In a house falling apart on the outskirts of NQSC, a young man remained curled up, hugging his knees.His eyes—deep and hollow—stared into nothingness, as if every will to live had been drained from his body, fading away like a dandelion carried by the wind.
Despite the abandonment and neglect, he could still be considered handsome.His long, unkempt hair was golden at the roots and whitish at the tips, a sign that it had not been cut in a long time.His face was well-defined, and his golden eyes—an inheritance from his parents—still glimmered faintly, a lingering remnant of the glory he once possessed.
The room mirrored his own decay.Peeling walls, shattered windows through which icy wind crept inside, and a grimy single bed covered in years of dust.Even so, the rats of the outskirts dared not approach.It was said that the house had once been inhabited by a powerful Awakened.And no one knew what might have been left behind there… for anyone brave enough to claim it.
In that stagnant state, where time itself seemed to have lost all meaning, the young man's eyes suddenly changed.They gained a sudden clarity, scanning the room around him with shock and alertness.Then, unexpectedly, his memories began to stabilize, bringing with them the understanding of where he was… and who he was.
— Aaff… Samael — he let out a long sigh.— What a hard life we have, huh, Samael? — he murmured to himself.
He delved deeper into the memories of his body.Born into a very wealthy legacy clan, he was the son of a powerful Saint, the leader of the family, with golden eyes and hair inherited from his father.Although his hair was now more white than gold due to stress and suffering, traces of his former glory could still be seen.
When he was younger, Samael had been arrogant and reckless.His parents were loving, and his mother—a formidable Awakened, though less powerful than his father—was beautiful, kind, with brown hair and eyes.He believed that such a happy life would last forever, but reality proved cruel.
His father, Caelus Necroline, a stubborn and proud man, refused to ally himself with Clan Valor or Clan Song.The consequences were catastrophic: he was framed and killed, accused of betraying humanity.His honor was stained, and those who should have trusted him spat insults upon his name.
— I'm sorry… — were his father's final words.— Please, don't become like me, my son.
After his father's execution, the clan was hunted down. Samael and his mother fled and hid on the outskirts of NQSC.She, once cheerful and loving, began to live only out of obligation.
When Samael was thirteen, his mother took her own life, leaving behind only a letter of apology.He never saw her body, but he knew what had happened.That day, Samael died emotionally, even though his body remained alive.
The world gave no time to recover. It was cruel: either you were strong, or you died.
And as if mocking him, a year later Samael was prematurely dragged into his First Nightmare.While most youths faced their first Nightmares between sixteen and eighteen, he was pulled in at fourteen—and remained trapped there for four years.
Now, he couldn't remember what he had done or suffered during that time.The memory loss was a defense mechanism of his body.Even so, merely thinking about it made his body tremble.The fear, pain, and brutality he had endured were sealed within his subconscious—but their shadow still haunted him.
— What a hard life… — Samael muttered after finishing recalling his memories.
He looked around, took a deep breath, and began to think about what to do next.
— I don't want to change the original storyline, but I want to make the most of my knowledge, live peacefully for once, and finally rest… — he said to himself.— So, what do I do now?
— I guess my best option is to enroll in the Awakened Academy.— The winter solstice is still a little far off…— But how am I supposed to get there? Just thinking about taking the subway and facing the crowds makes my whole body shiver and my stomach turn.
— I don't remember ever having such a severe fear of crowds in any of my lives… it must be related to the memories I lost.— How many hours will I have to walk to get there?— I already feel exhausted just thinking about it…— Isn't there any faster way?
Samael searched through his memories, but in the end, it was futile. There was no other option at the moment.He let out a sigh.
— I'll leave that for later. There's still the part I'm most excited about—finding out what my Aspect is.
Samael had never checked his Aspect before, having lost all interest in living.— Could it be a divine Aspect? Like Sunny's or Neph's? — he thought, excitement bubbling up just from imagining it.
But there was one detail Samael failed to notice: even though his mind was full of anticipation, his face showed nothing but the same habitual, sorrowful expression.