"Reina..."
I gazed at her face—pouting yet undeniably cute. She was sitting on my stomach, pinning me down on my bed with her hands resting on my chest.
Her blue eyes locked onto mine, glowing like sapphires, and her smooth, pale skin made her look like the most beautiful woman in the world.
"I've already warned you, but you stayed up all night again," my little sister scolded.
Akane Yuuki—my younger sister. Though we have different names and family names, she's still my sister. More precisely, my adoptive sister.
Akane had long, fresh grass-green hair and bright yellow eyes, shining like the sun that lights up my life.
She was born with a disability in both of her legs, unable to move them, forcing her to either remain in bed or use a wheelchair.
Akane sat at the edge of my bed, right beside me, her expression filled with concern over what had happened last night.
"You came home at midnight, covered in bruises and drenched in blood."
"I see..." Reina clenched her right fist before suddenly launching it straight at my chest with full force.
"Take this!" she yelled, clearly irritated.
"AKHH—!!"
"Reina! Don't do that!"
•.
"Ouch, ouch..." I walked sluggishly, still clutching my chest where Reina had just hit me.
Reina strolled beside me, looking cheerful and completely unbothered, as if nothing had happened. She clasped her hands together behind her back, intertwining her fingers in a relaxed manner.
"Good. At least now you regret it," she said smugly.
As we continued walking at a steady pace—not too fast, not too slow—Reina suddenly turned to me with a curious expression.
"Hey, Kai, what's your dream?"
I glanced at her, raising an eyebrow.
"Huh?... Ah... Actually, I want to become the Grand King. My dream is to change the world for the better," I declared proudly.
"Phfhhp—"
I heard something from Reina—maybe a stifled laugh? But I wasn't sure because she quickly turned her face away.
"That's a great dream..." she said with a smile, her eyes glistening slightly.
"Not bad. But you do realize that's a really difficult goal, right?"
"Yeah, I fully understand that. That's why I chose to enter the academy."
"Must be nice..."
A question suddenly popped into my mind.
"By the way, what about you, Reina? What's your dream?"
But... judging by her reaction, it seemed like I had touched on something sensitive.
After that, neither of us spoke again. We just walked in silence, focusing on our way to the academy.
•.
We arrived in front of the academy gate. Reina walked ahead of me, then turned around with a bright smile.
"Welcome to Thabita Academy," she said cheerfully.
We continued walking side by side, our steps falling into a steady rhythm.
"I'm in Class 1A. It looks like you should head down the left corridor and follow it straight."
"Alright, thanks, Reina. I hope we end up in the same class."
We walked together until we reached the school entrance. Reina turned toward the right corridor while I took the left. There was also a staircase leading upward, but I stayed on my path.
I followed the corridor without paying much attention to my surroundings.
Weird… I've been walking for a while. Just how long is this corridor?
The only sounds were the faint echo of my footsteps and the soft rustling of my clothes and gear.
At the end of the corridor, the path curved sharply. I followed it until I found a staircase leading downward.
I descended the stairs. The lighting was poor—almost pitch black—but still clear enough to see my way.
When I reached the bottom, I froze in shock.
The sight before me was strangely familiar.
These stairs… they led me back to the school's outer entrance.
This was the same place where Reina and I had parted ways.
The area was eerily silent. The glass doors were tightly shut, and the windows revealed nothing beyond—no outside reflection, no hint of the world outside.
I slowly approached the nearest window, hoping to catch a glimpse of the outside world.
But instead of seeing the view outside, the window reflected me.
What… is happening?
I kept staring at the window, locking eyes with my reflection.
Suddenly, a horrifying hand appeared behind me. Its long, claw-like nails scraped gently against my neck. The skin was blackened and twisted, radiating an unnatural chill.
I could feel it. Cold. Too real to be an illusion. My whole body shivered as the hand slowly caressed my neck.
Deep breath in… Exhale…
The air around me felt thick and heavy, and sweat trickled down my chin.
Without hesitation, my right hand shot to the hilt of my greatsword. In one swift motion, I spun around.
Fwoshhh.
Silence. No one was there.
An illusion…? That was the only explanation I could accept—I didn't believe in ghosts.
Not even gods.
To me, no being is eternal or absolute.
Every life has an end.
"An illusion, huh…" I exhaled deeply, steadying myself.
Whatever that was… it was terrifying. But the real question is—what is this place?
There was only one way to find out.
I tightened my grip on the hilt of my sword—a massive two-meter blade, heavy and unyielding. Its strength was unmatched.
Lifting it with ease, I shifted into a battle stance, aiming the sword at one of the windows.
"HeeAHHH!"
I swung the sword horizontally with all my strength.
Crash!
The blade shattered the wall into pieces. The window burst apart, sending sharp shards of glass flying—both large and small.
Breathing heavily, I steadied myself after the strike. My vision focused as I looked forward—outside.
And then—
"W-What is this…?"
I stood frozen in disbelief at the sight before me.
~