Zenji slowly awoke in a huge room that reminded him of a hospital, but the space was much larger than any hospital room he had ever seen. He realized he had been sleeping on a big, comfortable bed. As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he noticed nurses and a doctor moving about the room; they all looked shocked by his sudden awakening.
Suddenly, one of the doctors called out to a nurse, urgently asking her to quickly call Lord Yume. The nurse made a phone call, and after a brief conversation, she informed the doctor that Lord Yume had been in a meeting. However, upon hearing the news, he had cancelled all his meetings and arrived here within an hour.
A doctor with a pleasant smile stepped forward and stood beside Zenji's bed. "Do you know who you are? What is your name?" he asked gently. Still feeling half-asleep and a bit confused, Zenji's eyes remained half-closed as he whispered, "Am I still dreaming?" The doctor leaned closer, and Zenji repeated his soft plea, "Am I still dreaming?"
The doctor replied kindly, "You are not dreaming; you are in the real world, and you belong here." Zenji's voice trembled as he asked, "Where am I, and who are you?" The doctor explained, "This is your home, and I am the doctor entrusted with your care. I regret that I cannot share all the details, but you have been in a coma for the past five years."
Zenji murmured a quiet "Ooo… okay," and silently stared at his trembling hands as he slowly tried to make sense of his new reality.
After about half an hour, a nurse rushed into the room carrying a dish of fruits—bananas, mostly. The doctor explained, "For now, you might consider incorporating bananas into your diet. They offer health benefits and have a soft texture, which should help ease your transition back to eating normally after such a long time without food." He added, "It is advisable to begin with foods that are soft and light, so your digestive system can adjust gradually."
Zenji reached out with trembling hands to pick up a banana, but in his first clumsy attempt, he dropped it onto the floor.
Just then, the room door swung open and his brother Yume entered. Tears glistened in his eyes as he smiled broadly and wrapped his arms around Zenji. "I am delighted to see you. I had lost all hope, yet now you have arrived, Yami," he said warmly. Zenji, still weak, whispered softly, "Yami, but who is Yami?"
As the hug lingered, fragments of memory began to surface. Zenji recalled a long-ago moment: he had been riding in a cart with a man and a cart rider, ascending above rugged mountains. In his memory, that man said "From this moment onward, it seems as though the world stands against us. In the relentless pursuit of wealth, pleasure, and popularity, humanity often loses sight of its true purpose."
He remembered sitting at the back of the cart with that man, while another person rode outside. Two horses pulled the cart along winding paths. As they reached the top of a mountain, Zenji saw an old village in the distance, with many carts bustling about. Far off, on the other side of the mountains, he witnessed a great fire consuming trees and thick smoke darkening the sky.
The man in the cart had once said, "It's completely pointless to get caught up in all that chaos." But then, suddenly, he grabbed his head tightly, knelt down, and screamed in terror. The cart rider quickly stopped the cart and rushed to hold him, calling, "My lord, my lord, are you okay?"
After a few tense moments, the man slowly stood up, his face filled with fear. The cart rider greeted him softly, "Hi, my lord." Then the man commanded, "Kindly gather my son, Yami, and let him depart from that village and all its inhabitants immediately." The rider solemnly vowed, "I shall persevere with unwavering resolve, even if it demands the sacrifice of my final drop of blood."
That person obeyed his order: he separated the horse, grabbed me, and put me in a rough sack. I was only four years old when that person took me deep into the jungle. As we traveled, I could see fire and thick smoke drawing near, but somehow the horse managed to pass through the chaos.
In a trembling voice, the person whispered, "Stay in the sack. Don't speak or cry. He will meet us soon." His voice quivered with fear. Then, suddenly, he fell down. I saw droplets of blood floating in the air—I thought he had been struck by arrows. Following his command, I didn't utter a word and stayed silent inside the sack tied to the horse.
I began to feel a deep thirst and hunger. After nearly two long days, the horse finally stopped. I could see the rain falling outside, hear its gentle patter, and smell the damp earth. Suddenly, the sack jolted, and I tumbled to the ground.
My thoughts were interrupted by a familiar, caring voice. My brother's gentle call reached me: "Yami... Yami, are you listening? Are you all right?" Confused, I whispered, "What happened to me? What happened to my home, brother Yume?"
Yume's voice was soft yet firm as he said, "They were all killed five years ago. Please, don't think about them. Rest now. I'm leaving, but I'll return soon. The doctor will take care of you."
Slowly, over the course of a month, I regained enough strength to stand and walk on my own. My brother then decided it was time for me to go to school. About a month and a half after waking from my coma, we visited the school together.
We arrived at the principal's office—a room that felt surprisingly luxurious. The principal welcomed us warmly and invited us to sit. He began, "My school is very fortunate to have you here. You provided us with virtual reality headsets that help teach our students in creative ways. Our school was lucky enough to test one of the earliest models. But as you can see, we need more headsets, since the number of students is so high."
My brother, Yume, replied, "I will provide you with more after the official release. But today, I'm here for my little brother's admission."
The principal then asked, "That's a great idea. What class were you studying before?"
Yume explained, "His name is Yami. He isn't my real brother; he is an orphan, but that doesn't make him any less my brother. He was in a coma for the past five years, so please test him and place him in whichever class you see fit. A month ago, he started to recover, although he still speaks very little. I think he feels lonely at home, so it's better for him to go to school and be with peers his own age."
The principal smiled and said, "Anything for you. Please have him sit here. He will take his test now. Yami, please come with me to the next room for your test."
Yami followed the principal into the next room and took a seat. The principal added, "The headsets are all in use right now, so please wait a moment. I will return with one to begin your test."
The principal then left and closed the door behind him. I sat alone, trying to make sense of everything. "I don't understand what is happening," I thought. "Is this really a different world? How is it possible?" I decided that staying at school might help me learn more about this strange new life.
After nearly half an hour, with no sign of the principal, I rested my head on the table. Soon, sleep took over. In my dream, I found myself in a dark room with a huge mirror. A creepy voice echoed in the darkness:
"I hope you are all right. I hope you remember the deal."