Chapter I: Willow City

"Where… am… I?" said a man as he slowly opened his eyes while waking up from his sleep.

He sat on his bed as he surveyed around the room with utter confusion.

He sees tables, a closet, chairs, a Desk, even, and a mirror just beside it, nothing unusual to his eyes, at least.

"Why… Why can't I remember anything?" He said to himself, dazed by how he can't recall his memories.

His vision got hazy as he felt a sudden headache. He got up from his bed. He patted his head as he decided to approach a nearby mirror.

And upon seeing himself in the mirror, he peered his eyes forward to have a better grasp on his image, as he was scanning every inch of his features. He stared intently into his eyes of different colors, with his left eye a blue one, and his right eye a green one.

Suddenly, something had snapped inside of his brain, a sudden strange sensation that he felt. Almost as if someone struck him on his skull.

He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, then balled his hand into fists as he took a step back from the mirror.

A sudden flash of memory appeared inside his mind, making him remember his name, Eurus.

A mixture of relief and delight rained down into his emotions for a moment, but it was instantly washed away and shifted into dread, realizing that he still has no idea of who and where he is.

Several seconds passed in silence, and he still, having no idea of his current situation. And not another memory came back.

"Help!" He shouted all of a sudden, waiting for someone to aid him. His voice laced with fear.

"Help!" He repeated, with his voice rising in desperation. Waiting for a response, but not a single tone came out.

Worry began to rose from his mind. But he quickly snapped from his thoughts and decided to go out of the room to ask random people his whereabouts. Realizing that he was inside a three-story apartment building in a busy city, surrounded by high-rise buildings and other different infrastructures.

After he went out of the apartment, he immediately approached the people walking on the city street.

"Excuse me, Ma'am." He said. "Where is this place?" Eurus asked as calmly as he could ever be, not letting worry devour his whole being.

The woman didn't respond, completely ignoring his presence, making him feel annoyed by her behavior. He shrugged his shoulder up as he was confused by her measures.

"She might be busy. She seems to be in a hurry." He thought to himself. Thinking of any other excuses. Slightly felt awkward.

Eurus then approached a man to ask him his whereabouts. But just like the woman. The man ignored him, and he just passed by him. Then he continued on his walk, leaving Eurus in utter confusion.

Eurus approached another man. But by this time, he stood in front of him to make him more perceptible. He asked the man the same questions, but this time his voice sounded higher than usual. Still, the man completely ignored his presence, and not a single word came out from his mouth. The man continued to walk as if he could see nothing in front of him.

As he was walking, the man passed right through Eurus, leaving him in a state of bewilderment. He paused for a second, then gazed at his body. His mind couldn't register what was happening to him.

But he didn't stop there. He continued and continued approaching a different man to another. To discern if people could see his presence. But to his dismay, the results were the same, people were completely ignoring his whole being.

He didn't give up, he tried to touch the people walking by, but he could not touch them as if his hand was impalpable.

His heart was suddenly beating faster than usual. Worry began to rise from his mind. Hating the twinge of confusion that he felt. Thinking that he might be some kind of a ghost.

An idea suddenly came up. He was hesitant to try it at first. But to his desperation, he ignored his emotion, and deliberately rushed himself to the middle of the city road, standing, to where there were rushing vehicles. Wondering if the vehicles would hit him.

As the speeding vehicles approach him, he squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, as fear drizzled down onto his face. But after a few seconds, as he slowly opened his eyes. Vehicles were passing right through him, realizing that he was indeed intangible.

He smiled and laughed at what he saw. To his great delight, he then began again approaching people from the streets, making a fool of them.

A few moments, he saw a policeman walking in his direction. Then he proceeds to salute him with his middle finger as he passes by. With him being unseeable, He laughed aloud to his content, as if there's no tomorrow.

"Must be a dream," he said to himself as he chuckled.

He then pinched himself. He felt the sensation. He wonders how it's possible. Worry, fear, and confusion. Different emotions racing in his mind for dominance. He tried to pinch himself again.

"How is this possible?" He asked himself. "Must be a lucid dream," he added, trying to convince his own mind, thinking of different excuses.

Moments after, Eurus spotted a man, his clothes were ripped, covered with blood. His eyes look absent. His whole demeanor was covered with exhaustion.

He seemed to be staring at Eurus and scanning every inch of his actions.

Upon noticing the man staring at him intently, Eurus immediately wondered if the man could actually see his presence. He then proceeds to approach him.

He waved his hands in front of his face. He paused and waited for a response, but none came.

Eurus beamed in relief, thinking that he is indeed in a dream and unseeable. He jerked his head forward, and he gazed into his eyes.

Consequently, the man suddenly reacted with irritation.

"What are you doing?" the man responded, with a high-pitched voice. His tone rained down with anger.

Eurus was startled by his sudden reaction and took a step back from his position.

"S-sorry." He apologized.

"But Am I actually visible to you?" Eurus asked with a look of puzzlement.

"Yes, I have been observing you for the last fifteen minutes. And You are in no dream as you speak, for You have already died, and you have been sent here in this world." The man explained.

Even though what he speaks seems unbelievable, Eurus undoubtedly believed him. For the reason that was happening to him, was unlikely to happen to an ordinary person.

Eurus paused for a moment, trying to gather up some words inside his mind.

"How did I die? Who sent me here?" Eurus asked, trying to register the words coming out of his mouth.

"Confusing, Yes. But I, too, was sent here just like you." The man responded. "I know you have tons of questions to ask, But I am in no condition to answer that. I have no time." He added.

Stammering, Eurus gave him a quizzical look, "What do you mean?" He asked, trying to squeeze answers from him.

"I am unable to further explain everything to you. I, too, lack information about our current state." The man answered.

Then the man turned away from Eurus and began to walk away from him, Leaving Eurus puzzled, then he shrugged his shoulders. Then he walked in the man's direction. Eurus then grabs his right shoulder as he gave him a look of bewilderment.

"Wait!" He stated with a high-pitched voice.

"Look, I know you are having a hard time accepting reality." The man said. "But all I know is we are sent here." The man responded after Eurus grabbed him on his right shoulder. Then the man proceeds on walking away.

Eurus promptly followed as he decided to walk along with him. He didn't give up, trying to squeeze information from him.

"What's the reason for them sending us here. What is our purpose here?" Eurus followed up with another question.

In the middle of their conversation, suddenly, they heard a voice of a man screeching as if he was suffering from agonizing pain, Confused, both of them followed the sound of the screech, leading them in front of a willow tree, beside a high-rise building with a HumEv Industries signage written on the building.

Upon their arrival, they spotted the man behind the screeching voice. Holding onto his left hand as he mewls in pain, slowly disintegrating into thin air.

Eurus' heartbeat increased, as he was stunned upon witnessing this moment in front of him. He just stared with his eyes wide open. He could not move as if his feet were rooted from the ground.

Time seems to slow down to Eurus upon seeing this moment.

He then overcame this feeling of being awestricken. With this, Eurus suddenly reacted instinctively.

He decided to approach him to aid him as much as he could. Yet the man with Eurus took notice, and he immediately stopped Eurus, holding him on his right shoulder.

"Don't Bother, That is beyond our knowledge." He stated. His voice sounded smooth, unbothered by this.

It was completely new, clueless, and unusual to him. Convinced, they both remained to where they were standing, as they watch the man screeching in pain until he completely disintegrated into thin air.

Eurus was demented. He stared at the man with him, wondered why it did not seem new to him. He thought of asking but he was bound to keep quiet as if the incident shuts and distressed him that kept him from talking.

After this, the man decided to sit under the shade of the willow tree. Then Eurus promptly followed him.

As both of them were sitting, the man said that this is the perfect place for him to die. For the reason that this Willow tree is the only vegetation that can only be seen in the city.

"I'd choose this place as my Graveyard over any other place." The man added.

Eurus again was confused. His words were clear to him, but he was not able to grasp what he meant.

"Where are we even? Eurus asked once more, trying to change the subject.

"Willow city. The city was named after this willow tree, for it symbolizes fertility and new life." The man explained. "They say that years ago, there were actually two willow trees that existed here."

Eurus was scanning every bit of his features, looking up and down, and took notice of the bronze bracelet with an archaic design that he was wearing on his left hand.

The man answered, saying that he got the bracelet a month ago from a strange woman with dark hair wearing a white coat. He was in the same shoes as him, woke up with a headache, having no memories of his past life, wandering around the city.

The man paused for a second. He stared at his bracelet, then back at Eurus.

"Pursue what I have started," He stated. His emotions were stirred up with fear and exhaustion at the same time. He wanted to continue, but the fear of failing and no urge to be productive, making him lose his will to live.

After this, the man abruptly took off his bracelet and decided to hand it to Eurus.

Eurus was baffled, but seeing his face full of dejection, devoured by despair, he then gladly accepted the bracelet without hesitation.

Yet upon removing the bracelet, the man started to slowly disintegrate into thin air, as Eurus stares at him in total shock, unable to comprehend what he sees. Petrified and barely moving a muscle on his face. He just stared with his eyes wide open, cannot shut.

The man didn't spit a single word. He just waited from his position until he completely disintegrated into thin air.