Dark. So dark.

Where am I? Did I fall asleep?

A strange heaviness clouded my senses, and I couldn’t move. The darkness wrapped around me like a suffocating blanket, pressing against my skin and dulling my thoughts. A faint, rhythmic sound pulsed somewhere—like the distant echo of a heartbeat. Was it mine?

My thoughts swirled, fragmented. Exhaustion? Maybe. Juggling multiple jobs takes its toll... but why am I conscious? This doesn’t feel like sleep. It’s too vivid, too overwhelming. Is this... a lucid dream?

A flicker of hope stirred. If this is a dream, I can control it, right? That’s how lucid dreams work. What should I think of first? Food? No, focus on the location—it’s too dark here. A beach! Yes, let’s change this to a beach.

I pictured crashing waves, the warmth of sunlight, and the scent of salty air. My mind strained, clinging to the image. But nothing happened. The oppressive darkness persisted, unyielding.

A faint sensation prickled at the edges of my awareness. The air—or whatever surrounded me—shifted, growing colder. Goosebumps spread along my arms. Strange whispers slithered past my ears, too quiet to make out but unsettling nonetheless.

What is this place? Why can’t I wake up?

I thought of other locations: the park, the office, even my cramped apartment. But the whispers only grew louder, layering over each other like a distorted chorus. Anxiety clawed at my chest.

"Where am I, exactly?" I muttered aloud. My voice sounded strange, hollow, like it didn’t belong to me. It echoed in the void, fading into the distance.

A sudden flash of light seared through the darkness. I squinted, but the light was gone as quickly as it came, replaced by a strange, rhythmic sound—soft, melodic, and haunting.

Then, I saw her.

At first, she was little more than a blur—a pale figure flickering like a static-filled screen. My chest tightened, and despite the oppressive cold, sweat trickled down my neck. I tried to move closer, but my legs refused to obey.

"Are you... trying to say something?" I called out, my voice trembling.

The whispers stopped. A crackling sound replaced them, sharp and jarring.

"S...r...ne..."

Her voice—or whatever it was—crackled like a broken radio. The sound made my skin prickle.

I strained to make sense of her words. Serenity? Surrender? Before I could piece it together, the figure raised her hand. The light around her dimmed, and her form began to waver.

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"Wait!" I called out, panic rising in my chest.

A new voice broke through, shattering the moment.

"Big bro! Big bro!"

I froze. That voice—it was unmistakable.

"Saya?"

As her name left my lips, the darkness around me began to dissolve. Faint light seeped in, soft at first, then blindingly bright. The strange figure disintegrated into motes of light, fading into nothingness.

"Sa... Saya..." I murmured, my voice weak.

I opened my eyes, blinking against the brightness. My head throbbed as my vision adjusted. A familiar face hovered above me, though distorted and blurry.

"Big bro? No way, is that really you?"

Her words confused me. "What are you talking about? Of course, it’s me," I replied groggily. My head swam as I sat up, my limbs sluggish and unfamiliar. "Why am I so dizzy?"

I focused on her face. Something felt... off.

"Huh? Who are you?"

Her eyes widened, her expression twisting with disbelief. "What do you mean? It’s me—Saya, your sister!"

"No... You’re lying," I said, shaking my head. "You don’t look anything like my sister."

Saya, my 17-year-old high school sister, had long hair and a mature demeanor. The girl standing before me was a child, barely eight years old. Her features resembled Saya’s, but her youthful face was unfamiliar.

"Wow, that’s mean! And you’re one to talk," she shot back, crossing her arms. "Look at yourself!"

Her words sent a jolt through me. I glanced down at my hands—small, delicate, childlike. Panic surged as realization dawned.

"What... what’s going on? Don’t tell me I’ve turned into a kid!"

I scanned the room, which was shabby and unfamiliar, the wooden walls weathered and cracked.

"You need to calm down, big brother," Saya said softly, her voice unusually serious. "I can explain everything."

Her tone was serious. Despite my doubts, something in her voice made me listen.

Saya's Explanation

"So, you’re really Saya?" I asked, still skeptical.

"You’re finally starting to believe me, huh?" she teased. Then, her expression softened. "Listen, big bro, we’ve been... transferred to another world."

"Transferred?"

Her words felt absurd, yet they stirred something deep in my memory.

"It’s like those anime we used to watch," she said sheepishly.

"Wait," I muttered, piecing things together. "So our souls were transferred into these bodies? That’s why we’re kids?"

Saya nodded, her face pale. Something about her demeanor seemed off, but I let it slide.

"I know it’s a lot to take in," she said, forcing a small smile. "But isn’t this... kind of exciting?"

I stared at her, dumbfounded. Exciting? Of course, she’d think that—Saya was obsessed with anime, manga, and fantasy games.

Before I could respond, a knock echoed from the door. It creaked open, revealing a woman in a nun’s habit.

"Good morning," she said warmly. "I hope you both rested well after yesterday’s... incident."

Saya and I exchanged a glance, our stomachs growling in unison.

The nun chuckled. "Come along. Breakfast is ready. You must be hungry."

Saya's POV

Thank goodness big brother accepted that we were transferred to this world. Explaining what really happened would’ve been... impossible. How could I tell him the truth? That we both died in our previous world? He’d blame himself—of that, I’m sure. The thought of it made my chest tighten.

I don't want to lie to him either. Big bro knows me too well, down to every little mannerism. Even if I tried, he’d see through me in an instant. That’s why I’m so grateful he didn’t question it, that he just accepted we’d been moved to another world.

As the three of us walked together, I let my thoughts wander. The need to avoid that painful truth weighed heavily on me, but I didn’t want to think about it anymore. That’s when something caught my eye—a faint shimmer in the sky. My steps slowed, my heart skipping a beat.

“No way…” I whispered under my breath.

“What are you looking at, Saya?” my bro, Gain, asked, his voice pulling me back to the moment. He followed my gaze, curiosity lighting up his face.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” I said quickly, forcing a casual tone. “The view’s just... cool.”

“No way… What is that in the sky?” Gain’s eyes widened, his excitement palpable. “It looks so surreal—like something straight out of a fantasy!”

“Come on now, you two!” Nun, called out from ahead, noticing we’d fallen behind.

“Coming, sister!” Big bro Gain and I responded in unison, picking up our pace.

But my mind lingered on what I saw. That formation in the sky—it couldn’t be, could it? My breath hitched as I replayed the image in my head. The shimmering arc, the intricate glowing patterns... it was unmistakable.

The Gates of Nava.

It was exactly as I remembered it from one of my favorite games. Could it really be? Were we... inside the game?

A mix of excitement and dread bubbled within me. If this was truly the game’s world, what else awaited us here? My gaze flickered back to the horizon, my thoughts racing. This was no coincidence. Something bigger was at play—and whether we liked it or not, we have to survive.