eclipsed Fate

The neon lights of the convenience store buzzed softly as Kaito Haruki stepped outside, plastic bag in hand. The crisp night air bit at his skin, a stark contrast to the store's artificial warmth. He sighed, shifting the bag in his grip. Just another uneventful night. Just another aimless stroll back to his tiny apartment.

Then, the world twisted.

A sudden, crushing sensation enveloped him, as if reality itself had been torn apart. His breath hitched. The streetlights flickered and distorted, their glow stretching unnaturally. A sharp pain stabbed into his skull, and before he could scream, the world snapped to black.

———

Kaito awoke to the feeling of rough grass beneath his fingers.

Blinking against the harsh sunlight, he slowly pushed himself upright. The familiar skyline of Tokyo was gone. Instead, towering trees stretched toward the sky, their golden leaves swaying in the breeze. The air smelled different—clean, untouched. Birds called out in unfamiliar melodies, and the distant sound of rushing water reached his ears.

"What the hell?" he muttered.

His head throbbed as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. This was no dream. The sensation of the grass, the weight of his own body—it was all too real. He turned, his heart pounding, and spotted something in the distance.

A dirt path.

With no better option, he followed it.

Minutes stretched into an hour. Eventually, the path led him to a clearing where a small village sat nestled among rolling hills. Wooden houses lined the dirt roads, and villagers bustled about, carrying baskets and speaking in a language Kaito didn't recognize. A medieval setting straight out of a fantasy novel.

"What is this…?" he whispered, stepping forward hesitantly.

Before he could process anything further, a sudden, shrill scream pierced the air.

He turned just in time to see a group of armored figures storming into the village. Their armor, a deep obsidian black, shimmered ominously in the sunlight. Villagers ran in panic as swords were drawn, the metallic ring cutting through the chaos.

Kaito's body froze, instincts screaming at him to move. But he wasn't a hero. He wasn't some warrior who knew how to fight.

Then he saw her.

A young girl, barely in her teens, trapped beneath a fallen cart. One of the armored figures approached, sword raised high, its edge gleaming with cruel intent.

Move, damn it!

His feet found strength before his mind did. He dashed forward, arms outstretched, desperate to do something—anything. He reached the girl, his body acting before thought.

The sword came down.

Pain exploded through his chest.

A choked gasp left his lips as he staggered, warmth pooling beneath his shirt. His legs buckled, and the world tilted. His breath came in ragged, broken gasps as he hit the ground. The girl's terrified eyes were the last thing he saw before darkness consumed him.

———

Kaito gasped awake.

The neon lights of the convenience store buzzed softly above him. A plastic bag dangled from his hand, its contents rattling against each other.

His chest heaved. His fingers shot to his torso, expecting to find the wound—the blood, the pain. But there was nothing. No sign of the fatal injury. No indication he had just died.

Yet the sensation lingered. The weight of a sword piercing his flesh. The terror in that girl's eyes. The despair of helplessness.

His hands trembled.

Then, he heard it.

The distant sound of birds. Unfamiliar melodies, echoing from somewhere just beyond the night.

The world twisted again.