Ren had always been a strange boy.He didn't say it with pride, nor did he hide it in shame. He simply… was. While other kids chased balls, he chased mysteries. While his classmates talked about fashion or video games, he talked about grimoires, spells, and ancient runes. He was only fourteen, but his obsession with magic made him seem from another world.
And maybe he was.
He lived in a small village surrounded by forest. Every day, after school, he would wander into the woods with his sketchbook, an old book of magic (which might have been fake, but no one knew for sure), and a constantly burning imagination.
But that day was different.
The sky was clear when he entered the forest. The leaves whispered in the wind, and everything felt calm. But within seconds, dark clouds spun overhead. A storm had formed from nothing, as if it had been waiting for him. The air vibrated. The ground trembled. And then... the sky split.
A lightning bolt struck in front of him, but it didn't touch the ground. It froze midair, suspended as if time had stopped. From its center opened a portal—a spinning spiral of light, like an eye just waking up. Before he could scream, Ren was pulled into the light.
Everything disappeared.
He awoke somewhere else.
The sky was purple, and in it floated massive stone islands covered in glowing vegetation. Winged creatures soared like giant fish across the heavens. The air smelled of unknown flowers and living energy. Beneath his feet, the grass was soft and glowed faintly, as if responding to his presence.
"Where… am I?" he mumbled, still dizzy.
A voice cut through, sharp and distrustful.
"And what are you doing here, human child?"
Ren turned abruptly. A woman with piercing eyes, braided hair like dried roots, and a dark cloak stood watching him, frowning. Her hands rested on a twisted staff covered in moss.
"Human? What does that mean? I just—"
"Don't waste my time! If you don't answer, I'll turn you into a frog," the woman snapped.
"What?! I don't know how I got here! There was a storm… some kind of lightning pulled me in—"
The woman huffed.
"Perfect. Another stray. Just what I needed."
With a flick of her staff, roots rose from the ground and gently wrapped around Ren's ankles.
"What are you doing!?"
"Relax. Just making sure you don't run. Come with me. If you're here, you may as well be useful."
Ren was dragged—or rather guided—through the magical forest. Everything around him was wondrous: flowers that sang as they passed, mushrooms glowing like lanterns, and trees that changed shape at the wind's whim.
They arrived at a cottage embedded in a massive tree. The doors opened with a whisper, revealing organized chaos inside: jars of strange ingredients, books that moved on their own, and a bubbling cauldron that winked at him.
"This place… is your home?" Ren asked, eyes wide.
"And your temporary prison, if you don't learn to behave," replied the woman, setting her staff in a corner.
"Who are you?"
"They call me Gilda. Witch, teacher, grumpy old hag—take your pick. And you, for some reason, are now in Aurora."
Ren frowned.
"Aurora?"
"A world different from yours, boy. A place where Flux—the magical energy of this world—binds everything. Here, magic is no game. It is life. And death too."
Ren swallowed hard.
"So... I'm trapped?"
Gilda looked at him in silence for a moment, then sighed.
"I don't know yet. But while I figure it out, you're going to train with me. I can't let you wander free. You're a potential threat… or a mistake of fate."
Ren didn't know if that was good or bad. He only knew that his world had shattered, and now he was here.
As he prepared his improvised bed near the cauldron, Gilda muttered to herself:
"I'll have to call Anastasia… She hasn't visited in a while, but maybe this boy will interest her. Though, knowing her, she'll only come if she thinks he's worth her time."
Ren heard the name in silence. Anastasia.There was something about it that made his heart beat a little faster.And somewhere in Aurora, a silver-haired girl felt that same vibration.