Chapter 1 - The Black Book
Everyone knew what a black book meant.
For around 100 years, they had appeared without warning.
On desks. On beds. On park benches. Inside lockers.
No one knew where they came from.
No one knew why certain people were chosen.
But everyone knew what happened next.
A 12 hour countdown.
And then the trial.
Most people dont survive.
Shinya stared at the black book sitting in the center of his desk.
"…Well," he muttered.
"Shit."
The small dorm room of the orphanage felt strangely quiet.
The book hadn't been there a minute ago.
He was certain of it.
Yet now it sat calmly in front of him as if it had always belonged there.
Pitch black.
No title.
No markings.
Just a smooth cover that seemed to swallow the dim light of the lamp above it.
Shinya leaned back in his chair.
"…Maybe if I ignore it, it'll go away."
He looked away for a moment.
Then slowly looked back.
The book was still there.
"…That never works."
He opened it.
The pages were blank except for a single line of text.
Scenario: The Midnight Festival
Below it, a timer ticked down.
11:59:48
11:59:47
11:59:46
Shinya blinked.
"…Midnight festival?"
The door suddenly burst open.
"Shinya! You are not going to believe—"
Haru stopped mid-sentence.
His eyes landed on the book.
"…Oh."
He slowly held up his own.
Another black book.
Shinya stared at it.
"You too?"
"Yeah."
Footsteps ran down the hallway.
Sota appeared in the doorway holding something.
"Guys look what just appeared in my ro—"
He froze.
"…Why do you both look like someone just died?"
Shinya pointed at the object in his hand.
Sota slowly looked down.
Another black book.
"…Oh."
"Yep," Haru said.
A quiet voice came from the hallway.
"…Um."
They turned.
Mika stood there nervously.
Holding one as well.
For a moment, the four of them just stared at each other.
Four black books.
Four timers ticking down.
Finally Sota spoke.
"…What are the chances all four of us get chosen?"
"Extremely low," Shinya replied.
"Great," Sota said.
"Love that for us."
Haru opened his book and looked inside.
"…Wait."
He frowned.
"What?"
"It says the scenario."
"Yeah," Shinya said.
"Same here."
Haru looked up.
"Midnight Festival."
Sota blinked.
"…That sounds… nice."
Mika tilted her head.
"Like… a celebration?"
Shinya checked again.
Scenario: The Midnight Festival
No mention of monsters.
No warnings.
No survival conditions.
Just… a festival.
Sota suddenly grinned.
"Hold on."
He pointed at the page.
"You're telling me our trial is basically a party?"
Haru laughed.
"Oh man."
"We got the easiest one."
Mika looked relieved.
"…You think so?"
"Absolutely," Sota said confidently.
"I've heard about nightmare scenarios where people get thrown into war zones."
"Or monster forests," Haru added.
Shinya crossed his arms.
"…A festival still sounds suspicious."
Sota waved him off.
"You worry too much."
"It literally says festival."
Haru nodded.
"Worst case scenario, we eat some weird festival food and go home."
Mika smiled nervously.
"Well… if we're all together, it might not be so bad."
Shinya looked at the timer again.
11:57:13
Even after a hundred years, no one fully understood the books.
Some people believed they were created by an ancient civilizations.
Others believed they came from another dimension.
But one thing was certain.
If someone survived a nightmare…
They came back different.
Stronger.
Marked by supernatural powers called Sigils.
And they received mysterious Keys that opened gateways to a distant world known as Elythera.
Those survivors were called Veilbound.
Sota dropped into a chair.
"Well."
"If we survive, maybe we come back with cool powers."
Haru smirked.
"Please don't get powers."
"Why?"
"You'd become unbearable."
"I'm already unbearable."
"Exactly."
Mika giggled.
For a moment the tension faded.
The four of them had grown up together in this orphanage.
Fought together.
Protected each other.
Stolen snacks from the kitchen together.
They weren't family by blood.
But they were the closest thing to it.
Sota stretched.
"Imagine if this really is just a festival."
Haru laughed.
"We'd be the luckiest people ever."
Shinya looked down at the black book again.
Something about it still felt wrong.
But even he had to admit…
Compared to the horror stories people told about the trials.
The Midnight Festival sounded harmless.
The timer ticked again.
11:55:18
Outside the window, the city lights flickered.
Cars moved through the streets.
People laughed somewhere in the distance.
The world looked completely normal.
Sota cracked his knuckles.
"Well."
"If we're going into a trial…"
He grinned.
"…at least it's a festival."
None of them knew the truth.
The festival wasn't a party.
It was a trap.