My body was no longer the familiar male form I knew.

  Longer hair. A chest that had swelled. A softness that enveloped my entire being. The sensation of something missing where it should have been.

  What... in the world... My body had completely become that of a woman.

  It wasn’t just physical. Had the change reached my brain as well? Somewhere deep in my mind, a part of me was already accepting this transformed flesh as natural.

  Terrifyingly, I found myself clearly identifying not as a man, but as a woman! Stunned by this sudden, drastic metamorphosis, I lay dazed on the cold asphalt. My mind was elsewhere; I couldn't summon the will to move.

  Then, I heard footsteps approaching. It had to be that "Will" person. He said he would greet me.

  The moment I realized he was coming, I snapped out of my stupor. I braced myself. Fear gave way to anger.

  I didn't fully understand what happened, but if what that woman, Ena, said was true, this guy was the one responsible for turning me into this. I was going to demand answers!

  Soon, the figure crouched down beside me, peering into my face. It was exactly as his voice suggested—a boy with black hair. He wore an amused, vulgar smirk.

  I opened my mouth to shout a complaint. But the moment our eyes met, my anger vanished.

  Fear.

  The lingering heat and pleasure in my body were blown away in an instant. A bone-chilling terror seized me, making my entire body tremble uncontrollably.

  His eyes were dead. Cold as a corpse. There was no light in them—only a deep, sharp darkness that threatened to swallow everything.

  It felt as if a single glare from him could kill anything in his sight. He radiated such an overwhelming, oppressive aura. What could possibly happen to a person to give them eyes like that?

  I had never seen anything so terrifying. No criminal, no psychopath on Earth could possess eyes this broken. He didn't seem human. He felt like something alien—like fear itself given form.

  Looking down at me, frozen in terror, he introduced himself boldly.

  "You've already heard my name. I am Will."

  He continued to smile faintly, as if mocking everything in existence. But his eyes weren't smiling. They were terrifying.

  "So, how does it feel to awaken to your power, Yu?"

  "You... you toyed with me. Worst... scum..."

  It was a bluff. Empty words, the best I could muster. If I didn't at least pretend to be strong, I felt like I would lose my mind to the fear.

  But my own voice betrayed me, forcing me to recognize that I was a girl. It was a high soprano—just like before my voice had broken years ago.

  "Now, now, don't be so angry. It was quite a show."

  "..."

  "Congratulations. You are now a FabL—a Star-Walker."

  "FabL... Star-Walker...?"

  "Exactly. From now on, you will wander from star to star, living as a drifter. Forever."

  The scorn in his voice stabbed at me. The chain of impossible events made the words of Ena and Will carry a strange weight of truth. And the fact that I was now in this female body gave their words an undeniable persuasiveness.

  The ability they spoke of... I hated the grandiose name "The God-Vessel," but undeniably, I had transcended gender. Shifting freely between man and woman, even my own self-perception aligning with the change. It seemed I had become this absurd existence.

  Just as they said, I had awakened to a mysterious power. The part about becoming a Star-Walker no longer felt like a lie. If that was true... Could I really never live in this town again?

  Would I be torn away from Japan, from Earth itself, and cast alone into the unknown? The thought filled me with an unbearable anxiety. A deep sadness.

  Why? Why does this have to happen to me!?

  I have no family to call my own. I never want to see my relatives again. My life was always on the edge—no time for clubs, barely any time for friends.

  But still! Still! I was happy in my own way. I loved my quiet life!

  Someday, I would work a normal job, fall in love normally, get married, have children... Because I had no family, I longed for one. A normal home. A normal life. I just wanted that ordinary happiness.

  So why!?

  "What's wrong? Are you sad?"

  "Of course I am! Why is this happening..."

  "Heheh. Is that so? Well, I don't care about your circumstances."

  "What did you say!?"

  I ground my teeth. He was definitely part of the cause, yet he dismissed me completely. Being cast aside so coldly... it was infuriating.

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  "More importantly," Will said, his smile turning lecherous. "In those men's clothes, your impressive chest must be feeling cramped, no?"

  For a second, I didn't understand what he meant. Before I could process it, he grabbed the front of my shirt.

  "Wh—!"

  Surprise pushed my despair to the back of my mind. Before I could resist, my shirt was ripped open as easily as paper.

  Revealed was a slender waist and skin as white and fine as snow. And two soft mounds, pert and firm. They seemed to proudly proclaim that I had truly become a woman.

  I couldn't look at myself. I turned my eyes away. As a man, being shirtless meant nothing. But now, exposing my skin filled me with an intense, burning shame.

  Surprised by my own reaction, I glared at him with murderous intent.

  "What... what do you think you're doing!?"

  I was genuinely furious. But this guy! This bastard was enjoying my anger.

  "Nice. I like those rebellious eyes. —Alright, I've decided."

  Then, he spoke the words that would haunt me like a curse, tormenting me countless times in the future. Along with a trauma I could never forget.

  "Yu. From now on, you are my toy."

  As he spoke, he held his right hand over me. Suddenly, all strength drained from my body. What's happening!? My arms and legs felt alien. They wouldn't obey me. I tried to move, but I was completely paralyzed!

  "See? You can't put any strength into your body, can you?"

  Damn it! Why!? Enjoying my confusion, he explained theatrically.

  "With my [Interference], I can control your [God-Vessel]. While I interfere with your transformation ability, your body loses its freedom. Whether I make you a man, a woman, or keep you in that half-state gasping for air... it's all up to me."

  W-what!?

  "Cry, scream all you want. You can never defy me. Even if I toy with your body like this."

  He reached out. He grabbed my breast, hard enough to hurt. He kneaded it roughly.

  Stop! No! No! Stop it!

  Every touch sent shivers of physiological disgust through me. But I couldn't push his hand away, couldn't scream, couldn't even turn my face away. My everything was at his mercy.

  I felt humiliated. Nauseous. To think the first thing to happen to me as a woman was something close to rape. It was a disgrace. And I was scared to death.

  Seeing me tremble in fear seemed to amuse him even more.

  "Kukuku. Seeing a face twisted in terror is always a delight. Human emotions are truly wonderful."

  No. It hurts. I'm scared.

  "But remember this," he suddenly snapped, his voice changing. "It is also the thing I hate the most!"

  He pulled his hand away from my chest. Instead, he grabbed my shoulders roughly, bringing his face so close our lips almost touched. He whispered in a voice so sweet it froze my blood.

  "Listen. I am always bored. The vessel meant to hold normal emotions wore out and broke a long time ago. I am a monster in human form."

  Locked in his gaze, I couldn't escape. His icy eyes pierced through my weakened heart. Stop... Don't look at me like that... I'm scared. Help me...!

  "And eventually, you will become the same. Yu. I want to see you break. I want to see you wear out. Come now, what will you show me?"

  Fear threatened to shatter my mind. I had never trembled like this in my entire life. His eyes, promising to violate everything I was, held me captive. He wouldn't let go.

  From now on, would I be played with in the palm of this terrifying man's hand? Would he never let me escape until I was truly broken? The thought was more terrifying than death.

  Before I knew it, tears were streaming down my face. As if begging for forgiveness. I didn't even have the composure to feel pathetic about it.

  But surprisingly, the man in front of me did nothing more to my crying form. Without adding another word, he simply stared at me quietly. As if waiting for something.

  With those lightless, pitch-black eyes, he peered deep into mine. It was unnerving. I couldn't read his emotions. What did he intend to do with me? I couldn't grasp his thoughts at all.

  No— In the midst of extreme terror, I realized something.

  Did he actually not care about me at all? He said he was always bored. Perhaps, to him, the world had completely lost its color. Maybe that was why his eyes could be so cold. His bottomless darkness.

  When I felt I touched a fragment of his true nature, my tears stopped.

  I realized it. Crying was useless. To this person, my tiny existence was truly just a toy. No matter what I did, no matter how pitifully I begged, it would never reach the bottom of his heart. I understood that now.

  That was the moment my spirit broke completely.

  I relaxed the last bit of tension in my paralyzed body and surrendered everything—mind and body—to him. I gave up all resistance. It was a resignation to stop doing useless things.

  Rather than exposing any more unsightly behavior, I decided to accept him completely. There was no other way.

  Right now, I would probably offer up my body or anything else if he desired it. Because I realized that was the best way to protect myself.

  Pathetically, from that backward resolve, I found the strength to look back at him. Sensing the change in my state of mind, he spoke again for the first time.

  "Hoh. So you can make a face like that... I see. Perhaps I stared a little too long."

  Stared too long? Weren't you trying to make me submit...?

  "But Yu. Don't misunderstand. I don't want to make you a slave. What I want to see is how you change. That is something that takes a long time to finish."

  It was then.

  Why? His body began to lose color, becoming transparent. He looked down at his hand and clicked his tongue in annoyance.

  "Tch. The Star-Pulse has started moving. You got lucky. That's it for this time."

  I looked down. My hands were becoming transparent too.

  "What... what is happening to me...?"

  To my anxious question, he spread his arms slightly and answered triumphantly.

  "It has begun. The World Transfer."

  World Transfer. I had expected it, but I wasn't ready. The shock was immense. Still, considering how he had treated me, I almost felt saved by this time limit.

  Suddenly, I thought of the blonde woman I met first.

  "Ena—come to think of it, where is Ena?"

  "Ah. Her? She was noisy, so I erased her."

  I immediately recalled her loud scream. The worst imagination spilled from my lips.

  "Did you... kill her?"

  Hearing that, Will looked surprised.

  "Hmm? What. Didn't you hear about that from Ena?"

  "What do you mean!?"

  "Kukuku. It's boring to just tell you. I'll give you a hint. She was certainly trying to save you. By killing you. You'll have to figure out the rest yourself. Don't worry. You'll understand eventually."

  Understand eventually? I had no idea how being killed could be salvation.

  "See you later, Yu. It was a little fun. I'll play with you plenty from now on, so be prepared."

  For the first time, I felt like Will showed a glimpse of genuine emotion. I would meet him again. I carved his existence deep into my heart.

  As a natural enemy. As an object of terror. And as a human being holding a bottomless, deep darkness.

  He vanished. I was fading too.

  The sensation of my body disappeared, and only my consciousness was thrown into space.

  There was something in front of me. Unmistakably, the planet where we lived. The beautiful Blue Earth, overflowing with life.

  Looking at its majestic form from the outside... I finally understood in my gut that I could no longer stay on this star. And facing the moment of farewell, I realized for the first time.

  I had loved this planet from the bottom of my heart. It was so natural I hadn't realized it.

  Living and dying on this beautiful star. How happy that would have been. Now that it was impossible, I finally realized. Before I knew it, I was crying again. There was no voice, no tears in this form, but I was surely crying.

  Even if I'm gone, the world will likely keep spinning. As if nothing happened.

  But... I lived here. I definitely lived on this planet. Even if everyone forgets. Even if the world forgets. I decided I would not forget.

  Once separated, only memories and my name would be the only proof I lived on this star.

  The blue planet moved away, slowly but surely. Until it disappeared from sight, I burned it into my memory. So I would never forget.

  Goodbye, Earth. Goodbye. My home.