"Come. Join us. We're offering a path few dare to walk. Become a Curse-Bound… and see the world as it truly is."
"What do you mean… Curse-Bane?" Daigo asked cautiously.
The man stepped closer, "A Curse-Bound is someone who risks his life fighting Curses—or something stronger— for the sake of humanity," the man explained. "Very few survive the process. Even fewer can control them."
"You've stepped into a realm most people can't even perceive."
"You said you're from Covenant," he muttered. "I've seen you on the news… the Devil hunters."
The man smiled. "That's the surface. What people need to see. What we want them to believe. But reality is a bit messier."
"Messier how?" Daigo's voice turned cold.
The man tilted his head. "Let's just say… some truths are better hidden. We destroy Devils, yes—but there's more at play. The world's balance is crumbling. New forms of Curses are emerging—smarter, stronger, organized. We need people like you, Daigo."
He paused, letting the silence settle.
"Your powers are rare. Not born… awakened. And your connection to this Abyss—is unlike anything we've seen before."
Daigo hesitated, but maybe Abyss itself—urged him to listen.
"I don't trust you," he said finally.
"You shouldn't," the man replied without flinching. "But that's part of the test."
From inside his coat, he pulled out a thin metallic card and offered it.
"This isn't an order. It's an invitation. Touch this when you're ready. We'll come to you."
Daigo took it slowly. "Why me?" he whispered.
The man's smile faded. "Because the moment you survived the Abyss… you stopped being just human."
Without another word, the two turned and walked away—no footsteps, no sound, disappearing into the night as if swallowed by the shadows themselves.
Daigo stood there, heart racing, the card clenched in his hand.
He looked down at it.
A single word glowed faintly across the surface: Covenant.
The next few days blurred into a fog of uncertainty.
Daigo kept the Covenant card hidden in his drawer, checking it each night, half-expecting it to vanish—or worse, activate on its own. It never did.
The shadows still lingered. They watched him from corners, their shapes growing more defined. Less flickers of smoke—more like silhouettes.
And Abyss? It was silent. Dormant. But never gone.
School became unbearable. He sensed everything. He knew when someone was lying. When someone was hiding pain.
He started avoiding his classmates. Even his few friends drifted away, unsure what to make of his sudden change. He couldn't blame them. He barely recognized himself.
One afternoon, just before sunset, he made his decision.
He sat at his desk, staring at the Covenant card glowing faintly. A single thought echoed in his mind.
"If I'm already cursed… I might as well choose how I burn."
He touched the card.
It vanished.
A moment later, the light in his room flickered—then died.
Silence.
Then a knock at the window.
Daigo turned. Two figures stood outside the glass—one was the man from before. The other, a tall woman with long black hair and an eyepatch.
The window slid open… on its own.
"Ready?" the man asked.
"No," Daigo answered honestly, grabbing his coat. "But I'm coming anyway."