The rain outside Kazuki Sato's window tapped gently against the glass, a steady rhythm that matched the quiet pulse of Tokyo at night. Neon lights bled through the curtains, painting the walls of his cramped apartment in shifting blues and reds. Kazuki sat cross-legged on his bed, his laptop balanced on his knees, the glow of the screen the only light he cared to face.
He was twenty-three, but sometimes he felt much older—or much younger, like a kid who'd never quite figured out how to grow up. His hair was long and black, wild from days spent inside, and his sharp eyes—framed by lashes that made strangers do double-takes—were shadowed with exhaustion and something deeper, something like loneliness.
Kazuki tugged at the sleeves of his oversized hoodie, pulling them down over his hands. He'd bought it years ago, at a concert he'd gone to alone. He'd told himself it was a new start, but it just ended up being another thing he hid behind.
He sighed and rubbed his face. Tonight, he'd done something he was almost ashamed to admit, even to himself. Fifty times. He'd laughed at first, but now, in the quiet, it just made him feel empty. He glanced at the clock: 4:00 a.m. The city outside was still alive, but inside, Kazuki felt like the only person in the world.
"Is this all there is?" he muttered, flopping back onto his bed. He stared at the ceiling, imagining what it would be like to be someone else—someone like Spiderman, swinging through the city, saving lives, being a hero. He'd grown up watching those movies, dreaming of having powers, of being important. But here he was, alone, with nothing to show for his life. He closed his eyes, letting the sounds of the city fade into the background. He thought about his parents, who worried about him but didn't know how to help. He thought about the friends he'd lost touch with, the jobs he'd quit, the girl he'd never asked out. He wondered if anyone would miss him if he disappeared.
As he drifted off, his chest tightened. His vision blurred. The world spun.
His heart pounded—once, twice—then stopped entirely.
Kazuki Sato was dead.
But not, as it turned out, for long.
When he opened his eyes again, he was floating in a sea of stars. The darkness around him was alive with shimmering lights, and the air smelled sweet and strange, like something he couldn't name. He blinked, trying to make sense of where he was.
"Welcome, Kazuki Sato," a voice said, soft and musical.
He turned and saw her—the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. She was tall and radiant, her skin glowing with an inner light. Her hair was like spun gold, falling in waves down her back, and her eyes sparkled with stars and secrets. She wore a gown that seemed made of starlight, shifting colors as she moved. A delicate crown of flowers and jewels rested on her head, and her smile was kind, but there was something else there, too—something mysterious, almost sad. Kazuki's heart raced. "Who… who are you?"
She laughed, a sound like wind chimes and honey. "I am the Goddess of
Second Chances. You may call me Luminara."
Kazuki swallowed. "Am I… dead?"
Luminara nodded. "Technically, yes. But I've chosen to give you another opportunity. Your life, while… unique, was lacking in achievement. I believe you have potential, Kazuki Sato. Would you like a second chance?" Kazuki's mind spun. A second chance? He thought about his family, his regrets, the things he'd never done. He felt a lump in his throat. "What do you mean?"
Luminara gestured, and the void around them shimmered, showing glimpses of a world filled with castles, forests, and creatures from legend. But as the images flickered, Kazuki saw other things—ruins, a battlefield, a shadowy figure watching from a distance. He shivered, but he couldn't look away.
"I am sending you to a new world—a world of magic, monsters, and adventure," Luminara said. "And as a little bonus…" She winked. "I'm giving you a special skill. You'll be able to shoot Fepsi from your
wrists—just like your hero, Schpiderman!"
Kazuki's jaw dropped. "Wait… what? Fepsi? Why Fepsi?"
Luminara giggled. "Because it's fun! And because you loved Schpiderman so much. Now you can be a hero in your own way."
Kazuki's excitement turned to disappointment. "No, no, no! I wanted to shoot webs like Schpiderman! Not Fepsi! What am I supposed to do with that?"
The goddess shrugged, her smile never wavering. "Be creative! You'll figure it out. Besides, Fepsi is delicious."
Kazuki groaned. "But… but… can't you at least give me web-shooters? Or super strength? Anything but Fepsi!"
Luminara shook her head. "No can do. The Fepsi power is yours. Take it or leave it."
Kazuki sighed. He thought about his old life, about the things he'd never done, the chances he'd never taken. He looked at Luminara, at her kind, mysterious eyes, and nodded. "Okay. I'll take it."
Luminara clapped her hands together. "Excellent! Then your adventure begins now."
Before Kazuki could say anything else, a brilliant light enveloped him. He felt himself falling, tumbling through space and time. Strange whispers echoed in his ears, voices he couldn't understand. For a moment, he thought he saw glowing eyes watching him from the darkness, filled with hunger and something like curiosity.
Then, with a soft thud, he landed on a patch of lush grass. He groaned, sitting up and rubbing his head. The sky above was a brilliant blue, and the air was fresh and sweet. But something felt… off. The world was too perfect, as if it was waiting for him to do something.
He looked down at his hands. They looked young? As he flexed his fingers, he felt a strange tingling in his wrists. He raised his arm and, with a flick of his wrist, a stream of cold, fizzy Fepsi shot out, splattering onto the ground.
Kazuki stared, dumbfounded. "Well… this is my life now."
He sighed, then grinned. Maybe, just maybe, this could be the start of something amazing. But as he looked around at the unfamiliar landscape, a chill ran down his spine. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched—that something, or someone, was waiting for him, just beyond the edge of the trees.
He took a deep breath and stepped forward, ready to face whatever this strange new world had in store. But in the back of his mind, Luminara's words echoed: "Not everything is as it seems."