Tamotsu Masuda nineteen died pushing an old woman away from a robber's gun. Bang. Cold emptiness filled his chest.
He woke up. Sharp black rocks cut his hands. Grey ash fell like dirty snow. No sky, just thick grey clouds. Empty cold filled him where his heart should be.
"This... can't be heaven," he whispered, touching his unhurt chest.
Sounds of battle! Tamotsu hid behind a giant black rock. He peeked out.
Three shiny-armor soldiers appeared . Their leader raised a hand.
A white energy beam blasted the spot where a huge figure had stood. The air smelled burnt.
The target was a monster-man. Glowing red cracks covered his skin. One arm was a giant bone scythe. He roared – pain and rage.
"Salvation through dissolution," a cold voice said in Tamotsu's head. It felt wrong.
The monster charged the soldiers. Another white beam hit his shoulder. He screamed but kept coming. His eyes… human eyes. Scared. Angry.
Clatter! Tamotsu knocked a loose rock.
The shiny-armor leader snapped his head around. "New signal. Weak soul-energy. Location: behind outcrop." His voice was very scary to hear.
The wounded monster also looked. "Fresh meat... or new toy?" it growled, voice rough and pained. All four stared right at Tamotsu.
Target. Weakling. Their looks said it all.
Tamotsu grabbed a sharp rock. I died helping someone. For this?
The shiny-armor leader pointed. "Harvest the anomaly."
White light scorched the rock beside Tamotsu's head. Heat burned his face.
Then it hit him. A memory, sharp and bright:
Floating in a dream. A city of light below. A star-being spoke: "Remember…"
The vision vanished. A shiny-armor soldier stood right before him, weapon glowing. "Prepare for dissolution."
The icy mark in Tamotsu's chest surged . Cold power pushed his voice out: "Is this Salvation? Just more killings"
The soldier paused. Confused? "Statement… illogical. Dissolution is peace."
The wounded monster saw his chance.He roared, lunging past Tamotsu at the soldier. Bone scythe hit armor.
Chaos! More beams flashed. The monster howled.
Tamotsu ran. He scrambled over sharp rocks.Zzzap! A beam missed him. The cold spot in his chest pulsed blue-white. It felt alive. Strange.
Was that dream real? he thought desperately. What is this power?
His old life was gone. His new life was a war. He ran into the grey ash, clutching his sharp rock, the cold light glowing through his shirt. He remembered the dream's word: Remember. He just didn't know what.