scheduled with some friends a while ago and… you know. I can't miss it.""I've got it covered," I replied calmly, although I knew it wasn't the first or the last time I'd do this."You're the best, Jin!" he said, with hollow words.
My shift is in the afternoon, but I constantly have to cover certain people throughout the night, which destroys my sleep routine. That's why I was diagnosed with depression a few months ago.
This stressful routine lasted twenty years, until I was about to take my own life.
On a night when the winds blew stronger, I climbed to the top of one of Tokyo's tallest buildings. It took me almost an hour to climb all the fire-escape stairs.
Sadness guided my slow steps.
A voice in my head whispered: "End all the suffering."
I leaned over the edge of the building. One more step and I would fall onto the abyss of constructions and cars. The view of the crowded avenue, filled with people walking back and forth, blurred my eyes. The deafening horns filled the city.
I closed my eyes. Tears ran down from my right eye.
With one step forward, I cast my life into the abyss.
As I fell, feeling the intense pressure of the wind on my face, I experienced extreme relief.
I was no longer in my world. But I hadn't even touched the ground yet.
When I opened my eyes, I was in a barren, endless desert, with only one oasis by my side. The heat was unbearable — and so was my thirst.
"Jin! What an honor to receive you here!" said a young, calm voice like the sound of waters, coming from behind me. "I have been waiting for you all this time."
Turning around, I saw a boy. He had hair white as snow, a shining face, and eyes ablaze. He smiled and approached.
His feet, polished like bronze, walked slowly. He held a circle with seven stars in his right hand, and carried a double-edged sword on his back.
I couldn't move. The adrenaline from the fall and fear of death froze me.
"Who are… you?" I asked, trembling in my voice.
"Me?" he replied, placing his hands on my head, giving me strength to stand again. "I am the First and the Last. You don't need to worry."
An inexplicable comfort filled my heart, like that of a hungry person being fed.
"I brought you here to give you a mission," he continued, turning the circle in his hand. "Be careful with what is coming, Jin."
"But… how do you know who I am?" I asked, intrigued.
"I know who you are. I know that you consider that world a hell," he answered calmly. "But truly, I tell you: the lake of fire is much worse than any suffering you've ever felt."
"I know you like the back of my hand. I know you cannot stand evil men," he continued. "And that you persevered through hard times. But you have not known first love."
A door opened, revealing a staircase. The boy began to climb.
"Come up here, and I'll show you what will happen," he ordered.
I climbed and saw a vast hall with a throne, on which sat a being resembling a jasper-stone figure, with an emerald-like appearance. Around that throne were twenty-four smaller thrones, where beings dressed in white sat, wearing golden crowns.
Lightning and thunder echoed through the hall. There was a table before the main throne, and on it rested a book — written inside and out, locked with chains.
A deep sadness overwhelmed me. A feeling similar to the depression I once felt.
"Do not approach this book yet. I will tell you its story over time," said the boy. "I want you to hold this staff… and just listen to me."
The staff was entirely made of wood. Every detail was perfect.
"You can't take it anymore, can you?" he asked, placing his hand on my shoulder."I… I just want a place where I can rest in peace," I answered honestly.
"Then I have great news!" he said, smiling. "The time has come… the end of the world is about to begin!"
I didn't understand, but… I felt happy.
"How so? What do you mean?" I asked.
"The Earth is about to receive its beloved and loved Owner, who was hated by many," he answered, circling me three times. "And, with that, every seal on Earth will be released — like stages in a game that can accumulate."
"You will only need to prevent disasters across the world you love so much!" he continued. "I will guide you during this time, don't worry."
"Of course, you will receive your rewards: the world of peace you have always dreamed of," he said, gesturing. "Isn't it a great deal?"
"Just so you know, your mission is to stop the end of Earth," he said playfully. "And save as many people as possible!"
My mind went blank.
If I couldn't save my sister… how will I save the world?
And how will I know if all of this isn't just a dream?
A new door opened, like a magnet pulling me back to the real world.
"Before I go... tell me your name, please!" I begged, already stepping through the door.
"You can call me Omega!" he said, waving his right hand.
At that moment, I saw an indecipherable symbol on his thigh, like an ancient rune.
And then, I awoke. My head rested on the pillow. I was in the bed I always slept in.
Then… was it all a dream? A dream more realistic than usual?
It was impossible.
The wooden staff was there, standing next to my bed, just as I'd been given it.
In the distance, I heard an explosion.
I ran, grabbed the TV remote. The battery was low and took a while to turn on.
"Urgent! Hundreds of thousands have just died for no reason across the world!" the journalist screamed in panic.
While she was still speaking, she fell to the floor, dead, like a wooden stake.
I ran to the window. The street was in chaos: cars out of control, people being run over, screams everywhere.
The staff glowed in the sunlight. It was only seven in the morning.
I descended via the elevator to the lobby.
A group of four young people was looting the building's janitor. He was already dead, slumped over in his office chair.
Blood from multiple people stained the avenue within minutes. The wailing of mothers echoed in the air, screeching like steel.
The sky, once gray, took on a reddish hue.
Then I remembered what Omega had said: "The world is reaching its end."
How can I save so many people?
I ran back to my room and started thinking.
It will probably take days before the internet works again. However, there is a problem: I have no idea how to start this mission.
Omega promised to help me, so I believe I'll have some special ability. But it still hasn't appeared.
Ever since I witnessed the looting and killing on the way down, I became afraid and rushed back to the room, thinking about how to warn the entire population to shelter themselves until government aid arrives.
Apparently, people's true nature began to surface with the end of the world. Those who, deep down, already wanted to kill and steal, started acting without hesitation. The military can't contain those completely consumed by their sins.
These individuals, moreover, display a scar on their bodies — its size determined by the degree of corruption — and they become far stronger than ordinary humans.
All this information was released by newspapers on TV, before some channels stopped working due to technical failures.
Then I remembered a friend named Ashi, who works for an emergency communication company in Saitama. He's strong and muscular, with brown hair, and is my closest friend. He always helped me when I needed it.
Ashi lives in a small condominium of houses about half an hour by metro from Tokyo. However, all train lines were suspended and many streets had been blocked by abandoned cars and bodies.
In short: reaching there will be a challenge.
And… I don't own a car.
"Man… this is going to be harder than I thought," I murmured to myself.
First, I grabbed a travel bag and packed some clothes, drinks, and food. I might get stuck somewhere, so being prepared is essential. It's summer in Japan, and the scorching heat lasts most of the day, so I packed several bottles of water.
Finally, I tidied the house and cleaned the furniture — a habit I've had since childhood whenever I leave for a few weeks.
The sound of keys locking the door echoed through the silent corridor, where only the alarms of a few cars could be heard. A wave of nostalgia filled my heart, along with memories of childhood trips with my sister.
I carried the wooden staff and the bag.
The parking lot was almost empty, silent. Everyone else had fled somewhere far from the city. However, right in the center of the space, there was a beautiful motorcycle, with yellow and blue details.
Beside it lay a skull — the remains of someone who had probably disappeared days ago. The skeleton wore a black leather jacket with a skull design on the back, as well as a helmet.
"Looks like today is my lucky day!" I muttered quietly.
And luck did show: in the right pocket of the jacket was the motorcycle key.
I quickly mounted the bike after donning the jacket and starting it up. Actually, I had driven one back in high school.
I hit the accelerator and sped through the condominium's gate, weaving around fallen people, skulls, and abandoned cars on the streets. The look of those overtaken by feelings was like monsters from science fiction films.
I glanced at the sky and, between the clouds, saw a timer counting down forty hours, twenty-seven minutes, and three seconds remaining. Next to it, a red exclamation point flashed. On the left of the timer, there was a small "1"; on the right, the number "12."
I got distracted by the unusual sight when a Trin — the name I gave those controlled by feelings — leaped onto the motorcycle and tried to steal my watch.
"You're greedy now, huh?" I complained, resisting and trying to regain control of the bike. "Then take what you want!"
I punched the Trin in the face, which made it fall back onto the road.
I didn't know I had the strength to land such a punch.
The wooden staff began to glow and vibrate, but soon dimmed at the end of the scuffle.
I continued for about twenty minutes, watching the timer count down as I navigated the chaos through Tokyo's narrow streets. Then a great earthquake began shaking the buildings in the area.
Frightened, I slowed down. However, a small shopping mall collapsed on top of me.
Dust rose and obscured my vision. I only felt the pain of a cut on my calf as I tried to get up to find the bike.
"I could have used a little more luck…" I murmured again.
Hopping through the debris that had thrown me away, I finally found the bike. I began searching for an exit, but then heard a cry for help coming from inside one of the shops buried under the rubble of the ceiling.
"Is there anyone there?!" I yelled, rushing to the storefront. "I'm human, I can help!"
"Please, help me get out of here!" answered a female voice.
"I will! Don't worry!" I said, lifting a metal bar blocking the store entrance.
In the background, I saw some Trins rising, injured. They didn't pose much danger, but that prompted me to speed up the rescue.
The girl's voice came from under two stone columns pinning her to the ground. I lifted one of them and finally saw her: blonde hair, dark blue eyes, seemingly my age.
I extended my hand and pulled her from the rubble.
"Are you okay?" I asked, handing her a water bottle from my backpack. "I have some bandages if you're injured."
She smoothed her hair and wiped the dust from her clothes.
"I'm okay…" she replied, taking the bottle. "Thank you so much for helping me. I wouldn't have managed to get out of here so soon."
"I was lucky to hear you, even from afar," I continued. "I'm Jin, nice to meet you."
"My name's Kate. Kate Florence," she added. "I came from the United States for a regular trip, but things went south so fast I couldn't even hide."
Her expression was one of relief, just like mine, to find another person who hadn't turned into a Trin.
"That's great! I've never left Japan, I only did domestic trips," I said, walking toward the bike. "And now it seems travel isn't in the cards."
"Speaking like that makes it sound like you were hired to save the world!" she said, laughing. "I hope we get along, Jin."
We shook hands, sealing an agreement.
"But then... do you know what to do?" she asked, leaning on the bike.
"Not exactly," I replied, opening the map on my phone. "But I need to reach Saitama as soon as possible. I need to find someone there who can help us."
"Now that I have no more options, I can go with you," she said, climbing onto the bike. "We can't waste time. So... let's head to Saitama!"
"Perfect!" I said, stepping on the accelerator.
We sped away through a crack in the wall. Soon we saw a street overrun by even more Trins. Kate held tight to the back as we sped through the disaster.
Just the two of us won't be enough... I'll have to find more people before the timer hits zero.
It seems I need to find the best way to survive the end of the world.