The Crossing of Two Worlds
The school day ended without an ending worthy of it.No bells rang.No farewells were exchanged.At the Celestials' Academy, dismissal was merely a transition—from one system to another.
As evening fell, students flowed toward the residential zones.Spaces carefully designed,not only to provide comfort,but to remind every individual of their place.
Shops operated on a point system.The roads were clean.The lighting steady, without excessive shadows.Everything here suggested that life itselfwas precisely calculated.
Even the houses were not alike.
Residences were divided by rank.The higher the rank,the fewer the residents,the larger the space…and the deeper the silence.
The First Rank district was not luxurious—it was empty.Houses spaced far apart,as if they were placed there not for living,but to stand as proof of who deserved to be here…and who did not.
Sheena walked with steady steps.To her right, Iris moved more loosely,as if trying to steal a moment of calm from a long day.
"Strange…"Iris said, looking around."This area always feels abandoned."
Sheena did not reply immediately.Her eyes moved between the houses.Some bore signs of occupancy,yet their windows were dark.
"Even the inhabited ones,"she said at last,"don't feel alive."
Before Iris could respond,the rain began.
At first,it was light…then suddenly heavy,as if the sky had decided to unload its weight all at once.
"Come on, let's run,"Iris said.
They moved—then Sheena stopped abruptly.
"Iris."
Iris followed her gaze…and stopped as well.
At the edge of the field beside the residences,a swing was moving slowly,pushed by wind and rain.
And on it…someone sat.
Slightly tall,wearing black athletic clothing,a hood hiding his features completely.Rain poured directly onto him,without the slightest attempt to seek shelter.
He did not look like someone trapped there.But like someone who had chosen to remain.
"Do you…"Iris hesitated."Do you feel that?"
Sheena nodded slowly."I feel nothing."
No response.No energy.Not even the trace of its absence.
Lightning split the sky,revealing the mud gathering beneath the swing.The ground was beginning to lose its shape.
Iris stepped forward,then stopped.
"Sheena… doesn't this feel wrong?"
Sheena watched him in silence.At first,curiosity dominated.But the closer they came…another sensation crept in.
It wasn't fear.And it wasn't pity.
It was a cold aversion,as if his presence heredisrupted the order of the place.
And yet…they approached.
"Hello?"Iris called, her voice slightly louder.
No response.
The rain grew heavier.The field filled with mud.The swing continued its slow movement.
Sheena touched his shoulder.
It was cold—colder than it should have been.
"If he stays like this,"Iris said irritably,"he'll get sick."
They tried to move him.At first,he did not respond.
As if his body did not acknowledge the rain,or consider it a reason to move.
A card slipped from his pocketand sank into the mud.
Sheena quickly bent downand picked it up before it was ruined.
A residence card.
Name: OzukiZone: First Rank
Iris's eyes widened."That's… impossible."
Sheena did not respond.But something in her chest grew heavier.
They tried again.
And this time…he stood.
Slowly.Without resistance.Without objection.
He rose,then began walking with them,as if this decisionhad only been waiting for permission.
He did not speak.He did not look at them.
Curiosity weighed heavier than the rain,and the aversion…did not fade.
They reached the district.He stopped in front of one house.
The house they had always believed to be empty.
Without a word,he went inside.
The door closed in their faces.
Sheena and Iris stood beneath the rain,the only sound…its fall.
"Rude,"Iris said,though her tone wasn't entirely angry.
She wasn't sureif that was the right word.
They returned home.Showered.Prepared dinner.
But the curiosity did not settle.
They searched the academy system.Questioned the AI responsible for records.
No clear history.No precise classification.No explanation.
The name existed…but the information was incomplete,as if someone had erased the most important part.
In the end, exhaustion won.
They fell asleep,the question heavier than the rain:
Who was that person?
But worse than that…was not that he didn't belong to this place,but that the place itselfseemed not to knowwhat to do with him.
What would happen…if these two opposing worlds were to cross?