Chapter 4: Light
The clock in my room ticked away, each second dragging longer than the last. Less than 5 minutes until the new server for All the World Tree went live. Excitement bubbled in my chest as I planned my new build—a fire and lightning mage. I muttered the words under my breath, probably sounding crazy to anyone who might have overheard. My sister, Yuki, would no doubt roll her eyes if she could hear me through the walls.
Crash.
The sound shattered the stillness of the house. My first thought was that it was Mom. Maybe she had dropped something in the kitchen or tripped over one of Yuki's sneakers left in the hallway.
But then I heard it. A muffled cry. Yuki's voice.
My heart froze. The sound came from her room.
Without thinking, I bolted out of my chair, my bare feet slamming against the floor.
"Get out before I call the police," Yuki yelled, her voice firm despite the tremble in her hands.
The intruder chuckled softly. "Relax. If I wanted trouble, you wouldn't have seen me coming."
"That's not comforting," Yuki shot back.
I didn't even register the sting as I rounded the corner and threw open her door.
A man—a stranger—was on top of her. Pinning her to the bed. His hair was jet black. His green eyes glowing. Yuki's face was twisted in terror as she struggled beneath him.
"Get off her!" I roared, my voice shaking more than I'd like to admit. I lunged at the man, grabbing him by the collar and yanking him off Yuki with every ounce of strength I had.
He barely flinched.
Before I could react, he spun, his movements too quick, too fluid, and drove a knife into my side. Pain exploded through me, sharp and white-hot. I staggered, clutching at the hilt embedded in my torso, but adrenaline pushed me forward.
I wouldn't let him hurt her.
Gritting my teeth, I pulled myself off the blade, feeling every agonizing inch as it slid free. I grabbed it, blood slick on my hands, and with a primal scream, drove the knife into his chest.
The man's green eyes widened slightly—not in pain, but in something akin to surprise. He stumbled back, his hands reaching for the blade now lodged in him, but his expression remained eerily calm.
My vision blurred. My legs gave out beneath me. I crumpled to the floor. The man's silhouette standing there, watching.
RING.
RING.
RING.
A green light. A green light appeared outside her window. Faint at first. It grows brighter with each passing second.
It engulfed everything. It swallowed the world whole.
Everything was silent.