The morning sun was especially warm, and the cat on the road was lazily licking its paws.
Nakano Nino, wearing a lace-trimmed apron, placed the perfectly fried tamagoyaki onto an elegant plate, then turned to prepare the next dish.
The dining table was quickly filled with breakfast: steaming miso soup, golden fried eggs, fluffy rice, and the strawberry jam she had specially prepared for her sisters.
"Ichika! Yotsuba! Time to get up for breakfast!" Nino's voice was sharp and commanding, leaving no room for argument.
Although she often complained about her sisters' laziness, she always remembered everyone's preferences—Ichika liked sweet pickles, Yotsuba needed an extra fried egg, Miku's miso soup couldn't be too salty, and Itsuki's rice bowl had to be piled high.
During breakfast, listening to her sisters' bickering, Nino grumbled, "You're so loud!" but still carefully wiped a grain of rice from Yotsuba's mouth.
Watching Itsuki diligently memorizing words, she couldn't help but quip, "Acting like such a good student," though a hint of tenderness flickered in her eyes.
The morning hours quietly slipped away amidst trivial household chores.
Nino finished washing clothes, then tidied the living room, returning scattered books to their places one by one.
Sunlight streamed through the window, bathing her in a golden glow; everything was as usual, calm as a still, unrippled pool.
As noon approached, she left with her shopping bag to buy ingredients for dinner.
Pedestrians came and went on the street, the hawkers' cries, bicycle bells, and children's laughter intertwined, forming the vibrant tapestry of everyday life.
Nino hummed a tune as she walked, her fingers unconsciously tracing the handle of her shopping bag.
Passing the cram school on the corner, a gust of wind swept up fallen leaves from the ground, and also scattered her calm facade.
Suddenly, those long-buried memories uncontrollably surfaced in her mind—the former tutor shaking his head with a sigh, the cold words, "You five sisters are simply not cut out for studying," and the phrase that pierced her heart like a needle, "Stop daydreaming, your dreams are simply impossible to achieve."
Her steps involuntarily slowed, and Nino stood at the entrance of the deserted alley, her chest heavy as if crushed by a giant stone.
The grievances and unwillingness she had encased in a sharp shell now surged like a tide.
She had always strived to be a strong older sister, to take good care of her sisters, to protect their home, but those negative voices, like ghosts, now all resurfaced.
"So noisy..." Nino pressed her temples hard, trying to dispel the negative emotions, but her eyes involuntarily grew warm.
Why, no matter how hard they tried, did they never receive recognition? Why could those people so easily dismiss their dreams? The feeling of injustice coiled around her heart like a vine, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, trying to calm the turmoil within her.
The surrounding clamor seemed to gradually fade, and the world fell into an eerie silence.
When she opened her eyes again, the sight before her instantly froze her in place.
The familiar street had vanished, replaced by a desolate and bizarre world.
The sky was an impossibly thick orange-purple, as if stained with blood, and a broken, fading sunset hung on the horizon, casting a dismal red glow.
The ground beneath her feet was cracked obsidian, with dark red magma seeping from every fissure, emitting a scorching heat.
The air was filled with a pungent smell of sulfur, and the hoarse roars of unknown creatures echoed from a distance, instilling fear.
Strong winds whipped up black grit, stinging her face.
It was terrifyingly quiet, yet suffocatingly noisy—only the sound of the wind and the monsters' roars, no human voices could be heard.
"Ichika? Miku? Yotsuba? Itsuki?" Nino instinctively called out her sisters' names, her voice echoing in the vast expanse, but receiving no response.
A tremendous sense of fear instantly gripped her heart, making her tremble uncontrollably.
Where was this? Why was she here? What about her sisters?
Countless questions swirled in her mind, fear coiling around her heart like a cold viper, and the air entering her lungs brought a burning sting.
She had never seen such a bizarre sight.
Her usual pride and sharpness vanished in the face of the absolute unknown, leaving only bone-deep fear and an unshakeable desire for survival.
"Is anyone there?!" Nino gathered her courage and shouted, her voice trembling slightly with fear. "Is anyone here?!"
Only the howling wind and the monster's roar, seemingly closer now, answered her.
She stumbled back a step, accidentally crushing a scarred piece of obsidian, and hot magma splashed from the crack, almost landing on her shoes.
"Ah!" Nino shrieked in fright, turning to flee, only to find the same scene all around her, unable to find any direction.
Despair washed over her like a tide, and tears uncontrollably welled in her eyes.
"Help me... someone help me..." Her voice grew smaller and choked with sobs, her usual assertiveness completely gone, leaving only helplessness and fear.
This girl, who always protected herself and her family with a tough exterior, now in this strange and terrifying world, finally shed all her pretenses, revealing her most vulnerable side.
The strong wind whipped her long hair, and beneath the orange-purple sky, the girl's lonely figure appeared especially small.
She huddled on a relatively intact piece of obsidian, hugging her knees and trembling, continuously mumbling her sisters' names, her voice gradually fading into the vast alien world, without eliciting any response.
The sunset still hung on the horizon, as if it would never set, making this eerie land appear even more sinister.
Nakano Nino's cries for help shattered in the wind.
At this moment, she could only wait for a salvation that might or might not come, amidst boundless fear.