Prologue

Human nature is a complicated concept, or so Aksel believes.

He cannot recall exactly when he began to question it, but it started at a young age when he began observing others and himself.

As a child, Aksel found it perplexing how people naturally expressed emotions—how joy, anger, sadness, and love seemed to flow effortlessly from them. He wondered why emotions existed and why they were such a fundamental part of being human.

The more he pondered these questions, the more distant he felt from his own emotions. It was as if his curiosity and relentless questioning caused his true feelings to fade, replaced by a sense of numbness.

Though he could still express emotions outwardly, there was always a disconnecting feeling—a dullness that made everything feel somewhat unreal.

He was fascinated by emotions in theory but struggled to grasp their significance on a personal level.

This detachment drove Aksel to study psychology and biology, hoping to find answers in the scientific understanding of human nature. Yet, even with all his knowledge, he still couldn't bridge the gap between knowing and feeling.

On a fortunate day after two years of university, he received an invitation to a game he had been waiting for all along. A game infamous among his peers.

The game, "Domain of Greed," was rumored to be violent and psychologically challenging. It was a killing game where participants used tarot cards to fight.

Despite the risk of death, the players would be revived after the game. This absurd and seemingly impossible concept was supported by the fact that the students who had played before, had returned unscathed.

Aksel decided to play the game anyway, intrigued by the promise of a grand prize: a wish that could grant any desire. It sounds just as absurd, but the grand prize isn't his only reason. He truly wishes to rediscover his own emotions. True emotions.

However, this game would challenge him in the harshest ways possible—morally, psychologically, and physically. It would be more than what he could handle.

Difficult decisions that would come to leave haunting regrets and guilt.

Playing the game wasn't a regret, but he would come to regret the people he met and the alliances he made on the way, including those he had known long before the game.

This was probably why he found this concept fascinating but hard to grasp.

Emotions enable expressions, but they also change humans in drastic ways. People can be so quick to betray for the promise of a single good thing—just like how he uncovered the vile aspects of the people he considered allies.

Aksel now understood. Perhaps this is why the game was called "Domain of Greed" in the first place.

A game where emotions and the fundamental human instincts take control.

Greed is this game's fundamental human instinct.

Defy it or give in. It is a choice yours alone to make.

***

An insane yet quiet laughter sounded from the wounded Aksel. Behind him were his allies, either unconscious or too injured to move a muscle.

As if this wasn't hurtful enough to find that your longtime friend had been betraying you all this time.

Aksel fixated his gaze at the game host, tears swelling down his cheeks.

So this is what despair feels like.

He had no one left on his side standing. It was just him alone now against the others. And the game host standing over there but a silhouette made up of black smoke.

" ■■■■… What was your purpose behind creating this game?"

All followed was silence. Dead silence.

Strangely, Aksel felt as if he could take a breather at last and let down his guard. It felt was if time has frozen around the two of them.

She gave him no answer nor did he have the energy to repeat his question.

Her silhouette figure stepped closer towards Aksel. Black smoke trailing behind her.

"It's best you don't step foot within this game no more."

…

"It is a warning."

Those were her last word before sending Aksel into oblivion.