Untethered.
Ren drifted in an endless, inky sea, the weight of his existence little more than a faint whisper.
Ahead, a distant beacon of light pulsed, its radiance pulling him toward it—a pull he couldn’t resist.
Not that he had much control in the formless state he was trapped in.
He moved as the currents carried him, drifting toward that glowing promise of salvation.
For the first time in years, after endless struggles, Ren felt something he hadn’t in a long while: bliss.
But, like a cruel illusion, it vanished in an instant.
Suddenly, a voice shattered the fragile peace—echoing from every direction.
“Oh, look who we have here.”
It was a voice unlike any other—both young and ancient, male and female, soothing yet terrifying, all at once.
It seeped into Ren’s bones, like an icy draft.
Pulled from his brief serenity, Ren’s mind raced to respond.
“Huh? Who is it?”
“I asked first. Boy.”
“I—who—”
Ren struggled to focus.
“I am Ren.”
“Oh, you remember! Fascinating.”
The voice boomed, dripping with amusement.
“You’re just what I need.”
Cold and alien, a force gripped Ren’s limbs.
His body, once adrift, became anchored as his consciousness was violently yanked from the depths of the dark sea.
“So, Ren…” the voice purred, now much closer. “I assume you know what happened, don’t you?”
“I— I was helping David get out when—”
“And then you died.” The voice interrupted dismissively.
“Let’s not waste time on specifics.”
A horrific laugh followed, making Ren recoil, his insides trembling.
The voice continued, cold and unfeeling.
“I have an offer for you, my boy. Something you can’t refuse.”
“Offer…?”
Ren’s voice cracked, unease rising within him.
“Yes.”
The voice now emanated from a singular, terrible point in front of him.
Ren’s heart froze as an enormous eye loomed above him—vast and all-encompassing.
As his gaze rose, he realized he was being held—no, crushed—by an equally monstrous fist.
Ren screamed, a primal, desperate sound rising from deep within him.
But the voice, sharp and frigid, silenced him.
“Stop making that horrid noise, boy.”
Ren’s mouth vanished entirely, the creature’s cold, biting words still echoing.
“You will be my herald in this world. In return…”
Suddenly, Ren was drawn closer, his body twisted and forced into place as grotesque hands sprouted from the giant’s palm.
They cruelly forced his head upright, keeping his eyes open as his vision locked on the gargantuan eye before him.
Within its depths, he saw flashes of his family—his mother, his brother, David.
The voice hummed, its words laced with dark promise.
“I’ll let you return to them.”
Ren’s body trembled as the images of his family burned into his mind.
Despite the creature’s overwhelming power, a spark of resistance flared in him.
He fought against the grip, thoughts screaming, ‘No. Let me go. I will never—’
“Oh, let you go?”
The creature chuckled, a deep, hollow sound.
It dangled Ren above the black sea, his face inches from its surface.
“Are you sure? I could drop you back here. You know what that would mean, don’t you?”
Ren’s breath hitched.
This form of his, this soul, couldn’t cry.
He wanted to scream, wanted to fight, but the weight of the situation crushed him.
The voice mocked him, venom in its tone.
“Are you going to leave them behind, Ren?”
It taunted.
“Just like your good-for-nothing father.”
Visions of his mother—clutching onto him and David, crying in anguish—assaulted Ren’s mind like a hammer.
The pain in his chest was unbearable, a tear in his soul too much to bear.
Unable to endure any longer, Ren ripped his face open with a tortured cry.
The scream was so agonizing that, for a moment, the creature’s presence faltered.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” it rumbled, satisfaction thick in its voice as it lifted Ren back toward its monstrous eye.
“Be the bearer of my name in the next world,” it commanded, its tone now cold and calculating.
“Once you’ve done so, I shall renew your leash of life and return you to the plane you once called home.”
Battered and broken, Ren nodded in silent, reluctant acceptance.
The monstrous eye glowed with terrible approval as it consumed him, pulling him into its dark, twisted realm.
***
The first thing Ren noticed was the pain in his chest.
A burning, relentless sensation that felt like his lungs were being crushed from the inside out.
He tried to inhale, but the air was thick and viscous, like a strange liquid filling his lungs.
It burned, but not in a familiar way, not like fire—it was suffocating, like drowning, but without the rush of water.
He couldn’t remember how he got here.
His mind felt hazy, fragmented, like his memories were shards of glass he couldn’t piece together.
Faces, voices—blurred, like shadows lurking at the edge of his awareness.
Panic rose within him, but he couldn’t focus.
Not with the burning in his lungs intensifying with every shallow breath.
When he opened his eyes, all he saw was darkness.
The liquid surrounding him was thick, and he realized with shock that he was submerged in it—trapped in some kind of glass vat.
But it wasn’t clear; he couldn’t see through it, just an endless green haze.
The liquid was odorless, but the sensation was overwhelming.
It pressed against his skin, holding him in place, weighing him down.
Each breath he took felt like a struggle, fighting against the thick syrup that refused to let him breathe freely.
The pressure tightened, pushing back, unnatural, wrong—like drowning without ever sinking below the surface.
His hands moved to his sides, trying to push against the glass, but the liquid clung to him, refusing to let go.
Panic surged again, and he struggled, muscles trembling, fighting against the burning pressure.
He needed air—he needed to breathe.
His mind felt sluggish, like the liquid inside him was slowing his every thought, every movement.
What had happened to him?
His head swam with unanswered questions that slipped further away, replaced by the overwhelming need for air.
With each desperate breath, the burning sensation in his chest grew worse.
He was trapped—he had to be.
But trapped where?
How?
His vision blurred, panic tightening its grip on his chest.
He slapped his hand against the warm glass, and then again, and again.
Each strike reverberated through his body.
Finally, the entire contraption shook, the liquid slowly draining away.
Ren’s feet touched the bottom of the vat, but his legs gave way, and he crumbled, unable to stand.
“What is happening? Why can’t I… stand?”
As the last of the liquid drained, the glass began to rise.
Cold air hit his face, and a silhouette appeared before him, reaching out with an extended hand.
“NO. Stay away from me! No!”
Ren yelled, trying to back away.
The figure groaned at his attempt and lunged toward him.
“AHHHHHH!”
Ren screamed as the world went black once more.
***
When Ren awoke again, it wasn’t in a cold, cruel lab but a soft, unfamiliar bed.
Instinctively, he tried to sit up, but sharp pain shot through his body, as if his muscles had revolted at the mere thought of movement.
“Hel-kee…” he tried to call for help, but his voice was strangled, weak.
Before the suffocating pressure could take over, two hands firmly grasped his shoulders and helped him sit up slowly, a pillow placed behind him to support his spine.
The hands gave a brief, reassuring squeeze, and the pain began to fade.
As Ren relaxed, he became aware of the figure beside him.
It was a girl.
Her complexion was pale, and her short, dark hair framed her face.
Her amber eyes, though sympathetic, held an icy, distant quality.
Ren wanted to ask who she was, but the memory of everything that had just transpired still lingered too heavily in his mind.
Instead, he focused on piecing together the situation.
She wore a navy-blue uniform with white gloves, giving her an air of authority—like a military officer.
His gaze drifted upward, searching for more clues, until his eyes landed on something strange.
‘Are those… horns?’
His mind scrambled to make sense of it, his thoughts a jumble.
‘Why the hell does she have horns?’