The gray cloud spread across the sky like spilled ink, swallowing the sunlight in seconds.Cecin watched from the window, heart pounding, as the brightness of afternoon dimmed into something unnatural.
Then the sky cracked.
A thunderbolt tore downward—bright purple, glowing like plasma—and the moment it struck the rooftop across the street…
BOOM.
The entire building exploded, sending debris into the air.
Cecin froze.
Another purple bolt hit a lamp post.Another explosion.Then another.The entire city was collapsing in a chain reaction of violet lightning.
This—This wasn't weather.
This was slaughter.
He grabbed the trembling girl from the couch.
"kid! wake up! Wake up!"
Her eyes fluttered open just as another thunderbolt shattered a distant tower.He yanked her under the bed with him, pulling the blanket down to block the flashes.
The apartment shook violently.Windows blew out.The floor vibrated with each explosion.
Kei clung to him, shaking violently.
"B-big bro… C–Cecin…"
Her voice cracked with fear.Tears rolled down her cheeks as another boom echoed above them.
"Whats yo n-name??" he whispered, desperate to distract her.
"k-kei…" she stammered, clinging tighter."I-I'm a high schooler… I don't… I don't wanna die…"
Cecin hugged her back.
"You won't," he whispered."I won't let you."
Minutes felt like hours.But eventually—the explosions slowed.Then stopped.
Silence.
Cecin crawled out from under the bed, pulling Kei with him.
He stepped onto the balcony.
And his breath left his body.
Entire blocks were reduced to rubble.Black smoke curled into the sky.Flames flickered across the remains of buildings.The city was—gone.
Then the sky cracked again.
A massive purple thunderbolt streaked DIRECTLY toward his building.
Cecin's instincts screamed.
He grabbed Kei, holding her tightly.She buried her face in his chest.
"We're dead," he whispered.
Desperate—panicking—not thinking—
he pulled out the glowing blade.
He raised it toward the oncoming thunder.
"PLEASE—!!"
The thunder struck.
Cecin swung.
And the blade didn't cut the lightning.
It cut reality.
A blinding white tear ripped open in front of them—a swirling portal, humming with impossible energy.
Cecin didn't think.
He just jumped.
For a moment they were falling—weightless—floating through a space of glowing fractures and shattered light—
Then—
They crashed onto grass.
Cecin groaned, pulling Kei into his lap.She was alive.He was alive.
He looked around.
They were in an endless open field under a calm blue sky.
What…?
"HEY!" a voice shouted behind him.
Cecin turned.
A boy around his age stood there, staring at him in disbelief.
"welcome cecin!"
"huh..? you know me? wait who are you?" Cecin asked as while kei started at the boy from his lap.
"aha. I forgot to introduce myself. name's orca, vessel of the factor of misery!"
Factor of misery...