the fate

Koji was only fifteen, but he had already learned what it meant to live as an outsider. At school, he was mocked, whispered about, even feared by some. The reason was simple: his eyes. His left eye was a warm, ordinary brown, but his right eye was unlike anything human — it shimmered unnaturally, shifting between faint colors that glowed when he felt strong emotions. His classmates called him a freak, a monster. No one wanted to sit beside him, no one dared to treat him as a friend.

And so, every day after school, Koji found his refuge in the quiet corners of the library. Books became his companions, pages his escape. When he read, he could forget the cruel laughter and the loneliness. He could live in worlds where heroes overcame darkness, where chosen ones were destined for greatness. Worlds where someone like him might actually belong.

One evening, as the golden light of sunset filtered through the library windows, Koji felt something unusual. A faint whisper, like a voice carried on the wind, echoed inside his mind. It was calling to him. His steps carried him deeper into the library, until his hand stopped on a dusty, ancient-looking book. Its title glowed faintly: “Spirit Journey.”

Without hesitation, he sat down and opened it. The words seemed to pour into his mind faster than he could process. He read hungrily, page after page, almost as if the book itself was pulling him forward. But when he turned to the very last page, he froze. It was completely blank.

His heart pounded. At that moment, his right eye began to blaze with light — not just one color, but three. Blue. Red. Gold. The empty page burned with brilliance, and three words slowly appeared before him:

“THE GAME BEGINS.”

Koji gasped. Suddenly, his vision was filled with images of three vast worlds: one of radiant angels, another of terrifying demons, and one shrouded in mist, belonging to the spirits. The connection seared itself into his mind before vanishing in an instant.

Shaken, he slammed the book shut, placed it back on the shelf, and bolted from the library. His legs carried him through the streets, but before he could reach home, his glowing eye flickered again. And then, before him, reality itself shifted. A towering castle appeared, ethereal and majestic. Against all reason, he stepped inside.

The halls were lined with armored Spirit Guards, their weapons raised. They froze in disbelief. “A human… he can see us?!”

Dragged before the throne, Koji stood trembling. The Spirit King loomed above him, massive and ancient, his voice deep and commanding.

“Your eyes are not normal, boy. They do not grant you power… but they bind you to four realms: Human, Spirit, Demon, and Angel.”

The King’s gaze pierced into him. “Solve the puzzles of the Four Realms, and you shall earn a place here — a high rank, perhaps even my daughter’s hand.”

But his tone darkened. “Fail… and your eyes will be taken.”

Koji’s chest tightened. His life, his future, everything hung on this choice. Yet something within him stirred — courage born from years of isolation. His glowing eye flared once more.

Then he whispered, with unshakable resolve:

“This is my fate. I accept it.”

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