It's strange how life can change in a single moment. One minute, you're nobody, blending into the quiet background of your own existence—and then, everything shifts. I was still trying to figure out when that shift had happened for me, though if I had to pinpoint it, I'd say it began with a letter.
I leaned against my bedroom window, watching the rain trickle down in slow, uneven streams. The pale light of early evening was dimming, painting my room in muted shades of gray. Typical. A quiet end to yet another quiet day. My phone buzzed next to me, but I didn't even bother checking it. No one ever really messaged me. And it was fine, wasn't it? I'd gotten used to being invisible.
But today, for some reason, it bothered me.
With a sigh, I pushed off the window and walked over to the small pile of mail on the kitchen counter, flipping through the usual bills and ads. My mom was out again, working late, and the apartment felt too empty without her. But my hand stopped mid-flip as I reached the last envelope. It was different. Cream-colored, heavier than the others. There was no stamp, no return address—just my name, written in delicate, flowing letters.
Mizuki Yamada.
I stared at it for a second. The handwriting was beautiful, but unfamiliar. Who would send me a letter? More importantly, why? I didn't have friends who'd bother with something this... strange. I'd always been the quiet one, the girl who kept her head down, who never quite fit in at school. My mind flashed to the odd looks I got sometimes, the whispers behind my back. They'd call me distant. Cold. Always alone.
I shook my head. It wasn't worth thinking about. I grabbed the envelope and carefully tore it open.
Inside was a single card, as elegant as the envelope.
You are invited to Arashi Academy. A place for those gifted in elemental magic. You have been chosen. The gate opens tonight.
My eyes scanned the page again. Magic? Gifted? I almost laughed out loud. This had to be some kind of prank, right? It was ridiculous. Magic didn't exist, and I was the last person on earth who could be considered gifted. And yet...
Something deep inside me stirred.
The back of my neck prickled, like someone was watching me. I turned quickly, glancing around the empty apartment, but of course, I was alone. Still, the feeling wouldn't leave. The weight of the letter in my hand felt too real. My chest tightened. Why did it feel like this invitation... was waiting for me?
I glanced at the clock. 7:15 PM. The sun had almost completely set, and shadows stretched across the room, growing darker by the second. My mind raced. It was impossible. This wasn't real. And yet...
Without thinking, I grabbed my jacket, shoved the letter into my pocket, and hurried outside into the fading light. I didn't know where I was going, but I had to move. My feet hit the pavement in quick steps as I walked aimlessly, the letter burning against my side with each step.
The streets were quiet, the rain slowing to a soft drizzle as I wandered deeper into the city. My thoughts were a jumbled mess, half of me convinced this was absurd, and the other half—well, the other half couldn't help but wonder. Could it be real? After all, hadn't I always felt a little... out of place? Like I didn't belong anywhere. Like there was something missing that I couldn't explain.
As I turned the corner, I froze.
There it was.
An old, wrought-iron gate, tucked away at the end of a narrow alley I was sure I'd never noticed before. Its rusted bars twisted with ivy, and beyond it, the world seemed to shift. The mist rolled in thick waves behind the gate, hiding whatever lay on the other side. The air felt heavy, charged, as if it was holding its breath, waiting for me to make a decision.
My heart hammered in my chest as I approached the gate, my fingers hovering over the cold iron. Was this the place? It had to be, right? I pulled out the letter again, as if reading it for the hundredth time would change something.
The gate opens tonight.
I swallowed hard, my pulse quickening. This was insane. I should turn around, head home, and laugh at myself for even considering it. But something held me there, something I couldn't explain. Maybe it was the strange pull I'd felt since I first saw the letter, like a thread tugging at me from deep within.
I reached out and touched the gate.
It creaked open without effort, the sound slicing through the stillness. I stepped through, my breath catching as the world seemed to shift around me. The mist curled around my legs, but I kept moving forward, driven by a force I couldn't explain.
And then, as I crossed the threshold, the gate slammed shut behind me.
I spun around, my heart leaping into my throat, but the alley I had just walked through was gone. Completely gone. There was only fog, thick and impenetrable, closing off the world I knew. Panic flickered at the edges of my mind, but something told me to keep moving forward. It wasn't like I had a choice.
I took a deep breath and turned, my eyes straining to see through the mist. Ahead of me, a figure began to emerge, barely visible in the moonlight. My pulse quickened as they stepped closer, their features coming into focus. A tall boy, with silver hair that caught the light, and eyes that seemed to glow softly in the darkness.
"You made it," he said, his voice calm, but there was something... strange about it. Like he knew more than he was letting on.
I swallowed, trying to find my voice. "Where am I?"
He smiled faintly, but his eyes didn't soften. "Arashi Academy. The place where your real life begins."
The mist swirled around us, and the weight of his words hung heavy in the air. My real life? What did that even mean?
Before I could ask, the ground beneath me began to shift, and suddenly, I wasn't standing in an alley anymore. I was in front of something enormous—an ancient building, towering over me like a forgotten castle, its spires disappearing into the night sky. The academy.
I blinked, my breath catching. This wasn't possible. None of this was possible.
And yet here I was.
The boy stepped forward, his hand outstretched. "Welcome, Mizuki. We've been waiting for you."
The world tilted, and my knees buckled. The last thing I saw was his strange, glowing eyes before everything went black.