Chapter 1: Kaji's Shop
In a small café, where the noise of people mixed with the scent of coffee, Rin sat in a distant corner. His features were pale, his shoulders slouched as if carrying the weight of the world. His eyes were lost in emptiness, and in front of him sat a glass of juice he hadn't touched.
Yumi, the waitress who clearly knew him well, placed the drink before him and whispered with a stern yet caring tone:
— Rin... stop with this despair. Be confident, you'll get a job.
Rin slowly raised his eyes to her, his voice barely escaping his lips:
— I'll never get a job. I'm tired of trying, Yumi…
Yumi sighed heavily and gently hit the table, though she didn't hide her frustration:
— You're making me lose hope! Go and find a job, you lazy guy! And if you give up now, your mother will be buried under the ground!
Her words struck his heart like an unexpected slap. But they weren't harsh... they were honest. Suddenly, something moved inside Rin — the memory of his sick mother in the hospital, and a reality that could no longer afford his weakness.
Rin returned home. He opened the door silently; his long face, messy hair, and dark under-eye circles needed no explanation. His house was dim... just like him.
He entered his room and turned on his computer. He opened a search engine and began scrolling through job websites without enthusiasm, until... a strange link appeared before him:
"Kaji Shop – Hiring. No qualifications needed. Just be ready."
His heart skipped a beat. He didn't know why, but something about that link kept his eyes fixed on it. He clicked it... and a simple form appeared. He filled it out without hesitation.
Seconds later, a notification popped up:
"You've been accepted. We'll send you the location."
— This… is amazing! Rin said, raising his hand to the sky as if finally breathing life again.
But his smile soon faded as he read the location details.
A nearly abandoned place, far off, on the city's outskirts.
— Who even opens a grocery store in a place like that? Doesn't matter… at least I found a job.
Moments later, another message arrived from the contact saved as "Kaji Shop":
"Come at 8 AM. Use the back door. Your job starts then."
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The next morning, Rin prepared for what could be a turning point in his life. He took a taxi from his city to "Kaji Shop."
The road was long, and the destination isolated; the shop seemed far from civilization, surrounded by a strange calm and an eerie silence as if life had abandoned the place.
He got out of the car and approached the front door, only to find it locked. Then he remembered the message: "Use the back door."
He walked behind the building and found a slightly open wooden door. He gently pushed it — it opened with no resistance. Inside was engulfed in a solemn silence.
He stepped down the wooden hallway cautiously until he reached a door with a sign hanging: "Open."
He gently pushed it... the room was empty, no one in sight. But it wasn't ordinary; in its very center sat a wooden table, and on it lay a round golden stone engraved with intricate patterns, hinting at an ancient origin.
In the center of the stone glowed a red gem, pulsing with a mysterious light.
Rin whispered: — "What is this?"
He was drawn in by an irresistible curiosity. He reached out and touched the stone, but the moment his black eyes met its red gem, a terrible weight surged through his body.
His limbs froze as if something was pulling him down. The stone slipped from his hand — but it wasn't just falling...
A beam of light burst from the stone, stretching toward him violently, pulling his body as if it wanted him — demanded him — as if some invisible bond connected them.
Rin felt his body tear apart from within, the crushing pressure nearly unbearable. He screamed, screamed with all his might...
. . .
Then suddenly...
Everything vanished.
He felt like he was floating... the heaviness was gone. His body light as a feather.
He opened his eyes — and his heart froze... he was underwater.
He tried to breathe, but couldn't. Panic seized him. His mind spiraled with the fear of death. He could no longer move, realizing this might be his final moment.
But just before losing consciousness, he saw a foggy shadow slowly approaching him…
He couldn't see its features — but its presence was overwhelming.
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