There was a subtle shift in the air.
Darkness rolled in like an approaching tide, swallowing the world in shadow.
An anomaly—almost like an eclipse.
But unlike an eclipse, no one seemed to care.
No one, except one kind of creature.
Humans.
Ever curious, they looked up. And what they saw justified it.
Far above the clouds, something massive floated in the sky—a castle, vast enough to be seen from anywhere on Earth.
Aincrad? No.
This wasn't a fantasy game.
This castle was real.
And it gleamed gold in the darkness.
Walls and rooftops made of radiant, golden stone. A sprawling garden so wide that it could be seen from orbit.
And in that garden—people.
As impossible as it sounds, they were standing there, staring down at Earth.
Their clothes were strange—robes, armor, kimonos, suits—styles from every era of human history.
And Earth's people could see them.
Almost everyone rubbed their eyes, disbelieving.
"Is it really possible to see people from that height?"
For every human being, the moment felt eternal—yet it lasted only ten minutes.
"Waaaah! We're all gonna die!"
"Ouch!"
"Kyaah! Stop!"
"-Unexplained events that made everyone see people in a floating castle—"
"-Some believe they're aliens making contact with mankind."
"It's probably a mirage that coincided with an eclipse. The human brain tends to exaggerate hallucinations."
"Repent! Repent! The angels of the Lord have come!"
"The gods have arrived!"
Humans—Earthlings.
A week passed. The panic faded, life moved on.
Then tragedy struck.
It started with a sudden rise in temperature. Too fast to adapt.
A massive ball of fire appeared in the sky, falling straight toward Earth.
It was the herald of an armageddon.
Like panicked sheep, humanity scattered.
Then it hit.
A blinding light swallowed the planet.
For a moment, there was nothing—no sight, no sound, only silence.
And then—light receded. Back to its origin point, somewhere deep in the Pacific.
Those who saw it could only whisper one question:
"What… was that?"
The answer would come soon enough.
That was the prelude to a new era.
Thousands of smaller fireballs followed—raining across the world.
In New York, the head of the Statue of Liberty was torn off by an impact behind it.
Mount Fuji split in half.
Penguins scattered across Antarctica as fire tore through the ice.
And from the craters—
They emerged.
Dwarves. Elves. Dragons. Satyrs.
Every creature once thought to be myth stepped into reality.
"Kaev! Kaev!"
She's not going to stop, is she?
Kaeviel kept his eyes on the book, pretending not to hear, hoping she'd get bored.
"Kaeviel! Hey!"
No such luck. She was already shaking him.
He sighed. So much for reading.
"What is it, Selena?"
"Finally! I thought you fell asleep!"
"...Really?"
His eyebrow twitched.
"Sorry, sorry! Anyway, come with me—quick!"
"Wait—hey!"
Too late. She grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the room.
They arrived at the hall just in time to see chaos:
A white-haired girl fighting with two brunettes, all while a meek boy stood frozen beside them.
Kaeviel groaned.
He patted Selena's head and walked toward the boy.
"What is it this time, Reuben?"
The auburn-haired boy in glasses stared down, silent.
"They picked on you again?"
He nodded.
Kaeviel checked him for bruises—none.
"Luna got here first?"
Another nod.
He sighed. "Good but not ideal. It'll be hard to prove you were bullied again."
"Ah! The old lady's coming! RUN!"
Before he could react, Selena grabbed him again, sprinting away.
He didn't even have to look back. He already knew who "the old lady" was—the teacher who punished everyone involved, no matter who started it.
"Selena, stop!"
She didn't hear Reuben.
"Wait!"
There's no indication of stopping.
Then—smack!
Selena stumbled face-first as a sandal nailed her from behind.
"Why did you hit me!?"
Kaeviel pointed silently at the white-haired girl following them.
"Oh! Hey Luna, didn't see you there!"
"We told you to wait."
"Ow! Ow! Stop hitting my head!"
Kaeviel sighed, separating the two girls.
"Alright, that's enough. Why'd you drag me here anyway? You know it's George that you need in these kinds of situations."
Normally Selena called George for this kind of thing—he had a way of calming people down.
She only ever calls him when she's about to do something silly.
Selena puffed her cheeks. "I followed him up to the dark forest, but I got scared and stopped."
"You're spying again?"
"You asked me where he is!"
"And you just confirmed you're spying" he deadpanned.
She stuck her tongue out.
"Uhm—"
Kaeviel turned. "Ben?"
"I've seen George going to the river a lot lately."
"The river?" Luna echoed. "Why?"
"I don't know. But last time I saw him… I think he was talking to a ghost."
Selena froze. "Ghost!? I knew it! That place is haunted!"
Luna rolled her eyes. "Ghosts aren't real."
Kaeviel nodded. "You probably imagined it, Reuben."
Still, he patted the boy's shoulder. "But let's go get him anyway. He's the only one who can save our butts from the adults."