Kazuki awoke in darkness, though it was unlike the oppressive shadow from before. This void was vast and silent, yet oddly serene. He floated weightlessly, suspended as if cradled by the absence of all things. His body felt whole, but distant, as though it were a memory rather than a tangible part of him.
Kazuki(murmuring): "Am I... dead??"
The silence swallowed his words, leaving him alone with his thoughts.
Kazuki(bitterly): "Figures. One bad day, and that's it, game over, the end for me. Aya, Ren... I hope you guys—"
Voice (soft, melodic): "You are not dead, Dreamer."
Kazuki snapped to attention, the voice reverberating in the void. It wasn't menacing like the shadowy figure's; instead, it was gentle, like a lullaby sung in a language he couldn't understand yet somehow felt familiar.
Kazuki(cautious): "Who's there? Show yourself!"
The void shimmered, and a faint light emerged, delicate like the first rays of dawn. It coalesced into a figure, ethereal and radiant, with no distinct features but a presence that felt overwhelming.
Light Figure: "You stand at the precipice, between worlds, between destinies."
Kazuki(skeptical): "Precipicepice what?? Worlds? What are you talking about? And what's with this whole cryptic act?"
The figure didn't respond immediately. Instead, the void around Kazuki shifted, revealing fragments of memories..his laughter with Ren at the ramen shop, Aya's knowing smirk, the sunset on his last walk home. They swirled like a kaleidoscope, forming a tapestry of his life.
Light Figure: "Your journey was not meant to end so soon. Fate has tethered you to another path, one of light and shadow, creation and destruction."
Kazuki(stunned): "Woo Majestic..Anyway, that doesn't explain anything! Who are you?and what do you mean by 'another path'?!"
The figure's glow pulsed softly, almost sympathetically.
Light Figure: "I am but a guide, Dreamer. A fragment of the Axis, the tree you have glimpsed. It anchors the realms, bridging existence and dreams. When the shadow struck you, it sought to sever your connection. But the spark within you resisted, binding you to its purpose."
Kazuki(frowning): "The Axis... the spark. Geez Soo confusing, this is about that tree, isn't it? What does it want from me?"
The figure raised a hand, and a vision of the Axis tree appeared, a towering, radiant monolith surrounded by swirling light and dark energy. Its branches were luminous, yet cracks ran through its trunk, leaking a thick, black substance that writhed like living ink.
Light Figure: "The Axis is both the heart and the soul of this world. It breathes life, sustains balance, and dreams of infinite possibilities. Yet it is dying, corrupted by forces that seek to unmake its light. You have been chosen to protect it."
Kazuki(laughing dryly): "Protect it? Me? I'm just some high schooler who barely passed his math final! You've got the wrong guy."
Light Figure: "Perhaps. Yet the spark chose you, Dreamer. It saw something within you, the potential to rise above, to shape a broken world into something new."
Kazuki(faltering): "I... I don't even know where to start..or even what to respond back.."
The void trembled, and the figure's light dimmed.
Light Figure: "The path will not be clear, nor easy. But your resolve will shape it, as will the bonds you forge and the choices you make. The Axis will guide you, but the journey is yours to undertake."
---
The serenity of the void shattered as the darkness surged, cold and suffocating. The shadowy figure reappeared, its form more solid and menacing.
Shadowed Figure: "Enough of this charade. The boy is unworthy."
Kazuki(tensing): "Oh, great. You again."
The light figure moved protectively in front of Kazuki, its glow intensifying.
Light Figure(firmly): "Begone, shadow. He is under my protection."
Shadowed Figure(snarling): "Your light is weak, guide. The Dreamer is but a flicker, and I will extinguish him."
The shadow lashed out, a tendril of darkness striking the light figure. Kazuki stumbled backward as the impact rippled through the void, the clash of light and dark blinding in its intensity.
Kazuki(yelling): "Hey! Stop it!"
The spark within his chest flared, sending a wave of warmth through his body. Instinctively, Kazuki raised his hand, and the light surged outward, pushing the shadow back.
Kazuki(breathless): "What... was that?"
The shadowed figure hissed, its form unraveling slightly before retreating.
Shadowed Figure: "You will falter, Dreamer. The darkness is eternal."
As the shadow dissolved, the light figure turned to Kazuki, its form flickering.
Light Figure(softly): "Your spark awakens. Trust in it, Dreamer. You will need its strength."
---
Before Kazuki could respond, the void shifted again, and he felt himself falling. The sensation was disorienting, a freefall through swirling light and darkness. Voices whispered around him, faint, incomprehensible, yet oddly comforting.
Kazuki(closing his eyes): "Please let this be a dream. Please let me wake up at home. Please end this gibberish nightmare so that I can return to my usual carefree life."
---
When he opened his eyes, the world was different. He lay on a patch of dry, cracked earth beneath an orange sky streaked with black clouds. The air was heavy, filled with the distant sounds of groaning metal and creaking wood. In the distance, a ruined city loomed, its jagged silhouette like broken teeth against the horizon.
Kazuki(sitting up): "Where...in the world am I again.."
He looked down at his hands, still glowing faintly from the spark's presence. The sword that was accompanying him, lay beside him, its blade etched with unfamiliar runes that shimmered faintly.
Kazuki(sighing): "This isn't home. Not even close."
The spark pulsed within him, and he felt a strange sense of purpose, even as fear gnawed at the edges of his mind.
Kazuki(muttering): "Okay, Kazuki. You're in some messed-up world with a magical light in your chest and a death tree to save.... Guess there's no going back now."
He picked up the sword, the weight feeling slightly less foreign in his grasp.
Kazuki(determined): "Let's figure out what the hell's going on. One step at a time."
As he started toward the distant city, the spark pulsed again, its warmth guiding him forward. The journey had begun.
---To be Continued---