The Transparent Visitor

Haru’s knees could no longer support him. The numbness in his legs, combined with the biting cold of the room, made his whole body feel heavy. He paced back and forth in the frigid, dense air, rubbing his trembling fingers together. Finally, he leaned his back against the hard wall and slid down to the floor.

Pulling his knees close, he began to rock slightly. He was freezing. His clothes, still soaked from the rain, had yet to dry. However, the guards were not entirely heartless, they had given him an old, worn-out blanket. He wrapped it tightly around himself, trying to stop his body from shaking. The feeling of isolation and the eerie silence of the room only deepened his anxiety.

Closing his eyes, he rested his head against his knees. He had no idea what to do. He didn’t know how to escape from here or even if he could. Fear and hopelessness intertwined within him, the unease in his chest so intense that it made his stomach churn. He tried to suppress the rising sobs, but his eyes welled up with tears against his will. The weight of the unknown pressed down on him like an invisible force, making every breath feel heavier.

He placed his hands on his head and began tapping his knees lightly. He had withdrawn into himself, sinking into his own loneliness. As he inhaled and exhaled deeply, he felt a movement to his left. First, a faint vibration, then a shifting shadow…

The wall he was leaning against suddenly rippled as if turning to liquid. The metallic surface trembled at first, then expanded outward in waves, from which a shadow emerged. First, a translucent boot, then a slender leg. Haru’s eyes widened, and his heart pounded like a drum. A torso, a head, and a face slowly materialized, the light on the wall refracting like water droplets. His breath hitched, and he felt his pulse quicken with every second.

Haru scrambled back in terror. The wall flexed, the room’s boundaries distorting momentarily. Standing before him was a transparent girl with short, messy hair and glowing green eyes.

The girl narrowed her eyes at him, then suddenly burst into laughter. “Why are you looking at me like you’ve seen a ghost?” she teased with a smirk.

Haru’s breath hitched. He stammered in shock. “Aren’t you?”

The girl laughed harder, blinking playfully. “Calm down, calm down! My name is Rika, and I’m not a ghost. Well… I think?” She paused for a moment, then shrugged. “But that’s a long story. The real question is… Who are you, and what are you doing here?”

Haru’s mind faltered. The way Rika said “I think” confused him even more. His heart was still pounding as if it might burst from his chest. He couldn’t find the words to speak for a few seconds. Finally, he stammered, “I… I’m Haru. Uh… why was I here again?” His eyes darted around, his mind blank.

Rika studied Haru more closely. The more anxious he became, the more the objects around him distorted, the structure of the room warping. Of course, Rika noticed this anomaly. Haru struggled to continue.

“I suddenly found myself here,” he said with difficulty. “I was at school. Then… something happened to the sky. Everything rippled. I got pulled in and ended up here. I heard, this place is called Ethereon. When I woke up, I was in a park. Then the Silver Guardians brought me here. I spoke to someone named Hikari, but he didn’t believe me.”

Rika tilted her head. “You mean Captain Hikari?”

“Yes! Do you know him?” Haru’s eyes lit up with hope. “Please! Tell him I’m telling the truth. I swear I’m not lying. I lived in a city called Tokyo, but now I’m here. I don’t understand what’s happening.”

Rika frowned. The ripples around Haru proved he wasn’t just any ordinary person. But what he was saying was even more concerning.

“I can’t help you with Hikari,” she said with a sigh. “But I might be able to figure out a way for you to get out of here.”

Haru eyed her warily. “How? There’s a guard at the door. If I go out, I’ll be caught again. I don’t even know what they’ll do to me.”

Rika took a step forward, her grin turning sly. “If you don’t run now, you might not get another chance. Trust me, the Silver Guardians have much bigger problems than you right now.”

Just then, a deep explosion rumbled through the sky outside, shaking the walls. The metal door rattled slightly in its frame. The vibrations running through the floor made Haru feel like his insides were being compressed. A cold draft swept through the room, as if something was trying to seep inside. The tremors from below filled Haru with an eerie sense of dread. His hands clenched into fists, a growing determination stirring inside him.

Haru jumped to his feet. “What’s happening?”

Rika calmly shook her head. “The Voidwalkers have launched a massive operation. Things have spiraled out of control. Now, everyone must face the truth.”

Haru’s mind reeled at her words. “Voidwalkers? Who are they?”

Rika stared at Haru for a long moment, as if assessing his very existence. She took a deep breath, her gaze flickering as if recalling something. Then she muttered to herself, “People cast out of Orbis…” She exhaled sharply. “Orbis has completely lost control. They’ve started the countdown to erase the Voidwalkers entirely from the system. Some have eight months left, some three, some don’t even have a week. Within a year, they’ll all be gone, and new ones will take their place. That’s why everyone is rebelling.”

Haru struggled to comprehend what she was saying. “Erase? How do you erase a person? And what do you mean by replacing them with new ones?”

Just then, a second explosion echoed from outside. Haru flinched involuntarily, pressing his back against the wall. Rika, seeing his reaction, laughed. “You’re so cute when you’re scared.”

Haru scowled. “This isn’t funny!”

Rika’s expression turned serious as she looked directly at him. “Do you want to get out of here, Haru?”

Haru took a deep breath. “Y-yes!”

Rika smiled slightly, then her expression turned serious. "Then hold on tight, because outside is going to be far more dangerous than here."

A that moment, a third explosion echoed, much closer this time. Parts of the ceiling cracked, and the metal edges of the door trembled. The breath Haru had instinctively held told him that even this room was no longer safe.

Rika narrowed her eyes and tilted her head slightly. "I think our time is up. Let’s get out of here."

The wall near the door rippled once more. But this time, there was something unsettling about it. Was another figure like Rika coming through, or… was something else about to emerge?