As the blinding light faded, my surroundings came into focus.
It was a spacious, medieval castle chamber with every window sealed shut. Torchlight flickered against rough stone walls, casting long shadows. Beneath my boots, etched into the cold floor, lay a wide magic circle pulsing with a dull, reddish glow.
I brushed the dust from my palms, then from the sleeves of my long black coat. The weight on my shoulders shifted with over twenty kilograms of carefully packed equipment, tools, and weapons sitting in my tactical backpack.
A quick check. Coat, boots, gear, weapons. Everything was still in place. Nothing missing.
And I already knew I wasn't alone.
Around the circle, arranged in a wide ring, stood a dozen cloaked figures. Hoods drawn low, faces hidden in shadow, each held a strange wooden staff. Their voices rose and fell in unison, chanting in some alien tongue like a dreadful, monotonous song.
I didn't understand a word, but it was obvious who they were: the ones who had summoned me.
But I wasn't the only one they'd brought.
Besides me stood three others.
"W-where am I?"
A girl's voice cut through the air, shaky and high.
I turned toward the sound. She looked fifteen, maybe sixteen, trembling so hard she could barely stand. Her legs shook beneath a pleated navy-blue skirt, and with each panicked breath, her black ponytail quivered. She clutched the hem of her uniform so tightly the fabric bunched in her fists.
My gaze dropped to a small badge pinned to her chest. The torchlight caught its edge just enough for me to read it:
Sakura High.
I recognized it immediately. That school was only a few blocks from my old apartment. Every afternoon, I'd pass students in that uniform spilling into the streets, laughing and crowding around convenience stores and ramen shops.
I glanced at the other two.
They were boys, looking just as lost and terrified.
The first wore a plain white T-shirt and black shorts. His red hair was a wild, tangled mess.
"What the heck is going on!? You've got to be kidding me… Is this real!?" he gasped.
Next to him stood a shorter boy with dark skin and black hair, dressed in a bright red pizza delivery uniform with a logo patch.
"Holy crap! I'm still alive!" he shouted, patting himself frantically as if checking for injuries.
All three—girl and boys—were about the same age, all Japanese. Their faces twisted with shock, confusion, and rising panic. And who could blame them? They'd been ripped from their world, blinded by a flash of light, only to wake in an alien place.
But unlike them, what surged through me wasn't fear.
It was joy.
Yes, joy. Pure, electric joy.
A dark excitement burned in my chest, curling and flaring like hellfire. It was impossible to contain, maddening in its intensity.
Because after everything—after all the years of clawing forward, of enduring every trial and storm fate had thrown at me—I had finally arrived.
"Anna…"
I whispered her name.
My little sister's name.
And as the ritual ended, the summoning circle's glow faded into darkness.
___
Twenty years ago. 2065.
Akihabara, Tokyo—the heart of otaku heaven.
Above us, neon signs buzzed and blinked in every color. Maid cafés lined the sidewalks, alive with music and girls in frilly skirts and animal ears. Arcades spilled cheerful tunes into the summer air, while shop windows overflowed with anime figurines.
Back then, I was just a twenty-year-old Canadian finally taking a break from university. Beside me, bouncing with excitement, was my twelve-year-old sister, Anna. Her sneakers tapped a restless rhythm on the pavement, her ponytail swinging like a metronome.
This trip meant everything to us: a dream turned real, a memory we thought we'd treasure forever. We had planned it for so long. And finally, we were here.
Anna tugged at my sleeve.
"Jack! Jack, come on, look at this!"
She pointed at a display window, her blue eyes sparkling under the neon glow.
"It's a limited-edition Miku figure! We have to get it! Please! It's the last one!"
I laughed, stumbling to keep up.
"Anna, that's what you said at the last three shops! My wallet's dying!"
"Pleaseeee!"
"Alright! Just one more figure!"
"Yaaay!"
I shook my head, chuckling to myself.
She was too cute. I could never say no to that face.
And so we bounced from shop to shop, from figurines to claw machines, from manga cafés to karaoke booths. We snapped countless photos and bought piles of stuff.
It was, without question, one of the happiest days of my life. It was like floating in a bubble of joy—light, warm, and perfect.
But then, the bubble popped. The dream twisted into a nightmare.
And happiness… turned to grief.
___
"Huh? It's… cold?"
We were walking home when suddenly a gust of wind howled through the streets.
I shivered. My breath came out as a ghostly plume.
Impossible…
It was the middle of summer. There was no reason it should be this cold. Yet the temperature had plunged, the air turning thick and heavy.
And then… snow.
Tiny flakes began to fall, landing softly on my jacket. I stared at them, more confused than ever.
Before I could make sense of it, Anna's scream tore through the frozen air.
"JACK! HELP!!!"
My heart lurched.
I spun around, and my blood ran cold.
Beneath Anna's feet, a circle of glowing runes had appeared, seared into the pavement, pulsing with a golden light so bright it burned into my vision.
I reacted instantly.
"Anna! ANNAAA!"
I dropped everything and lunged toward her.
My sneakers scraped against the pavement as I charged, arms outstretched, frantic, desperate. Every part of me screamed to move faster, to pull her out.
But then—
SLAM!
Something invisible struck me.
Hard.
It was like hitting a steel wall at full speed. My body jolted back, the air ripped from my lungs. Pain flared in my shoulder as I stumbled, barely keeping upright.
Still, I forced myself forward. My palms pressed against something solid.
A barrier.
"NO!"
I pounded my fists against it.
"ANNA!"
But it didn't move!
I hit it again. And again! My fists thudded uselessly. I kicked, slammed my shoulder, clawed until my knuckles split and smeared blood across its surface!
Still… nothing.
It didn't crack.
It didn't even fucking flinch!
Inside the circle, Anna stood frozen in the glow. Light crawled up her legs in golden tendrils, curling around her like chains.
Then she began to flicker.
Her form stuttered, reality struggling to hold her. One moment solid, the next glitching like a corrupted video file, blinking in and out of existence.
Her eyes locked on mine, wide and terrified.
Her mouth moved, slow and soundless.
I read her lips.
Jack… help me…
Just that.
A fragile, trembling plea that shattered something inside me.
"I'm here!"
I cried, pressing both palms against the barrier.
"I'm here, Anna! I'm right here! Hold on!"
But it didn't matter.
No matter how loud I screamed, no matter how hard I fought, the barrier held.
And then the light surged.
A blinding flare of gold erupted from the circle, bursting outward in a wave of searing energy. My vision went white, a high-pitched screech tearing through my ears.
And then… silence.
The light vanished.
The magic faded.
And so did she. So did Anna.
Slowly, I lowered my arms.
Where the circle had been—where Anna had stood—there was only empty pavement.