"Mom, are you already asleep?"
Noah held his mother's hand. Cold. Very cold.
Noah had just returned from his workplace. After working for 15 hours, he went straight to the hospital to visit his mother, who was being treated for a chronic illness.
Noah only had one person in this world, and that was his mother. He loved his mother dearly, his entire life was about her.
Outside, the rain hadn't stopped. The hospital lights kept flickering, making the hallway feel even quieter. Only the sound of the heart monitor could be heard, like a reminder that his mother was still okay.
Noah bowed his head. In his hand, a hospital bill.
$26,580.
And that was just for this month.
His salary was only $6,280 per month after all deductions. After paying for the apartment rent, transportation, and food, what remained wasn't even enough to cover the monthly bill. That $26,580 was already reduced by insurance, but it was still too much.
Noah sighed. He really wanted to complain, but he couldn't do that in front of his mother. "Life is so terrible."
He didn't understand why hospital fees were so expensive. He was going to apply for a bill reduction by processing some documents, but it still wouldn't be enough with his small income. He had to find a way to get more money.
"You don't need to worry, Mom. I'll find an extra job. Maybe as a night shift worker or courier. I'll take care of everything. Just trust me."
That sentence felt like a promise. But deep in his heart, Noah knew it was like a lie. He kept lying in front of his mother. No matter how much he tried, it was never enough.
He had even sold his car, apartment, and some of his belongings to cover the enormous hospital bills.
His mother turned her head slowly. "You don't have to push yourself like this. If it's too much, let's just go home."
Noah shook his head. "You don't need to worry, Mom," Noah replied. "Everything will be fine. Just trust me."
His mother only nodded. She knew her son's mental state was very bad. She had even thought about ending her life, but when she imagined Noah's face, it made her change her mind. Noah would be devastated and might follow her into death.
"I'm sorry."
She turned her face toward the window. Her tears slowly fell. She couldn't bear seeing Noah suffer so much because of her.
"I'm sorry… Mom is sorry."
Noah smiled. He held his mother's cold hand. "It's alright. You don't have to worry."
Noah tried to calm his mother's heart. Even though his own condition was far from okay. His chest felt tight. The fear of loss choked him deeply.
"I promise. You'll get better and we'll go home. I promise," said Noah with tears slightly falling down his face.
He didn't know why, but the fear of death was so terrifying to him. He had been experiencing severe migraines.
Even his stomach sometimes felt like it was being stabbed by needles. He should've checked his health, but Noah was too afraid to do it.
He was scared that his illness was something fatal. He didn't want to accept that fact.
"I'm fine. I'm fine," he kept saying to himself over and over.
***
The small television in the corner of the room was on. The volume was low, but clear enough to hear what was being broadcast.
"...a mysterious phenomenon dubbed as the Death Syndrome is starting to spread. Victims are found suddenly dead, without wounds, without illness, and without symptoms. They fall asleep and never wake up again. The government is conducting research, but there are no results yet. Everyone is advised to stay alert."
Noah stared at the screen. Staring at the woman speaking on the TV. He had heard about this strange case for the past few days. Even a colleague of his had experienced this odd phenomenon.
He collapsed while holding tea and was declared dead. Even though he was someone who exercised regularly and ate healthy food.
This death was too strange.
"More than 400 cases have occurred in a month. The government still cannot provide an explanation. But everything will be fine. Please go about your activities as usual."
His mother shifted her gaze from the TV to her son's face. "Are you worried?"
Noah was silent. His jaw tightened.
Yes, he was worried, but he didn't want to show it.
He was afraid that he might fall asleep and never wake up. Because if that happened, who would take care of his mother? Just imagining it made his chest hurt. He couldn't imagine what would happen to his mother if he died. Noah smiled, forced.
"Everything will be fine."
***
Darkness.
His voice vanished. His breath seemed to stop. Slowly, the sound of people screaming could be heard.
When Noah slowly opened his eyes. At that moment, he was shocked.
He was no longer sitting in the hospital chair. No more sound of monitors, television, or rattling windows. And the most terrifying part… his mother was no longer by his side.
Now his body lay on hard, dirty ground, both his hands chained with iron shackles. His whole body bruised. His whole body felt sticky as if he hadn't bathed in months.
His tongue was dry. His mouth bled. His head felt heavy.
"Get up, you trash!" someone shouted.
A kick landed on his back. He fell flat. Noah coughed. Blood dripped from his lips.
He looked up. A tall man wearing a leather robe and carrying a spiked whip stood before him. When he turned his head behind him, hundreds of other slaves were chained, most of them teenagers and elderly. Noah was confused. This was completely different.
'What is this…? Who are they…? Where am I?'
His back was hit again.
"Hurry and stand up, bastard! Soon you'll be sold. If you can't stand, we'll cut your tongue and throw your body to feed the monsters!"
Noah endured the pain, but his mind was far from this place. His eyes looked vacant.
"Mom…"
He could still remember his mother's face. Lying weakly. Alone. And now, he was no longer by her side. All his fears entered his body. It tightened his heart. His tears started to fall a bit. He hoped this was just a dream.
But the pain in his body denied all of that. He kept shaking his head. Noah clenched his teeth. "No… I have to go back. I have to return to the hospital. Mom is waiting for me."
He stood up, but suddenly his head felt like it was going to explode. He fell down immediately, curling up in pain.
The pain came suddenly.
Sharp. Piercing. Unbearable.
"AAARRGHHH!!!"
He hit his own head, screaming as loud as he could. His body trembled violently, and something foreign invaded his mind. Memories that weren't his—names, language, torture, magic, fear, death, and blood. All entered like thorns.
Everything came in at once.
Then… that voice appeared in his head.
[System activated]
[Name assigned: Noah Carlyoung]
[Level: 1]
[Class: Undeath blood]
[Status: Cursed by death. Your life will be filled with misfortune. Death does not like you.]
Noah froze. His body trembled, cold sweat dripped from his temples. Ah, no... it was blood.
"System? Don't tell me this is..."
Before he could think further. A whip struck his back again. He was kicked and beaten with a large stick. It hit directly to his bones. His ribs broke. Blood gushed. Not stopping there, a sword stabbed Noah's back. He fell.
"Die, you stupid bastard!" cursed the big man.
Noah's vision blurred. The pain was real. More than real. This wasn't a dream. A fact he didn't want to accept.
"Mom… are you okay?" Noah tried to stand. His bones rejoined. His skin closed. The wound vanished. His gaze turned sharp and full of rage. "I have to return to the hospital. Mom needs me."
The big man who had beaten Noah stepped back. Fearful. This was the first time he saw a human stabbed by a sword recover like that. Not just recover, but all his wounds disappeared.
Noah was already standing. In his hand, his own blood formed into a kind of sharp blade. He glanced toward the soldiers guarding the slaves.
Noah's gaze terrified them. They prepared to fight. Noah, with his sleepy eyes. He exhaled.
[Skill activated: Berserker]
Noah's entire body instantly became five times stronger. He ran very fast. The soldiers tried to fight back, but none succeeded.
Even though they slashed Noah's body, it was useless. His body rejoined again. He went berserk without caring if he died.
The soldiers screamed, some fled. But Noah went completely wild. He lost control. Slaughtering all the soldiers there. Even without realizing it, he killed innocent slaves. His whole body covered in blood.
He looked at both his hands. "I've killed humans."