THUD!!
"AHHH! THAT HURT LIKE HELL!"
"Hahaha! Serves you right, Reni! A crow literally hit your head! Remember when you laughed at me last time? Hehehe, karma, baby!"
"Ugh... why are so many crows falling from the sky?! What kind of monster is killing them?! It's disgusting. Every day after school—dead crow. Or if not that, some weird rat. So gross!"
"Relax, Reni. You're not the only one. My cousin in Sweden says it's happening there too."
"What?! Over there too?!"
"Yep. Whole neighborhoods helping clean up. Dead crows everywhere. Like… horror movie vibes."
"When is this weird stuff gonna stop…?"
---
Meanwhile, in a quiet corner of the school library…
"Thanks, Ms. Nicole. I promise I'll return all these after I'm done."
"It's alright, Kael. Take your time. But... why do you need so many?"
Kael gave her a small, unreadable smile. "Secret."
"You sure love your secrets."
---
8 meters away…
"Reni, look. That weirdo's carrying books again. Eight today. He's like a walking library."
"Ugh, typical. Such a lonely kid. At first, I thought he was a ghost, I swear. But he's not as weird as Noah. That one wears braids like he's pretty or something. Total freak."
"But I heard he's close with that Taekwondo guy… the one who's like, super hot."
"Who?"
"El."
"Huh? Who's that?!"
"Raphael, duh! Oh my god, how can a drama queen like you not know him?"
"EXCUSE ME?! DID YOU JUST CALL ME A DRAMA QUEEN?!"
---
Later, Kael bursts through his front door.
Bag hits the floor. He drops down cross-legged in the middle of his room, surrounded by towering stacks of books like a fortress.
"Meow~"
"Mimi!!" Kael pulls his fluffy bobcat into a hug and gives her a treat. She purrs happily.
"Whew... Mimi, look at this. With these, that's 116 books total."
He grabs a marker and scribbles something on a tiny whiteboard pinned to the wall.
116 books read. Still no full answer.
"There's only one conclusion… This country—no, this world—isn't as clean as people think."
He stares intensely at the sea of books.
"The years 1152 to 1557…"
"Gone. Vanished. It's like someone deleted them from history. No real records. No clear info. Just fragments. Sometimes, fairy tales make more sense than official documents."
He turns. Mimi leaps onto his lap.
"Mimi... if anyone heard me talk like this, they'd say I've lost my mind, right?"
"Meow~" She tilts her head.
"I know... it sounds like some paranormal conspiracy junk. But it connects! Dead crows. Weird weather. Lost centuries. Something is happening."
He picks up an old, worn-out book with a cracked spine.
"ARGHH! 116 books and still nothing solid?! Where are the answers?! I'm so—"
---
CRAAACK!!
A thunderclap shakes the house.
Bright sun disappears. The sky turns an eerie grey.
Kael flinches. Mimi dives under the table.
"What the hell?! Mimi?! Thunder? In the middle of the day?!"
ZAAAAP!!!
A bolt of lightning explodes through Kael's ceiling.
Everything goes white.
---
Silence. Then darkness.
Kael blinks. Slowly opens his eyes.
"...Eh? What is this…? Mimi?"
White. Endless white. No walls. No sky. Just space.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Footsteps echo in the void.
"Hehe… Don't be scared. I just need your help."
Kael spins toward the voice. "HELP?! BRO—YOU KIDNAPPED ME?!"
"Hehehe… relax. You're not alone. There are three more with you."
"Hi~ We got kidnapped too."
Three boys step out from behind a glowing column.
"Huh…?!"
TO BE CONTINUED…