Love the way you walk down dark alleys.
Love your invincible appearance.
A young man named Ryn was enjoying hotpot and karaoke at a small shop. Suddenly, a strange, cross-shaped pattern lit up on the back of his right hand. A soft, pleasant voice echoed in his mind:
Are you free? Can you come save me?
Startled, Ryn instinctively replied, "If you think I can, then I'll try."
At that moment, the honk of a truck broke through the silence. A large vehicle crashed into the shop, scattering his hotpot. The truck came to a screeching halt right in front of him. Ryn blinked—and just like that, he was gone.
Ryn jolted awake, scanning his surroundings and checking his body. A cold sweat ran down his back. "That was too close... I almost got hit by that truck."
Gone was the bustling city in sweltering heat. In its place, snow blanketed the ground, and frosted trees lined the roadside. Leaning against one of them, Ryn checked himself over. His limbs were intact, but a strange purple pattern shimmered on his hand.
"Oh no, not again! Why couldn't I just believe this was a hallucination? I really got hit by that truck. This isn't how it's supposed to go!"
Sorry, I've never done this before. I read a lot of stories about this kind of thing, and I thought it might be fun. I didn't mean to scare you.
The soothing voice spoke again as warmth radiated from the mark on his hand.
"Wait, are you in this pattern on my hand? Can you tell me what's going on?"
This is my Stigma, inscribed with my power and memories. As for my name… I've lived so long, I've forgotten it. Let's just skip that for now.
The voice continued to explain. A calamity called Honkai periodically affected her world, bringing chaos and destruction. Harmonium, a potent but dangerous energy, was both its source and its bane. When a major outbreak occurred, a Herrscher—a being granted immense power by Honkai—would emerge.
"But I'm supposed to fight that? Are you serious?!"
Let's not get ahead of ourselves. First, you need to warm up. Otherwise, you'll freeze to death.
The warmth in the mark grew stronger. Ryn picked up a stick and looked around cautiously.
"What's going on? Is something coming?"
This world doesn't feel quite right. We might've ended up in the wrong place…
Before Ryn could respond, a fluffy white figure in a down jacket appeared, her green hairpin catching the light. She leaned over him, poking his arm.
"Hey, are you okay? You're burning up!"
She quickly pulled out a blanket from her backpack, wrapping Ryn tightly. "As a proud Kaslana, I can't just leave you here."
Despite her small frame, she managed to lift him onto her back. Step by step, she trudged through the snow, leaving deep footprints behind. Occasionally, she paused, her breath coming in gasps.
"Wow, I didn't notice before, but she's gorgeous," she muttered, looking at his delicate features and long purple hair.
Shaking off her thoughts, she adjusted him on her back. But every time her cheek brushed against his, a small smile crept onto her face.
"Hehe, so warm…"