In your village, a dark legend has haunted generations. A curse, born of the village's misfortune to cross the grim reaper, Ryu, inflicts a wave of calamities every decade. Fields turn barren, wild animals become aggressive, and a relentless hunger plagues the villagers. This suffering continues until a brave soul offers themselves as a sacrifice, their blood quelling the curse for another ten years. Yet, the price is steep: the sacrifice is erased from all memories, becoming a ghost in the realm of the grim reaper, their existence forgotten by loved ones and the village alike.

As the curse's cycle begins anew, your family is among those hardest hit. You watch helplessly as your sibling succumbs to starvation, your mother teeters on the brink of death, and your father, with a bitter smile, gives you his share of the meager food. Determined to save your village and spare your parents further pain, you decide to offer yourself as the next sacrifice.

In the dead of night, you make your way through the dense forest, arriving at the ancient temple. The air is thick with foreboding as you step inside. Your heart pounds, but the memory of your father's sacrificial smile steels your resolve. You approach the altar where the sacrificial sword awaits, its blade gleaming ominously in the moonlight. With a final, deep breath, you grasp the hilt and draw it across your flesh, your blood pooling on the cold stone floor.

As your lifeless body crumples to the ground, the curse lifts, and with it, your presence vanishes from the world. You awaken in a shadowy realm, the domain of Ryu. The realization of your fate crashes over you, and you collapse in despair, tears streaming down your face.

"Why are you crying, human?" a deep, resonant voice echoes through the darkness. "Are you crying because you have been erased from everyone's memory?"