My name is Cole. I have black hair and green eyes. I'm about 6'5" with an average build for my height. I practice kendo in my free time—not exactly a popular sport in the US, but I have a few friends who practice with me. I'm 19 years old. I have an 18-year-old sister named Renae, Ren for short. She's got black hair like mine, but she has dark blue eyes and is 5 feet nothing, maybe weighing 100 pounds soaking wet. She's very skilled in jujitsu and has a bit of a temper, but she's like my best friend. Little did I know, this was the last day I would be living this life.
"Hey, Ren! Are you ready to go yet? You're going to be late for practice and make me late in the process!" I yelled up the stairs to my sister.
"Yeah, I'm on my way down now. Sorry I overslept," Ren yelled back down the stairs.
She came down, and we left the house. I drove her to her dojo for her jujitsu session. After I dropped her off, I went to kendo practice. When I got to class, I went through the door, and I wasn't in the dojo anymore. I was in the middle of a street.
"What? Where am I?" I muttered, confused. I wasn't sure where I was. I looked back, but there wasn't a door anymore, just more street. It was my street. I could see my house, but it looked different. In fact, the whole street looked different. The power lines were gone, and there were no street lights.
"I'm so confused. All I did was walk through a door. Didn't I? Maybe I was sleepwalking?" I wondered.
I heard a noise and looked up. There was something flying right at me. I looked closer.
"The hell? That's a flying snake, and it's big enough to swallow me in one go! You have got to be kidding me! Please be a dream!" I yelled as I turned and ran.
Then I heard a loud smash, and the ground shook. I heard noises like a knife cutting into meat. I turned back around against my better judgment. I saw Ren on top of it with a large katana in her hand, sticking out of the back of the giant snake that was currently trying to shake her off.
"Ren! What are you doing? That's dangerous! Get away from that thing before it kills you!" I yelled to my sister.
She looked at me, confused, and that was a mistake. The snake knocked her off its back and lunged at her as she dropped her katana.
"Shit!" I yelled.
Without thinking, I ran—and was I ever fast. It was like someone hit the fast-forward button on my life. In a second, I had her katana in my hand, and I swung. A wave of energy, like some kind of Final Fantasy Limit Break, erupted from the blade, slicing the snake straight down the middle. "Getsuga Tensho!" I roared without even thinking. The snake blew apart into light particles and disappeared.
"Ren, are you okay?" I asked my sister, concerned.
"I'm fine. But who are you, and how do you know my name?" she replied with an irritated look on her face. "Had you not called out to me, I wouldn't have been in any danger. You almost got me killed! Now, who are you?" she said, getting angry.
I stared at her, shocked and hurt. It must have shown on my face.
"Look, you may have caused this mess, but you're obviously strong. You took that thing out in one swing, and you're fast. Let's start over. I'm Ren, I'm a demon slayer. And you are?" Ren asked, extending a hand.
I looked at her for a second, then finally started to talk. "I'm Cole, your older brother, and I feel like I might be in over my head. I walked through a door, and then I was here," I said, still bewildered. I was so confused; my head was starting to hurt. How doesn't my own sister know me?
"I… did have a brother named Cole, but he died. You do look very much like him… come to think of it, a lot like him," she said, her expression shifting to shock. "A door? You walked through a door, and then you were here?" she asked, her voice rising in disbelief.
"Yes, I was walking into my dojo for kendo practice, but when I walked through the door, I was here," I said, still trying to process everything.
She suddenly grabbed my hand, and we were flying.
We landed miles away, and I just got increasingly confused. "A post office? Why are we at a post office? Do you need to mail a letter?" I asked, bewildered.
Ren's eyes narrowed, and her lips tightened into a thin line. A vein throbbed in her temple. "No, we're here for another reason. Just shut up and follow me."
I knew that look well. She would give me the same death glare anytime I teased her when we were growing up. She's always been scary for such a tiny woman, but now she was really strong. The grip she had on my hand felt like it was going to break as she pulled me to the door. My inner voice was screaming, It's another door! Not another door! It couldn't happen again, though… right?
We walked through the door, and, to my immense relief, we were in a post office. Still, I was confused. A guard at the door winked and smiled at me. What was that about? I thought.
The post office bustled with activity. People mailed letters, bought stamps, and picked up packages. The air was thick with the scent of old stamps and paper. The walls were weird, though. Every now and then, I'd see a shimmer pass over them, and the same symbol on the shoulder of Ren's jacket would flash for a split second. Once, I even saw the faint outline of a door where the wall shimmered. No one else seemed to notice, though, as they busily went about their day.
Then, a cat sorting mail looked up at me. "Hi there, young man. Having a good day?" it said.
"Wait, did that cat just talk to me?" I whispered to Ren, my jaw dropping.
"Of course it did. Now come on and quit gawking," Ren answered as if it were no big deal.
The cat looked at me, shook its head with a sigh, and went back to work. This place is so strange, I thought.
We reached the back room, a hallway with a blank wall at the end. Ren touched the wall somewhere I didn't notice, and it slid open, revealing a swirling reddish-pink vortex. Without a word, she pulled me in.
It freaked me out, seriously. Okay, now I'm definitely in an anime, I thought, Complete with a hidden base and a dramatic sky. Maybe I'll even get some cool powers!
We came out on the other side, and we were in a… well, it was hard to describe. There were trees, a castle, and what looked like a training area with people sparring and a lab. An explosion suddenly erupted from the lab, and smoke billowed out of one of the windows.
Ren face-palmed and shook her head. "Not again. That idiot and her experiments," she muttered, irritated.
"Who?" I asked.
"Don't worry about it. You'll meet her soon. This is the headquarters of The Veilguard. We're the government's branch of demon slayers," Ren explained. "We're in a pocket dimension. Pretty cool, right?" she asked, a hint of pride in her voice.
"I guess. I mean, it is cool, but I'm not used to all of this," I answered honestly.
"Well, we're going to meet my boss, Xavier. He'll want to meet you. Just don't stare at his head. He's a bit sensitive about being bald," she warned.
Great, now I'm in the X-Men academy. I wonder if they have a Danger Room, I thought to myself, picturing Wolverine battling robots.
We walked into the castle, which wasn't really a castle since it was made of metal, but it was designed to look like ancient stone. We were scanned as we walked through the door. When Ren was scanned, a computer voice said, "Welcome back, Slayer Ren. Hope your hunt went well."
It got strange when it scanned me. The computer pinged and said, "Welcome back from the dead, Slayer Cole. Hope you're having a nice day," which earned me stares from a lot of the staff in the main entrance.
"Ignore it, people! Carry on with your day. I'm taking him to Xavier now to figure it out," Ren yelled fiercely.
Everyone turned away and hurried about their business, scared to look back at us. Sheesh, what kind of person is Ren here? I mean, she was always a bit scary, but it's like she's a total monster now, I thought to myself.
We walked up the stairs—there were a lot of them. When I asked about the elevator, all she said was, "It's being moody today and won't let anyone enter it." Not sure what that means. By the time we arrived on the floor, I was tired and covered in sweat.
Soon, we were in a large office. It was very plain-looking; he had a large desk with three monitors on it, a pretty comfy-looking chair behind the desk where a large bald man was sitting, and two chairs in front of the desk—if you could call them that. They were more like stools with no backing. We sat down and waited for him to finish typing.
"Ren, and what do I—" Xavier started to say, then trailed off. When he noticed me, he went silent, and the way he looked at me was unnerving.
"The hell? Cole, how are you alive? I saw your body. I was at your funeral. Ren, what is going on?" Xavier finally exclaimed, shocked.
"That's why I'm here, X. I was hunting a wind serpent. He appeared and almost got me killed. Then he saved my life," Ren said, gesturing towards me.
"Is the wind serpent dead?" Xavier asked, his voice still laced with disbelief.
"Yes, sir. He killed it with one swing of my katana. He also exhibited extraordinary speed," Ren replied.
"I see. And we are sure he's not a demon disguised as your brother?" Xavier asked, his eyes narrowed.
I was watching this exchange, and they talked about me like I wasn't even there. I was getting irritated.
"If he was, the security system would have killed him. Instead, it welcomed him back from the dead," Ren replied.
"Wait, you brought me here without knowing if the security system would kill me?" I yelled at Ren, indignant.
"Of course, I did. If you were a demon pretending to be my brother, you deserved to die," she replied like it was no big deal.
My sister really is a monster, I thought to myself.
"Well, then you need to take him to Liz. Have her run tests on him. Find out where he came from and what—or who—he is," Xavier said. Then he looked at me. "Are you staring at my head?" he asked suspiciously.
"Uh, no. I mean, it looks good on you. Really," I said, a little scared.
"Wait, it looks good? Really? You aren't just saying that?" Xavier asked curiously.
"Yeah, I mean it. It really suits you," I said, trying to sound reassuring.
"Take him to Liz. We need to find out who he is," he said, like nothing had happened.
The hell? That was weird, I thought to myself.
We left his office and went back down the stairs. I feel like I'm being tortured with stairs, I thought, my legs aching.
When we got back down, we went back outside and headed towards the lab, one of the windows still billowing smoke from earlier. Another explosion went off, and more smoke poured out.
"That crazy…" Ren started to say, facepalming.
"Please tell me that's not Liz," I said, getting worried.
"Oh, yeah, that's our Liz. She's always experimenting, but she's the best person for this job. Trust me, she's safe. I think… she won't kill you," she said, then added, "Probably."
"Probably?!?" I yelled as we walked into the lab.
When we entered the lab, there was a short woman, about 4'9", with pink hair and purple eyes. She had some very appealing curves and looked to be in her 20s. She was covered in black soot from the smoke, and her white lab coat looked gray. She had a goofy grin on her face when she looked at us.
"Hey, Ren! I botched two experiments, though they did explode like they were supposed to. They were just supposed to be timed," Liz said, laughing at herself.
"You are an idiot! What if those explosions killed you or destroyed the lab?" Ren said angrily.
"That's the sacrifice of genius. Anyway, what did you need?" Liz asked, then she noticed me. "Wait, is that Cole?!? Didn't he die?"
"That's why we're here, so you can examine him," Ren answered.
"Examine Cole? Oh, I've wanted to do that for years," Liz said with a devilish grin.
"Should I be scared? She seems way too excited," I asked.
"You'll be fine. Liz just has a thing for you—or the other you, or whatever you are," Ren replied.
Liz grabbed my hand and pulled me to a big machine. Before I realized it, I was in just my boxers and inside the machine. "When did she… how?!? Where are my clothes?" I yelled as the machine turned on.
Ren and Liz were just laughing. Then Liz stopped and got serious as the machine finished.
"Um… this is weird," Liz said, perplexed.
"What is it?" Ren asked.
"Well, he is Cole, but he's not Cole," Liz answered.
"The hell does that mean?" Ren asked, irritated.
"He's Cole, but according to the readings, he's not from our universe," Liz said, still perplexed.
"Wait, that makes sense. That's why everything is different," I said from inside the machine. "Is there a way I can go back?" I asked, hope flickering in my chest.
"Not likely. According to this, you're stable in this universe, I assume because our Cole died," Liz answered.
I started to feel defeated. Just when I thought I could get back, it seemed impossible. I'd never see my real sister again, and she was probably worried sick. Right now, she was waiting for me to pick her up, and I'd never show. They would find my car abandoned; she'd think I was killed or ran away.
Liz, seeing the look on my face, piped up. "Look, there's more. It's not all bad. According to this, you're packed with power," Liz started. "You're still level one, but you have the skills and power of a level 100, which is the highest known level right now. The level of the original Cole, actually. I feel like somehow you gained all of his power and skills," Liz finished.
"That's how he killed that wind serpent in one swing," Ren said thoughtfully.
"For him, he probably could have flicked it, to be honest," Liz said matter-of-factly.
"Seriously?!?" Ren asked.
"Very much so," Liz answered.
"What's the point of being strong when my sister is at this moment waiting for me to pick her up? She's going to think I'm dead," I said, depressed.
"You might as well be, as far as she's concerned. We can't send you back. Your only chance would be for the same thing to happen to you again, and that, sir, is very rare. One in… well, I don't think there's a number to describe the odds. I'm sorry," Liz said apologetically.
Defeated, I walked out of the machine. "What happened to my clothes?" I asked.
"I vaporized them," Liz said, like it was no big deal.
I stared at her, jaw dropping.
"Calm down. You're going to get a uniform. We're going to recruit you," Ren said before I could reply.
"For now, take these," Liz said, handing me sweats and a gray shirt. I quickly put them on, the whole time Liz never took her eyes off me, grinning the whole time.
"Maybe I'd have a chance with this one," she said quietly.
I barely heard her, but she was cute. I couldn't help but blush, which made her smile wider. Seriously, she's adorable, but she looks like she's straight out of an anime with her pink hair and purple eyes, I thought to myself.
"So, question. Where am I going to sleep?" I asked.
"Well, I've already relayed the information to X. A one-bedroom house will be built for you shortly, within this pocket dimension," Ren said.
"Okay, but that takes time. Where will I sleep tonight?" I asked.
"You misunderstood. By shortly, I mean within the hour," Ren said.
"How?!? It can take weeks to months to build a house," I asked, confused.
"You must not have magic in your universe. It just takes a spell, and it's made. It's only taking an hour because the mage is busy at the moment," she said.
Magic? This world has magic? I started to wonder. Maybe this isn't so bad. I mean, my sister is here, just as mean as ever. This might be fun, and maybe I can find a way back eventually, I thought to myself, a glimmer of hope returning.
"Ren, can I speak to you privately for a moment?" Liz asked.
"Sure," Ren answered.
A moment later, a sphere of light surrounded them, and I couldn't hear anything. I could see Liz speaking, though.
"Ren, I didn't say everything. He doesn't just have your brother's skills and abilities. He has every skill, every ability, and every spell. That's not all. They're all at the numerical values of level 100, but they aren't capped…" Liz said, flustered.
"How is that possible?" Ren asked, her eyes wide with surprise.
"I don't know, but that isn't all. His HP, Mana, Stamina, Strength, Agility, Vitality, and Dexterity are also all maxed out for level 100 and not capped. He's stacked! When I said he could have flicked that wind serpent… what I meant was he could have sneezed, and it would have died. Hell, at this point, he could have looked menacingly at it, and it would have died from fright," Liz said in awe. "I'm not even joking," she quickly added.
"Wow," Ren said thoughtfully.
My eyes went wide when I saw everything Liz said by reading her lips. I didn't even know I could do that! I quickly looked away so I could get the look off my face before she saw. If they don't want me to know, I won't let them know that I know. Keep my own secret from them, I thought to myself.
Once I calmed down, I looked back. Shortly after, the sphere disappeared, and Ren walked over to me, looking flustered. Great, now she's awestruck, I thought.
"Cole, it's time to go. I got notified that your house is ready," Ren said. "All you'll have in there is a bed and a fridge. You'll have to buy your own furnishings once you have money," she added.
"Okay, well, I guess that means I get paid for my new job," I said.
We left the lab and walked to another door on the property. It was weird; it was just a door with nothing behind it or on the sides. Ren opened it, and it was another swirling vortex, this one greenish-blue. She pulled me through.
When we got to the other side… "This looks like a suburban neighborhood. The sky is even clear and blue," I said in awe.
"A pocket dimension inside of a pocket dimension," Ren explained with a slight smirk. "This is Veilville, housing for the Veilguard. I know, I know, the name is horrible, but we didn't get to pick it. The government made up the name."
"The name is lame, but this place is cool," I said reassuringly.
"I'm glad you like it here," she said as she tossed me a ring.
I caught it and put it on. "You can use that to port to your house from anywhere, once you touch it against your doorknob for the first time. Come on, we're almost to your new house," she said.
We came to a pretty plain-looking house. They all looked pretty much the same, though mine had no decorations. She gestured to the doorknob, and I grabbed it with the hand that had the ring on. There was a hum, then a ding, and a voice sounded.
"Homepoint added to the homing ring. Process successful!" Then there was silence.
"Wow, it's like a video game. Is there a way to see my stats? Maybe say something like… 'System!'?" I said, half-joking.
A transparent screen appeared in front of my face, showing my stats, skill trees, and skill points.
"Um, I was joking. The hell?!? This is really a thing?" I asked, a little spooked.
Ren laughed. "Yes, it's a thing. How else would you be able to add stats and skills and set up what you're using? You can also equip weapons and armor in the system that will only appear when you're fighting. I mean, have you seen me carrying my katana around?" she retorted.
"Come to think of it, I haven't seen it since you took it from me," I said.
"Exactly. Now go in your house and check it out. There should be sheets, blankets, and toiletries stocked, and they're magically restocked. Your sheets and bedding will be changed daily, and your bed will be made," Ren said.
So I went in and checked. Sure enough, everything was stocked, including pillows, and the fridge was stocked with soda, water, and healthy snacks like carrots, apples, etc. It kind of reminded me of the TARDIS—the fridge was bigger on the inside! It even had an ice machine on the front. That will come in handy, I thought to myself.
"You were right. It's all here. Even the fridge is stocked," I yelled back to Ren.
"That's magically stocked, too," she yelled back.
"Oh, cool," I thought to myself as I grabbed a bottle of water. I walked back out to Ren. "Now what?" I asked.
"Nothing. It's getting late. Enjoy yourself. I'll pick you up in the morning," Ren said.
I shrugged and walked back into the house as she walked off. I went into my room and sat on the bed to think and relax. Exhaustion finally overtook me. I lay back on the pillow, sinking into the surprisingly soft mattress. My eyelids grew heavy, and the events of the day—the flying snake, the talking cat, the pocket dimension, the shocking revelations about my abilities—swirled in my mind like a fever dream.
Just as I drifted off to sleep, I felt a gentle tug on the blankets. It was a comforting sensation at first, like a mother tucking in her child. But then, the bed started to shake, and I felt a pressure on my chest, as if something was trying to hold me down.
My eyes flew open, and in the darkness, I saw the shadowy form of the bed looming over me, its blankets writhing like tentacles. Panic surged through me. Was this another demon attack? Had some creature snuck into my room while I was sleeping?
I thrashed against the bed's embrace, my heart pounding in my chest. "Get off me!" I gasped, struggling to break free.
Just as I was about to cry out for help, a voice whispered in my ear, "Shhh, just trying to tuck you in, sleepyhead."
The bed relaxed its grip, the blankets settling gently around me. I realized, with a mixture of relief and embarrassment, that the bed was simply trying to be helpful, albeit in a rather overzealous way.
"Uh… thanks?" I mumbled, still slightly shaken.
The bed let out a contented sigh, its frame creaking softly. "Sleep well, young master," it murmured. "And pleasant dreams."
I lay there for a moment, trying to process what had just happened. A talking bed? Tucking me in? This world was definitely full of surprises.
With a chuckle, I finally surrendered to the bed's embrace, the soft blankets enveloping me like a warm hug. As I drifted off to sleep, I couldn't help but wonder what other strange and wonderful encounters awaited me in this parallel world.
I woke up the next morning to a voice. "There is someone at the door, Master," said a feminine voice.
"Silly me, I'm the only one here. I must be dreaming," I said to myself sleepily.
The bed soon after upended, and I was on the floor. "There is someone at the door, Master," the bed said.
"Oh, right, the bed is alive," I said with a chuckle. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry I didn't listen. I'll go check," I replied.
I had fallen asleep in my clothes, so I got up off the floor and went to the door. When I opened it, Ren was standing there laughing.
"What's so funny?" I asked.
"Did you have a fight with your bed? I heard it yelling at you to wake up, then a boom," she replied.
"No, but it upended me onto the floor… speaking of, you could have warned me. It tucked me in last night, and it freaked me out," I said.
"Then I wouldn't have been able to laugh at you this morning," she replied, laughing harder. "I'm here to pick you up," she added.
"Oh, right. Give me a minute; I need a quick shower," I said.
I went back inside, leaving her at the door. I rushed a quick shower and ran to my closet. It was full of clothes: black shirts, black pants, black boots, etc. The best thing was the black leather duster, complete with the patch on the arm like my sister had on hers. The emblem was on the right shoulder and had a knight holding a tower shield, used to guard against some unseen foe. I quickly put on the clothes and the duster and walked back to the door.
As I was leaving, I realized I hadn't eaten anything yet and went to the fridge, trying to hurry. This was a mistake.
"Ow! How dare you! Grabbing my handle roughly, just because you're in a rush? I'll teach you some manners!" the fridge yelled.
With that, it proceeded to shoot me with ice cubes from the ice maker with startling accuracy. It buried me to the neck in ice cubes, and I was stuck. Somehow, they fused together, encasing me in them.
Great, I'm going to be like Han Solo, but instead of carbonite, I'll be frozen in ice… I thought to myself.
"Ren! Help me!" I yelled.
A moment later, Ren was through the door and in the kitchen. Then she burst into laughter. "What did you do to upset the fridge?" she said, laughing.
"He grabbed my handle too rough and hurt me," the fridge said, pouting.
"Cole! You need to apologize," Ren exclaimed.
Covered in ice, stuck and freezing, I looked at the fridge. "I'm sorry. I won't do it again, and I'll be more careful," I said apologetically.
"That's better," the fridge said.
The ice fell to the ground and disappeared. Then an apple hit me in the head. "Your breakfast, young master," the fridge said, then closed up.
I looked at it dumbfounded. I grabbed the apple, then Ren and I hurried out the door. I was afraid the fridge would change its mind and attack me again.
Outside, I looked at my sister, still laughing. "Seriously?!? What is with this place? My bed throws me on the floor. My fridge tries to Han Solo me for being too rough. What's next? The house locks me in because it thinks something will kill me?" I asked exhaustedly.
"Oh, I wouldn't joke like that. Not this close to your house. It might do that," Ren said seriously.
"Really?!?" I asked.
She walked off without replying. All I could do was follow her with a shocked look on my face. This place is a madhouse, I mumbled.
Ren just giggled as we walked through the portal to the Veilguard.