A story, huh?
Yeah… a tragic one.
If you're here expecting a tale where the world is fair, where effort is rewarded and kindness is repaid— then you should turn back now.
Because this world never cared about being fair.
I learned that on the day my life was supposed to end.
What the hell is this guy even talking about?
That's probably what you're thinking right now.
Fair enough. I'd think the same.
So let me start from the beginning—
from the moment I believed I was blessed.
I was born in the world of Kronig.
To me, it was everything.
The sky was wide, the mornings were cold, and the nights were quiet enough that you could hear your own breathing. I grew up in a small, broken house with my parents and my sibling. We were poor—painfully so—but we laughed, ate together, and held onto each other when the nights got long.
I loved my family.
Loved.
Why past tense?
Because Kronig is not a world that allows love to exist without permission
This world is ruled directly by four gods.
When a child turns five, they are taken to an evaluation—a ritual where the gods reveal what they have bestowed upon them.
A skill, such as a profession or ability.
Or a gift, such as wealth, status, or luck.
Four gods. Four chances.
At least one blessing.
At least one reason to live.
Atleast That's how it's supposed to work.
That morning, the air was cold enough to sting my skin.
My parents held my hands as they took me to the mural where the priest awaited us. I remember how tightly my mother's fingers trembled around mine. I remember how my father refused to look at the priest's eyes.
The ritual began.
Silence fell.
The priest's face twisted.
And then he spoke.
"Kill him."
That was all.
No hesitation.
No explanation.
Just a sentence that shattered everything I knew.
My mother screamed. My father collapsed to his knees. They were crying, begging, apologizing—to me.
"Forgive us, Aion," my mother sobbed.
"You did nothing wrong."
"It must be our past sins," my father whispered, his voice hollow.
"This is our punishment."
I didn't understand.
I couldn't understand.
Why are they crying?
Why is everyone looking at me like that?
I looked at the mural one last time.
There was only one word.
One curse.
GLUTTONY
That was it.
No wealth.
No skill.
No blessing.
Just a sin.
Is that why I have to die?
Because of a single word I didn't choose?
This isn't fair.
The guards didn't wait.
They dragged me away as my parents' cries faded into the distance. A cloth was tied over my eyes. My wrists were bound so tightly that my hands went numb.
Someone struck the back of my head.
Darkness swallowed me.
When I woke up, the restraints were gone.
The air smelled of wet soil and rot.
I tore the blindfold away and found myself surrounded by twisted trees and silence so deep it hurt my ears.
An abandoned forest.
No guards.
No executioner.
No explanation.
"Hello…?" my voice cracked.
"Is anyone there?"
Nothing answered.
My chest tightened as fear crawled up my spine.
They didn't kill me…
They just threw me away.
Left to die slowly.
Alone.
I hugged my knees and stared into the darkness between the trees.
"Am I really going to die here…?"
The world didn't answer.
To be continued...