Chapter 1: The Summoning
The afternoon sun cast a golden glow over the quiet suburban street as Kael and Sistine strolled side by side. The pavement was warm beneath their feet, and the gentle breeze carried the scent of blooming flowers from a nearby park.
Kael stole a glance at Sistine, who walked beside him with an easy smile. She had always been like this—bright, carefree, like the world couldn't shake her. Ever since the day she pulled him out of the way of that speeding car, she had been a constant in his life. His best friend. His savior.
And yet, today, his heart pounded for a different reason.
He had something to say. Something he had been holding back for too long.
"Kael? You okay?" Sistine asked, tilting her head. "You've been weirdly quiet."
"Ah—yeah. Just… thinking," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.
Sistine let out a small laugh, nudging him playfully. "Thinking? Now that's dangerous."
Kael chuckled, but his fingers curled into a fist. The words burned in his throat. He wanted to tell her—no, he needed to tell her. They had spent so much time together, shared so many memories. Was it selfish to want something more?
Sistine suddenly slowed her steps and turned to Kael, her expression softening.
"Hey Kael, no matter what happens… I'll always be by your side. I promise..."
Kael's heart skipped a beat. It was as if she had read his mind, like she knew the words he had been struggling to say. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to push past his nerves. This was the moment. He had to tell her.
"Sistine, I—"
Before he could finish, a searing white light erupted behind them.
The world vanished into brightness.
Kael winced, shielding his eyes as the overwhelming radiance swallowed everything. It wasn't just bright—it was consuming, suffocating. He tried to turn, to see what was happening, but it was impossible. The light was blinding, stretching endlessly for what felt like an eternity.
Five agonizing seconds passed. Then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the light vanished.
Kael gasped, his breath coming in short, uneven bursts.
But something was wrong.
The familiar suburban street was gone. The warm evening breeze, the quiet hum of distant traffic, all of it had vanished. Instead, he stood in an unfamiliar place, his surroundings alien and cold. His pulse pounded in his ears as his mind scrambled to process what had happened.
But then came the realization that sent ice through his veins.
Sistine was gone.
The realization hit Kael like a punch to the gut.
His breath quickened as his gaze darted around, searching desperately.
"Sistine!" he shouted, his voice echoing into the emptiness. No answer. No trace of her at all.
Panic clawed at his chest. He spun in place, hoping—praying that she was just out of sight. But no matter where he looked, she was gone.
The world itself had changed. The familiar city streets, the glowing traffic lights, the distant hum of cars—all of it had vanished. In their place was a desolate, endless field of jagged rock, stretching beyond the horizon. No buildings, no people, nothing modern. It was as if the world had been stripped down to something ancient and unrecognizable.
Kael's mind raced. It didn't make sense. How could everything change in an instant?
Then, through the rising panic, a thought surfaced.
A summoning.
It was ridiculous, impossible—something straight out of anime. But the signs were all there. The sudden flash of light. The complete shift in environment. The eerie silence of a world that wasn't his own.
His hands clenched into fists. If this was really another world… then where was Sistine?
Before Kael could fully process what was happening, the sound of footsteps echoed across the rocky landscape.
A group of men emerged from the distance, their silhouettes sharp against the dull, lifeless horizon. Their clothes were unlike anything Kael had ever seen—dark, rugged, almost militaristic. Weapons gleamed at their sides.
Relief briefly flickered in Kael's chest. People. Maybe they could help him.
"H-Hey!" he called out, raising his hands in a gesture of peace.
"Please, I need help! My friend—she's missing, and I—"
The men didn't let him finish. Their expressions hardened, and in an instant, weapons were drawn.
"An intruder," one of them muttered.
"Kill him before he causes trouble," another said coldly, already moving toward him.
Kael's stomach dropped. What?
"Wait! I don't even know where I am!" Kael protested, backing away. "I swear, I'm not—"
"Lies," one of them spat. "You think we'll fall for such trickery?"
The air turned suffocating with tension. Their eyes held nothing but hostility. They weren't going to listen. They had already decided—he was the enemy.
Kael didn't wait for an explanation. His body moved before his mind could catch up. Run.
With his heart pounding, he turned and sprinted as fast as he could, the sounds of pursuit close behind.
Kael ran until his legs burned, but it was useless. He was cornered.
Behind him, a rocky cliff loomed, its jagged surface too steep to climb in a rush. In front of him, the men closed in, weapons drawn, eyes cold with intent. There was nowhere left to run.
One of them raised his sword.
"This is the end for you, intruder."
Kael's breath hitched. His body trembled. Is this how I die?
The blade swung down.
Kael squeezed his eyes shut.
Then—silence.
The expected pain never came. Instead, there was an eerie stillness. A strange, unnatural force gripped the air.
Slowly, Kael cracked his eyes open.
The men stood frozen in place, their weapons halted mid-swing. Their bodies were completely still—no movement, no breathing.
Then, in the next second, they were ripped apart.
Blood sprayed through the air as their bodies split in half, severed by something unseen.
Kael's breath caught in his throat. A shadow loomed over him.
His gaze snapped upward—toward the top of the cliff.
Perched there, silhouetted against the dull sky, was a monster.
It wasn't human. Its body was twisted and unnatural, with dark, sinewy limbs and glowing, predatory eyes. It moved like a shadow, too fast, too fluid, cutting through the men with merciless precision. Their screams barely had time to escape before they were torn apart.
One by one, the attackers fell. And then, there was only Kael.
The monster turned its head toward him.
Kael's body locked up. Its eyes—piercing, inhuman—bored into him. Then, it lunged.
A flash of pain tore through him as sharp claws slashed diagonally across his shoulder. He stumbled back, his body screaming in agony. Warm blood gushed from the wound, soaking his clothes. His vision blurred. His legs wobbled.
I'm going to die...
Just as the darkness threatened to pull him under, something changed.
A new presence. A sharp, commanding force.
A figure appeared—a man wielding a sword.
Kael could barely make out his face through the haze of pain. The only thing he saw before everything faded was the glint of the man's blade as he charged at the monster.
Then, everything went dark.