The neon sign of the "Golden Grill" hummed with a low-frequency buzz that seemed to vibrate in my very teeth. Inside our private room, the atmosphere was a thick, heady mix of expensive wagyu, spilled sake, and the kind of loud, boisterous laughter that only exists in the final days of university life.
My name is Ishida Riku. I'm twenty-one years old, and if you saw me on the street, you'd probably think I was just another face in the crowd—a student who spends too much time in the library. And you'd be right, mostly. My life was a steady, rhythmic cycle: university lectures by day, and an obsessive dive into fantasy and sci-fi novels by night. I lived for that escape. Whether it was a starship captain navigating a nebula or a hero wielding a legendary blade, those worlds were more "home" to me than my cramped apartment.
"Riku! Earth to Riku!"
Alan, the birthday boy, slammed his palm onto the table, making the empty plates rattle. He was a mountain of a guy, sporting a round, friendly face framed by a mop of unruly brown curls. He was already several drinks deep, and his eyes sparkled with that specific brand of "nerd-excitement" I knew all too well.
"I'm telling you, this new fanfiction is peak fiction," Alan shouted over the upbeat J-pop blaring from the restaurant's speakers. "The protagonist gets dropped into a world where magic is governed by literal mathematical equations. If you're interested, I can share the link right now. It'll change your life!"
I chuckled, leaning back as the savory aroma of sushi and grilled meat wafted past. To my left sat Taro, our group's resident tank. He was built like a professional athlete, his biceps straining against his shirt, though his only real passion was seeing how much protein he could consume in one sitting. Next to him was Kenji, the tech-savvy genius of our quintet, currently distracted by some new gadget he'd pulled out of his pocket.
"I'm a busy man, Alan," I replied, my voice slightly slurred. The alcohol was starting to paint the world in soft, blurry edges. "I've got a kingdom to conquer in Capture Target. I'm right in the middle of a high-stakes siege. Those magical girls aren't going to recruit themselves into my harem, you know? I need to focus."
Alan rolled his eyes, a grin splitting his face. "Typical Riku. Always focused on the R-18 stuff. But seriously, think about the theme of this novel I'm reading. The MC reincarnates into a world of slavery, builds a harem of outcasts, and rises to the top. If you had the chance—if a god came down right now—what world would you choose?"
A guy with vibrant red hair sitting across from us leaned in, his face flushed with booze. "I'd take a classic harem anime. Give me a tropical island, zero responsibilities, and ten stunning girls who actually like my jokes. That's the dream."
The table erupted in a chorus of enthusiastic nods. It was a stupid conversation—the kind of talk only drunk twenty-somethings have—but it felt important at the moment.
"I'd choose the game I'm playing," I said, my heart fluttering with a strange, drunken sincerity. "A medieval world with actual magic. It's got everything I love. Danger, mystery, and... well, everything else."
We lost track of time. The beer kept flowing, the stories grew taller, and the laughter grew louder. But then, my eyes caught the digital clock on the far wall. 11:00 P.M.
"Oh, sheet!" I scrambled to my feet, the world tilting dangerously to the left. "I have to go! My graduation project is due for final review tomorrow morning. If I don't finish those edits, I'm dead!"
I wasn't the only one in a panic. The mention of the time broke the spell. Taro and Kenji were suddenly checking their phones with wide, terrified eyes. They had parents waiting, expectations to meet, and curfews that were currently being violated. I felt a brief, bittersweet sting of envy. As an orphan, I didn't have anyone waiting at home to scold me. My freedom was absolute, but in moments like this, it felt a little cold.
"See you tomorrow in college!" we shouted to each other, scattering into the night.
The restaurant was only a fifteen-minute walk from my place. I figured the cold night air would clear my head. That was my first mistake. My second mistake was assuming my legs were actually under my control. The streetlights stretched out like long, glowing fingers, and the sidewalk seemed to rise and fall like the deck of a ship.
I remember the darkness of an alleyway. I remember a sudden, sharp dizziness that felt like my brain was being pulled through a straw. My vision flickered—once, twice—and then the ground simply wasn't there anymore.
The Void
When I opened my eyes, I expected to see the dusty floor of a Tokyo side street. Instead, there was nothing.
The darkness wasn't just "the absence of light." It was thick. It was heavy. It felt like I was submerged in a sea of black ink that was pressing against my eyeballs. I couldn't see my hands. I couldn't see my feet. I was floating in a literal void, an endless sea of blackness with no floor, no ceiling, and no horizon.
"What the hell? Where am I?" I screamed.
The sound of my own voice didn't echo. It felt flat, as if the darkness itself was eating the sound waves before they could travel more than an inch from my mouth. An eerie, suffocating silence followed.
"Did I die?"
The thought was a physical weight in my chest. I was two days from graduating. Two days! I had spent years studying, years playing games, years waiting for my life to "actually start," and now it was over? I didn't even know how. Was it a heart attack? Did I slip? Did I get hit by a car I didn't hear?
"Humans are truly strange," a voice drifted through the void. It didn't come from a specific direction; it seemed to resonate from the very space I was floating in. "They remain attached to worldly things even after the thread of life has been snapped."
I jumped, or at least I tried to. In the weightless environment, I just ended up flailing my limbs like a panicked beetle on its back.
"Wh-who's there?" I stuttered, my voice trembling so hard I could barely get the words out. "My name is Ishida Riku! I'm twenty-one... I mean, I'm a ghost now, I guess? If you're there, please, come forward! Talk to me!"
I was terrified. The silence that followed was worse than the voice. I peered into the blackness, my heart racing like a runaway train, waiting for a monster, a god, or a demon to step out of the shadows.
To Be Continue...
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