The last thing Kaida remembered was the roar of the collapsing ceiling.
Now—silence.
He stood in absolute blackness.
No air. No walls. No floor. Just… void.
In front of him, a glowing screen floated gently in the air, pulsing a soft blue against the darkness. It cast a pale light on Kaida’s face, his wide, unblinking eyes locked on the text.
[Loading Information…]
He didn’t move for several seconds. His heart thudded in his ears.
Then he blinked.
“…What… is this?”
The words disappeared.
A loud ding echoed like a ripple through water, despite there being nothing to echo off.
[Confirm Name]
Beneath the text, a transparent panel appeared. A touchpad.
Kaida stared at it, his breath catching.
He turned slowly, looking around—nothing. No horizon, no sound, not even the echo of his own breathing.
“Hello?!” he called out, his voice cracking. “Is anyone—? Hello?!”
Nothing.
Not even a whisper back.
He looked down at the screen again. His name—Kaida Tatsuya—was already pre-filled.
His fingers hovered above the glowing panel.
“…What is this? A dream?” His voice shook. “A system? A trick?”
He didn’t know.
But whatever this was, he didn’t seem to have a choice.
Kaida pressed his finger down.
DING.
The screen shifted.
A glowing ring appeared—spinning in front of him like a wheel of fate.
Symbols rotated around its edge, flickering as they passed:
Fire. Water. Earth. Ice. Shadow. Light. Lightning. Wind.
Faster and faster it spun—until slowly, it began to slow.
The pointer hovered… passed Lightning… then—
Stopped.
Element Chosen: Wind
Kaida stared at the screen—
Then blinked.
For a split second, the screen glitched—a sharp buzz of static rippled through the void. The word Wind flickered violently—
FZZZT—Lightning—FZZZT—Wind.
“…Wait,” Kaida whispered. “Did it just say Lightning?”
The screen gave no reply.
Just another soft chime, as though nothing had happened.
He leaned closer, but the glitch was gone. Everything had returned to normal.
Still confused, Kaida’s gaze dropped to the new display:
Kaida Tatsuya – Level 1
Race: Human
Would you like a race change?
Two options appeared beneath it:
[ YES ] [ NO ]
He stared in silence.
“…Is this… a video game?”
It sounded absurd. And yet… nothing else made sense.
After another pause, Kaida slowly tapped NO.
The screen pulsed.
Loading Map: Crystal Empire
Light exploded.
Kaida instinctively shielded his eyes as the void shattered around him.
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His feet landed on cold, polished stone.
The smell of lavender and ancient parchment filled his nose.
Kaida lowered his arms and gasped.
He was standing in the middle of a massive room. No—a palace hall.
Massive white marble columns stretched toward a ceiling so high it seemed to vanish into the clouds. Golden engravings danced along the walls, catching the light from a grand chandelier that illuminated the entire chamber in a warm, regal glow. At the far end, a long blue carpet led to an ornate throne atop a raised dais.
On it sat a man whose presence felt… commanding.
He had silver hair, neatly combed back, and piercing blue eyes that seemed to look straight through Kaida. His golden robes shimmered under the chandelier’s light, a deep blue cape trailing behind him like a shadow of royalty.
Beside him stood a young woman—regal, calm, unreadable. Her dark blue hair flowed like ink across her back, and her sapphire eyes watched Kaida not with suspicion, but curiosity. And… sympathy.
Kaida suddenly felt very, very small.
He clenched his fists, pulse quickening.
The man finally spoke.
“So you must be the one the gods foretold…”
His voice was calm, but powerful. Measured.
Kaida’s throat was dry. He opened his mouth, but no words came.
The man rose from the throne and descended a few steps, never breaking eye contact.
“I imagine you must be confused, young one.”
That was the understatement of the century.
Kaida finally found his voice. “Where… am I?”
“This is the Crystal Empire,” the man said, gesturing with one arm across the magnificent hall. “One of the five great kingdoms of this world.”
He took another step closer.
“I am its ruler—King Alden Von Estria.”
Kaida’s gaze drifted to the woman beside him.
The king followed his eyes. “And this is my daughter—Princess Lysara Von Estria.”
The princess stepped forward and offered a small, polite nod. Her voice was gentle.
“It is an honor to meet you. Though I imagine you must be feeling anything but honored at the moment.”
Kaida felt something tighten in his chest.
His voice cracked. “Where are my friends…? Where’s my sister? Did they—did they make it here too?”
The king’s expression faltered—just slightly.
“I… do not know,” he said. “You were the only one to arrive in our capital. I’m sorry.”
Kaida’s heart dropped. “So I’m… alone?”
The king placed a hand over his chest. “Not entirely. You’ve been brought here by the will of the gods. A great crisis is approaching—one that threatens to consume our entire realm.”
He turned slightly, his cape flowing behind him.
“Four warriors have been summoned from beyond the veil of worlds—each to a different kingdom. You are one of them.”
Kaida’s head spun. “I didn’t ask for this.”
“I know.” The king’s voice lowered. “And if it were up to me, I would have spared you this burden. I prayed the gods would send us a champion—a warrior. Not… a child.”
The words weren’t cruel. They were… mournful.
“I don’t know how or why they chose you,” the king continued. “But I swear this—if there is a way to return you to your world… I will find it.”
Kaida’s throat tightened.
He couldn’t tell if he wanted to scream or cry.
“I’m sorry,” he said finally. “I’m just… I’ve had a long day. A really long day. And I feel like I’m gonna fall apart if I don’t sit down.”
The king nodded. “Of course. Lysara, will you show him to the guest quarters?”
“Gladly,” the princess said with a soft smile.
Kaida followed her out of the throne room, his legs stiff and heavy. His eyes darted to every towering pillar, every painted ceiling, every distant hallway guard.
This wasn’t a dream. And if it was… it wasn’t one he could wake up from.
“You don’t have to be afraid,” Lysara said after a moment. “My father means what he says. If there is a way to help you… we’ll find it.”
Kaida hesitated. “I want to believe that.”
“Then start small. Believe it’s okay to rest.”
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The room they arrived in was stunning. More like a royal suite than a guest room.
Lavish carpets. A four-poster bed. Bookshelves full of dusty tomes. A carved wooden desk. And a balcony overlooking a kingdom lit by twilight.
Kaida stood at the balcony for a long while.
The sky was deep violet, stars blinking through soft clouds. A gentle breeze danced through the curtains.
“…It’s beautiful,” he whispered. “Almost enough to forget…”
He didn’t finish the sentence.
He didn’t have to.
It hit him like a train.
The screams. The collapsing hallway. Tsubaki’s voice. Kumuna shielding Mishell. The weight of the ceiling crashing down. The moment everything ended.
Kaida stumbled back, clutching his chest.
THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.
His breath quickened. His knees gave out, and he collapsed onto the bed, curled up tight.
“Please,” he whispered. “Please let them be okay…”
The room spun around him.
His fingers trembled.
Then—ding.
Kaida’s eyes flicked open.
A glowing blue screen floated beside his bed—smaller than the one before, like a holographic pop-up from a game menu.
Kaida Tatsuya – Level 1
Race: Human
Element: Wind
Skill Tree: Unavailable
Kaida stared.
“…This really is like a video game…”
A blinking icon appeared in the lower left corner.
[ GUIDE ]
He hesitated.
Then, hand trembling—he reached for it.
And pressed.272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj20TrgFxxl
