The day was dawning in Green. D. Lay, and Natsumi was about to open his family's antique shop. Usually, they had few customers, but that day something seemed different. Natsumi sighed, smoothing his hair, thinking to himself, "What a drag."
As he prepared to start the day, a sudden sound caught his attention. The shop's doorbell gently vibrated, indicating that someone had entered. Turning around, Natsumi found himself facing an odd-looking man observing the surroundings with curiosity.
Natsumi approached the man and, with a gentle smile, asked, "Do you need help with anything?" Their eyes met, and he noticed there was something strange in the man's gaze, something he couldn't quite identify but that intrigued him.
The man stepped closer to the counter and took something out of his shirt pocket, extending it to Natsumi with an intriguing expression. It was a small box with inscriptions engraved on its edges, looking very ancient and mysterious. "Could you take a look at this?" he asked.
Natsumi took the box carefully, examining the inscriptions with interest. It seemed to be handmade, with symbols and drawings that evoked an aura of magic and enchantment. "Sure, I just need to get a magnifying glass to see it better," he said to the man.
Hastening his steps, Natsumi headed for a side door in search of the magnifying glass he used to examine antiques. As he searched, anxiety overcame him. He knew the box was different; he felt a strange energy emanating from it.
Upon returning to the counter with the magnifying glass in hand, Natsumi was surprised to find the box alone, abandoned in the spot where the man had been. His eyes widened in astonishment. "But... where did he go?" he murmured, looking around incredulously.
Natsumi's heart raced as he rushed outside the shop, looking for any sign of the mysterious man. However, there was no one around, and the street was as empty and quiet as ever.
Confused and intrigued, Natsumi returned to the shop, holding the mysterious box carefully. He observed it once again, trying to make sense of what had just happened. "What a weird guy," he mumbled to himself, still trying to understand what had occurred.
Natsumi took the mysterious box to his room, located at the back of the antique shop. He placed the box on a special tripod, raising it to examine it more closely. As he studied the inscriptions and symbols, a certain detail caught his attention.
With a delicate touch on a specific point of the box, something extraordinary happened. To his surprise and shock, the box started levitating in the air, as if being propelled by an invisible force.
Natsumi's heart raced, and he stepped back, watching in awe at what was happening. His eyes fixed on the floating box, trying to comprehend what he was witnessing.
Suddenly, a bright glow surrounded the box, and an ethereal form began to emerge slowly from it. The being emerging from the box was incredibly enigmatic: a horned youth with eyes that shimmered with a mysterious light.
Natsumi was speechless at the sight before him. The horned youth had a supernatural aura and seemed to emanate a powerful and unknown energy. Their eyes met, and the horned youth smiled faintly.
"You have freed me," said the horned youth in a soft and melodious voice.
The intense energy emanating from the horned youth suddenly dissipated, leaving him naked on the floor. Natsumi was astonished, not knowing what to do in the face of such an unexpected and bewildering situation. His heart raced as he looked at the unconscious youth, trying to process everything that was happening.
Natsumi rushed to the youth and knelt beside him, concerned and confused. He tried to gently wake him up, but the youth remained unconscious. Natsumi didn't know if the youth was injured or just exhausted from being freed from the mysterious box.
While trying to find a solution, Natsumi remembered a blanket he kept in the corner of the room. He retrieved the blanket and covered the youth carefully, respecting his privacy.
Perplexed and unsure how to proceed, Natsumi decided he needed help.
to be continued..