Kuro opened his eyes slowly, blinking against the harsh sunlight that filtered in through the canopy of leaves overhead. He stared up at the swaying branches for a long moment, confusion swirling in his still-groggy mind.
Where am I? How did I get here?
The last thing he remembered was walking home from school, taking his usual shortcut through the park. There had been a blinding flash of light, a strange energy crackling through the air. And then...nothing.
Kuro sat up with a groan, one hand pressed to his aching head. He appeared to be in some kind of forest, the trees tall and densely packed around him. Massive tree trunks that would have taken several grown men linking arms to encircle surrounded him on all sides.
"What the hell..." he muttered.
A loud caw drew his eyes upwards. An enormous raven stared back at him from its perch on a high branch, beady eyes glinting. As Kuro watched, it spread its wings and took flight, pumping its wings until it was lost amongst the emerald leaves.
Wherever he was, this was no ordinary forest.
Slowly, Kuro got to his feet, brushing leaves and dirt from his school uniform. Other than being disoriented and confused, he seemed unharmed. But how had he gotten here? And where exactly was 'here?'
Picking a random direction, Kuro began walking. The towering trees blocked out much of the sunlight, leaving the forest floor shrouded in eerie shadows. Strange cries and whispers reached his ears, setting him on edge as he picked his way over tangled roots and undergrowth.
It wasn't long before Kuro noticed something unsettling. While the forest was teeming with life, filled with the chirps and calls of birds and other creatures, he couldn't seem to spot any of them. It was like they were there, surrounding him just out of sight, but vanished if he looked directly at them.
Kuro shivered, hugging his arms around himself. "Hello?" he called hesitantly. "Can anyone hear me?"
Only silence answered him. That penetrating, all-consuming silence that seemed to swallow up his voice like a blackhole.
Just as panic was starting to set in, Kuro spotted something up ahead. A gleaming, metallic structure poked through the trees, smooth silver walls standing out starkly against the ancient bark. Some kind of futuristic building from the looks of it.
Kuro hurried towards it, hope rising in his chest. Maybe he could find some help there, or at least get a better idea of where he was. But as he drew closer, he slowed warily. Now that he could see it better, the building looked...strange.
It was round, a massive dome emerging from the forest floor like some sort of fallen star. There were no windows or doors that Kuro could see, not even seams to indicate panels or construction. It was seamless, with a surface that almost seemed to ripple and move as Kuro looked at it.
He stepped closer and saw that the exterior actually was shifting, geometric patterns flowing across the surface in hypnotic, mesmerizing configurations. Kuro reached out a hand towards it hesitantly. There was some kind of energy coming from the structure, he could feel it now. It made the hairs on his arms stand up the closer he got.
"What are you?" he whispered.
Before he could touch the surface, a bloodcurdling shriek split the air. Kuro jumped back as an enormous winged beast dove down at him from above. He threw himself to the ground as wickedly sharp talons sliced through the space where his head had just been.
The creature wheeled around for another pass, leathery wings pumping powerfully. As it circled overhead, Kuro got a good look at it for the first time. At first glance it appeared to be some kind of giant bird, with feathers of deepest black and a curved, vicious beak. But as its wings beat at the air, he saw that they seemed to be made of some leathery, membranous material rather than feathers. Reptilian claws tipped its wings rather than birds feet. And strangest of all, instead of eyes, its face was covered by a smooth plate of glossy black material with strange grooves carved into it.
Almost like...a mask.
Kuro didn't have much time to think about it before the creature was diving at him again, clearly intent on making him its next meal. He threw himself to the side, hitting the ground hard as the creature's talons raked the earth where he had just been.
Out of the corner of his eye, Kuro saw a branch that had fallen from one of the huge trees. Without thinking, he rolled over and grabbed it in both hands, gripping it like a baseball bat. As the winged beast wheeled around for yet another pass, Kuro swung with all his strength.
The heavy branch smashed into the creature's masked face with a resounding crack. It let out an enraged, agonized shriek as it crashed into the underbrush a few feet away.
Kuro didn't wait to see if it was down for good. Whirling around, he sprinted for the safety of the silver dome. The curving wall was only a few feet away now. He could feel energy pulsing from it, see shifting shadows dancing beneath the surface.
Just before his outstretched fingers made contact, there was a flash of blinding light and a strange popping sensation in his ears. Kuro slammed his eyes shut against the glare. He felt a rushing sensation, like he was caught in a violent whirlwind.
What now?!
The thought had barely crossed his mind before the light faded and the rushing sensation stopped abruptly. Cautiously, Kuro cracked one eye open.
He promptly forgot all about the strange winged creature that had attacked him. What he saw now made that thing seem downright ordinary.
Kuro found himself...nowhere. And everywhere. All around him was an endless expanse of stars, distant suns and galaxies painting the blackness of space in infinite, unimaginable detail. He floated disembodied amongst them, without form or direction.
It was the most incredible, terrifying, breathtaking thing he had ever seen.
A thunderous voice suddenly spoke, seeming to come from the entire strange cosmic realm at once:
"Who dares to awaken the Sacred Source?"