Prologue: The Cascading Night
Setting the Scene: The narrative opens on a sparkling, star-filled night. A young Yuto Kuriyama, with his five-year-old sister Haruna, plays joyfully in their garden. Their parents, Hiroki and Ayaka, watch them with warm smiles, cherishing a perfect, peaceful family moment they wished to preserve at all costs.
The Incident Unfolds: Suddenly, the warmth in the air chills, as if an invisible coldness is engulfing the surroundings. Yuto's parents' smiles vanish, replaced by an unknown dread in their eyes. A strange, dense purple glow emanates from the ground, and a tearing sound rips through the air.
The Attack: In an instant, shadowy, indistinct figures in black cloaks emerge from the darkness. Their eyes are dark and empty. They swiftly advance towards Yuto's parents. His parents murmur something towards them, like an ancient incantation. A brilliant aura emanates from their hands, momentarily halting the shadowy figures.
Helplessness: Yuto pulls Haruna behind a bush, hiding them. He watches as his parents fight, not to protect themselves, but to shield their children. Their faces contort in pain, yet their eyes remain fixed, resolute. Little Yuto is mesmerized by their power, but then feels an unbearable ache. He longs to protect them, but his body freezes; he can do nothing. He can only watch them, utterly helpless.
The Loss: His parents are eventually overwhelmed. Their bodies seem to dissolve into particles of light, merging with the air. The shadows then turn towards Haruna. Haruna screams in fear, calling out for Yuto. Yuto tries to rush out from behind the bush, but his legs refuse to move. Tears stream down his face, and he tries to scream, but no sound escapes. The shadows lift Haruna, and in an instant, they vanish. Only Yuto is left standing alone in the garden, surrounded by destruction and silence.
The First Glimmer: As Yuto's gaze was fixed on Haruna, an intense desire to protect her ignited within him. A faint warmth spread across his palm, as if a tiny speck of light momentarily flared and then faded. It was so fleeting that Yuto dismissed it as imagination.
The Aftermath: Yuto collapses to the ground, a guttural wail tearing from his chest. He is alone; his family is gone, his sister is gone. That moment etches a deep, invisible scar on his soul. He vows that one day, he will become strong—so strong that such helplessness will never again consume him.
Chapter 1: The Scar of Silence
Present Day (High School): It's a lazy late-summer afternoon at a bustling modern high school in the city. Yuto Kuriyama is now a fifteen-year-old high school student. His face lacks the youthful exuberance, instead bearing a deep sadness and loneliness in his eyes. He sits alone on a corner of the school rooftop, eating lunch, earphones in, completely detached from the outside world.
Echoes of the Past: Before him lies the school sports field. Some young children are running around, playing. Among them, a little girl plays cheerfully with her older brother. This sight reminds Yuto of his Haruna. His chest aches. He closes his eyes, the nightmare of that past night haunting him again. He looks at his palm, as if that lost warmth is still there.
Social Isolation: Yuto doesn't socialize much in class. He's a good student, but he doesn't join any clubs or hang out with friends. His classmates call him "the ghostly kid" or "the ice man." Their teasing or comments don't affect Yuto, because his own pain weighs heavier. Teachers are also concerned about him, but he doesn't open up to anyone.
Mikoto's Arrival: The smartest and quietest girl in class, Sawatari Mikoto, stands beside Yuto. Though shy, her eyes hold a deep curiosity. Mikoto is the top student in her class, and she has always noticed Yuto's silence.
"Yuto-kun, are you alright?" Mikoto's soft voice.
Yuto startles. He removes his earphones and looks at Mikoto.
"Yes. What is it?" Yuto's voice is detached.
"Nothing. It's just that you're always alone, so I thought..." Mikoto trails off. A kind of sympathy shows in her eyes.
First Conversation: Mikoto sits on the bench next to Yuto. She opens her lunchbox and begins to eat.
"Yuto-kun, do you have some kind of problem?" Mikoto asks directly.
Yuto is silent for a few moments. "Everyone has problems."
"I know. But yours seems different." Mikoto pauses, then says, "I see a lot of pain in your eyes."
Yuto looks at Mikoto intensely. No one had ever noticed his inner pain like this before. He tries to say something, but no words come out.
First Hint of Mystery: Mikoto finishes her lunch. "Is there an injury on your palm?" Mikoto suddenly asks.
Yuto quickly hides his hand. He remembers the event of that night in his childhood. There is no injury on his palm, but that night he felt a strange warmth, as if something had glowed.
"No," Yuto answers briefly.
Mikoto looks at Yuto's hidden hand. Her eyes show a hint of suspicion or curiosity. "I think something is hidden inside you. I can feel it."
Flashback and Restlessness: Mikoto's words make Yuto even more restless. The events of that night become clearer in his mind. Haruna's frightened face, his parents' final struggle. He repeatedly asks himself if he had been even a little stronger that day, would he still be able to see Haruna's face? This question torments him every moment.
Secret Research: After school, Yuto heads to the library. He doesn't search for modern science or history, but rather for books related to ancient folklore, magic, and "lost people." He remembers his parents saying strange things that didn't fit with this world. He asks himself a question – was his sister's abduction merely a crime, or is there a deeper mystery behind it?
He searches for books about "disappearing," "traveling to another world," or "people with special powers." Even though these topics seem like madness to him, his subconscious compels him to pursue them.
Mysterious Connection: As he searches for books, his hand lands on an old, dusty book. Its title is "The Shrouded Veils." The cover of the book bears a mysterious symbol that reminds Yuto of the fleeting warmth he felt on his palm that night.
As he opens the book, an old paper falls into his hand. It contains a handwritten design and some indistinct words – "When two worlds become one, the path opens."
Cliffhanger: Yuto tucks the paper into his bag. As he leaves the library, he notices Mikoto watching him from a distance. In Mikoto's eyes, there isn't just curiosity, but a look of deep thought. Yuto thinks to himself, "Somewhere in this world, an answer is hidden. I have to find it." He feels as if he is standing at the edge of an invisible path, a path that will lead him to a completely unknown destination
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Next Chapter: How will Yuto use his newly awakened power? What new information will he uncover from Mikoto's grandfather? And what challenges await him after his first encounter with this new magical world?