jorge_guillem

In a world ruled from the shadows by powerful international mafias, a mysterious tree known as “The Tree of Eden” becomes the epicenter of a global conflict. Every 1,000 years, this tree produces a single apple, a legendary fruit that grants the possessor absolute power capable of changing the fate of the world. However, the tree also grants special abilities to those who are part of these mafias, fueling a constant war for control of its power.
Akihiko Sora, a 17-year-old prodigy, has lived his entire life in the darkness of organized crime. Cold and calculating, Akihiko has learned to survive thanks to his unique ability: the manipulation of the vacuum, a devastating power that has made him one of the most lethal weapons in his organization. Armed with his katana, “Kurai no Kiba”, and guided by a code of conduct, Akihiko has learned to survive. and guided by a code of honor that contrasts with the chaos of his environment, his loyalty is shaken when he discovers fragments of the truth about the tree and the link that binds him to its dark origin. .
But as the world's mafias embark on an all-out war to claim the forbidden fruit, Akihiko is drawn into a conspiracy beyond his understanding. Ancestral secrets, unexpected betrayals and a destiny that seems written in the heart of the tree will push him to question not only his purpose, but also the price of power.
Will Akihiko be able to unravel the mysteries of the tree before its fruit falls into the wrong hands, or will the weight of his skill and his past condemn him to eternal emptiness?
In this struggle for truth and survival, one thing is certain: the next bearer of the apple will have the power to decide the future of the world .

Shikkoku no Eden

The road leading to the City of Forgetfulness was a dead path, forgotten by time. There were no signs, no traffic, not even a trace that it had ever been a well-trodden route. Only the cracked asphalt and the thick fog that seemed to swallow everything around it.

Akihiko, Isabella, and Kael traveled in a dark vehicle, the headlights barely able to pierce the dense fog. The silence inside the car was stifling, as if the city itself were waiting for their arrival.

"Are you sure this is the right address?" Isabella asked, looking at the GPS, which was blinking erratically.

Kael frowned. "There are no maps that record this location. But according to the coordinates in the message, we're less than a kilometer away."

Akihiko said nothing. His gaze was fixed on the road, but his mind was on Ezra. If this place held the truth they needed, it could also be the ultimate trap.

The Ruins of the Lost

As they crossed a hill, the City of Oblivion appeared before them. It wasn't a city in ruins, but it wasn't alive either. Entire streets were plunged into darkness, high-rise buildings with broken windows and neon signs flickering intermittently. There were no moving cars, no pedestrians. Only an air of abandonment and doom.

Isabella rolled down her window and shuddered. "This place... feels wrong."

Kael checked his device and shook his head. "No signal. No energy records. As if we were off-world."

Akihiko stopped the car and got out. The city was completely silent. Too silent.

"They're watching us," Akihiko muttered.

Isabella pulled out her resonant strings, and Kael readied his modified pistol. "Who do you think it is?"

Akihiko narrowed his eyes. "We'll find out soon enough."

The Inhabitants of Nothingness

They walked through the deserted streets, sensing the presence of something in the gloom. Suddenly, a silhouette emerged from an alley. It was an elderly man, wearing a ragged coat and a blank stare.

"Are they still alive...?" the old man murmured, his voice breaking.

The old man looked at them in terror. "Don't you see? The city is devouring us. It's condemning us. We're no one anymore."

Akihiko felt a chill run through his body. "Explain. What does that mean?"

The old man raised his trembling hand and pointed behind them.

They turned and saw dozens of figures emerging from the shadows. Men and women with blank stares, pale skin, and heavy movements. They didn't look like ghosts... but they weren't quite human either.

Kael whispered, "What the hell...?"

One of them spoke up. "You shouldn't have come here."

Akihiko felt his instincts screaming that they were in danger. Something else was watching them from the darkness. Something worse.

The lights on the buildings began to flicker erratically, as if the city itself was reacting to their presence.

"They've been waiting for us..." Isabella murmured.

One of the inhabitants moved forward slowly, his eyes reflecting absolute blackness, an endless void. His skin began to crumble like ash floating in the air.

Kael took a step back. "Akihiko, this isn't normal. We have to get out of here."

The old man spoke again, but his voice was now a distorted whisper: "There is no way out... We all end up forgotten... We all become part of this."

At that moment, reality distorted. The ground beneath their feet seemed to shake, and the shadows on the walls lengthened into amorphous figures.

Akihiko drew his katana. "Get ready. Something's coming."

Chapter 57: The Damned of the Forgotten City