Kei opened his eyes to an unfamiliar sky. It wasn't the soft blue of his world but a swirling mass of dark clouds, streaked with unnatural hues of purple and green. The ground beneath him was cold and metallic, reflecting the eerie light above.
"What... what is this place?" Kei whispered, his voice echoing in the still air.
He sat up, wincing as a sharp pain shot through his head. His memories were a blur—the crack in the sky, the hum, the light. And then... nothing.
"Hina!" Kei's heart raced. He scrambled to his feet, scanning the desolate landscape. There was no sign of his sister, or anyone, for that matter.
The world around him was alien. Strange towers loomed in the distance, their surfaces rippling like water. The air was thick, almost suffocating, and faint whispers seemed to drift on the wind, though no one was there.
Kei's legs felt like lead as he stumbled forward, his only goal to find something—anything—that made sense.
He didn't have to wait long.
A low growl rumbled behind him. Kei froze, the hair on his neck standing on end. Slowly, he turned.
A creature emerged from the shadows, its form shifting and unstable. It had no discernible face, just a mass of darkness with glowing red eyes.
Kei's breath hitched. His instincts screamed at him to run, but his legs refused to move. The creature advanced, its growl deepening into a guttural snarl.
"No... stay back!" Kei shouted, his voice trembling.
The creature lunged.
Kei threw himself to the side, narrowly avoiding its claws. He hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the wind out of him. Desperation surged through him as he scrambled to his feet, but the creature was relentless.
As it closed in, something deep within Kei stirred. A strange warmth spread through his chest, growing hotter with each passing second. His vision blurred, and the whispers in the air grew louder, almost deafening.
Suddenly, a burst of light erupted from Kei's hands. The creature recoiled, a piercing screech escaping its formless body as it disintegrated into nothingness.
Kei stared at his hands, now crackling with faint traces of energy. "What... what did I just do?"
Before he could process what had happened, the ground beneath him began to tremble. Cracks spread across the metallic surface, and a bright light seeped through.
"No, no, no!" Kei shouted, backing away, but it was too late. The ground gave way, and he was swallowed by the light.
Kei awoke in a different place, though it was no less strange. This world was lush and green, with towering trees that seemed to stretch endlessly into the sky. Birds with shimmering feathers flitted through the air, their songs unfamiliar yet oddly comforting.
But the peace was short-lived. In the distance, a shadow loomed—a massive tear in the fabric of reality, pulsating with the same energy as the crack from his world.
Kei's chest tightened. He didn't know how or why, but he knew one thing for certain. That rift was connected to everything that had happened. And if he wanted to find Hina and return home, he would have to face it.