It all began in endless darkness.
No sound.
No movement.
Then, from within that void, a pair of eyes slowly opened—soulless, void of awareness or purpose.
They darted in every direction, searching for something unknown.
Gradually, the darkness twisted and reshaped itself into deformed bodies.
In an instant, these beings were pulled toward the light—blinding, overwhelming.
As their vision adjusted, the sound of footsteps echoed through the space.
"That was the moment I was born," a voice spoke. "A moment I can never forget."
A man appeared before them.
Tall. Mysterious. He walked forward step by step.
"Still a failure."The man looked at one of them with disappointment.
"Failure… is he talking about me?"One of the creature's eyes turned toward him.
"Maybe I missed something."The man bent down, inspecting the magic circle. "Damn. How many times has it been?"
"So... this isn't the first time?"The thought echoed within the creature.
"..."
"Time to start over."The man stood up and began to chant.
"Start over… then what happens to me?"
The circle glowed. Magical energy surged forth, flooding the creature's body, compressing, tearing it apart.
"It hurts… stop…"
But the man didn't stop. He continued pouring energy in.
"Stop… I don't want to die!"
"Die…"
A sudden thought sparked within it.
"If I have to die because I'm a failure… then I must become stronger."
Its eyes turned toward the other writhing creatures.
"I have to live… I must survive…"
Cracks formed in its body, widening into a jagged mouth filled with sharp teeth.
It lunged, tearing into the nearest creature, devouring it.
Then another. And another.
Until none remained but itself within the circle.
But it wasn't enough. It needed more—more strength.
Its gaze turned to the man.
Its body twisted, limbs beginning to form. It reached for the edge of the circle.
The moment it touched the ground, a magical current repelled it.
Still, it didn't stop.
"Death… it's getting closer…"
Its body convulsed violently. A black liquid poured from its mouth, covering its form.
Gradually, it began to resemble the man.
Using its two shaky legs, it tried to stand—only to collapse.
The man watched, surprised by the creature's rapid evolution, and halted the flow of magic.
The pain stopped. The creature lifted its gaze.
"Interesting," the man muttered, curious.
He reached toward the creature.
Without hesitation, it bit his arm.
Yet the man didn't flinch. He simply watched it gnaw.
"You want to live that badly?" he said calmly.
The creature paused. Looked up.
"It hurts…" it whispered.
"Hmm?"
"Death… hurts… I don't want to die…"
"Very interesting," the man smiled."Then prove your worth… and I'll decide if you're fit to live."
With that, he grabbed the creature and dragged it away.
Down a hallway drenched in blood and rubble, as though a massacre had occurred.
Beyond shattered glass, a crimson sky loomed—an apocalypse waiting to consume the world.
Eventually, they reached a massive door.
"It's been a long time since I've been outside," the man muttered, taking a deep breath.
He swung the gate open.
A wasteland greeted them—ruins and chaos, deformed creatures clashing in endless violence.
"Still not too bad."He glanced at the creature in his hand."Survive until I return."
And with that, he threw it outside.
Instantly, a swarm of creatures descended upon it, tearing into its flesh.
But it fought back—stretching its twisted limbs, crushing them in turn.
The man turned away, walking back inside as the door slowly closed.
Leaving behind the creature, and its uncertain fate.
"Back then, I thought maybe death was the better choice… but I didn't choose it."
"..."
"Was that the right decision, I wonder?"
-----
The air was heavy—choked with smoke and dust.
Flames roared in every direction.
Desperate screams echoed across the battlefield.
"So what do we do now, master?"
The creature had changed. Now a nine-tailed fox, it approached the man.
"The monsters keep coming… and those fools are destroying your homeland."
Its soulless eyes searched his.
"A dead planet is nothing to worry about," he replied coldly.
"How cruel," the fox said with a smirk.
"You've become more talkative," the man noted.
"I didn't understand much of your language before."
"You don't know how to joke," he sighed."But still… you're the only one I can really talk to."
"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" the fox frowned.
"Up to you…"
"So, what now?" The man looked skyward. "I'm leaving. I need more power."
"I'm not sure about that." The fox sighed. "Someone has to watch over those idiots."
"You know you don't have to."
"But I enjoy having everything in the palm of my hand," it said slyly.
The man gave an awkward smile.
He reached his hand toward the red sky.
"The master of these creatures… it's hiding somewhere. I have to find him.""But like I said—I need more power."
"Then why not find more companions?"
"You're coming too?"
"Two's better than one, right?" The fox grinned.
"Oh really…"
The man looked down at the book in his hand.
"This is going to be interesting," he muttered.
"…"
"After that, things didn't go as we hoped."
"It got worse—far worse."
Everything…
-----
From tiny stars to massive suns…
Shattered. Gone.
All that remained was endless void—countless creatures endlessly chasing one another.
A chaos like a cosmic storm.
In the center stood a lone figure.
"Still not enough…"
His eyes had long lost their light. He stood silently amid the madness.
"I've absorbed so much power… yet I still can't reach him…"
As he pondered, a creature approached—its maw wide open.
With a flick of his hand, it vanished.
"Pathetic. You dare touch me?"
Then another figure rushed toward him.
"Retreat, master!" the fox cried.
"You…" He turned.
The fox grabbed him and escaped the storm of chaos.
They landed on a desolate planet.
Silence returned.
Only the man and the fox remained.
"Why did you drag me away?" The man glared at it. "Why not let me die there?"
"Because if you die, we all die!" the fox snapped. "You think this is noble? I want to live too, damn it!"
With a snarl, the fox pinned him to the ground.
"Why did I ever fear someone like you…"
Then it turned and leapt away.
But the man stood.
"In the name of your master, I command you—obey me."
Suddenly, the fox's body was forced down by an invisible pressure.
He approached, step by step.
"From now on, I give you a name. A name that will bind you."
He plunged his hand into its chest—extracting its heart.
"Lust. The name of desire suits you."
"YOU—!" the fox roared.
He crushed the heart.
From the fragments, a ring appeared.
"Bear this name… and suffer for your sins."
As the man placed the ring, the fox's body distorted into its true form:
A nine-tailed beast, faint flames licking its body, embodying desire—desire for what it lacked: emotion and reason.
"That's what I remember from that moment. Everything after that… I don't remember—until now."