Narrator - In a world where sins have physical manifestations, just what type of action are we in for.
Date - September 20th 2022. Tuesday.
The time was exactly 5:32 in the morning, the sky filled with infant clouds as the day had just begun.
Location wasn't anything unfamiliar, from the banners hung on closed shops, it was obvious this was Japan.
At this time of the year, the weather resembled late summer transitioning to autumn.
We start off at an abandoned warehouse, junk piled at the exterior, with the inside being empty...well not quite...
Yawwwwwn~
Disrupting the scattered but quiet area, a girl of about average height wakes up from her slumber.
In an abandoned warehouse of all places? Perhaps homeless...
"Ow, my neck"
She elegantly wiped her eyes while rubbing her sore neck. This was clearly no place for a good night's sleep.
She took a deep breath still half asleep and shouted.
"Okay, Inori Jiro! Today is your birthday!"
She said fist-bumping the walls of the warehouse... but something was wrong... Inori's eyes examined her location.
looking left, right, then left again, she checked her attire which was a simple yet elegant white robe with gold lining.
Her hand slowly dropped after realizing.
"Where am I?"
She said, confused-this definitely wasn't the room she fell asleep in last night.
Standing for some time she came to the conclusion.
"What a weird dream...it feels so realistic, is it because today is my birthday?"
Speaking to herself, Inori decided to exit through the door of the warehouse.
Thinking this being a dream, might as well wonder about right?
"I need to wake up, father must be waiting for me, he even came home quickly so we could celebrate"
A smile appeared on her face as she walked around.
"By the way, what's with this dream?! It's so random!"
She cursed seeing as this was nothing magical like most girls would expect from a dream, it looked like a place for human trafficking.
Inori walked around the abandoned warehouse trying to snap herself from this "Dream"
"Father!"
She yelled out loud trying to see if she could imagine her father in her sleep, however it was only replied by an angry comment, scolding Inori for yelling so early in the morning.
Inori apologized to the house hold for screaming recklessly and continued walking.
"sigh, I'm cold... wait, can I get cold in a dream?"
She whined, rubbing her palms to try and generate some warmth, who could blame her, the time was 5:37 in the morning after all.
After about 10 minutes, now considerably leaving the abandoned warehouse, Inori found herself in a small market.
Lined with local stores that were still closed.
The time now being 5:47-Amidst all the silence she muttered.
"I have to wake up"
With that being said, Inori rushed to a small wooden fence and forcefully removed a plank.
"H..hey?! What the fuck are you doing?!"
The owner of the house yelled at Inori seeing as she was damaging his fence.
"I'm so sorry, but please I need this for something!"
She ran to a secluded area with the plank in her hand.
Breathe
"I have to wake up, I'll... I'll just kill myself in the dream"
Obviously shaking from the statement Inori slowly brought the plank to her head about to crack her skull.
Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.
Her body seemed to betray her, refusing to move a muscle,of course no one could commit suicide at will so easily, but today was her birthday she needed to "wake up" and celebrate with her father.
Mustering all of her strength our protagonist attempts suicide.
Bash!
The sound of bone cracking could be heard, although overshadowed by the loud noise the wood made making contact with inori's scalp.
It chased crows that were nearby leading them to falter to the skies.
As their feathers land, we see Inori seated with the blood stained board.
Later letting go of it causing it clatter on the floor...
"Ahhhh!!!! It hurts!!!"
Crying uncontrollably, her body grovelled on the floor as if set on fire, she tries her best to stop the bleeding as her forehead had been lacerated.
"Oh my God it hurts!!!"
All to no avail, her screaming that is, it's only result was worsening the situation,as loud noises caused even more pain to her already damaged skull.
Some time after her wailing, the pain seemed to have subsided.
She sat in the silence, her bloodied hand trembled.
The world around her didn't fade, didn't flicker. It waited.
In the presence of the pain she felt, she finally acknowledged.
"This...isn't a dream"
With a voice barely audible, Inori was confused.
"Perhaps I was kidnapped?! But that shouldn't be possible, father was at home meaning no foreign entity should have entered the Kantei!"
She contemplated her situation as she rubbed her forehead, Inori stood up and decided to return the plank she removed from that poor mans fence.
"I just need to call father on the telephone, I'll tell him I was kidnapped and he should come rushing to save-"
She suddenly stopped walking.
"Something is wrong"
Indeed, the atmosphere suddenly got odd...
Inori peeped at an alley adjacent where she was walking.
"What on God's green earth is that"
She said with an honestly confused expression, surely she was scared but curiosity was stronger.
Narrator - At exactly 5:55, for the first time in her 14 years of living.
Narrator - Inori witnesses a Sinner.
It was a 15 feet tall snail-like creature, it's body crouched as it nibbled on the corpse beneath it revealing the poor mans organs as it tore through its flesh.
It's color palette consisted of completely dark red skin however it's shell was accompanied with black dots resembling...a lady bug?
It had humongous eyes as if it were a cartoon character, something otherworldly, but the immaculate details on its body made sure to spell reality.
Simply put THIS WAS NO DREAM.