Where am I?
Noah stood frozen amidst the rubble of a completely destroyed city. Only the remnants of building foundations remained standing, like giant tombstones on parched and cracked ground.
Above him, a gloomy sky swirled in a terrifying vortex, centered on a single point adorned with strikes of purple lightning.
A Rift? he thought in disbelief. But... this is too big!
Cold sweat immediately poured down his temples. Beneath the menacing vortex of clouds, a giant fissure stretched across the land. From within the crack, purple energy radiated powerfully, piercing the sky like a colossal pillar holding up the apocalypse. It was a "Dimensional Rift: Gate to the Underworld." mankind's greatest threat. Yet, the one before Noah was far larger than anything he had ever heard of or imagined.
In fear, Noah retreated step by step, his body trembling violently.
Suddenly, from another part of the sky, a blinding bright light emerged. The light was so mesmerizing it completely captured his attention. He turned, and his eyes widened in disbelief.
From behind the luminous clouds, a colossal shadow was visible—a majestic figure with six outstretched wings. The light it emitted was so dazzling it nearly whitened his entire vision. The figure stood upright, as if overseeing everything before it, a large sword clenched in its hand.
What kind of creature is that?!
Noah's survival instinct screamed. He instinctively jumped back, continuously trying to distance himself until his foot hit the rubble of the ruined city.
And in that moment, he realized… He was trapped between two clashing titanic forces: on his right, absolute darkness and ruin; on his left, light and land that appeared fertile, yet felt eerily empty and foreign.
For the first time, he witnessed immense power. And he felt like a mere insignificant being who could vanish at any moment.
***
Instantly, his eyes snapped open. His breath was ragged and heavy, his chest rising and falling irregularly. As if he had just been running. The black book was still clutched tightly to his chest.
Just a dream… he murmured in his heart.
But his heart was still pounding like a drum.
Why have I been having such strange dreams lately?, he pressed inwardly, frustration beginning to smother his fear. A destroyed city. A six-winged creature. What does it all mean?
Should I take this dream seriously? he whispered to himself.
The answer came instantly, cold and snaking down his spine: This time, I will take it seriously.
His gaze fell upon the worn book he still held. His fingers traced its rough, lined cover, as if searching for answers there. Then, a thought struck him, making his eyes widen. In his dream, he had seen, the exact same symbol that was in his book when he looked at the winged creature.
Impossible… Could it be related to this?, His body tensed.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
The sound of knocking ended the tense atmosphere. It was followed by the familiar, calming voice of Sister Maria. "Noah, wake up quickly. You need to get ready for school."
Noah's breath, which had been racing, slowly began to calm upon hearing her voice. Like a rope pulling him back to reality. "Yes, Sister. I'm awake," he replied, trying to make his voice sound normal.
"Alright, don't forget to shower and come down for breakfast!" Sister called from behind the door before her footsteps faded away.
Once the sound disappeared, Noah let out a long sigh. Carefully, almost reverently, he placed the book back on its shelf, just like his ritual every morning. This time, however, his gaze lingered on the object longer.
A sense of curiosity and a strange premonition had taken root.
Noah opened the window, allowing the morning air to sweep away the remnants of his nightmare. Streaks of dawn light swept across the room floor. With a heavy body, he grabbed a towel and walked to the bathroom. The shadows of his terrifying vision still haunted his mind, but he tried to shove them away.
In front of the cracked mirror, he stared at his reflection—his eyes still held traces of fear. The cold water he splashed on his face stung, but was unable to erase the memory. He quickly showered and put on his uniform: a thin white shirt, a blue blazer with the school emblem, and black pants that had faded from wear and washing.
The yellow school bus was already waiting in front of the orphanage, its engine vibrating softly with a familiar hum.
As Noah opened the door, the fresh morning air hit his face, carrying the scent of damp earth and dew. He took a deep breath, trying to enjoy a moment of peace.
"Hurry up, Noah! Everyone else is already on board!" Allen snapped from behind, nudging Noah's shoulder.
"Why are you always so sluggish in the morning?" Haru asked, passing them with quick steps.
Allen grinned. "Maybe Noah's just tired, right?" he teased, nudging Noah again.
"Yeah, maybe," Noah answered bitterly, almost inaudibly, while looking down and shoving his hands into his jacket pockets.
The three of them boarded the bus, its engine already humming softly. Noah went straight to his seat by the window. His eyes watched Sister Maria, who was still standing in front of the orphanage, waving. Her figure grew smaller and finally disappeared from view as the bus began to move.
Almost reflexively, his hand felt his bag, making sure the copied pages from the black book were still inside.
Suddenly, the bus slowed and came to a stop. Traffic was completely jammed. The noisy voices of exclaiming children filled the cabin. "A Rift! Look, over there!" All heads—even those sitting on the left—turned and pressed against the windows, watching the scene by the roadside.
There, a small fissure gaped in the ground. Purple energy radiated from its depths. Around the rift, several mages were already positioned in formation, their wands and hands glowing, waiting for the creatures that would emerge.
"Its energy is small. Only low-level demons will appear," said a mage from outside, his voice faintly penetrating the window glass and reaching Noah's ears.
With magic, humanity should be able to advance rapidly in technology and population, Noah mused inwardly, his eyes unblinking as he watched the scene. An old question nagged at him. But with the Rifts, human growth just becomes 'stable'—every day people are killed, buildings collapse, and there's other damage. The demons… remind humans they won't be on top.
Humanity had coexisted with this phenomenon for thousands of years. Yet, a disturbing feeling crept into his heart. But now I feel human civilization is actually on the brink of collapse.
The vehicle started moving again, leaving the crowd and chaos behind.
"Hey, Noah? Why are you spacing out?" asked Allen, noticing his blank stare.
Noah jolted, distracted from his deep thoughts. "Oh, I was just… surprised to see that Rift," he answered, trying to hide his unease with a forced thin smile.
Allen raised an eyebrow, not entirely convinced. "Seriously? What's so surprising about it? Stuff like this is already an everyday sight in this world. Luckily our village is safe. According to Arcana—the organization that takes in mages—our village is considered a 'safe zone'. Don't know why, but a Rift has never appeared in Nagami."
Does it have something to do with that skull? Noah thought.
***
The view of village streets soon changed to tall buildings—a sign they had entered Shinjuku city.
The bus stopped with a screech of brakes. In front of the school gate, a crowd of blue uniforms had gathered like ants. Noah frowned; the sign "Shinjuku Secondary School" was clearly displayed. The school was very crowded. Slowly, the children from the orphanage got off, yet were met with barely concealed condescending looks.
But not Allen—his friend. With his extraordinary magic talent, he was instead warmly welcomed.
Noah stepped into the school hallway. His footsteps echoed on the crowded granite floor. Sharp whispers seeped from all directions, audible even though spoken softly.
"Isn't that the mana-less kid?"
"Yeah, that's him."
"Hah... this world's 'treasure'."
He heard it all—but chose to ignore it.
Aren't they bored, always talking about me?
Then a female student deliberately dropped her books, blocking Noah's path. "Sorry, 'Mana-less', I didn't see you there," she said, before her friends laughed.
Hahaha!!
"It's okay." A fake smile forced its way onto his weary face as he walked towards the classroom.
His steps drew him closer. Until finally he pushed the classroom door open slowly. "Good morning, everyone," Noah said softly, trying to be friendly.
But no one answered him. The class was noisy–but no one answered him. Only the sound of his footsteps was heard, as if he were the only breathing creature in the room. At least I tried.
He pulled out his chair at the far end—his spot—right by the window. He propped his chin on his hand, his gaze empty as he stared at the field below.
There, a teacher was training other children to manipulate their mana. Colored magical lights danced in the air, but his eyes only captured black-and-white shadows.
This world feels alien to me.
His fingers tapped the desk slowly. One... two... three...
Like counting down until the bell rang.
"Oi, Noah!"
The voice broke his solitude. A red-haired boy approached him, slightly out of breath. He was Noah's only friend in this class.
"Good morning, Noah," he said, putting down his bag and sitting.
"Morning, Rei," Noah replied flatly.
"Hey, the test scores are being handed out soon, right?" Rei chuckled. "Looks like you'll get the highest score again!"
"Why are you laughing?" asked Noah.
"It's just funny. You can't use magic, but you're so good at the theory. Even magic users probably can't beat you."
Noah lowered his head and laid it on the desk. Damn, is he praising me or mocking me?
Suddenly his eyes widened. He immediately sat up and rummaged through his bag for a paper, then pulled it out—it was a copy of the writing from the black book at home.
"Rei, do you know what language this is?" he asked full of hope.
Rei examined it carefully, his eyes squinting. Noah waited hopefully.
"Don't know," Rei finally answered.
Instantly, Noah's expression turned disappointed. "How can you not know? I thought you knew many languages?"
"I do, but... This looks more like ancient script. Why are you asking about this?"
"Just asking," Noah answered shortly. He looked at the paper for a long time. Then he let out a long sigh…
He looked back out the window, propping his chin on his hand. That stranger really made me curious. Giving me a book and then just disappearing.
"Teacher's coming!!"
The shout broke the commotion. The sound of creaking wooden chairs rumbled simultaneously as the students hurriedly took their seats.
The teacher entered the room with firm steps, carrying a stack of test papers. He placed them on the desk, then stood beside it, his gaze sweeping across the whole class.
"These are your test results," he said, his voice loud and clear.
Names were called one by one. Every student called forward was met with loud applause and cheers.
"Rei Amasaki" ranked fifth. Noah saw his slightly disappointed expression, but he still smiled and accepted his score paper.
"Congratulations, Rei," Noah whispered from his seat.
"Thank you," Rei replied with a small smile.
The teacher then held the final score list. His eyes looked at the name at the top.
"Noah Lucenhart."
His body stiffened for a moment before he finally rose slowly from his seat. His steps felt heavy and hesitant as he walked to the front. Yet, beneath his hesitation, a thin smile spread on his lips, full of restrained hope.
"Noah… you got the highest score. Again." The teacher's voice sounded soft, even proud.
Noah's eyes widened for a moment. His hands clenched slowly at his sides, trying to hold back a surge of emotion.
…until he realized.
The class was dead silent. Not a single clap. Not a single cheer. Some students pretended to be busy taking notes, bowing their heads to avoid his gaze. Others just glanced with cold, even scornful looks.
Chilling. More painful than any direct insult. A silent acknowledgment that his very existence was a nuisance.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
A single clap, slow, but loud, broke the piercing silence.
"Congratulations, Noah!!" Rei shouted from his seat, his voice loud and full of support.
"Congratulations, Noah. Keep it up," the teacher said, cutting the tension with his voice now firm again.
With the thin smile still lingering, Noah nodded slowly to his teacher, then looked at Rei with a hanging smile. He took his score paper and walked back to his seat, his steps feeling a little lighter this time. He pulled out his chair and sat down immediately.
"Just as I thought…" Rei said, grinning.
"Thank you."
On his paper was written this week's average score: '93'. But his gaze was empty looking at the score he had just received. It's useless for me to get this score. This is just a byproduct of my desperate attempt to find another meaning…
Then he looked at the copied page from his book under the desk. The most important thing now… I have to find its meaning. And if my dreams come true… I can fight back!.