Chapter 1—Stranger World

Three months had dragged by, just like the clock’s endless ticking during lectures. The professor cast his words into the screen, and all anyone could do was listen—well, listen and try not to annoy him. Yana, though? She’d half-buried her head under her hoodie, sprawled across a fortress of notebooks piled from past semesters, and promptly fallen asleep. 

It was a monitor-based lesson that day, meaning the room had to stay dark so everyone’s eyes stayed glued to the screen. Convenient—for Yana at least, since it hid her dozing off mid-class. That dragged on for what felt like forever—until finally the professor sighed and said, “We’ll pick this up next week.” A few students stirred, shifting in their seats, and that low murmur woke Yana. She blinked, realizing the lecture hall was nearly empty. Not wasting a second, she gathered her stuff, shoved stray papers into her bag, straightened her aching back, and got up. Time to escape that boring room.

It was a busy corridor for this time of day, but Yana barely noticed the crowd. She’d pulled out her phone to check a new notification, curiosity piqued. It was an email from that publisher she’d contacted about her manga. She stopped mid-step, eyes fixed on the message. She just stood there in the hallway, frozen.

Something’s up. We need to talk…

Her watch read 16:54. Class was officially over, but there was something she had to do before heading home. The place was close—no bus or taxi needed just a short walk from campus.

The sky burned red as the sun dipped lower, nearly swallowed by the horizon. Yana paused in front of the building with the bold “GK” logo, one of those manga publishers whose works always sold over a million copies. No surprise the bookstore on the ground floor was bustling.

She pushed through the entrance past security, scanning the area for a front desk or cashier. Once she spotted someone behind a counter, she approached, fixing her gaze on the attendant.

“Is Manager Tashi here?” she asked.

The cashier flinched at the question, pausing. After a moment, she picked up the phone and dialed. Yana could only catch whispered words—not that she cared much.

“Um, excuse me,” the cashier said, putting down the receiver. "May I have your name? And what’s this about?”

“Yana Zayaa,” she replied, steady voice. "I’d like to discuss publishing my manga.”

The woman nodded, ending the call. “Please go up to the fourth floor. Manager Tashi will see you.”

The lift climbed, the small display showing “2” and still a couple of floors below her destination. Yana leaned against the wall, running over her pitch in her mind. She needed the right words to persuade the manager to choose her manga. After all, she wasn’t looking for conflict, just a peaceful, one-sided peace treaty. For now, that’s all she wanted.

Ding!

The door slid open. Yana lifted her chin to check the floor number it had arrived. Exiting the lift, she glanced around, looking for someone who could show her the way to Manager Tashi’s office. Her gaze landed on a middle-aged man stepping into the elevator. This had to be her chance.

“Excuse me, sir?” He paused and turned. “Could you help me find Manager Tashi’s office?”

“Lucky me,” Yana thought, stepping in time with the man beside her. Despite his stern expression, he proved kind—the old mantra ringing true: never judge a book by its cover. The elevator ride felt less anxious with him recounting tales of his cozy family life and his little daughter’s first day at elementary school. Yana offered polite, practiced smiles, appreciating his kindness without getting swept into the nostalgia.

“Here we are,” he announced as the elevator dinged. “This is the room. Manager Tashi might already be waiting. I’ll leave you here.”

“Thank you so much, sir!” Yana replied, her voice bright but laced with hope. She watched him retreat before mustering her courage and stepping forward.

A brown door stood before her, hiding someone inside. Yana took a deep breath, silently saying a quick prayer in her heart, then gathered her courage to knock. A voice called out, telling her to come in. Swiftly, she pushed the door open with a little force, stepped inside, and closed it behind her

“I know, I know you’re really eager to get your manga published here, right?” Tanshi said, eyeing Yana’s nod. He already guessed what she was going to say next.

A cup of tea was handed to her as a formality. Yana sat down on the sofa facing the ambitious older man. “Could you please reconsider accepting my manga? If revisions are needed, I’m willing to make them,” she pleaded. But Tanshi quickly cut her off.

“No—it’s not about that,” he said. Yana fell silent, tilting her head in confusion. Tanshi seemed to understand and began to explain.

“It’s a matter of taste.”

“Sorry? What do you mean?” Yana pressed, forcing him to open up.

“Before anything else, my team and I don’t take sides, but your manga’s plot feels too outdated,” Tanshi said. Yana was speechless, while he went on.

“Stories like that are hard to captivate readers unless…” He paused, still listening to himself.

“You follow the trends of popular manga these days, adjusting your theme to fit the market. ‘The Chosen One’ is a perfect example.” At that moment, Yana felt like she was thrown into a dark room. The emotions she had been trying to hold back suddenly surged, ready to explode.

“Try to follow that theme, a main character who’s unbeatable! Or even the strongest! Many mangas draw inspiration from that, and readers seem to love it now.”

Enough.

“That manga is truly the best; it hit over 100 print runs in just six months. Isn’t that incredible?”

I’ve said enough!

“If you follow its footsteps, I’m sure you’ll attract readers to your story.”

Damn it, enough already!

“Yes, this could be your chance—”

“I’m canceling this. Thank you for your time,” Yana snapped. She stood up quickly, eager to leave the cramped room as soon as possible.

Blinded by fury, Yana slammed her dorm room door with a force that made the walls tremble. She didn't care about the neighbors anymore. Anger consumed her; the words of that damn man replayed in her mind like a broken record. Her eyes landed on the latest volume of the so-called "manga" she'd just bought. Without thinking, she grabbed it and tried to read.

Riiip

The sound of tearing paper echoed through the room. The image of the character was split in two. The rip was harsh, deliberate—no hesitation. Every time she saw dialogue that felt lazy or uninspired, she tore it apart, marking it as worthless, no matter how grand the art was.

Her dreams shattered because of this. The future she fought for, destroyed by this worst manga.

She had read the last chapter, and the sound of tearing echoed once more. She destroyed the front cover as well, leaving nothing but a few fragments. Papers were scattered across her room; it was a complete mess.

Drip

A drop of blood fell onto the manga illustration. Yana stared blankly, trying to focus through her increasingly blurred vision. Damn! The blood came from her nose. Her head throbbed painfully as she attempted to stand, using her legs for support. She stood up, trying to reach the door, but before she could grasp the handle, her vision deteriorated, and she collapsed.

"Ah..."

A cool breeze brushed against her skin. Her eyes fluttered open, and she found herself in the middle of a vast field. The night was dark, illuminated only by the stars and the moon. But...

"Where the hell am I?"