Chapter 1 – A Field of Light

Warmth.

Not the heavy kind from a summer sun or the dry kind from a heater. This warmth felt like light itself—soft, wrapping gently around him like a blanket pulled fresh from the dryer.

Kaito stirred.

His eyes cracked open, stung by brightness, but not unpleasantly. Above him swayed a canopy of trees, their leaves glowing faintly—not reflecting light, but radiating it. Pale golds and soft greens shimmered like they were made of morning dew and stardust. Every branch hummed quietly, as if the forest itself was breathing.

He sat up slowly, pain flaring through his back and shoulders. His whole body ached like he'd been… hit by a truck.

Wait.

The crosswalk.
The little girl.
The car.

His hand shot to his chest, expecting something—blood, broken bones, anything. But there was nothing. Not even a bruise. Just a dull soreness, like he'd slept on the ground all night.

Which, judging by the moss and flowers beneath him, he had.

“...What?”

“Don’t move too quickly,” a soft voice said.

He turned.

A girl stood a few feet away, framed by the glowing trees like some ethereal painting. She wore a pale blue tunic that fluttered in the breeze, silver thread glinting at the edges. Her hair was snow-white, falling in waves to her waist, and her eyes… they were the color of warm candlelight.

Kind. Steady. Knowing.

She stepped closer and knelt beside him, placing a hand gently over his.

“You were badly injured when I found you. Your spirit was… fading.” She looked down, almost shyly. “But you held on.”

Her hand glowed faintly, warmth spreading from her palm through his skin. The ache in his back eased. His mind, still foggy, began to clear.

He blinked at her. “Who are you?”

The girl smiled. “My name is Lyria. I live near here.”

“Where is ‘here’?”

She looked around at the glowing forest, the drifting petals of gold and blue, and tilted her head as if the answer should’ve been obvious.

“Far from where you came from.”

Kaito swallowed. He glanced at his hands. They looked real. The moss felt real. And yet, nothing about this place resembled Earth. No city noise. No sky-scraping buildings. Just… serenity.

“Am I dead?” he asked quietly.

Lyria paused. “You were close. But no. You’re here now. You’re alive.”

He wanted to ask more, but his stomach growled loudly—rude and impossible to ignore. His face flushed.

Lyria covered her mouth with a laugh. “I’ll take that as a sign you’re well enough to walk.”

She offered her hand. He hesitated only a moment before taking it.

Her fingers were soft, warm like the rest of this strange world.

Together, they walked—her leading gently, him limping slightly—through the glowing trees. The forest eventually thinned, opening to a quiet meadow where fireflies danced lazily over wildflowers. At the far end stood a small cottage nestled into a hill, its thatched roof mossy, chimney puffing faint smoke.

Homey. Peaceful. Like something out of a fairytale.

“This is where I live,” she said. “You can rest here until you’re strong again.”

Kaito stared at the cottage, then at the girl who’d brought him here. It didn’t make sense. None of it did.

But… for some reason, he wasn’t scared.

Just tired. And… curious.

“Okay,” he said softly. “Thank you.”

Lyria nodded. “Come inside. I’ll make tea.”

As he stepped across the threshold, Kaito had a strange thought.

Maybe this wasn’t the end of something.
Maybe it was the beginning.