Prologue

*POV: Linfer*

"Where am I?"

"Who am I?"

My soul floated in a cold, black void, as if the universe itself had rejected me. I couldn't tell if my eyes refused to see or if it was simply too dark. I tried to use my mana, to move even just a finger, but my body felt like an invisible prison.

Seconds dragged on, turning into minutes, hours, maybe even years. Soon, I stopped counting. I had lost all sense of time, all meaning in this emptiness. The only thing that remained... was that name.

"Linfer? The doctor? But… what is Linfer? What am I talking about?"

I couldn't even think clearly anymore.

Then, after what seemed like an eternity, a red light tore through the darkness. It overflowed with a devouring energy, ready to consume me. I tried to avoid it, but at that moment, the darkness shattered like a broken mirror. I found myself floating in a grand, opulent hallway, vast and eerily empty.

I moved, finally free, but each step felt heavy, uncertain.

"Why is this hallway so long?" I murmured, exhausted.

Then, a massive door appeared at the end of the hallway. I approached it, passing through like a shadow in the wind. Inside, there were two figures. A woman stood, majestic and still, her long olive-green hair cascading down her back. In her bandaged arms, she held a small boy, his complexion deathly pale, his hair black as ink, and his eyes… piercing ruby red, softly crying.

The scene was silent, oppressive. I couldn't see the woman's face, but something about her was familiar, unsettling. The boy spoke in a language I didn't understand at first, but the words slowly formed in my mind, like solving a riddle.

"Mother, why must you leave?" asked the boy, sobbing.

"Do not cry, my heart. When you grow up, we will meet again."

"But here, I'm already all alone... Are you going to abandon me too?"

At these words, a sharp pain pierced my heart, as if I could feel the boy's suffering. A sense of emptiness, of abandonment, like an echo of my own despair.

"Don't say that, Linfer. You are my most precious one," she said, wiping away his tears with infinite tenderness.

"Then why are you leaving?"

"I must look after your brother, my love. But we will be reunited in the future," she replied, her tone almost teasing, light.

"What brother do you mean, mother? That bastard Leviathan?" asked Linfer, confused.

The woman placed Linfer on the ground and kissed his forehead, where a faintly glowing Omega symbol was engraved.

"No, my treasure. You will meet him when the time comes. But until then, listen to Caesto's advice."

Her figure began to blur, like an illusion about to fade. Linfer felt it too. He knew this was the last time he would see his mother.

"When will we be reunited, mother?" he cried, desperate.

The woman put a finger to her lips, as if searching for the right words. The affection in her voice disappeared, replaced by a cold, almost cruel tone.

"Prove your worth, my child."

And she vanished, leaving Linfer alone in the vast silence.

"Prove my... worth?" he murmured, falling to his knees, helpless.

"What am I supposed to do?"

At that moment, my mind fogged, as if that question was meant for me. A strange connection had formed between Linfer and me. His suffering, his doubt, all resonated deeply within me.

I watched him, unable to look away, before trying to approach. My hand reached out, but before I could touch him, the scene shattered once again.

*End of POV*