Chapter 1:
Alarm Clocks and Other Natural Disasters*
Kaito Nakamura believed the universe had a personal grudge against him—and that grudge came in the form of alarm clocks.
The shrill beep of his ancient, dented alarm clock screamed at 6:45 AM sharp.
Kaito groaned, slapped it, missed, and promptly knocked it off the table. It hit the floor with a loud *thunk* and kept beeping like it was mocking him.
"Five more minutes," he muttered into his pillow, but he knew better. His mom had the ears of a bat and the patience of a stressed-out rice cooker.
"Kaito!" came the inevitable yell from the kitchen. "You're going to be late again!"
"I'm already emotionally late for life," he muttered.
Dragging himself out of bed, Kaito shuffled to the bathroom like a zombie. His black hair was a bird's nest, and his T-shirt read *I Paused My Game to Be Here*, which was more of a warning than a joke.
Brushing his teeth with half-lidded eyes, he stared at his reflection. Seventeen, hopelessly average height, dark eyes, and skin so pale it looked like he never saw the sun. Not exactly protagonist material.
But Kaito didn't mind. Being invisible meant fewer expectations.
He emerged into the kitchen just in time to see his mom juggling toast, coffee, and her tablet while trying to tie her hair.
"Morning," she said, not looking up. "You've got five minutes."
"Technically I've got seven."
She pointed to the wall clock with a glare.
"Touché," Kaito muttered, grabbing a slice of toast.
His mom worked two jobs—one as a nurse, one as a weekend tutor—and still managed to keep their tiny apartment in one piece. She was a force of nature. If Kaito was the calm before the storm, she was the storm that made the calm necessary.
"You have that science retake today, right?" she asked, sipping her coffee.
Kaito froze mid-bite.
"You forgot."
"I didn't *forget*," he said. "I strategically misplaced it in my mind to preserve mental wellness."
She gave him *the look*. The one that promised pain and disappointment.
"I'll pass it this time, I swear!"
"You said that last time. And the time before that."
"This time I mean it!"
"You said *that* last time too."
Kaito grabbed his bag and headed for the door before her next argument could land.
"Love you, bye!"
"Pass that test or I'm changing the Wi-Fi password!"
***
NEO-Centra High
Neo-Centra High was an ordinary school in the middle of an extraordinary city. Neon signs, flying drones, and digital billboards made up the skyline, but the school still smelled like chalk, sweat, and despair.
Kaito met his best friend Riku at the gate.
Riku was everything Kaito wasn't: neat, composed, smart, and tragically allergic to fun.
"You're late."
"Time is an illusion," Kaito said.
"So is your GPA."
Together, they headed inside. Classrooms blurred by in a mix of loud announcements, unmotivated teachers, and the occasional flying paper ball.
Kaito liked school only for the people. His classmates were chaotic, weird, and occasionally brilliant. Then there was Mayu, the class rep, who treated every test like it was a death match.
"Did you even *study*, Kaito?" she asked before the science retake.
Kaito gave her his best puppy eyes. "Do YouTube documentaries count?"
"No."
"…What if they have subtitles?"
She rolled her eyes.
Somehow, Kaito passed the test. Barely. His answer to a question about chemical bonding included the phrase "They fall in love and become ions together," which the teacher deducted points for but said was "uncomfortably poetic."
The rest of the day passed in a haze of cafeteria drama, hallway gossip, and one mystery sandwich that Kaito dared Riku to eat. (He did. He regretted it.)
As evening fell, Kaito found himself walking home alone under the glowing city sky.
And that's when it started.
***
It began with flickering streetlights. One blinked out entirely as he passed. Then another.
He slowed his steps.
Ahead of him, at the corner of a quiet alley, stood something strange.
A figure—no, a shadow.
It didn't move. It didn't speak. But Kaito felt its gaze like a pressure on his chest.
He blinked. It was gone.
"Okay," he muttered. "Too much sugar today."
But when he turned the corner, he saw it again.
This time, closer.
He ran.
Heart pounding, breath short, he sprinted down side streets until he reached the crosswalk near home.
The street was empty.
No cars. No sounds. No wind.
The world had gone still.
And then—
A truck.
Blinding lights. A deafening horn. A sharp, jarring pain.
Darkness.
***
That was the end of Kaito Nakamura's normal life.
And the beginning of everything else.
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*End of Chapter 1.*