Introduction

In the shadows of our world, some souls bear more pain than others—beaten down by fate, forgotten by gods, and cursed with lives not of their choosing. But sometimes, within that darkness, a spark ignites—small, flickering, and stubbornly defiant.

Yuji Kamato was one such soul. Abandoned by fortune, stripped of joy, and pushed to the brink by tragedy, he stood at the edge of life with nothing left to lose. But the end was not the end. From the depths of despair, a voice called to him—a voice from beyond this world.

This is the story of a boy who died in one world... and was reborn in another. A soul touched by darkness, chosen by a god long forgotten. In a realm ruled by power, marked by fear, and shaped by ancient forces, Yuji Kamato is given a new name:

Riven Draythorn.

And with it, a new purpose.

The alarm buzzed quietly in the corner of the room. Yuji Kamato rubbed his eyes and slowly sat up on his thin mattress. The early morning sunlight barely came through the torn curtain hanging over the window. His room was simple — no posters, no shelves filled with books or trophies — just a bed, a wooden desk stacked with old notebooks, and a cracked mirror leaning against the wall.

He checked the time. 6:00 AM.

Yuji got up, stretched, and walked into the small kitchen. His mother had already left for work. She cleaned other people’s houses — sometimes six in one day. Yuji opened the fridge, found a single slice of bread and a little milk, and quietly made his breakfast. He ate quickly, then put on his worn-out college uniform.

Outside, the city was starting to wake up. He walked toward the bus stop, avoiding the curious eyes of shopkeepers and neighbors — all of whom knew his story: “That’s the boy whose father died in that accident… the poor family that has nothing left.”

But Yuji ignored them. He always did.

He reached college just in time. The huge gates of Kairo Central College stood tall, polished, and proud — the exact opposite of Yuji’s world. The moment he stepped inside, the air felt different. Cold. Heavy.

He kept his eyes down and walked toward the building.

He saw a tall boy near the gate, wearing expensive shoes and shiny hair. Yuji hesitated, then asked him, “Excuse me... do you know where Class 4B is?”

The boy raised his eyebrow. “Second floor, that way,” he replied with a mocking tone, then made a weird “whuuu” sound that made his group of friends laugh.

Yuji nodded, quietly said thank you, and climbed the stairs.

When he entered the class, every eye turned to him. The whispers began immediately.

“Who’s that?”

“He looks like a beggar.”

“Ugh, what’s that smell?”

“Must be the scholarship kid.”

He stood silently at the front, trying not to react. The teacher finally entered and calmed the noise.

“This is Yuji Kamato. He’s a scholarship student. Everyone, behave.”

The teacher asked him to introduce himself.

“My... name is Yuji Kamato,” he said softly. “I am... I’m 18 years old. Let’s… study hard.”

The class burst into laughter.

That’s how his first day began.

---

Lunchtime wasn’t any better.

Yuji sat alone under a staircase, eating the plain rice his mother had packed. But even there, peace didn’t last.

A group of students surrounded him.

“So... you’re the scholarship kid?”

“What does your mom do? Wash toilets?”

“Where’s your dad? Oh wait… he’s dead, right?”

“Do you even know what deodorant is?”

“Got a girlfriend?”

They laughed like it was all a game.

Yuji didn’t say a word. He just packed up his food and left.

The days blurred together after that. Weeks passed. Then months. The bullying continued, and eventually, it turned physical. Sometimes a punch in the hallway. Sometimes a shove down the stairs. Always in places the teachers wouldn’t see — not that it would’ve mattered. Once, when he gathered the courage to complain, the teacher said, “You need to learn to fit in. Maybe try acting less weird.”

Worse, they called his mother in and told her Yuji was being aggressive.

He remembered the tears in her eyes as she apologized on his behalf.

That night, he swore he wouldn’t tell her anything again. She already worked too hard, slept too little, and worried too much. He would protect her happiness — even if it meant dying a little more each day inside.

---

Six months passed.

Yuji had become a shell. A walking ghost.

He smiled at home. Told his mother he was doing fine. Made up stories about friends and teachers and grades. She believed him — or at least pretended to.

But one day, she came to college unannounced.

He never knew why. Maybe she felt something. Maybe she was just tired of the lies. But as fate would have it, she arrived while he was behind the building — being beaten again by the same boys.

She heard the noise. Followed the voices. And when she saw her son curled on the ground, bleeding from his lip — something broke inside her.

The boys ran when they saw her. She fell to her knees beside him.

“Why? Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked, her voice shaking. “What are all these bruises? What’s been happening to you?”

Yuji couldn’t lie anymore. He told her everything.

She listened silently, tears falling down her cheeks.

“It’s all my fault,” she whispered. “I wanted too much from you. I should’ve seen how much you were hurting.”

“No,” Yuji said. “I did this for you. I wanted you to be proud. I’m okay. Really. Just go home and rest. I’ll come home after college. Everything will be fine.”

She looked at him for a long time… then nodded and walked away.

---

That evening, as he walked home, he saw flashing lights near his house. A crowd. An ambulance.

He ran.

Neighbors tried to stop him, but he forced his way through.

His mother was gone.

She had taken her life.

The pain that hit him was unlike anything he’d ever known. He couldn’t even cry. His body felt hollow. Like nothing was real anymore.

He stayed inside for days. Didn’t eat. Didn’t sleep.

And on the seventh day, he walked to the bridge.

---

He stood at the edge, staring down at the water.

“This is it,” he whispered. “There’s no one left to live for.”

But just as he took a step forward — a light appeared.

Warm. Silent. Glowing.

And in an instant, he was somewhere else.

No bridge. No water. No pain.

Only light.

And then…

A voice called out to him.