The sky above Tokyo had never felt so silent. Not the usual quiet that comes with the night, but a heavy, unnatural hush—as if the world itself was holding its breath. Ren's footsteps echoed softly against the deserted alleyway, each step dragging the weight of exhaustion from a day that had been ordinary—until now.
He had just finished another late-night shift at the cyber-security lab, staring at lines of code, when the air shimmered around him. A pulse—like the heartbeat of the city—vibrated through his chest, unnatural and sudden. Before he could even register it, the lights around him flickered, then vanished, leaving him in a darkness deeper than midnight itself.
"What the—" Ren's voice barely escaped his throat.
Then the world tore itself apart.
A vortex of blinding light engulfed him, lifting him off his feet. The alleyway, the city, even the stars above Tokyo, twisted into streams of color and vanished. Ren felt his body stretched, pulled, and compressed all at once, as if reality itself were testing the limits of his existence. Panic clawed at him, but somewhere deep inside, an odd calm settled—he had no choice but to surrender.
When the sensation ended, Ren collapsed onto cold, uneven stone. The air smelled different—metallic, charged, alive. He looked up. Towering above him were spires of black stone wrapped in swirling clouds of crimson mist. The sun—or what he thought was a sun—hung like a molten orb in a violet sky.
"This… where am I?" Ren whispered, his voice trembling.
A soft wind carried a faint whisper across the barren landscape. "Ren… you have been chosen."
Ren froze. His heart pounded, but no one was in sight. Just shadows, mist, and the surreal architecture of a realm that felt impossibly ancient.
"Chosen… for what?" he asked aloud, gripping his jacket.
The wind swirled faster, carrying shards of light that painted the ruins around him. A figure appeared, emerging from the mist—a girl, ethereal and calm, with silver hair that shimmered like starlight and eyes that glowed faintly. She regarded him silently, her gaze piercing.
"You are… the one to awaken the Soul Bonds," she said softly. "But be warned. This world… it will not be gentle."
Before Ren could respond, the ground beneath him trembled violently. Shadows emerged from the mist, grotesque forms of twisted creatures, their shapes fluctuating like smoke yet radiating deadly intent.
Ren instinctively grabbed a nearby stone, readying himself, though he had no idea what he could possibly do. The creatures advanced, unrelenting, their growls vibrating in his chest.
"You must fight," the silver-haired girl said, her voice firm now. "Or you will not survive the first night."
Ren's mind raced—this wasn't a game, this wasn't a simulation. This was real. And yet… his fingers tingled, an odd warmth spreading through his body. Energy he didn't know he possessed surged.
The creatures lunged. Ren braced himself.
And then… a pulse of light erupted from his chest, engulfing him in brilliance. The shadows screamed and recoiled, melting back into the mist.
Ren's breath came in ragged gasps. His eyes widened. He had done that. Somehow, he had… defended himself.
The girl stepped closer. "Your awakening has begun. But be careful, Ren… this is only the beginning. There are forces watching. Forces that will stop at nothing to see you fail."
A chill ran down Ren's spine. What had he been summoned into? And why him?
From the mist behind the girl, two glowing eyes appeared—larger than any human, unblinking, and hungry. The girl's expression darkened.
"Ren… run!"
The shadows surged again.
And in that moment, Ren realized: he was no longer in Tokyo. And there was no going back.
To be continued...