Chapter 1
The morning sun peeked through the cracks of Reiji's bedroom window, spilling golden light onto scattered manga volumes and figurines. Posters of heroes—All Might, Goku, Naruto, and others—lined the walls like the pantheon of a personal mythology. To anyone else, it might have looked like a teenager's chaotic obsession. But to Reiji Hoshizora, it was a sacred space.
He stretched lazily, brushing his silver hair out of his eyes. For someone who wasn't even twenty, he carried himself with a maturity that set him apart from his peers. Quiet, calm, and always thinking—Reiji was someone who spent more time in fiction than in reality. But it never made him dull. It made him dream.
"Another day in the boring normie world," he muttered with a smirk, throwing on his black hoodie with a crescent moon emblem.
His phone buzzed. A reminder: "Manga release day! Don't forget the limited edition is out!"
He snatched his bag, stuffed his wallet and headphones inside, and headed out the door. His favorite convenience store wasn't far, and neither was his favorite part of the week—nerding out over new chapters.
As he walked through the sleepy neighborhood, the world felt unusually peaceful. No barking dogs. No honking cars. Just the wind brushing against the sakura trees, their petals dancing in the spring air.
But peace, as he would soon learn, was always temporary.
It happened in a blink.
A scream. The screech of tires. A child—barely more than five years old—stumbling onto the crosswalk. And a truck, barreling toward her with reckless speed.
Reiji didn't hesitate. Not even for a heartbeat.
"HEY! WATCH OUT!" he shouted, feet already moving.
The child froze, eyes wide with terror. The driver's horn blared, but the truck wasn't stopping. There was no time to think. No time to weigh consequences.
Reiji's body moved faster than his thoughts.
He pushed the girl with all his strength—just enough to send her tumbling safely onto the sidewalk.
Then… impact.
White-hot pain.
The world spun.
Sound vanished.
And Reiji flew.
He didn't feel the ground when he hit it. Or the bone that cracked. Or the blood that spilled. All he felt was the warmth of the sun still kissing his skin. And the soft petals of cherry blossoms landing on his face.
"Did… I save her?" he murmured, lips trembling.
People were shouting. Rushing. The sound of sirens in the distance. But they felt so far away.
So… far.
He couldn't move. Couldn't even blink.
Everything was growing darker. The warmth slipping away. His body felt heavy. Too heavy to breathe.
But Reiji wasn't afraid. He smiled.
"That's... a pretty good ending… right?"
Visions filled his mind. All the stories he loved. All the battles, bonds, triumphs, and heartbreaks. Worlds filled with courage. With hope.
Maybe he wasn't born a hero. But he got to die like one.
And for him… that was enough. Then came the silence.
Not the silence of the real world. Something deeper. Wider. Endless.
Reiji's thoughts continued even as his senses faded. His body gone, his mind afloat in a void of nothingness.
He felt like he was falling… or floating… or both. There was no up. No down. Just a vast expanse of pitch black, stretching forever.
He should have been scared. But he wasn't.
Somehow, it felt… peaceful.
And then…
A voice.
Not from outside. From everywhere.
"So… you gave up your life to save another. How very human of you."
Reiji's eyes—no, his Awaraness—widened. He tried to speak, but had no mouth. Tried to move, but had no body.
"I watched you. Not just today… but always. So full of wonder. So full of questions. A dreamer who walked among mortals, always looking to the stars."
"Tell me, Reiji Hoshizora… would you like to keep dreaming?"