Ethereal.

The world... The world itself was a beautiful place, filled with magnificent sights and breathtaking views. The only problem, however, was the people. One day, while everyone was busy—adults working, children playing, students attending school—something drastic began to occur. The sky, once a vivid blue, slowly turned black.

Everyone around the world watched in shock as the sky's color was ripped away. The water, too, transformed into an inky void. It seemed as though this was the end of everything.

A decade passed, blending evening into dawn.

The ocean stretched endlessly, an expanse of pitch darkness that seemed inescapable. Rusted-out buildings, overtaken by nature, dotted the landscape. Vehicles, now mere skeletons, were enshrouded in rust. What had happened was a mystery to everyone.

Though there'd be a ship... No, a ketch—sailing in the endless sea that was pitch black. Naraku Mitashi, who appeared to be thirty-six, was steering the ketch. He looked around five eleven, or six feet tall, with whiteish gray hair from stress and dark brown eyes that looked more black and gloomy. He looked like he was fully drowned in guilt and misery.

Naraku was not alone on the ketch. Cloaked figures, visible only to him, lingered nearby. He ignored them, too lost in his own world to care.

(Flashback to ten years prior...)

Naraku, his wife Minami, and their son Tetsuo were in dire straits. Their supplies had dwindled, and despite their attempts to reach out for help, no one responded. Surviving on minimal water, they soon faced starvation. Tetsuo perished from hunger and dehydration. Naraku and Minami mourned their loss, and, eventually, Minami succumbed to the same fate. Naraku, lying on the floor of their shelter, felt death was imminent. He tried one last time to reach out...

...And someone answered.

''Who is this?'' came the voice on the other end.

Naraku, summoning all his remaining strength, whispered, ''Wife... son... gone... Need... water, food...'' His voice grew faint, and the caller, unwilling to deal with Naraku's plight, hung up.

DESPAIR enveloped Naraku as he lay on the floor, gazing out at the darkened sky. Miraculously, someone discovered him and rushed him to the hospital. The flashback ended.

Naraku stumbled upon a harbor that appeared abandoned...

The animals spotted the ketch and, recoiling in fear, bolted without a second glance. Naraku wrestled with the steering, which resisted his attempts to turn. As a result, he could only guide the vessel in a straight line across the eerie, black expanse of the ocean. His ship collided with the harbor.

A deafening... CREAK echoed through the emptiness.

Stricken, Naraku was thrown onto the shore. His blood, once red, now appeared blackened in the void of the colorless world. He was severely injured, but by a stroke of luck, he avoided impalement—though the debris had come perilously close to his lungs. Shocked and disoriented, he dragged himself across the ground, leaving a trail of blood.

Naraku stared at his hand, struggling to prop himself up. His hand was smeared with blood, and he began to scream, releasing all the anguish he had long suppressed. "A.h...a...a...Ah..u..UAHHHH... AHHHHH!!!"

Tears streamed down his face. He felt utterly powerless, desolate. He had always aspired to be strong like his father, but now he was engulfed by overwhelming GUILT. He believed it was his fault for the tragedy that befell his family. He hadn't anticipated any of this. He lingered in his sorrow, reluctant to rise. He wished for death, yearning to reunite with his loved ones in what he envisioned as "Paradise."