THE total eclipsed heart

The torment had ended, but Hinojosa's body still trembled, as if it remembered every second of the agony. He stumbled forward, his breaths shallow, the cold night air biting into his skin. Above him, an eclipse hung in the sky, casting an ominous shadow over the city.

He took a step onto the empty street.

Pain.

It hit him like a tidal wave, searing through his veins, twisting his muscles, and bending his bones as if his body was being unmade from the inside out. His vision blurred, and the world around him faded.

Everything went dark.

When he opened his eyes, he was somewhere else.

A vast desert stretched endlessly before him. There was no wind, no sound, only a sky filled with countless stars and a moon that glowed unnaturally bright. The air was heavy, ancient, and the sand beneath his feet felt cold, like it had never known warmth.

It was a realm untouched by time.

Hinojosa scanned the horizon, searching for something—anything—that made sense. Then he saw it.

A tree.

A colossal tree, towering so high it seemed to pierce the heavens, its trunk wide enough to hold a city within. Its branches stretched infinitely, like veins of the universe itself, weaving through the sky. Each branch bore countless fruits, glowing softly in a spectrum of colors—some shimmering like glass, others pulsating with a life of their own.

It was both beautiful and unsettling.

As he approached, he noticed a figure sitting on a rock near the base of the tree.

The figure was tall, cloaked in a garment of pure black that absorbed the light around it. His face was hidden, but Hinojosa could feel the weight of his gaze, cold and ancient.

The figure spoke, his voice low and resonant, echoing across the desert like a distant thunderstorm.

"I am the One Above All," the man declared. "You stand in the Realm of Birth and Death."

Hinojosa's heart pounded. "The Realm of Birth and Death? Why… why am I here?"

The figure's unseen eyes seemed to pierce through him, unraveling his very essence.

"Your body could not handle the power you sought," the figure said. "It tore you apart. But now… it is ready."

Hinojosa clenched his fists, feeling the unfamiliar energy coursing through him—a storm barely contained. "Ready for what?"

"To wield it. To survive it. But remember, survival is not the same as life."

The One Above All stood, his form towering over Hinojosa, a shadow against the endless desert. His voice took on a more commanding tone.

"You shall gather nine allies. Only then will you be prepared for the Game of Death."

Hinojosa's eyes widened. "Nine allies? Game of Death? What is that?"

"You will know in time," the figure replied. "But remember, power alone will not save you. Choose wisely."

Without another word, the figure dissolved into the night, fading into the stars as if he had never been there.

Hinojosa stood alone, the colossal tree looming behind him, its branches stretching endlessly, bearing the weight of countless lives yet to be born. For a brief moment, he felt small—insignificant in the grand design of the universe.

Then he opened his eyes again.

He was back.

The same street, the same moment, as if nothing had changed. Yet everything had.

Hinojosa flexed his hands, the power that had once shattered him now flowing steadily through his veins. No longer a curse, but a weapon—a tool for revenge.

The Deck had taken everything from him: Sayo, his parents, and his innocence.

But now, he had the strength to take it all back.

And nothing—not even death—would stand in his way.