*"The lower gates rise from beneath the earth, bridging the upper and nether realms. Their emergence is random, but those who witness a gate must beware—they become likelier to reopen for them."*  

Ryoma dropped the book. "No. I can’t lose my family again," he muttered, racing against the approaching dawn.  

Meanwhile, Cain discovered a cave entrance. His heartbeat quickened with each step into the fog-cloaked darkness. A hidden trigger snapped beneath his foot, impaling his hand with a spear. He yanked it free, blood soaking his makeshift bandage, and pressed onward.  

At a dead end, he scanned the walls. "A hidden switch? Do I need to trigger every trap to find the treasure?"  

After agonizing minutes, he pressed a stone with his spear. A floor panel slid open, revealing a staircase. Below lay black armor and a two-meter spear.  

When Cain donned the armor, memories flooded him—visions of Carter wielding the spear centuries ago. "Why was *Carter* here? I’ll confront him directly," he vowed, emerging as the crimson moon bathed the sky in red.  

Cain sprinted toward the rendezvous point, finding Luna still searching. "Give up! The cave’s found," he urged.  

As they fled, a gate erupted before them. Monsters poured out, surrounding them. Cain fought, hands trembling, while Luna clung to his back.  

Ryoma and Adam arrived at the meeting spot. "Where are the others?" Ryoma demanded.  

"Still missing," Adam replied.  

Ryoma’s voice sharpened with panic: "The crimson moon’s risen—gates spawn randomly! Anyone who’s seen one has a 90% chance of attracting another!"  

Horror dawned on Adam’s face. Together, they raced into the forest.

They jumped onto the trees to get a better view. Adam spotted a light on the ground and said, "Ryoma, there’s a light ahead of us!"  

Ryoma and Adam arrived to find the monster gripping Cain, who was holding Louna’s hand with blood dripping from his own hand and head. When Ryoma saw the fight unfolding, the monster dragged Cain through the gateway.  

Ryoma rushed to enter the gateway, but Adam stopped him, saying, "Have you gone mad? You want to enter the monster’s lair?" Ryoma was devastated.  

Ryoma cried, "But the monster has Cain! Do you expect me to stand by and do nothing?" Adam began to weep, and so did Louna.  

Adam said, "Cain… once he entered there, it was over."  

Ryoma started crying, pounding the ground with his fists and screaming.  

After a while, the gateway closed, and the crimson moon still hung in the sky. With no time to think, Ryoma headed to the agreed meeting spot to wait for his sister and brother.  

Grief etched their faces. Ryoma muttered to himself, "I won’t lose my family again. The reason I’m alive is to defend this world for my siblings. If I lose them, let this world burn. This world was ordinary until *he* came… Am I cursed? Everyone close to me dies."  

A strange voice echoed in Ryoma’s mind again—Carter’s voice: "There’s still time for tears. Cain is alive, fighting the monsters alone."  

Ryoma growled hoarsely, "Why didn’t you save him? He’s your friend, like a brother! You grew up together in the same village. Why didn’t you save him? Tell me!"  

Adam stared at Ryoma, realizing he was speaking to Carter, while Louna looked at him in confusion.  

Carter replied, "I no longer care about anything. The deeper you delve into this world, the more you’ll understand my reasons."  

Ryoma snapped, "Whatever your reasons, I won’t abandon my family. I’m not a coward like you. Protect Cain, Carter!"  

Carter hissed angrily, "You speak as if you’ve endured what I have. You talk of family, but you’re just a failure who lost them."  

Ryoma roared, "Shut up, coward! At least I didn’t abandon them—I sacrificed everything for them. Whatever your excuse, you should sacrifice for your family!"  

Carter screamed furiously, "Shut your mouth, fool! You haven’t suffered a fraction of what I have!"  

Adam and Louna were stunned. Ryoma waited patiently, then said, "What suffering? You don’t know what I’ve been through. What right do you have to speak of suffering?"  

Carter said, "I’ve changed my mind. If I show you a glimpse, you’ll know where I am."  

Ryoma pleaded, "Listen, Carter. If you can see Cain, please help him."  

Carter was shocked. "How did you know I’m watching him?"  

Ryoma seized the slip in Carter’s words. He began to laugh—a triumphant, almost manic laugh. Adam was baffled by the laughter, and Carter was equally stunned.  

Laughing, Ryoma taunted, "Hahaha! Carter… haha… I found you, you bastard. Your ‘friend’ is knocking on your door. Why not welcome him?"  

Adam froze. Carter, too, fell silent from shock before finally asking, "How did you know I’m in the underworld?"  

Ryoma laughed louder. "Hahahaha! I didn’t! You just told me!"  

Carter chuckled calmly. "Haha… Well played. You’re clever. But what will you gain from knowing which of the two worlds I’m in? Will you scour the underworld for me while charging into the monster’s den? Besides, I *let* you find out."  

Ryoma said, "I don’t care where you are. What matters is how you survive there unafraid of the monsters, how you were the first to save the world from the initial catastrophe, and what secrets these weapons and the reappearing gateways hold. If you know anything… tell me." 

Carter said, "I won’t tell you; you’ll learn everything in due time."  

Ryoma replied, "Fine. Then this is my final request: save Cain."  

Carter retorted, "No. I won’t save any human after what happened to me."  

Shock crossed Ryoma’s face, his voice trembling with rage. "Fine. But tell me—what made you swear never to save another human?"  

Carter snapped, "Mind your own business. By the end of this, you’ll know my reasons. You might even agree with me… and join me."  

He continued, "Since a human entered the gateway, it won’t reappear until whoever entered dies… or…"  

Ryoma, seething with anger and now certain of Carter’s true nature, thought to himself, *"I’ll kill him when I see him."*  

"Why didn’t he finish his sentence? ‘Or’ what? Fine, Carter. My goal isn’t to eliminate you—it’s to uncover the truth about this world. We’ll see if I join you once I learn it, as you said!"  

He sat on the ground, deep in thought about finding another ancient library. Adam sat nearby, watching him silently. Ryoma’s siblings returned from exploring the cave, weapons in hand, but he didn’t notice them. His hands shook with fury as he wondered how to re-enter the now-vanished gateway.  

Ryoma announced, "Now that we’re all here, let’s head to the Ancient Eternal Library of History."  

His younger sister Clara interjected, "But Cain hasn’t returned yet. We should wait."  

Grief darkened Ryoma, Adam, and Louna’s faces. Adam said quietly, "Clara… Cain won’t return. He entered the monsters’ gateway."  

Clara and Silas froze in shock, tears welling in their eyes. Clara collapsed to her knees and cried, "First we lost Evan… now Cain? Who will we lose next?"  

Ryoma tried to rally them. "Don’t worry. Cain is still alive."  

Silas retorted, "What guarantees his return? He’s surrounded by monsters. How long can he last?"  

Ryoma insisted, "He’s stubborn—he won’t give up. He’ll survive until I find a way to save him."  

Wiping his tears, Adam asked, "Do you know where the library is?"  

Ryoma nodded. "Yes. It’s to the west."  

Suddenly, childhood memories flooded his mind. A searing pain erupted in his head—blood began streaming from his eyes. He clutched his head in agony, screaming, "Aaaah!" before collapsing unconscious.  

Adam rushed to check on him. "He’s just passed out," he said, lifting Ryoma onto his back. They returned to the village to rest.  

Clara fretted, "What happened? Why did he collapse? And the blood from his eyes…?"  

Adam tried to calm her. "Don’t panic. He’s just exhausted himself."  

Silently, Adam vowed, *"I’ll stay by his side, no matter the cost. I’ll help him achieve his goal."*  

**Flashback: Ryoma’s Childhood (Previous Life)**  

Seven-year-old Ryoma, starving and weak, stumbled through the desert before collapsing. An old man scooped him up and carried him. When Ryoma awoke on the man’s back, he muttered, "Why… are you carrying me?"  

The old man replied gently, "Don’t fear. I mean no harm. I’ll take you somewhere safe."  

Ryoma wondered, *"What’s an old man doing alone in this desert?"*  

As if reading his thoughts, the old man asked, "What are *you* doing here alone, boy?"  

Ryoma countered, "I was about to ask you the same thing."  

The old man smiled. "I live in the Blue Desert Village. What about you?"  

Ryoma, his memories fragmented, muttered, "I can’t remember… All I recall is collapsing in this desert."  

He clung to the old man and fell asleep on his back until they reached the man’s crumbling, humble home in the simple village.  

Ryoma woke on a plain bed and saw the old man sitting by a table. He approached to thank him, but his stomach growled loudly. The old man chuckled, "Sit. I’ll bring you food."  

Overjoyed, Ryoma obeyed. The old man returned with a modest meal—a slice of meat and a few potatoes. Ryoma devoured it ravenously, but it wasn’t enough. Too shy to ask for more, he asked instead, "Sir… what’s your name?"  

The old man replied, "I am Raven. No family name."  

"And you?"  

Ryoma bowed. "Pleasure to meet you, Uncle Raven. I’m Ryoma. No family name either."  

They stared at each other, then burst into laughter. Raven said, "Hah! Two nameless souls. Let’s invent a family name."  

Ryoma suggested, "What about *Sizos*?"  

The old man pondered, then grinned. "Yes. From today, I am Raven Sizos, and you are Ryoma Sizos. I’ll adopt you. Will you be my son?"  

Ryoma’s eyes welled up. He nodded fiercely, hugged Raven, and wept with joy.  

They slept side by side. But by dawn, the village was under attack by the *Shadows of the Seven*.  

**The Realm of Power in the Gray Lands – Return to the New World**  

Ryoma awoke, tears streaming as he remembered Raven. The scene mirrored his first awakening in this world. His head throbbed as he rose, finding himself back in his home in *Matura Village*. His siblings watched him anxiously.  

Adam asked, "Are you okay?"  

Ryoma nodded. "I’m fine."  

The mood lightened. Ryoma recalled their mission. "By the way… did you find the caves?"  

His three siblings chimed, "Yes! We all got weapons."  

Ryoma turned to Louna. "What about you?"  

She shrugged coldly. "No luck."  

"Don’t worry. The caves might’ve vanished. You’ll find one soon," he reassured. "Show me your weapons."  

They laid their arms on the table:  

- **Adam’s weapon:** A double-edged longsword with a silver hilt. His black armor bore silver-white plating.  

- **Clara’s weapon:** A steel crossbow with a self-refilling quiver. Her full-body armor shimmered silver-white.  

- **Silas’s weapon:** A two-meter steel spear tipped with red cloth. His black armor featured white pauldrons.  

Ryoma declared, "We start training tomorrow."  

Silas frowned. "Why train? We’ll gain power by killing monsters."  

Ryoma countered, "Listen—training will make us stronger faster. Killing monsters alone will take too long. We’ll also recruit others with weapons. The more fighters, the sooner we end this cataclysm."  

Silas scoffed, "And who’ll train us? You?"  

"*I* have combat experience," Ryoma said firmly. "Tomorrow’s first drill: endurance."  

Silas narrowed his eyes. "What ‘experience’? We’ve been together since childhood. Where’d you learn to fight?" 

Ryoma froze, sweat dripping as he struggled to reply. Adam intervened, saving him: “It’s fine. We all have experience, but Ryoma inherited sword skills from the first savior who stopped the cataclysm. His memories transferred through training methods, so Ryoma has more experience. Right, Ryoma?”  

Adam glanced at him, signaling to play along. Ryoma nodded. “Yes. The memories came to me early. Once I assign your training, I’ll leave for a while.”  

Adam asked, intrigued, “Where will you go?”  

Ryoma replied, “Back to the library. I need to study the world’s history—how the first cataclysm began.”  

The group fell silent. Adam urged the others to sleep. As they dispersed, Ryoma slipped out to the river, gazing at the moon. “How long can you hold on, Cain? Can you last until someone saves you?”  

Adam approached. “Ryoma… don’t carry this alone. Don’t burn yourself out.”  

Ryoma masked his sorrow. “I’m still not used to the name ‘Carter.’ What if I told the others the truth? Would they hate me?”  

Adam said gently, “Wait. I don’t think they’re ready.”  

Ryoma looked skyward. “How long must I wait? Until their lives end… or mine?”  

Adam’s voice cracked. “I don’t know. But Cain… he’s still racing toward death.”  

Ryoma whispered, “How will you react if he dies?”  

“With rage. Hatred. Cursing life itself.”  

Ryoma laughed bitterly. “What if the one responsible for his death—for Evan’s, for *everyone’s*—is someone you love? Would you still feel that way?”  

Adam stiffened. “What do you mean? Are *you* saying someone I know caused this? Answer me!”  

Ryoma dodged, “I’m only asking—what if?”  

Adam gripped his arm. “Why hide this? If it’s true… I’d lose my mind.”  

*“You’re not ready,”* Ryoma thought. *“You’ll learn in time… or figure it out yourself.”*  

He walked to a cliff overlooking the village. Moonlight bathed the quiet, lifeless homes. Adam joined him. “The view’s beautiful… ironic, since everyone here is dead.”  

Ryoma stood. “I’m leaving. Watch the others.”  

Adam pleaded, “Wait. Dawn’s close.”  

“I need every book I can find. The gateways are gone—I don’t know how long Cain has.”  

“Just… be careful.”  

Ryoma sprinted west. His speed surged unnaturally. *“Is this my past life’s combat experience merging with this body? No time to wonder. Faster. I need answers.”*  

**The Ruined Western City**  

When Ryoma arrived, the sight struck him like a forgotten world’s corpse.  

Black clouds choked the sky, blotting the sun. Crumbling buildings—once grand in his memories—lay as skeletal ruins. Cracked walls bore scars of explosions and fire.  

Dust and rubble smothered the streets. Fallen lampposts twisted like broken bones. A heavy silence lingered, broken only by wind whistling through shattered windows—a mournful wail, as if the city itself grieved.