In the dead of night, the serene silence was broken only by the faint hum of a rotating fan. Moonlight filtered through sheer white curtains, casting faint shadows on the walls. The dim glow of a small bedside lamp illuminated the compact bedroom, filled with the personality of its young occupant—Akira Watthanakul. Stacks of comic books sprawled across a scratched wooden desk. Figurines of beloved game characters stood neatly on display shelves. Beside his bed, a desktop computer sat idly, its screen still glowing faintly from the previous night.
Akira's steady breaths grew uneven, his chest rising and falling with unease. Though his eyes were closed, his mind raced, inundated by thoughts of an upcoming game project and a pending music assignment. The ideas buzzed incessantly like static, refusing to quiet down. Gradually, though, the weight of exhaustion bore down on him, pulling him deeper into the realm of sleep.
And then, the world shifted.
The warmth of his bed vanished. The rhythmic hum of the fan ceased. The comforting glow of moonlight disappeared. Only darkness remained—an overwhelming void pressing in from all directions. Akira floated weightlessly, like a solitary speck in an infinite cosmos.
Suddenly, a brilliant light flared beneath his feet. A glowing circle emerged, intricate and shimmering like a celestial map. It depicted complex patterns that twisted and turned into orbiting moons—twelve in total. Each moon glowed with a distinct hue: one a vivid oceanic blue, another fiery red, while yet another radiated like an eternal sun. But one moon was completely devoid of light, black and lifeless.
Akira's gaze was inexplicably drawn to a particular moon—a verdant blend of green and blue that resembled a miniature Earth. There was something eerily familiar about it, an inexplicable pull. As he stared, an ethereal whisper broke the suffocating silence, resonating from everywhere and nowhere at once. The voice was both cold and tender, like an estranged kin reaching out.
"Akira… come forth… the balance is broken. Arcadia needs you."
The words echoed in his mind, compelling yet cryptic. Before he could process them, two koi fish—one black, one white—materialized, swirling gracefully around him. Their synchronized movements exuded an ancient energy as they spoke in unison.
"Restore the balance, heir of Arcadia…"
Around him, bubbles transformed into glowing feathers that danced on a chilling breeze. The luminescent circle intensified in brightness, the sound of shattering glass growing louder and louder until it crescendoed. The glass burst, scattering fragments that morphed into vivid, haunting images.
A colossal lion, clad in samurai armor and wreathed in flames, roared with earth-shaking fury, its fiery mane illuminating a desolate battlefield. Nearby, a figure with seven serpent heads loomed in the shadows, each head hissing with predatory malice. Dark silhouettes—unfathomable and grotesque—emerged, their forms writhing like living nightmares. They surged toward Akira with a deafening shriek.
He was flung backward, his body weightless yet paralyzed with fear. He struggled to rise, but an invisible force held him down. Just as despair threatened to overwhelm him, a hand—strong and scarred—extended toward him. The hand radiated warmth and resolve, a golden light glinting off its knuckles.
"Get up, friend. We'll face this together."
The voice, deep and steady, came from a figure shrouded in firelight. Though Akira couldn't make out the face, he glimpsed others standing beside him. Each figure glimmered with unique energy—a fiery core encased in frost, crackling lightning straining to burst free.
A smaller, delicate hand reached out to steady Akira. It was warm, comforting. A sweet, melodic voice followed.
"It's okay, Brother Akira. We'll always be here for you."
He squinted, trying to discern the girl's face, but all he could make out was a pair of cat ears perched atop her head. Before she could say more, her voice dissolved into the grating blare of an alarm clock.
Akira jolted awake, gasping for air. His heart pounded in his chest as if he'd just escaped a battlefield. Disoriented, he scanned the dim room. The soft glow of his computer screen illuminated his cluttered desk, piled high with books and notebooks.
Leaning back against the wall, he let out a shaky sigh. "What the hell was that dream? It felt… too real. Like something out of those fantasy stories I've read… And what's with the koi fish and feathers?"
He chuckled nervously, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "Maybe I've been overthinking this game project… And that girl calling me 'brother'? Hah, yeah right. If I ever get a little sister, she'd better have cat ears like that. Wouldn't that be something?"
His musings were interrupted by a familiar voice from downstairs.
"Akira! Are you awake? You'll be late for school!"
"Coming, Mom!" he yelled back, glancing at the clock and groaning at the time. He stretched out his stiff limbs before reluctantly dragging himself out of bed. After a quick shower, he dressed, grabbed his phone and headphones, and descended the stairs.
The smell of spicy shrimp soup greeted him as he entered the kitchen. His mother, Irene Watthanakul, stood at the sink, rinsing dishes with practiced efficiency. Her warm smile brightened the modest kitchen.
"You're running late today," she teased, not turning around.
"Stayed up late, that's all," Akira mumbled, sitting down at the table. He took a spoonful of soup and nodded in approval. "Delicious as always. Thanks, Mom."
Irene chuckled. "Eat quickly, or you'll miss your train."
His father, Rin Watthanakul, entered the kitchen in a crisp white shirt, clutching a stack of documents. "Big plans today, Akira?"
"Not really. Just school stuff, game project with May, and maybe some gaming practice later."
Rin smirked faintly. "Good. Just don't let games overshadow your studies."
"Yes, Dad," Akira replied with a sheepish grin.
Breakfast concluded quickly. Slinging his backpack over his shoulder, Akira slipped on his sneakers by the door.
"Take care, sweetie," Irene called, waving him off.
"Stay focused," Rin added with a nod.
"Will do. Bye!"
Stepping outside, Akira was met by the crisp morning air. The scent of blooming flowers mingled with the earthy freshness of the dawn. The streets were lined with trees, their shadows stretching lazily across the pavement. Birds chirped faintly in the distance.
With his headphones in, Akira set off toward school. The familiar path seemed unchanged—an ordinary stretch of asphalt cutting through the quiet neighborhood. Yet, deep inside, he felt an inexplicable shift.
"That dream… what was it? The shattering glass, the voices… I've heard them before," he thought, shaking his head. "It's just the stress. Nothing more."
But no matter how hard he tried to dismiss it, the feeling lingered—an unsettling sense that his life was about to take a turn. A turn he could neither predict nor avoid.
As Akira looked up at the azure sky, sunlight streaming through scattered clouds, he exhaled softly and took another step forward.
Little did he know, that step marked the beginning of a journey that would change his life forever.