Zayne Sung Voss, known to those who spoke his name as K Jay, was a boy of contradictions—a soul adrift, clinging to the fringes of existence, never quite part of the world around him. At just 16, he had already lived through a lifetime of quiet battles. His mind, clouded with depression, never allowed him to truly connect with others. The world seemed too loud, too fast, and he too distant, forever in the background, a silent observer of life unfolding without him.
Autism, a label he carried with quiet resignation, made the simplest social interactions feel like insurmountable obstacles. Conversations were a labyrinth, emotions a foreign language he could never quite translate. People seemed to exist in another reality, a place where understanding was effortless, and he was not invited. His only solace lay in the shadows, where the chaos of the world faded into a dull hum.
And then, one day, in a brief moment of absent-mindedness, his life on Earth came to an abrupt end. Zayne stepped into the path of a semi-truck, a casualty of his own detached thoughts. His death, though tragic, was not the end of his story. No, it was the beginning of something far greater, though he could not have known then.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Zayne opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was an unfamiliar ceiling. His vision blurred as he blinked, his eyelids heavy from the remnants of tears that still threatened to spill. His red-rimmed eyes flickered around the room as he slowly became aware of his surroundings.
I blinked a few more times, taking in the bizarre sight before me. The room was straight out of a fantasy novel—magical artifacts and glowing gems scattered across shelves, odd trinkets and mystical tools hanging on the walls. It was a chaotic beauty, as if the place had been pieced together from a hundred different worlds. And there, scattered among it all, were clothes and shoes—female shoes and clothes, I noticed. My brow furrowed as I wondered what kind of place I had woken up in.
Before I could think much more, the door to the room burst open with a dramatic flourish. "Aha! It seems the mysterious stranger has finally awoken~!" The voice was high-pitched, playful, and absolutely full of energy. Zayne's gaze snapped to the girl standing in the doorway, her tiny frame practically radiating flair. She strutted into the room with the confidence of someone who owned the world, her eyes gleaming mischievously.
She paused at the foot of the bed, sizing him up with an exaggerated, thoughtful look. "Mmmm, I'm sensing a ton of emotional distress in you…" she hummed, as though she were some kind of psychic diagnosing a troubled soul.
Zayne blinked, trying to focus through the haze. Her again… The petite girl who had seen him at his lowest. He swallowed hard and croaked, "W-where am I…?"
The girl placed her hands on her hips, striking a pose that was all bravado and little care for his discomfort. "Your in my room, silly!" she chirped, her smile wide and completely unbothered. She paused for a second as if suddenly remembering something important. "Oh, god, how rude of me!" she exclaimed dramatically, stepping back and holding her arms wide as if unveiling herself to an adoring crowd. "I haven't introduced myself properly!"
She threw her chest out and gave an exaggerated bow, all while keeping her eyes locked on Zayne as if he were the audience to her performance. "MY NAME IS LUMINA LULU ARCANIS, THE DETONATOR OF DAWN AND THE GREATEST MAGE OF EXPLOSION MAGIC!"
I looked at the flamboyant girl standing in front of me, her whole aura like a burst of color in an otherwise gray world. She radiated a kind of energy that felt completely alien to me—confident, unshakable, like she didn't have a single problem weighing her down. It was hard not to feel both confused and a little envious.
"So, Lulu…" I hesitated, raising an eyebrow. "What… is this place?"
She grinned, clearly pleased by the attention. "You're currently in The Nexus, or more formally known as, The Ethereal Nexus!" she declared, her voice lilting with pride and drama.
I tilted my head, still trying to wrap my mind around it. "That doesn't really explain… this," I said, gesturing vaguely around the room. I sank back into the bed a little, suddenly aware of how awkward I felt talking to a girl like her. Most girls I'd met didn't think much of me—let alone someone this… intense.
Lulu leaned in close, her fiery crimson eyes sparkling with mischief. "My, my, my, so many questions~" she teased, her voice almost sing-song. Straightening up with an exaggerated flourish, she turned and sashayed toward the window. Throwing her arms out wide, she spoke like she was addressing an audience.
"This…" she began, her voice taking on an almost reverent tone, "is a mystical dimension that exists as the literal 'in-between' of all creation! A threshold between the known and the unknown! Acting as a bridge between worlds, dimensions, and realities, it embodies transcendence and transition!"
She spun dramatically, her cloak flaring out behind her, before gesturing toward the unseen horizon with one gloved hand. "The Nexus is not just some boring void—it's a realm teeming with beauty, peril, and infinite possibilities! Picture a high-fantasy landscape—a vibrant collage of magical cities, floating islands, and surreal terrains that defy the very laws of existence~!"
I blinked, trying to process the overwhelming description. It felt like she was describing something straight out of a storybook, yet the passion in her voice made it hard not to believe her. For better or worse, it seemed I was stuck in her world now. Literally.
Lulu darted toward the bed with a mischievous grin and flopped onto him, her petite frame landing squarely on his lap. Before Zayne could even register what was happening, she was straddling him, her crimson eyes alight with curiosity. She leaned forward, her face only inches from his, her spiky hair brushing against his cheeks.
"Soooo," she drawled, tilting her head in an almost catlike manner, "you don't seem to be from here. Are you, maybe, from a different realm?"
Zayne's face turned a deep shade of red, his heart hammering in his chest. Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, he thought, completely frozen. A girl—a very attractive, very energetic girl—was sitting on his lap. His mind short-circuited. "Uh… I-I'm from Japan…" he stammered, his voice cracking slightly.
Lulu's eyes widened, sparkling with excitement as she clapped her hands together. "Japan? So you're from Realm 1007?" she chirped, her tone suggesting this was the most fascinating revelation ever.
"R-Realm 1007?" Zayne repeated, his mind still stuck somewhere between sheer embarrassment and disbelief. He stiffened even more, unsure of where to put his hands. This was way outside of his comfort zone, and the way she was casually perched on him, completely unfazed, wasn't helping.
Lulu's crimson eyes lit up as she nodded enthusiastically, leaning in closer as if to emphasize her point. "Yup, Realm 1007! That's where all you Earth humans come from," she announced, her voice lilting with playful drama. She rested her hands on Zayne's shoulders and began rocking back and forth on his lap, seemingly oblivious to how intimate the gesture was—or maybe she wasn't oblivious at all. Her spiky hair swayed with her movements, golden highlights glinting in the room's soft light. "You Earthlings don't show up here very often. Most of the time, when we do see one of you, it's because they're trying to move on to the afterlife—heaven or hell~!" She punctuated her words with a mischievous wink and a dramatic flick of her hand.
Zayne froze beneath her, his body locking up like a rusty machine. His breathing hitched as the sensation of her slight weight on his lap became impossible to ignore. His face was burning, the heat creeping up to the tips of his ears. He stared down at his hands, which were clenched tightly at his sides. What am I supposed to do? he thought, panicked. Do I put my hands on her? No, that's weird. Do I tell her to stop? No, that's rude… His chest tightened, and his gaze darted around the room, desperately searching for something—anything—that could anchor him in this surreal moment.
After a long, shaky inhale, Zayne managed to stammer out a response. "O-okay, so… I guess I am from Realm 1007." His voice was quiet, almost trembling, as if he were trying to convince himself as much as her.
Lulu grinned, clearly amused by his flustered state. She leaned back slightly, her hands now resting on her hips as she looked him over with a playful smirk. "Hehe, yup! I knew it. I'm kind of a genius, you know~" She gave a little hair flip for effect, then gasped as if suddenly remembering something important. "Oh! Speaking of which, you never told me your name! How rude, stranger~!"
Zayne blinked at her, startled by the sudden nickname, but he didn't have the energy to correct her just yet. "Uh… my name's Zayne Sung Voss…" he muttered, his voice growing even quieter at the end, like he was embarrassed by how long his name sounded out loud.
Lulu tilted her head, her crimson eyes narrowing as she repeated his name slowly, drawing it out for effect. "Zaaayne Suuung Voooss…" She tapped her chin with one finger, then dramatically threw her hands into the air. "Wow, that's such a long name! Do you have, like, a nickname or something? That's way too much for me to say all the time."
Zayne hesitated, his hands fidgeting slightly as he responded, "I mean… my nickname is K Jay…" He looked down again, wishing he could shrink into the bed and disappear entirely.
Lulu's grin grew impossibly wider, and she clapped her hands together like she'd just discovered a treasure. "Yes! K Jay! I like it. No, I love it! That's perfect. And guess what?" She leaned in close again, her face mere inches from his, her voice dropping into a conspiratorial whisper. "That's your new name now. Forever. Deal with it~" She straightened up, clearly pleased with herself, and gave him a playful little bounce, as if to seal the deal.
Zayne's face somehow turned even redder as he tried to keep his breathing steady. His thoughts were a chaotic mess. This girl is insane… but why does she have to be sitting on my lap while she's insane?
Her smirk widened as she leaned closer, her crimson eyes shimmering like embers ready to ignite. "So, Mr. K Jay," she purred, dragging out my nickname like it was a private joke, "why'd you break down on me earlier? You were a total mess, clinging to me like I was your last lifeline~."
My face burned hotter than it ever had. I stared at her, trying to focus on anything but the way her petite frame seemed to radiate warmth and energy. My eyes darted down to her thigh-highs, the fabric hugging her skin so tightly it made my chest feel tight. Even her cloak, with its glowing runes, seemed impossibly fitted, swaying just enough as she moved closer.
I swallowed hard, forcing my gaze upward. Crying on someone like her…? What was wrong with me? And then it hit me like a slap to the face. My stomach dropped as I realized where I was. Wait… if I was outside and now I'm here…
My eyes widened, and I stammered, "Did you… Did you carry me back to your house?"
She tilted her head, her golden-streaked hair brushing her cheek as her smirk grew playful. "Guilty~," she sang, her voice as smooth as silk. "What can I say? I couldn't just leave you lying there all helpless. Besides…" She leaned in until her face was inches from mine, her crimson eyes locking onto me with a teasing glint. "You looked so adorable all curled up and crying~."
My whole body froze as I felt heat creep up my neck. My hands twitched in my lap, unsure whether to move or stay completely still. "I-I… something really bad happened," I managed to choke out, my voice barely above a whisper. "I just… I needed to let it out…"
Her gaze softened slightly, but the mischievous edge in her smile remained.
Lulu didn't respond immediately. Instead, she pushed herself upright, her body stretching in a way that made her petite figure even more noticeable. Her cloak shifted, revealing glimpses of her toned legs framed by her tight thigh-highs. She placed a hand on her hip, her other hand brushing through her short, spiky hair, the golden streaks catching the soft glow of the room.
With a dramatic sigh, she turned, giving Zayne a full view of her as she walked toward the window. Each step was deliberate, her hips swaying in a way that felt almost choreographed, her confidence undeniable.
"Something bad, huh?" she mused, her voice lilting as she glanced back over her shoulder. Her crimson eyes sparkled with mischief, her smirk playful and inviting. "Well, whatever it was, it must've been awful if it had you clinging to me~."
She spun around, her cloak flaring slightly, and strutted back toward the bed. Her petite frame didn't stop her from exuding power, her movements fluid and full of purpose. She bent down slightly, her fiery eyes locking with his. "You Earthlings are so fragile, aren't you? Crying on the shoulder of a girl like me…" She chuckled softly, placing a finger under his chin to tilt his face up.
Her touch sent a jolt through Zayne, and he stiffened under her gaze. "W-what are you doing?" he stammered, his voice cracking.
Lulu leaned in closer, her smirk widening. "Just making sure you're awake~. Wouldn't want you passing out on me again, Mr. K Jay~."
"Heh, yeah…" I chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of my head. This whole situation felt so surreal. Less than 30 minutes ago, I was dead, and now, I was here, sitting in a strange realm, having a conversation with a girl who seemed way too comfortable talking to me like I wasn't just some lost soul.
I glanced around again, my mind still trying to catch up with the fact that I was in a place that was supposedly the center of all existence. A place beyond anything I could've imagined. And yet, here I was, sitting in front of someone who felt completely… real.
"So, Lulu," I began hesitantly, feeling a little awkward, "what exactly are you?"
Lulu paused for a moment, her vibrant crimson eyes narrowing in thought. She tilted her head, the strands of her fiery hair falling messily around her face as she blinked, clearly not fully understanding his question.
She leaned forward just a little, her playful grin creeping back onto her face as she fluttered her lashes at him. "What do you mean, what am I?" she replied, her voice light and teasing, as if she was enjoying the confusion on his face. "I'm me, silly. Lulu~." She gave a little flourish, hands on her hips, making her cloak ripple dramatically.
Zayne shifted uncomfortably, his face reddening slightly. He scratched his head, trying to explain himself, his words coming out clumsy, "Well, you refer to me like… like you're not human, you know?"
Lulu's eyes sparkled with mischief as she leaned in a little closer, lips quirking upward into an exaggerated pout, her voice soft but teasing. "Oh, you're observant! Clever boy~," she purred. "Well, no, I'm not human. Not exactly, anyway."
She flung herself backwards dramatically, twirling a lock of her short, spiky hair between her fingers. "I was born here, in The Nexus. This place? It's my home." She said the last part like it was some sort of proud declaration.
She stopped twirling her hair for a moment and placed both hands on her hips, puffing out her chest slightly. "I'm what you Earthlings would call a Nexus Born. It's a term we use around here for people who come from the Nexus, not some far-off realm like yours."
Zayne blinked, trying to process everything she'd just said. "Wait, so… you were born here? In this place?" He rubbed his temples, still trying to make sense of the reality of it all. "But why do you sound so… casual about it? Aren't you, like, the center of all existence?"
Lulu pouted playfully, her face scrunching up in a mock frustration, her lips curving downward into a little frown. She dramatically threw her hands up in the air, causing the air around her to crackle with a faint aura of energy. "Sooo boring~!" she groaned. "I'm stuck in this realm, and all my friends are holed up inside the house. No one wants to come outside and play!" She stomped her foot, her voice rising in a theatrical pitch.
She took a dramatic pause, letting the silence hang in the air before continuing with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "And the worst part? I can't become a Hunter by myself. I need a team for that."
She leaned back against the wall with a sigh, slouching slightly in an exaggerated way as she dramatically threw her arms behind her head. "And don't even get me started on how long I've been trying to perfect my explosive magic. It's, like, so difficult!"
Her tone shifted from playful frustration to a more intense, almost longing note. "I've been training in pure Mana manipulation forever… But you know, no one ever takes me seriously. Why? Because they're too busy being boring and predictable. Ugh!" She threw her arms up in a burst of exaggerated flair, causing the air around her to shimmer for a split second, like a fleeting crackle of energy from a mini explosion she had almost conjured.
Her energy bounced between dramatic theatricality and raw ambition, her expression one of frustration but with a fire that was unmistakably genuine. Despite her wild antics, there was an undercurrent of purpose behind her chaos, a desire to prove herself that made her more complex than she first appeared.
"So, yeah, that's what I am. A Nexus Born, with big dreams and even bigger explosions~." She flashed him another dazzling grin, her eyes burning with that same fiery energy, before adding in a softer tone, "But enough about me, Mr. K Jay~. What about you?"
Zayne: "What about me…?"
It was a simple question, but one Zayne couldn't answer.
Because, truthfully, he didn't know.
He didn't know who he was, or what he wanted, or why he even mattered in the first place. Lulu, for all her energy and confidence, seemed so certain of everything—what she wanted, what she dreamed of, and how she fit into the world around her. Zayne, by contrast, was a blank slate, a person shaped by doubt and isolation, drifting through existence with no anchor to steady him.
Zayne Sung Voss—known to the few who ever bothered to speak his name as K Jay—was a boy defined by contradictions. He was there, but not present; alive, but never truly living. At 16 years old, he had already learned to survive in the shadows of his own life. He wasn't a person, not really. He was more like a ghost—an observer, watching life unfold from a distance, unable to touch it, unable to belong.
His mind was a tangled mess of thoughts that spiraled endlessly inward. Depression was the quiet voice that whispered in his ear, telling him over and over that he was less. Less than others. Less than worthy. Less than human. And he believed it, because what else was there to believe?
Autism didn't make things easier. It wasn't just a word or a diagnosis to him; it was a barrier, an invisible wall that separated him from the rest of the world. Social interactions were puzzles he couldn't solve, conversations were riddles he didn't know how to answer, and emotions—both his own and others'—were incomprehensible and exhausting.
He wanted to connect with people. He really did. But wanting didn't matter when every attempt to fit in left him feeling like a fraud, like he was acting out a role in a play where he didn't understand the script. Over time, it just became easier to stop trying.
The world didn't miss him. People forgot he was there. Teachers overlooked him, classmates ignored him, He wasn't hated or bullied; he was simply invisible. And maybe that was worse.
In the end, it all built up to a single, careless moment.
One second, he was lost in his thoughts, letting his mind wander through the storm of memories and self-doubt. The next, the blaring horn of a semi-truck jolted him back to reality. But by then, it was too late.
He remembered the sound first—the screeching of tires, the deafening crash. Then came the pain, sharp and all-consuming, but strangely fleeting. It was over so quickly, he didn't even have time to process it.
And then, there was nothing.
No light. No tunnel. No angelic choir welcoming him to some pearly afterlife.
Just emptiness.
Now, here he was, sitting in a realm that claimed to be the center of all existence, staring at a girl who seemed to radiate life in a way he never could. She was color and fire and passion, and he… he was just a shadow.
The weight of her question lingered in the air, heavy and unrelenting. "What about me?"
What about him?
Lulu tilted her head, her crimson eyes sparkling with curiosity, as if waiting for him to answer. But Zayne couldn't speak. The words caught in his throat, buried under the crushing weight of his own thoughts.
A flicker of something dark passed through his mind. A memory. The truck. The impact. That split-second realization that maybe—just maybe—it wouldn't have mattered if he had stepped aside, if he had lived another day.
His hands clenched into fists, his nails biting into his palms. He didn't want to think about it, but the truth clawed its way back to the surface.
"I don't know who I am," he finally muttered, his voice barely audible. "I don't know what I want. I don't even know why I'm here."
The words hung between them, raw and vulnerable. Lulu's playful expression faltered, her mischievous grin fading into something softer, almost unreadable.
For the first time, Zayne felt truly exposed—like she could see right through him, past the mask of indifference he always wore, into the hollow, aching void that made up the core of his being…