Chapter 1: Merging with Brook, Escaping from Hell
The underworld. The road to the afterlife.
Brook slowly opened his eyes in a daze. There was no light—just an endless gray haze. He felt disoriented, weightless, and strangely uncomfortable.
Why is it so dark? Did I forget to turn on the lights? Where are the neon signs of the city? Could there have been a blackout in my neighborhood?
I hope it's not a blackout... After drifting for years, the only companions in my rented apartment were my fragile, delicate goldfish. If the power went out, the water would stop circulating, and they'd suffocate by morning. They were my only comfort, the little creatures I had nurtured by hand, feeding them one pellet at a time.
Shaking his head, he closed his eyes and reopened them, scanning his surroundings. Then he froze.
He couldn't feel his hands or feet.
Everything around him was eerily silent. A pale, skeletal road stretched into the distance, leading to a murky yellow river that churned sluggishly. The dim, oppressive atmosphere sent a shiver through his very soul.
Where... am I?
Confusion clouded Brook's mind. Was this a dream?
Did I die? Is this the afterlife?
Suddenly, an overwhelming flood of memories surged into his mind, crashing against his consciousness like a tidal wave. They weren't just memories—they were being forcibly integrated with his very soul.