The room was quiet. Not the kind of quiet that brought peace—but the kind that weighed on your shoulders, pressing down with unspoken tension.
It was a vast chamber, dimly lit, with a long, polished obsidian table at the center. Around it sat a handful of individuals, each cloaked in tailored suits, their expressions unreadable. Beyond the wide glass wall behind them, the dazzling cityscape of Osaka stretched beneath the night sky, lights twinkling like stars fallen to Earth.
One man stood alone near that glass wall, hands behind his back, gazing out over the city below. He didn't speak, didn't move, simply observed—as if the world outside was nothing more than a flickering simulation.
A voice broke the silence, laced with a refined French accent.
"Elise Moreau, age sixteen."
The board members nodded slightly, the silence returning just as quickly.
Another voice followed, this one distinctly South Korean.
"Han Jiwon, age seventeen."
"Aarav Sharma, age seventeen."
A thick Indian accent rang out from the next seat.
One by one, the names continued. Each was marked down, echoing through the stillness of the room like the ticking of a clock nearing its final strike.
Then came a pause.
A young man in his twenties, seated near the far end of the table, was hunched slightly over a stack of documents. His brows were furrowed, not from confusion—but contemplation. He hadn't spoken yet. His fingers tapped lightly on the folder in front of him, lost in thought.
The man near the glass wall turned his head slightly—not fully, just enough to cast a glance backward.
"Kaito," he said, his voice deep, deliberate. "You haven't spoken the name of the candidate from Japan."
The young man blinked, as if pulled from a dream. He straightened slightly, brushing his fingers across the paper.
"Ah—my apologies," Kaito said, his voice calm yet mildly startled. "I was… lost in thought."
He cleared his throat and adjusted the paper before him.
"The one I have chosen is Kagatsuchi Ren, age seventeen."
Then, from behind Kaito, a young man—likely his assistant—tilted his head slightly, the name echoing in his mind.
"Ren…?"
His brow furrowed, just for a second.
The man at the glass gave a faint nod before turning back toward the window.
The Chairman, seated at the head of the table, finally spoke, his tone solemn.
"Their paths are now set. Tomorrow night at 10:30, ten lives will be uprooted. Whether they endure what lies ahead is no longer our concern. After all… there are still many years before the true beginning."
The decision was made.
The fate of ten lives had been sealed.
The heavy doors of the boardroom slid shut with a soft mechanical hum.
They walked in silence for a while, the tension of the meeting still lingering like a shadow trailing behind.
Then, the assistant spoke, voice low but curious.
"Sir… can I ask you something?"
Kaito didn't respond, but the assistant continued.
"That name… Kagatsuchi Ren. I feel like I've heard it somewhere before."
Kaito's eyes remained fixed forward, his tone even.
"Remember that incident nine years ago? The case of the child who murdered his own parents."
The assistant froze mid-step. His eyes widened slightly as memories clicked into place.
"Wait… Yes. Yes, I remember now. It was all over the internal files. A gruesome case, even the local system officers hesitated to approach it. That was him?"
A silence followed. And then—realization struck.
"Ren… it was him. But, sir… why would you select someone like that? If he causes any trouble to the other candidates, the entire responsibility would fall on you."
Kaito finally slowed his pace, gaze still forward as he spoke.
"You're still thinking of Ren as just a psychotic child who killed his parents."
He paused, his voice now tinged with something harder—conviction.
"But I'm looking at something else. His potential. His intellect. His instincts. That kind of raw, unpredictable talent… it might just take him further than any human has ever gone."
The assistant frowned slightly, unconvinced.
"Well… if you say so, sir."
They continued walking, their footsteps fading into the long corridor. No more words were exchanged.
But in the silence, the weight of the decision echoed louder than ever.
The next day–
Location: Osaka Juvenile Detention Facility
Time: 10:12 AM
The sterile white walls of the facility stretched in clean, cold lines. The air smelled faintly of disinfectant and steel. Security cameras rotated silently in their corners, tracking every movement with machine precision.
Kaito Yamazaki stepped through the sliding front doors, the sound of his shoes tapping against the polished floor. His expression was as composed as ever, eyes sharp, carrying a file in one hand and his identification in the other.
Behind the glass counter sat a middle-aged guard, the receptionist, dressed in standard dark-blue uniform, eyes scanning a screen in front of him. He looked up as Kaito approached.
"Hello," Kaito said calmly.
The guard straightened slightly, recognizing the air of authority.
"Yes, sir. What can I help you with?"
Kaito placed the document on the counter, sliding over his ID.
"I'm Kaito Yamazaki. I believe you've received the formal notice regarding the release and transfer of one of your inmates—Ren Kagatsuchi."
The guard blinked, then nodded. "One moment, sir. Let me check the records."
He turned to the monitor, fingers clicking rapidly on the keys. After a moment, he looked back up.
"Ah… yes. The order came in early this morning. Everything seems to be in line."
He extended a hand politely.
"May I see the paperwork and your ID for verification?"
Kaito handed both over wordlessly.
The guard inspected them carefully, then gave a nod of approval. He leaned slightly to his left and gestured toward a nearby uniformed officer.
"Please bring inmate Kagatsuchi Ren to the front room."
The guard saluted and walked off down the long corridor that led to the interior cells.
The receptionist turned back to Kaito.
"Please wait a minute, sir. He'll be brought shortly."
Kaito gave a small nod, stepping aside and folding his arms, his gaze drifting to the distant hallway.
"Alright. I'll wait."
The tension in the air shifted—silent, coiled like something about to be unsealed.
The metal door creaked open, echoing through the dimly lit hallway as the guard approached a solitary cell tucked away near the end.
Inside, seated calmly on a narrow bed with his back straight and eyes closed, was a boy—Ren Kagatsuchi. His black hair fell slightly over his eyes, and his posture was relaxed, almost as if he'd been expecting the knock before it came.
The guard banged the bars lightly.
"Your jail time's over, kid."
Ren's eyes opened slowly, sharp and unreadable.
"You prepared?" the guard asked, watching him cautiously.
Ren stood without hesitation, brushing off imaginary dust from his prison-issued pants.
"Of course."
The guard scoffed a little, unlocking the cell and stepping aside.
"Tch. Still don't get how your sentence got cut in half. Kids like you usually end up spending the rest of their lives in cages like this."
He paused as they started walking side by side down the corridor, the sound of their steps bouncing against the walls.
"Well… I guess you're one lucky kid."
Ren kept walking, eyes ahead. Calm. Controlled.
"Not every good thing happens because of luck," he said flatly. "After all… some things are created."
The guard frowned, turning to look at him.
"What?"
Ren gave a faint smirk.
"Nah. Nothing."
They continued down the corridor in silence, the light above flickering just once as they passed.
The hallway door slid open with a metallic hiss as the guard stepped through, followed closely by Ren.
Kaito stood waiting near the front desk, hands in his pockets, posture composed as ever. His eyes locked onto Ren immediately—cold analyzing warm, or perhaps the other way around.
The guard gave a short nod.
"Here he is. Kagatsuchi Ren."
Kaito returned the nod with a polite smile.
"Thank you for your assistance."
"Just doing my job," the guard muttered, though his eyes lingered on Ren a second too long—just enough to show unease—before turning away.
Kaito turned to Ren, giving a slight gesture toward the hallway.
"Shall we, Mr. Ren?"
Ren looked at him, his expression unreadable, then began walking alongside him without a word. For a few moments, their footsteps filled the silence between them.
Then Ren spoke, voice casual but with a hidden edge.
"Who are you?"
Kaito didn't look at him.
"Just someone with some connections… and a bit of authority."
Ren's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Why did you release me?"
Kaito smiled faintly, as if he'd been waiting for that.
"Did you expect someone would?"
A small pause.
Ren looked ahead again, eyes dark and distant.
"Yeah… I thought of someone."
He didn't say who.
The car glided through the city, the hum of the engine merging with the distant hiss of passing traffic. The skies above were cloudy, the kind that made the world feel heavier than usual.
Inside the sleek black vehicle, Kaito sat comfortably in the passenger seat, one leg crossed over the other, Ren leaned against the window, his gaze unfocused as the city blurred past—like his mind was somewhere far off.
He exhaled slowly, a puff of breath against the glass, then turned to Kaito.
"So," Ren muttered, voice low, "would you mind telling me the real reason you released me?"
Kaito didn't hesitate.
"Of course."
Ren blinked, a little surprised by the instant response.
"Pretty fast," he thought.
Kaito leaned slightly forward, his voice calm and steady.
"Tonight. At 10:30 PM—you will be transported to another Earth. One that coexists with ours."
Ren's brow twitched. He stared at Kaito, as if trying to read a joke in his expression.
Is this bastard serious?
Kaito glanced at him, completely unamused.
"No, I'm certainly not joking."
His face didn't shift. Not even a flicker.
"You'll be going to another Earth—where magic exists—along with nine other candidates."
Ren's thoughts stirred again.
"Nine candidates…" he echoed mentally, then scoffed lightly.
"So this is some kind of Isekai light novel story?"
Kaito gave the smallest smirk.
"Kinda like that. But to be exact—you'll be trained... for something far worse than monsters. After that… you'll be sent to a third land. To kill something far worse."
Ren leaned slightly forward.
"Third land?"
"Yes," Kaito said. "It's another world—just like this one. A place that exists alongside the two Earths."
Ren furrowed his brows.
"Seriously…? This—? I didn't understand a damn thing you just said. Just tell me what the hell is really going on."
Kaito's expression returned to that calm professionalism.
"You don't need the full picture. Just understand this—your fate's already been decided. You'll be sent to a parallel Earth—where magic exists—alongside nine other candidates."
Ren looked out the window again, mind racing.
"Is this some crazy setup? No… nobody would go this far just to prank someone like me. Wait… is what he's saying actually true? A world with magic? A 'third land'?
Tch… he leaned back with a soft sigh. For now… I can't do anything. Might as well keep going and see where this leads.
"Alright," Ren finally said, voice dry. "So I'm going to another Earth, huh?"
"Yes," Kaito replied.
Ren turned his head slightly, one last glint of suspicion still in his eyes.
Ren's voice dropped a notch. "Then… mind answering one last thing?"
The car rolled on, city lights casting fleeting shadows across his face.