1 Waking Up

Dark and hazy, Alexander seemed to have been trapped in a never-ending dream. The dream was filled with bizarre and absurd images. Still, just as he got absorbed, a throbbing sensation pulled him out, leaving the dream forgotten upon waking.

As Alexander opened his eyes, he realized his surroundings were off. He felt cramped as if his entire body had shrunk and was trapped in a small, sticky space filled with a foul-smelling liquid. The darkness made it impossible for him to discern his situation. Instinctively, he tried to scream, but the liquid rushed into his mouth, nearly choking him.

Panicked, Alexander flailed his arms, searching for a way out. To his surprise, his hands encountered a thin, warm layer that seemed to be a barrier. Desperate, he pounded on the wall-like structure, only to realize that his strength had diminished, leaving him feeling weaker than before.

But he persisted, relentlessly striking the wall until it finally cracked. Light seeped through the cracks, igniting hope within Alexander. Encouraged, he continued to break through until the wall gave way, and the viscous liquid rushed out, allowing him to breathe freely once again. The sensation of air filling his lungs brought a profound sense of relief.

Exhaling deeply, Alexander was startled by the peculiar sound of his own voice. Perhaps his vocal cords hadn't been used for a long time. Frustrated, he muttered, "Well, it seems I've become a living voice actor!"

Feeling rejuvenated, Alexander eagerly widened the gap he had created, pushing aside the remaining fragments of the broken wall. Finally, he managed to squeeze his body through the opening.

As he emerged, Alexander's eyes widened in astonishment. He gazed at the sky above and saw a purple moon hanging there. "Purple... the moon!?" he exclaimed, utterly bewildered.

After contemplating his situation momentarily, Alexander realized that he had hatched from a black egg. "What a bizarre turn of events," he mused. "Guess you can call me the Birthday Egg, or Eggday for short..."

Shaking off his initial shock, Alexander examined his hands, which had transformed from normal-sized palms with calluses to baby-sized ones. His skin was an odd dark red with strange black lines, and his nails resembled sharp claws. He also noticed a pair of bulging sacks on his forehead, resembling diagonal appendages.

Curiosity got the better of him, and Alexander reached behind to find a black arrow-shaped tail. Perplexed by his monstrous appearance, he couldn't help but wonder, "What creature have I become? If only there were a mirror..."

Suddenly, a thought struck him, and his face paled. He quickly inspected his lower region, breathing a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness!" he exclaimed, grateful to still possess his male attributes. "At least I've maintained my gender. Otherwise, things would have really gotten complicated. Can you imagine laying eggs as a female? What a peculiar image..."

Shaking his head to clear his mind of such unsettling thoughts, Alexander focused on sorting through his memories. He recollected his life as an ordinary young man, immersed in work routines, games, novels, and anime. His primary goal had been to pay off his mortgage and find a partner to share his life with.

However, amidst these memories, Alexander remembered a heroic act of saving a mother and child from an oncoming car. Sacrificing himself in the process, he had ended up here, reborn as an egg. Despite his current situation's mysteries, he felt no regrets for his selfless act.

Taking a moment to pay his respects to his previous life, Alexander sighed and then raised his head to survey the environment around him. Yet, what he witnessed left him momentarily dumbfounded.

He found himself standing on what appeared to be a beach. However, unlike the idyllic beaches he knew, this one was filled with black and red sands, resembling hot coal particles. These sands emitted a blue smoke, and an atmosphere of unease permeated the air. As he ventured closer to the beach, the sand turned increasingly red.

However, the countless eggs scattered along the beach caught Alexander's attention the most. They varied in size and color—black, red, purple, silver—but all lay silently, awaiting their hatching. The humid and heated environment was conducive to their incubation.

Alexander couldn't help but wonder about the origin of these eggs. Turning his gaze towards the sea, he saw waves crashing against the shore. To his astonishment, the seawater appeared blood-red, and eggs of all sizes and colors floated among the waves. The tide carried them toward the beach, creating a mesmerizing yet eerie spectacle.

Luck played a role in their survival. Some eggs were pushed closer to the beach by larger waves, while others were left behind, trapped in the colder waters. Alexander noticed that in the warmer sections of the beach, many eggs were trembling and moving, indicating imminent hatching. In contrast, eggs in colder areas remained lifeless, unable to withstand the conditions.

Witnessing this scene, Alexander couldn't help but appreciate the fortune that had allowed his egg to safely reach the shore. He also couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow for the unlucky eggs that collided and shattered before they could even hatch.

Observing the environment and pondering his next steps, Alexander suddenly realized the rumbling in his stomach. "Hungry... I'm crazy hungry!" he exclaimed, feeling the pangs of hunger intensify.