To understand the story I am about to tell you, I need you to believe in the impossible—to believe in magic and fantasy. This is a tale of fantasy.
My name is Roy Japheth Proogalis, and ever since I was born, I have never achieved anything great in life. I have never won a trophy, medal, or even an award. I cannot remember a single time when I came first in anything.
My mother died when I was nine years old, and I have lived with my father ever since. Life has been quite gruesome, and now here I am at my university graduation ceremony.
So, what next? When will I accomplish and achieve something great? When will I finally be happy?
CHAPTER 1
The Encounter
At Grandsky University Auditorium, the principal was presenting certificates of completion to all the graduating students of Grandsky University. Every student received their certificate alongside their parents, except Japheth and a few others.
Grandsky University is an elite educational institution where only the very best students are admitted. Each year, only three hundred students are accepted into the university. It is a large institution with excellent facilities. Furthermore, every year, only one student is awarded a full scholarship, and Japheth was one of those students.Among the rich Roy was considered the worst.If any student attend grand sky university, getting a employed by the government is guaranteed especially award winners.The principal took the stage.He went by the name Crory.
Principal Crory:Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen and my esteemed colleagues .To the award winners I have a little speech I prepared in my mind just now.As you're moving into he world don't let your focus be only on success but try to become a person of value,become someone who will make an impact in human history and send ripples across time to the next generation.Go out there and make a difference,make us proud.
There was a moment of silence a d then a thunderous uproar of applauds.The principals speech inspired everyone and it almost inspired Japheth.
The Principal stepped onto the stage.
The enormous auditorium fell silent.
Thousands of students, teachers, parents, and distinguished guests turned their attention toward him. Beyond the walls of the school, millions more were watching through television broadcasts and livestreams across the internet.
The graduation ceremony was being broadcast nationwide.
This was no ordinary graduation.
It was a moment that could change the lives of the students standing on that stage.
The Principal raised the microphone.
Principal: "This year, we have only ten award winners."
A wave of anticipation swept through the audience.
Principal Crory slowly unfolded the list in his hands.
Principal Crory: "Beginning with our tenth award winner…"
The giant screens behind him displayed the names as he spoke.
Principal Crory: "Felicity Opal."
Applause erupted.
"Howard Justice."
More applause.
"Ray Formungard."
"Honord Ainsel."
"Florence Mira."
"Lord Augustine."
"Anthony Charmy."
"Dokod."
"Jaykel."
"Rael."
The Principal paused.
The entire auditorium seemed to hold its breath.
Then he announced the final name.
Principal Crory: "And finally… Simon Roul."
The atmosphere changed instantly.
The moment Simon stepped forward, cameras began flashing.
He was undeniably handsome, impeccably dressed, and carried himself with a quiet confidence that immediately drew attention. More importantly, everyone at the school knew who he was.
Simon Roul—the wealthiest student in the school.
Students raised their phones, desperately trying to capture photographs of him.
Some whispered excitedly among themselves.
Others simply stared.
And within minutes, the ceremony was no longer the only thing people were talking about.
Clips of Simon receiving his award began spreading across the internet at an astonishing speed.
One video became another.
Then another.
Soon, Simon's face was appearing across social media feeds everywhere.
Comments flooded in.
"Who is he?"
"He's unbelievably handsome."
"Is he really the richest student in the school?"
Countless girls began crushing on him, and his sudden popularity transformed him into an overnight sensation.
Yet while the students and viewers were captivated by the spectacle, another group watched the ceremony for an entirely different reason.
Scattered throughout the audience were scouts and representatives from various industries.
They weren't there merely to applaud.
They were studying the graduates.
Every award recipient was being observed—closely.
Their confidence.
Their achievements.
Their potential.
Their presence.
Each time another winner stepped onto the stage, another scout made a note.
The ceremony continued, but beneath the applause and flashing cameras, something far more significant was taking place.
The ten award winners had come to receive their honors.
But for some of them…
this was only the beginning.
The first award winner, Simon Roy, was invited to deliver a speech.
Simon stepped forward, took the microphone, and faced the audience.
Simon: "Do you ever wonder how people become rich and successful? Most people claim that education is the key to success, but that's not necessarily true. Think about the people who have achieved great things without receiving a formal education.
"To surpass everyone else and become successful, you have to volunteer when everyone else hesitates. You have to learn when everyone else is sleeping, train when everyone else gives up, and, above all, never give up on anything, no matter how difficult it becomes.
"My dad once told me that to overcome any problem, you simply have to open your mind to new possibilities. He always said that there is nothing new under the sun—and that there is nothing impossible on this planet."
The moment Simon finished speaking, the hall erupted in applause.
His speech quickly spread across the internet, going viral on social media. Before long, both Simon Roy and his friend, Roy Japheth Proagalis, were becoming widely talked about online. Although they were friends to a certain extent, few people knew much about their relationship.
After the applause finally died down, Principal Cory stepped forward and took the microphone.
Principal Cory: "Now, there is a very special student I would like to recognize. This student has created a new world record by achieving something greater than any student in this school has ever accomplished.
"He achieved a perfect score of one hundred percent in every single subject."
The entire hall fell silent.
Principal Cory paused for a moment, allowing the anticipation to build.
Principal Cory: "The student's name is…"
Another moment of silence passed.
Then Principal Cory announced:
Principal Cory: "Roy Japheth Proagalis."
For a few seconds, nobody reacted.
Then whispers began spreading throughout the hall.
"Who's Roy?"
"I've never heard of him."
"Roy Japheth Proagalis?"
"Who is this guy?"
The name of Roy Japheth Proagalis had suddenly become the center of everyone's attention.
Roy's heart skipped a beat when he heard his name again.
Principal: "Come forward, Roy Japhet Proagalis."
For the second time, his name echoed through the hall.
Roy could feel his heart pounding against his chest. Something strange was happening to his face. The corners of his mouth began to move in a way that felt unfamiliar.
Was I… smiling?
He slowly rose to his feet.
As he walked past the rows of students, applause erupted throughout the hall. Everyone was clapping for him, but for once, Roy barely noticed anyone around him. His eyes remained fixed on the stage.
He had finally achieved something he had desired for so long.
When Roy reached the stage, the principal handed him his award.
The moment it touched his hands, a strange warmth filled his chest.
It was an emotion he hadn't felt in years.
Pure bliss.
For once, Roy felt genuinely happy.
Unbeknownst to him, videos of the ceremony had already begun spreading across the internet. Clips of Roy receiving his award were rapidly going viral.
The principal handed Roy a microphone.
The hall gradually fell silent.
Roy looked out at the crowd—and beyond them, at the countless people watching through their screens.
Then he began to speak.
Roy: "My whole life has been boring, tiresome, and unhappy. I never got the things I desired. I wasn't as lucky or as happy as many of you have been."
He looked down at the award in his hands.
Roy: "This is my first award. And all I can say is… the feeling of achieving something, of finally winning something, is pure joy."
The crowd listened in silence.
Roy: "A lot of people want to be smart, handsome, rich, or famous. But I believe they all want those things for the same reason."
Roy raised his eyes toward the audience.
Roy: "Every human being wants to be valued by someone. To be recognized. To be cherished."
His grip tightened around the microphone.
Roy: "In order to be recognized and valued, I studied. I kept studying… and studying… until I pushed myself to the point of madness."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Roy: "And now…"
He lifted the award slightly.
Roy: "Here I stand."
For a moment, the hall was completely silent.
Then—
APPLAUSE!
The entire auditorium erupted.
Roy stood there as the applause surrounded him.
His speech was being recorded from countless phones, and within minutes, clips of his words were spreading rapidly across the internet.
For the first time in his life, the world was looking at Roy Japhet Proagalis.
And Roy finally understood what it meant to be seen.
He lowered the microphone, handed it back to the principal, and slowly stepped down from the stage.
The graduation ceremony had finally come to an end.
Laughter and applause echoed across the academy grounds as graduates celebrated the first day of their new lives. Joy filled the air like music.
Friends embraced tightly, making heartfelt promises to meet again no matter where life took them.
Some excitedly talked about the prestigious jobs they had already secured.
Others laughed as they discussed wedding plans, dreaming of the families they hoped to build.
A few proudly spoke about inheriting their parents' companies, while others couldn't wait to travel the world in search of purpose and adventure.
Every smile carried hope.
Every conversation pointed toward a bright future.
Everyone had somewhere to go...
Everyone except Roy.
Standing alone beneath the fading afternoon sky, Roy silently watched his classmates disappear through the academy gates one by one. Their cheerful laughter only made the silence surrounding him feel heavier.
"I've graduated..."
"So... what now?"
A gentle breeze drifted across the courtyard, carrying flower petals through the air. The once-crowded campus slowly emptied until only a handful of students remained.
Parents wrapped their children in proud embraces.
Friends posed for photographs.
Teachers exchanged final words of encouragement.
Roy stood by himself.
No one had come to celebrate with him.
No one was waiting for him outside the gates.
For a brief moment, an unbearable emptiness settled deep within his chest.
He closed his eyes and looked toward the endless blue sky.
Only one face appeared in his mind.
His mother.
A faint smile crossed his lips.
"Would you have been proud of me today?" he wondered.
Roy was twenty years old.
Messy black hair framed his calm, thoughtful eyes. His lean build and oversized clothes made him blend effortlessly into any crowd, as though the world had never truly noticed he existed.
With a quiet sigh, he adjusted the strap of his worn backpack.
Turning around, he took one final look at the academy that had been his home for years.
The towering buildings shimmered beneath the golden afternoon sun.
The flower petals dancing through the wind almost looked like the academy itself was bidding him farewell.
Roy smiled softly.
"Goodbye..."
Then he began walking toward the massive iron gates.
Each step carried him farther away from the only life he had ever known.
He had no destination.
No plans.
No family waiting for him.
Only an uncertain future.
Then—
"Well... well..."
A mocking voice suddenly sliced through the peaceful silence.
"...If it isn't the academy's biggest loser."
Roy stopped walking.
His footsteps froze.
Standing directly in his path was a young man dressed in an expensive tailored suit, surrounded by several admirers.
Simon Rowul.
The wealthiest student in the entire academy.
Beside him stood an astonishingly beautiful young woman with long flowing hair and elegant clothing, her confident smile making it obvious she enjoyed every second of the spectacle unfolding before her.
Simon was the son of James Rowul, one of the country's most influential businessmen—a man whose wealth and political connections placed him among the untouchable elite.
Growing up with limitless privilege, Simon believed the world existed solely for his amusement.
And Roy...
Had always been his favorite target.
A cruel smile slowly spread across Simon's face as nearby graduates turned their attention toward the confrontation.
One by one, conversations died away.
The courtyard grew silent.
Simon stepped forward until only a few feet separated them.
He looked Roy up and down before letting out a mocking chuckle.
"So..."
"You actually managed to graduate."
"I never thought someone as completely worthless as you would make it this far."
Laughter erupted from the students standing behind him.
Some whispered.
Others simply watched.
Roy didn't respond.
His face remained calm.
His eyes showed nothing.
Simon climbed onto the podium, uncorked a bottle of champagne, and poured it over Japheth's head as laughter erupted from the crowd.
Japheth didn't flinch.
His face remained as calm as a frozen lake, devoid of anger, shame, or pride.
Simon stepped closer, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Simon: "You cheated... didn't you? There's no way an ordinary student scores a perfect hundred in every single subject. That's not talent—it's impossible."
Japheth slowly turned his eyes toward him.
A faint, unreadable smile appeared.
Japheth: "Weren't you the one who always said... nothing is impossible on this planet?"
Silence.
Consumed by humiliation, Simon shoved him to the ground.
The crowd gasped.
Japheth calmly stood up, dusted off his uniform, and walked away as if nothing had happened.
At the school gate, he stopped.
For one final moment, he looked back at the towering campus of Grandsky University.
The place where he had spent years chasing perfection.
"So... this is where it ends."
"No friends."
"No joy."
"Only achievements."
"I've graduated... but what comes next?"
A bitter smile crossed his face.
"In my opinion..."
"School really sucks."
Just then...
SCREEECH!
A sleek black Porsche rolled to a stop in front of him.
The rear door slowly opened.
A man dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit stepped out, his face hidden behind dark sunglasses. Every movement radiated authority.
He stopped before Japheth.
Unknown Man: "Japheth..."
"I am a detective from the Bureau of State Detectives—the B.S.D."
"My codename... is Black Suit."
"We've been watching you."
"Your extraordinary intelligence has caught the Bureau's attention."
"We believe your mind can solve mysteries that have baffled the nation's greatest investigators."
He reached into his coat and produced a sleek black card embossed with a silver emblem.
Holding it out, he spoke one final sentence.
Black Suit: "Welcome to the beginning of your real education."
Japheth stared silently at the invitation.
His ordinary life had just come to an end.
The day I accepted that card... everything changed.
That single encounter with the mysterious man marked the end of my ordinary life.
From that moment onward, I dedicated every waking second to one ambition—
To become a detective.
For three relentless months, I trained without mercy, driving both my mind and body far beyond their limits. Every failure became a lesson. Every sleepless night brought me one step closer to my dream.
Six months later...
I earned my detective certification.
It should have been the happiest day of my life.
Instead...
Fate stole that joy from me.
My father passed away from a sudden heart attack.
I never had the chance to show him the badge I had worked so hard to earn.
I never heard him say he was proud of me.
Two months after his passing, I solved The Golden Case—a mystery that had remained unsolved for more than sixty years. A case countless detectives had abandoned...
...was finally brought to an end.
From that day forward...
The world no longer called me by my name.
They called me—
The Golden Detective.
Within a single year of graduating from Grandsley University, I had become the most celebrated detective on Earth.
---
One Year Later...
The Bureau of State Detectives
An oppressive silence consumed the briefing room.
The only sound was the low mechanical hum of the projector as image after image illuminated the darkness.
Bodies.
Dozens of them.
Their skin was unnaturally pale.
Their limbs were locked in unnatural positions.
And every single victim shared one horrifying detail...
Not a single visible wound.
A wave of unease swept through the room.
Even veteran detectives found themselves unable to look away.
The secretary stepped to the front, her expression grim.
Secretary: "Over the past several weeks, bodies like these have been discovered all across the country."
The next slide appeared.
Photographs of missing persons.
Children.
Adults.
Entire families.
Secretary: "At the same time... reports of disappearances have risen at an unprecedented rate."
Silence.
No one dared to speak.
Then...
The secretary slowly turned toward the man seated at the end of the table.
The detective whose name had become legend.
Her voice broke the silence.
Secretary: "Detective... we need your help."
The projector flickered one last time.
The room plunged into darkness.
Somewhere beyond those walls...
A nightmare had already begun.
And this time...
The truth would be far more terrifying than anyone could imagine.
The city had become a prison of fear.
It began with a single disappearance.
Then.....
People vanished in broad daylight without leaving behind a single clue. Days later, their lifeless bodies would mysteriously reappear in different parts of the city—untouched, unmarked, yet complete.
Even the police had reached a dead end.
Roy.
Now a mature young man, Roy possessed a calm confidence that commanded every room he entered. His neatly trimmed jet-black hair framed a handsome face with sharp features and unwavering eyes that seemed capable of seeing through deception itself.
He wore a perfectly tailored blue suit beneath a long brown coat that flowed behind him with every step. A matching blue tie rested neatly against his shirt, while a polished golden watch gleamed on his left wrist.
Stacks of investigation files covered his desk.
Roy slowly flipped through them before a small smile formed on his lips.
Roy: "Alright..."
He closed the final file.
Roy: "Let's see if I can solve this case."
Standing beside him was his investigative partner, Toya.
Elegant and composed, Toya carried herself with quiet authority. Her long crimson hair flowed gracefully over her shoulders, contrasting beautifully with her focused dark eyes. Her intelligence was legendary within the Detective Bureau—her IQ exceeded Roy's by exactly one point, a fact she enjoyed reminding him whenever she had the chance.
Roy turned toward her.
Roy: "Let's begin with the CCTV footage."
A knowing smile crossed Toya's face.
Toya: "You read my mind."
---
Hours later...
The two detectives traveled across the city, collecting surveillance recordings from every location where a victim had disappeared.
Inside the bureau's analysis room, countless monitors illuminated the darkness.
Roy increased the playback speed to 8×, his eyes effortlessly tracking every movement on the screen.
Across from him, Toya pushed her footage to 12×, her gaze never wavering.
Minutes passed.
Nothing.
Nothing.
Still nothing.
Then—
Both detectives suddenly stopped.
Click.
Their fingers struck the pause buttons at the exact same instant.
Silence.
Displayed on both screens...
...was a single distorted frame.
A towering black humanoid figure.
Its body appeared almost liquid, cloaked in darkness. It moved with such terrifying speed that even the high-definition security cameras failed to capture its true form, leaving behind only a warped blur.
For several seconds...
Neither detective spoke.
Toya quietly reached into her pocket, removed a flash drive, and inserted it into the laptop.
The frozen frame was extracted.
Toya: "Got it."
Roy was already standing.
Without another word, the two sprinted toward the Detective Bureau's forensic division.
Moments later...
Deep beneath the headquarters, inside the Advanced Digital Forensics Laboratory, the bureau's state-of-the-art supercomputer powered to life.
A deep mechanical hum echoed throughout the chamber.
Toya inserted the flash drive.
The machine processed the image.
Enhancing...
Reconstructing...
Rendering...
Then the enormous holographic display lit up.
The room fell into complete silence.
For the very first time...
Humanity was staring directly at the creature responsible for the city's horrifying disappearances.
And it was looking straight back at them.
The supercomputer magnified the blurred image until the mysterious creature filled the enormous display.
A heavy silence settled over the room.
The creature possessed an almost human face, yet something about it was disturbingly unnatural. Though it had legs, it hovered effortlessly above the ground, defying all logic. Its eyes were darker than the deepest ebony—empty, lifeless, and filled with an unsettling presence.
Toya and Roy stood frozen, unable to tear their eyes away from the screen.
Roy: "Is... is that a ghost?"
Toya: "Ghosts don't exist."
Roy frowned, refusing to look away.
Roy: "Then what kind of creature is that?"
Before either of them could investigate further, every file on Toya's Rapidrive suddenly vanished.
One after another, the images disappeared.
ACCESS DENIED
FILES DELETED
The room fell silent.
The doors slid open.
A stern State Officer stepped inside, followed by several armed agents. His sharp gaze swept across the room before stopping on Roy and Toya.
State Officer Pablo: "Detective Golden Boy. Detective Toya. By direct order of the Chief Executive, you are both relieved of duty."
The room grew colder.
Pablo: "You are forbidden from investigating this case any further."
Without another word, Pablo turned and walked away, the doors closing behind him with a heavy metallic thud.
Roy clenched his fists.
Roy: "I was assigned this case today. We've already made significant progress."
He lowered his voice.
Roy: "We were so close... I could feel the truth within reach."
Toya's eyes narrowed as she stared at the now-empty screen.
Toya: "The Bureau is hiding something."
She turned toward Roy with unwavering determination.
Toya: "If they're trying to bury the truth... then we'll uncover it ourselves."
Roy gave a confident smile.
Roy: "Then we'll go undercover."
He slipped his revolver into his coat pocket before grabbing a notebook and pen.
Beside him, Toya holstered her handgun, tucked her investigation diary into her jacket, and secured it tightly.
She reached into her pocket and put on her detective lens.
The transparent visor flickered to life, projecting streams of digital information across her vision.
She looked at Roy.
Toya: "Let's go."
Without another word, the two detectives walked out, unaware that every step was leading them deeper into a conspiracy far greater than they had ever imagined.
They went around the cities making inquiries from people and checking different surveillance cameras for clues.
At Night...
Darkness blanketed the city as Roy and Toya sat on a weathered bench beneath the pale glow of flickering streetlights. A cool breeze drifted through the empty streets, carrying the distant hum of traffic and the occasional wail of a siren. The night felt strangely still.
Each held a can of soda, drinking in silence after an exhausting day spent investigating the mysterious disappearances.
Spread across the bench between them were handwritten notes, witness statements, photographs, and a worn city map covered in circles and red markings. Together they reconstructed every clue, searching for the one connection everyone else had missed.
Finally, Toya's eyes widened.
Toya: "...Everything leads back to the city sewers."
Roy studied the map for several long seconds before giving a slow nod.
Roy: "...You're right."
Neither of them spoke again.
Determination replaced exhaustion as they gathered their files and headed toward the nearest sewer entrance.
The rusted manhole groaned loudly as Roy pried it open.
A wave of foul, damp air surged upward.
Without hesitation, they climbed into the darkness.
The stench of stagnant water and decay clung to every breath. Moisture dripped endlessly from the cracked walls, each droplet echoing through the maze of tunnels.
Toya switched on her phone's flashlight.
Its pale beam sliced through the darkness, revealing only endless concrete stretching ahead.
Roy frowned.
Roy: "That smell..."
He paused.
"...Something feels wrong."
The deeper they ventured, the quieter the world became.
Soon, the only sounds were the slow splash of their footsteps and the steady rhythm of dripping water.
Then—
A freezing chill swept through the tunnel.
Roy and Toya stopped simultaneously.
Neither had spoken.
Neither needed to.
Instinct screamed.
In one fluid motion, both detectives drew their pistols and aimed into the darkness.
Silence.
Their breathing grew heavier.
The tunnel seemed to hold its breath with them.
Someone...
—or something—
was watching.
Then—
BOOM!!
The ground erupted beneath their feet.
The entire sewer trembled violently.
Concrete cracked.
Steel pipes groaned.
The walls began to twist.
The tunnel stretched impossibly, folding over itself like living flesh. Stone shifted where no stone should move, while ancient pillars emerged from beneath layers of concrete that had no business existing beneath the city.
Within seconds...
The sewer had vanished.
Standing before them was the interior of an enormous ancient structure buried beneath the city—a place untouched by history, hidden from the world itself.
Roy stood frozen.
His heartbeat thundered inside his chest.
Cold sweat trickled down his face as an overwhelming sense of dread rooted him to the floor.
Beside him, Toya struggled to control her breathing. Her hands trembled around her pistol as she bit her tongue hard enough to taste blood, forcing herself to stay focused.
Then...
A heavy footstep echoed through the chamber.
...
Another.
...
Another.
A gigantic silhouette emerged from the darkness.
It stepped into the faint light.
A colossal creature.
Two enormous horns curved from its head like the crown of a forgotten demon.
Its eyes were endless black voids, completely devoid of life.
Its face resembled that of a savage beast, yet behind its monstrous features lurked an intelligence that felt ancient... and terrifying.
Towering muscles rippled beneath its scarred body.
It looked dexactly like a phantom.A story of a scary monster read to several times
Behind it, a massive tail dragged across the stone floor, ending in a thick spiked club that carved deep grooves into the ancient ground with a deafening metallic screech.
SKRRRREEEEEEECH...
The sound echoed endlessly through the chamber.
The creature stood impossibly tall...
Casting a shadow that swallowed both detectives whole.
For the first time since joining the Bureau of State Detectives...
Roy questioned whether they had crossed the boundary between reality...
...and a world humanity was never meant to discover.
"Never in my life had my heart raced so fast.
My own heartbeat pounded a violent, deafening rhythm.
Panic. Total, all-consuming panic. I was paralyzed.
My brain refused to function. I just stood, staring,
witnessing my imminent death."
The creature's smile for Roy was a twisted, predatory
grimace. Toya, sensing Roy's shock, unloaded her
handgun in a rapid fire sequence. The bullets hit, but
they only passed through the creature, tearing its flesh
which knitted back together even faster than they
damaged it. The monster paid no attention to Toya,
ignoring her completely as it advanced towards Japheth,
who sat rooted to the spot in terror. Toya ran out of
ammo and was helpless to stop it. Then, the creature
unhinged its maw, and from Roy's very body, a
brilliant, terrifying white light began to pour,
streaming into the creature like liquid energy. Toya
scrambled forward, her own fear.
The Phantom wore a cruel, twisted smile as it stared down Toya.
She had fought desperately to protect Roy, but the creature's attack had left her barely able to stand. Her body trembled. Every breath came with effort.
Yet she refused to look away from Roy.
Then—
The Phantom lunged.
Its body blurred.
In an instant, it was upon them.
A massive fist tore through the air, aimed directly at Roy.
Toya moved without thinking.
"ROY!"
She shoved him out of the way.
BOOOOM!
The impact unleashed a violent shockwave that tore through the chamber.
Roy was thrown across the floor, his body striking the ground hard.
For a moment, everything became silent.
The chamber blurred around him.
His ears rang.
His vision faded in and out as he struggled to lift his head.
Then—
His eyes widened.
The sight before him froze his blood.
The Phantom stood behind Toya.
Its attack had struck her before she could escape.
Toya remained standing only through sheer determination.
Her strength was fading rapidly.
Yet somehow…
Her eyes were still fixed on Roy.
There was sadness in them.
"Roy…"
Her voice was barely a whisper.
Roy stared at her.
"You have to live."
His eyes widened.
"Toya…"
"Run."
The word echoed through the chamber.
Toya forced herself to breathe.
"Don't let this be in vain…"
Her voice trembled.
"Run!"
The Phantom slowly withdrew its hand.
Then it turned toward Roy.
That twisted smile returned.
"Weak…"
Its voice was low and filled with contempt.
"I hate weak people."
Step.
The Phantom began walking toward him.
Roy tried to move.
Nothing.
His hands wouldn't respond.
His legs wouldn't move.
His entire body had become trapped beneath the weight of his own terror.
No…
His thoughts raced.
Move.
Please…
MOVE!
But his body refused to obey.
The Phantom continued approaching.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Roy looked back at Toya.
She had risked everything to save him.
And now—
Was her sacrifice going to mean nothing?
The Phantom drew closer.
Roy's eyes widened as despair consumed him.
He wanted to scream.
He wanted to fight.
He wanted to run.
But fear had completely paralyzed him.
Then, from somewhere deep within him—
A cry finally erupted.
A raw cry of sorrow.
Anger.
Desperation.
"TOYAAAAAA!"
The Phantom was almost upon him.
Its hand began to rise.
Then—
It stopped.
Silence.
The creature's head slowly turned toward the entrance.
Its twisted expression changed.
For the first time…
It wasn't smiling.
Something had caught its attention.
Roy stared at it, breathing heavily.
"What…?"
Then he heard it.
Footsteps.
From beyond the entrance.
Slow.
Measured.
Deliberate.
Step…
Roy's breathing became unsteady.
Step…
The Phantom remained completely still.
Step…
Whatever was approaching…
was getting closer.
Closer.
And closer.
Until finally—
A shadow appeared beyond the entrance.
Roy's eyes widened.
The Phantom stared into the darkness.
And for the first time…
it looked afraid.
Toya was gone.
Right before my eyes.
For a moment...
I couldn't understand what I was seeing.
My mind refused to accept it.
My body refused to move.
I stood there frozen, staring at the place where she had fallen.
The girl who had protected me.
The girl who had sacrificed herself for me.
Gone.
My hands slowly curled into fists.
Useless.
That was all I was.
Useless.
A worthless person who could do nothing while someone else paid the price.
Then something inside me broke.
A storm of emotions exploded through my body.
Grief.
Rage.
Despair.
All of it burned together until only one thought remained.
Kill.
My breathing became heavier.
My vision blurred.
Kill.
My fists trembled.
Kill.
The Phantom stood there with that same twisted smile.
Mocking me.
Laughing at me.
KILL IT.
I moved.
Not thinking.
Not feeling.
Only rage remained.
I charged forward.
My fist slammed into the Phantom's body.
BOOM!
The impact shook the ground.
But the creature didn't move.
I punched again.
And again.
And again.
BAM.
BAM.
BAM.
My hands screamed in pain.
My knuckles tore.
Blood dripped onto the ground.
But I didn't stop.
I couldn't stop.
"WHY...?"
My voice cracked.
"WHY WON'T YOU MOVE?!"
I struck harder.
"WHY WON'T YOU FEEL ANYTHING?!"
The Phantom simply looked down at me.
Smiling.
That smile.
That disgusting, emotionless smile.
It shattered what little remained of my sanity.
I poured everything into my attacks.
My anger.
My sorrow.
My hatred.
My regret.
But nothing changed.
The Phantom didn't even flinch.
It was as if I was fighting a mountain.
Eventually...
My strength disappeared.
My legs gave out.
I collapsed.
My fists hit the ground.
The same fists that couldn't save her.
My shoulders trembled.
And for the first time...
I cried.
Then—
The Phantom slowly opened its mouth.
A strange pressure filled the air.
Something invisible wrapped around me.
My body weakened.
But it wasn't just my body.
Something deeper was being pulled away.
My memories.
My energy.
My existence.
Images flashed through my fading mind.
Toya's face.
Her voice.
The moments we shared.
They began slipping away.
"No..."
My hand reached forward weakly.
"Don't..."
My vision darkened.
My consciousness drifted.
I felt myself disappearing.
Then—
Tap.
A footstep.
The Phantom stopped.
Tap.
Another step.
Slow.
Calm.
Unhurried.
The sound echoed through the battlefield.
Tap.
A man's voice broke through the darkness.
"Do you really think it's okay..."
A pause.
"...to just give up after you've failed?"
The Phantom's smile faded.
The stranger continued walking.
"Try again."
His voice became sharper.
"Stand up."
The strange force surrounding me vanished instantly.
The Phantom closed its mouth.
For the first time...
It looked unsettled.
I slowly lifted my head.
Someone stood between us.
A man.
At first glance...
He looked ordinary.
Almost too ordinary.
But something about him felt wrong.
Different.
His long, silky black hair was neatly tied back with a hair tie, leaving his calm face completely visible.
His eyes were unforgettable.
A striking violet.
Sharp.
Beautiful.
Unnatural.
His long eyelashes framed his gaze, making his expression seem almost gentle.
But his eyes carried something far colder.
His features were smooth and refined.
A small nose.
Glossy lips.
A face that looked almost too perfect.
His build was average.
Nothing about his body suggested overwhelming strength.
Yet the way he carried himself...
Was different.
He wore a violet shirt beneath a long black sweater covered with numerous pockets.
Black trousers.
Black shoes.
A black wristwatch rested on his arm.
His hands remained casually placed inside his pockets.
The same relaxed posture he kept as he walked forward.
No fear.
No hesitation.
No urgency.
The Phantom was standing right there.
A creature that had crushed everything in its path.
Yet this man walked toward it like it was nothing.
Like there was nothing in this world worth fearing.
He didn't rush.
He didn't prepare for battle.
He simply walked.
Majestically.
And somehow...
That calmness was more terrifying than the Phantom itself.
The man stopped.
The Phantom stared at him.
And for the first time...
The monster looked uncertain.
I didn't know who he was.
But one thing was clear.
This man was not normal.
THE STRANGER
A flaming tail swept through the darkness.
WHOOSH—
Its blazing tip illuminated the chamber for a fleeting instant.
The stranger's voice cut through the chaos sharp, controlled, yet carrying an unsettling weight.
"You're a third-class Flame Phantom."
Roy's eyes narrowed.
Phantom?
His gaze shifted toward the creature.
The stranger continued, his tone unwavering.
"The Bureau of State Detectives sent me. You were ordered off the Glass Case, Golden Boy."
A pause.
His eyes hardened.
"But you refused."
The flames around the Phantom flickered violently.
"Look where that got you."
Roy remained silent.
The stranger tilted his head slightly.
"Smart, yes."
His expression became colder.
"But you must listen."
BOOM!
Without warning
The Phantom lunged.
A blazing fist tore through the air, racing toward them with enough force to shatter stone.
Roy's eyes widened.
But before the attack could connect
WHOOSH!
The stranger vanished.
The Phantom's fist slammed into the ground.
Dust exploded through the chamber.
Roy stared in disbelief.
Where did he?
A shadow moved behind him.
The stranger had reappeared beside Toya's fallen body.
Roy's breath caught.
The stranger knelt beside her and gently placed two fingers against her neck.
For a moment...
Nothing.
Then his expression remained strangely calm.
"Lucky, Golden Boy."
Roy's eyes widened.
"She's alive."
Roy stared at Toya.
Alive...
After everything
A flicker of hope appeared in his eyes.
The stranger slowly rose.
"All I need is magic.
For the first time since Toya fell, Roy felt something other than despair.
He planted his trembling hand against the floor.
THUD.
Slowly...
He pushed himself back onto his feet.
The stranger glanced toward him.
"Do you believe in the impossible?"
Roy stood there, battered and shaken.
But something inside him had changed.
His eyes settled on Toya.
Then shifted toward the stranger.
His voice was quiet.
Yet unwavering.
"As of right now…"
A faint determination settled across his face.
"I believe in everything."
The stranger said nothing.
He simply reached down and placed his hand against Toya.
...
For a moment
Nothing happened.
Then the air trembled.
A strange light began to gather around his hand.
The chamber seemed to hold its breath.
The stranger spoke."Let that which was lost in space…"
The energy intensified.
"be restored."
The air erupted with supernatural force.
Roy shielded his eyes.
When he looked again
His breath caught.
The wound in Toya's stomach was beginning to close.
Flesh restored itself.
The impossible was happening right before his eyes.
Roy could only stare.
The stranger's magic continued to flow.
Then
GASP!
Toya's body suddenly jerked.
Her eyes snapped open.
She drew in a desperate breath.
Alive.
Roy froze.
For several seconds, he couldn't speak.
His eyes remained fixed on her in complete disbelief.
Toya was alive.
"That should do it."
The unknown man's voice remained calm.
"For now."
The damp, oppressive air of the sewer seemed to grow heavier.
Then—
SHING!
A dagger suddenly flew through the darkness.
Roy's eyes widened.
He caught it.
The weapon landed perfectly in his palm.
Across from him, the mysterious man raised one hand.
Thumbs up.
A faint, almost playful smile touched his lips.
"Let the show begin."
Heavenly Sphere
The man slowly opened his palm.
A tiny bluish sphere of energy formed above it.
VMMMMM—
The sphere expanded.
And expanded.
Within seconds, its pale blue glow washed across the entire sewer, illuminating the dripping walls, the murky water beneath their feet, and the massive Flame Phantom lurking in the darkness.
The phantom snarled.
Its body erupted with fire.
Then it charged.
BOOOOM!
A flaming fist came crashing toward the mysterious man.
But—
He was gone.
The punch tore through empty air.
The man reappeared several meters away.
His hands were still buried casually inside the pockets of his long black sweater.
The Flame Phantom roared and hurled a ball of fire.
WHOOSH!
Gone.
The man vanished.
A fraction of a second later—
FLASH!
He appeared on the opposite side of the sewer.
Another fireball.
Gone.
FLASH!
Another position.
Gone.
FLASH!
Another.
There was no visible teleportation circle.
No dramatic preparation.
No wasted movement.
He simply disappeared—
and appeared somewhere else.
Again.
And again.
And again.
To Roy, it almost looked as though the man was casually walking through space itself.
The Phantom couldn't keep up.
It spun around violently, launching flaming projectiles in every direction.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Each attack struck nothing but empty air.
The mysterious man never even removed his hands from his pockets.
His long black hair flowed behind him with every sudden displacement, while his violet eyes remained strangely calm.
He wasn't fighting the Phantom.
He was playing with it.
Roy tightened his grip around the dagger.
His breathing slowed.
One deep breath.
Then another.
His eyes followed the man.
Not his body.
His pattern.
The Calculus of Death
Roy remembered.
The hatred.
The disgust.
The overwhelming desire to kill the creature standing before him.
The Flame Phantom.
That disgusting creature—
The Calculus of Death.
It didn't deserve to live.
Roy's eyes sharpened.
He stopped watching the man himself.
Instead, he watched every disappearance.
Every reappearance.
Every interval.
Every slight change in position.
Again.
Again.
Again.
The pattern repeated.
The mysterious man vanished from one location—
and appeared at another.
Roy tracked it.
Then again.
And again.
His mind began connecting the movements.
There.
The next position.
There.
And the next.
Roy's breathing became steady.
He didn't question the man's impossible ability.
He didn't question the existence of the creature his soul desperately wanted to destroy.
At that moment, there was only one thing that mattered.
The kill.
The Trap Is Set
FLASH!
The mysterious man disappeared.
Roy's eyes immediately shifted.
He knew.
The man was going to appear—
HERE.
FLASH!
The mysterious man materialized.
But this time—
Roy was already there.
Standing directly behind him.
The dagger was ready.
Silence.
For the first time, the man's expression changed.
His violet eyes widened slightly.
He slowly turned his head.
Roy stood behind him, completely prepared.
The mysterious man stared at him.
For a brief moment—
he was genuinely astonished.
Roy had predicted him.
The sewer fell silent.
Even the raging Flame Phantom seemed to disappear from their minds.
The man slowly looked over his shoulder.
A faint smile began forming on his face.
He finally understood.
Roy wasn't simply watching.
He had been calculating.
The man watched through the gloom, tracking the blur of motion.
Roy ran past the man towards the Flame Phantom, with dagger in hand. The phantom opened its mouth and began condensing a huge fire ball. Roy just run towards it.
(The man's thoughts: Brave, selfless, unrelenting, determined and pure of heart. This boy might just be the one…)
"As I run to face the creature, I had regrets. I thought of Toya because there was an eighty two percent chance of eminent death but if my deductions were right the man's special ability was related to the manipulation of space!
The Flame phantom shot a fast powerful blast of flames from its mouth towards Roy.
"As the flames approached me, I felt its warmth of pure destruction but I made up my mind to be braver and never again to hesitate!"
The man snapped his fingers and Roy appeared above the phantom. The phantom looked up and saw Roy and at that instance, Roy used the dagger to pierce through the phantom's head. The phantom exploded and the dagger broke. There was a smile on the man's face.
The man's thoughts: He's the one….
The sewer began to rearrange itself to its normal state. They all appeared outside on the streets where they had opened up the sewer hatch.
Roy looked toward the mysterious man.
Roy: "Thank you…"
The man said nothing.
Roy glanced back at Toya.
She was unconscious.
Roy slowly looked around him.
The destroyed surroundings.
The strange energy.
The impossible battle he had just witnessed.
Everything he had believed about the world was beginning to fall apart.
Roy: "Magic…"
He paused.
Roy: "It's real…"
His vision suddenly began to blur.
Roy staggered slightly.
Roy: "What… is happening to me?"
He looked at the mysterious man one last time.
For some reason, Roy couldn't shake the feeling that meeting this man was not a coincidence.
That encounter had changed something.
Something he couldn't yet understand.
The world Roy knew was no longer the same.
The fantasies he had once thought were nothing more than stories…
were real.
And without realizing it, Roy Japheth Proagalis had just stepped into a world far beyond anything he could have imagined.
TO BE CONTINUED…
END OF CHAPTER 1