The sound of waves wakes me before I open my eyes. Sand grits against my cheek, and the salt air stings my nose. When I finally blink awake, the sky is a washed-out blue I don't recognize.

I push myself up, wincing at the pain in my right hand. That's when I see it—the bandage wrapped around my ring finger, or rather, where my ring finger should be. A jagged stump remains, covered in rough linen that's already stained brown with old blood.

Panic rises in my throat as I scramble to my feet, sand clinging to my clothes. Who am I? Where is this place? The questions echo in my empty mind, no answers forthcoming.

As I stumble toward what looks like a distant city skyline, something tugs at my hand. A golden ring glints in the sunlight, fused to the stump where my finger was cut off. Before I can react, a voice echoes in my head.

"Finally awake, huh? Took you long enough." The voice is dry, sarcastic, and definitely not my own.

I gasp, looking around wildly. "Who's there? Show yourself!"

A small shadow detaches itself from my hand,凝聚 into a tiny, vaguely humanoid shape with glowing yellow eyes. "Down here, airhead." It gestures to the ring on my hand.

"You're... a demon?" I whisper, taking an involuntary step back. The creature sighs dramatically.

"The name's Alikred. And you're Suzuki Iruma, though you don't seem to remember that right now."

"Iruma..." I test the name on my lips. It feels familiar, like a word on the tip of my tongue I can't quite place.

"Listen, human," Alikred says, "you've got bigger problems than your memory right now. We need to find shelter before nightfall, and you need to stop gawking like a lost puppy."

As if on cue, my stomach growls loudly. Hunger pangs hit me like a physical blow, reminding me that survival comes first—even with no memory of who I am or how I got here.

"But how do you know who I am?" I ask, clutching my injured hand to my chest. The shadowy demon rolls its eyes.

"That's a long story. One we can discuss while you're finding us food. Now move—before something decides you look like a snack."

With that ominous warning, I start walking toward the distant city, the strange talking ring my only companion in a world I don't remember.