In the midst of Tokyo's never-ending hustle and bustle, a teenage boy walked leisurely through the crowd. His long silver-white hair was simply tied back, letting a few strands fall and frame his handsome yet expressionless face. His bluish-gray eyes were both calm and cold, as if refusing to show anything beyond a piercing tranquility. His lower eyelashes added a mysterious touch to a face that rarely displayed emotion.
His posture was slender yet clearly trained, shoulders straight, movements always relaxed but carrying an inexplicable authority. The clothes he wore were never flashy—a loose t-shirt layered with a dark hoodie, simple black pants—yet this only made him stand out more in the crowd. There was an aura that couldn't be hidden, a detachment from the world, as if he was merely passing through.
His name was Shirakawa Kaizen. Or more often called Kai.
VROOM... VROOM... VROOM...
The sound of vehicle engines mixed with the low murmur of conversations from people passing by. Kai walked on the sidewalk with both hands casually tucked into his hoodie pockets. Around him, Tokyo life flowed as usual—small children playing tag while laughing cheerfully, office workers just returning home with tired faces, mothers shopping while chatting.
"It's been two months since graduation..." Kai muttered inwardly, his eyes staring straight ahead without focusing on anything. "Sigh... Don't know what to do."
---
[SCENE BREAK]
Far from Tokyo's crowds, in a place hidden from human civilization, there was an ancient cave shrouded in darkness. The rough stone walls were covered with strange carvings that appeared to be thousands of years old. In the depths of the cave, a circular room had formed naturally, with a floor that had been leveled and shaped into what resembled... a ritual altar.
tap... tap... tap...
Small footsteps echoed in the cave's silence. A small creature walked slowly toward the center of the ritual room. The creature looked like a small goblin with large eyes that glinted in the darkness, its body trembling with fear yet continuing forward as if forced by some invisible power.
CRACK!
Suddenly, a large stalactite fell from the cave ceiling!
THUD!
The small creature fell right in the middle of the ritual circle, its dark-colored blood flowing and...
BZZZZT!
The blood formed a pattern of glowing red symbols across the ritual floor, like electronic circuits suddenly receiving electric current.
---
[BACK TO KAI]
Kai still stood on the busy sidewalk, both hands remaining in his pockets. His face was flat, showing no interest in anything around him. But suddenly...
"Look out!"
A small child who was playing with a ball got too absorbed chasing it until he didn't realize he had run to the edge of the sidewalk. The ball rolled onto the road just as...
HONK! HONK!
A large truck was speeding toward the child!
Without thinking, without even changing his facial expression, Kai moved.
WHOOSH!!!
In the blink of an eye, Kai's hand had already grabbed the child's hoodie and pulled him back to the sidewalk. The large truck sped past at full speed right where the child had been standing just seconds ago.
VROOOM!
"Thank you!" the small child exclaimed with sparkling eyes, his face red from shock but full of gratitude.
Kai glanced briefly at the child, then for once, the corner of his mouth lifted slightly into a thin smile. "Yeah."
The child ran back to his friends while shouting and telling them about what had just happened. Kai continued his steps, his facial expression returning to its usual flatness.
tap... tap... tap...
His footsteps echoed softly on the concrete sidewalk. But suddenly...
Something changed.
The air around Kai suddenly felt... different. Heavier. Thicker. As if foreign energy was beginning to gather.
BZZZZT!
Kai stopped his steps. Beneath his feet, a large circular pattern began to appear—glowing red and white lines forming intricate symbols like ancient mandalas. The light grew brighter and more blinding.
"What is this...?" Kai muttered, showing a surprised expression for the first time.
FLASH!
Blinding white light filled Kai's entire vision!
---
THUD.
Kai slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he felt was the cold air and the distinctive damp aroma. No longer the smell of vehicle exhaust and Tokyo pollution, but the aroma of wet earth and... blood.
He stood in the middle of a dimly lit cave room, with rough stone walls surrounding him. Beneath his feet, he could still see the remains of the ritual circle glowing dimly, and... dried bloodstains.
Kai looked around the entire room, both hands still in his hoodie pockets. His face was flat again, but this time there was a glimmer of understanding in his bluish-gray eyes.
"So that's how it is..." he murmured softly.
tap... tap... tap...
Kai began walking to explore the cave. Each step echoed, and he knew exactly what was happening. This wasn't the first time.
---
[FLASHBACK - 2 YEARS AGO]
Kai was 16 years old. At that time, he was walking home from school when suddenly something similar happened—a circle of light appeared beneath his feet and brought him to another world. A fantasy world with kings, castles, monsters, and strange creatures.
"O Chosen Hero!" The king with the golden crown exclaimed with great hope. "Our world needs your power to defeat the Demon King!"
At first, Kai was totally confused. But over time, he realized that he possessed extraordinary power in that world. Magic power, fighting abilities beyond normal humans, and sharp intuition.
For four months in that world, Kai became a legend. He defeated terrifying monsters, led armies against the forces of darkness, and finally succeeded in defeating the Demon King in an epic battle.
"Thank you, Hero Kai. Thanks to you, our world has been saved," said the King with tears of joy. "Now, it's time for us to return you to your original world."
When Kai returned to Tokyo, time seemed to stop. He returned at the exact moment he had disappeared. As if his four months of adventure in another world was just a dream... if not for the power that still remained in his body.
---
[BACK TO THE PRESENT]
Kai let out a long sigh while continuing to walk toward the cave entrance. Sunlight began to appear at the end of the tunnel.
"So now I've been teleported again..." he thought while observing the surrounding environment. "But this time it wasn't because I was summoned by a king. This... was an unintended incident."
WOOSH...
A gentle breeze touched Kai's face as he emerged from the cave. The view that greeted his eyes was very different from Tokyo—vast green meadows, mountains in the distance, and clear blue skies without pollution.
"Another world, again..." Kai muttered in a flat tone. But this time, there was a hint of curiosity in his eyes.
The question now was: what kind of world would he face this time? And was this world the same as the previous one?
---
I can sense it... something familiar yet different about this place. The magic in the air feels thicker than before, more ancient. But there's something else too... something that makes my skin prickle with anticipation.
It's strange. Back in Tokyo, I felt so... empty. Like I was just going through the motions of living. But here, in this world that smells of earth and mystery, I feel more awake than I have in months.
My fingers unconsciously flex inside my hoodie pockets. The power that I thought had faded over the past two years... I can feel it stirring again, like embers being fanned back to life.
---
[TO BE CONTINUED...]