As the blinding light fades, I gain a clearer view of my surroundings: a spacious and enclosed chamber, its walls of bare stone and adorned with dimly lit candles. Underneath me, a large summoning circle pulses faintly. The summoning process is complete.
But, I am not the only one here.
There are around twenty mysterious people dressed in black hooded cloak, hand holding wooden staffs, channeling some sort of spell.
Magician?
I wonder.
They seem to be the ones who summoned me.
“What the—what’s happening?” a confused female voice speaks in Japanese.
My gaze shifts to my left, drawn to the origin of the voice. There’s a young girl, presumably a high-schooler, dressed in school uniform and her backpack is still clinging to her frame.
Before I can even speak with her, three more glowing circles illuminate the dim chamber, meaning that three more people are going to arrive. In seconds, a teenage boy, his hair a rebellious shade of red, materializes, his eyes wide with astonishment. Next, a young man in a Domino’s pizza delivery attire appears, seemingly plucked from his route, the box of heavenly smelling pepperonis still in his possession. And the last circle reveals a tiny child, her hand clutching a melting ice-cream cone.
“Mom… mommy? Mommy, where are you?” the child’s voice breaks, tears cascading down her cheeks. The high school girl rushes to her side, her arms offering solace to the distraught child, murmuring comforting words.
Those four people who got summoned just now, they are all Japanese.
Now, confusion is evident in their eyes, a shared sense of fear and uncertainty linking them all. I can see their body shaking and taking defensive stances. But, unlike them, my heart isn’t racing with fear, it’s pounding with exhilaration and anticipation.
Yes, it’s because finally, I’m here.
Anna…
Her name is always precious in my heart. After years of searching and trying, I've finally made it to this world. Yes, this damned world, the one that stole my dear little sister from me.
—--------------------------------------
5 years ago, 2045…
It all began in the infamous Akihabara. That morning, my twelve-year-old little sister and I, a twenty year old Canadian, went there as we moved from Canada to Japan for my study. Anna had always been an anime fan, so she was bursting with excitement at finally being able to buy her favorite magical girl figure. She was like a child in a candy store, and seeing her smiling so happily like that made my heart flutter.
Meanwhile, I wasn’t really an otaku, but had always wanted to experience maid cafés. I wanted to know if they really say ‘moe moe kyun’ in real life or not, and surprisingly, they did.
Everything was fun and we had a great time, until suddenly, when we were walking on an empty street…
A fierce gust of wind erupted seemingly from nowhere, the sky morphed into shades of gray, and the temperature plummeted! It became bitingly cold, a phenomenon that should not occur in the midst of summer. And then, as I was still confused, wondering what the heck was happening…
“Brother!!!”
It was Anna’s voice.
I whipped around, dumbfounded by what was transpiring right before my eyes. A circle of intricate runes and symbols materialized beneath Anna’s feet, glowing with a light so intense that it nearly blinded my vision.
"Anna!" My voice was a desperate cry, hands reaching out to her. But it was as if an invisible barrier had sprung up between us. My hands met nothing but cold air, and her frightened, confused eyes locked onto mine.
And then, the light around her intensified, winding around her like golden snakes. It was like some sort of celestial fire consuming my sister, pulling her away from me. She levitated, her body beginning to fade within moments.
In a desperate attempt, I lunged forward, every ounce of my being yearning to rescue her, but to no avail. No matter how much I slammed by body against the barrier, I couldn’t get through. At that same time, Anna was in terror, her mouth uttering silent screams, tears cascading down her cheeks as her form dissipated before my very eyes. With a final, blinding flash, both she and the radiant circle disappeared, leaving behind only emptiness.
And just like that, my sister was taken from me, right before my eyes.
And I couldn’t do anything about it.
As the blinding light fades, I gain a clearer view of my surroundings: a spacious and enclosed chamber, its walls of bare stone and adorned with dimly lit candles. Underneath me, a large summoning circle pulses faintly. The summoning process is complete.
But, I am not the only one here.
There are around twenty mysterious people dressed in black hooded cloak, hand holding wooden staffs, channeling some sort of spell.
Magician?
I wonder.
They seem to be the ones who summoned me.
“What the—what’s happening?” a confused female voice speaks in Japanese.
My gaze shifts to my left, drawn to the origin of the voice. There’s a young girl, presumably a high-schooler, dressed in school uniform and her backpack is still clinging to her frame.
Before I can even speak with her, three more glowing circles illuminate the dim chamber, meaning that three more people are going to arrive. In seconds, a teenage boy, his hair a rebellious shade of red, materializes, his eyes wide with astonishment. Next, a young man in a Domino’s pizza delivery attire appears, seemingly plucked from his route, the box of heavenly smelling pepperonis still in his possession. And the last circle reveals a tiny child, her hand clutching a melting ice-cream cone.
“Mom… mommy? Mommy, where are you?” the child’s voice breaks, tears cascading down her cheeks. The high school girl rushes to her side, her arms offering solace to the distraught child, murmuring comforting words.
Those four people who got summoned just now, they are all Japanese.
Now, confusion is evident in their eyes, a shared sense of fear and uncertainty linking them all. I can see their body shaking and taking defensive stances. But, unlike them, my heart isn’t racing with fear, it’s pounding with exhilaration and anticipation.
Yes, it’s because finally, I’m here.
Anna…
Her name is always precious in my heart. After years of searching and trying, I've finally made it to this world. Yes, this damned world, the one that stole my dear little sister from me.
—--------------------------------------
5 years ago, 2045…
It all began in the infamous Akihabara. That morning, my twelve-year-old little sister and I, a twenty year old Canadian, went there as we moved from Canada to Japan for my study. Anna had always been an anime fan, so she was bursting with excitement at finally being able to buy her favorite magical girl figure. She was like a child in a candy store, and seeing her smiling so happily like that made my heart flutter.
Meanwhile, I wasn’t really an otaku, but had always wanted to experience maid cafés. I wanted to know if they really say ‘moe moe kyun’ in real life or not, and surprisingly, they did.
Everything was fun and we had a great time, until suddenly, when we were walking on an empty street…
A fierce gust of wind erupted seemingly from nowhere, the sky morphed into shades of gray, and the temperature plummeted! It became bitingly cold, a phenomenon that should not occur in the midst of summer. And then, as I was still confused, wondering what the heck was happening…
“Brother!!!”
It was Anna’s voice.
I whipped around, dumbfounded by what was transpiring right before my eyes. A circle of intricate runes and symbols materialized beneath Anna’s feet, glowing with a light so intense that it nearly blinded my vision.
"Anna!" My voice was a desperate cry, hands reaching out to her. But it was as if an invisible barrier had sprung up between us. My hands met nothing but cold air, and her frightened, confused eyes locked onto mine.
And then, the light around her intensified, winding around her like golden snakes. It was like some sort of celestial fire consuming my sister, pulling her away from me. She levitated, her body beginning to fade within moments.
In a desperate attempt, I lunged forward, every ounce of my being yearning to rescue her, but to no avail. No matter how much I slammed by body against the barrier, I couldn’t get through. At that same time, Anna was in terror, her mouth uttering silent screams, tears cascading down her cheeks as her form dissipated before my very eyes. With a final, blinding flash, both she and the radiant circle disappeared, leaving behind only emptiness.
And just like that, my sister was taken from me, right before my eyes.
And I couldn’t do anything about it.
