The Last Page

The hum of the ceiling fan above was the only sound in the dimly lit room. Books cluttered every surface like paper soldiers standing at attention. At the center of this chaotic sanctuary, a girl sat cross-legged on her bed, her fingers brushing the edge of a page with quiet reverence.

Aya Takahashi, seventeen, lover of melon bread and all things isekai, was glued to the final chapter of a newly released light novel:
"When the Sky Cracked and the Towers Fell."

Her eyes traced the words eagerly, drinking in the apocalyptic imagery of glass-clad skyscrapers crumbling like sandcastles, drones buzzing like wasps, and rogue AIs challenging gods in digital skies. The protagonist—a silver-haired, violet-eyed girl named Rei—was humanity’s last hope in a world where modern technology had spiraled into chaos.

Aya whispered the final line aloud, her voice barely a breath.

"Even if this world ends a thousand times over, I’ll still choose to fight."

She turned to the last page.

Blank.

No epilogue. No author’s note. Just white nothingness. Aya blinked, frowning.

“What the heck? That’s it?” She tapped the page as if it might change, but the white stayed white.

A strange dizziness washed over her. Her limbs felt heavier than usual. Her book slid from her lap as she swayed backward into her pillows, eyes fluttering.

And then, darkness.

She woke up to chaos.

Sirens wailed. The air was thick with the sharp tang of ozone. A low, thrumming sound pulsed like a distant heartbeat. Her eyes opened to a sky that was split by jagged cracks of glowing data, as if reality itself had been shattered like glass.

“What in the actual hell—?”

Aya sat up—but something was wrong. Her hands—slender, pale, and gloved in high-tech armor—weren’t hers. Her body felt off. Taller, leaner. Like she had stepped into someone else's skin.

She scrambled to her feet, looking around. She was standing in the middle of a scorched city street, flanked by the skeletal remains of what once were glass towers. A floating screen blinked to life beside her with a soft chime.

Welcome back, Rei. Syncing neural pathways… complete.

Her breath caught. Rei?

“No way… am I…”

Before she could finish the thought, a voice echoed inside her head.

“Whoa… this body feels so weird and squishy. Are these... real boobs?”

Aya froze. That voice—her own voice—but… not exactly. It sounded like someone impersonating her, only with way too much sass and zero sense of privacy.

“Hi! I think I’m you. You’re me. We’re in each other’s bodies. Classic dimension swap. You wouldn’t believe the trash your room is filled with by the way.”

Aya staggered backward. “W-Wait. You’re Rei?!”

“Yup. And you're in my body now. Which means… lucky you! You're the protagonist of a collapsing apocalyptic world.”

Aya could hear the smirk in the voice.

“But… I didn’t want to be the protagonist!”

“Tough cookies, new me. It’s your turn to save the world. I’ll be cheering you on from your cozy little bedroom. Hopefully, your microwave still works.”

Aya groaned, gripping her helmet-covered head.

This was not how she expected her night to go.