The rain drizzled lightly outside the hospital window, casting soft ripples across the glass. Kazuki sat in his wheelchair, staring at his motionless legs. It had been two days since the accident—two days since everything went downhill.
"If I hadn't tried to be a hero... I'd still have my legs."
He clenched his fist. There was no reward for doing the right thing. The only thing he got in return was this—a hospital room, a pair of broken legs, and pitying stares from strangers.
Just as the thought settled in his mind, a strange light flickered in the corner of his vision. He blinked, and there she was.
"Heyyyy, Kazuki!"
A girl in a white cloak hovered a few feet away, twirling in the air like she had all the time in the world. Her cloak shimmered like starlight, and her eyes sparkled with mischief.
Kazuki jumped in surprise. "What the—who are you?! How did you get in here?!"
"Awww, that's no way to greet your new friend," she pouted, crossing her arms. "I've been watching you for a while, Kazuki. You looked so sad I couldn't just sit back and do nothing."
"New friend? What are you talking about?!" He reached for the emergency button, but the girl quickly appeared beside him, snatching it away.
"Relax, relax! I'm not here to hurt you." She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I'm here to change your life."
Kazuki narrowed his eyes. "Yeah? How's that supposed to work?"
"I'm glad you asked!" She snapped her fingers, and suddenly, tiny sparks of light danced around the room. "I'm taking you to a place called Eidolon—a world where you can be anything you want. Walk again? Easy. Fly? Why not? Punch a hole in the moon? Sure, but that might be a little dramatic."
He stared at her in disbelief. "Are you... insane?"
"Nope! Just magical." She grinned. "Come on, Kazuki. You've got nothing to lose. Life here is boring. Let's have some fun."
"Fun? I'm in a hospital."
"Exactly! What's more fun than escaping a hospital?" She offered her hand. "I'll even let you pick where we go first. Trust me—it's way cooler than it sounds."
Kazuki hesitated. His gut told him this was crazy, but something about the girl's playful energy was oddly... convincing.
"Alright," he said finally. "But if this turns out to be some prank, I'm gonna—"
"Prank? Oh, Kazuki, we're waaaay past pranks."
She took his hand, and the room disappeared in a flash of light. The last thing he saw was her wide, mischievous grin.
"Welcome to Eidolon!"