Prologue - 3:00 AM

I can't believe they let me get off early for once.

It was around 8PM, and Kamiro was jogging in the local park. He had long since quit the training he did as a kid growing up in his grandfather's dojo, but jogging occasionally was something that stuck. The cool breeze of the night was comforting and running helped him clear his mind. One perk of the big city was that he wouldn't attract curious glances while jogging at night, unlike he probably would've if he was still back in his old rural town. With olive skin and messy hair, he stood out a bit in that part of the country.

Guess I'll have enough time tonight for a little gaming session.

It was turning out to be a great night.

When it came to his job, Kamiro was actually a decent worker. He'd long learned the facade a proper employee shows in front of customers. Usually, he wouldn't be off work 'till 9PM, but, for whatever reason, the manager was in a good mood that evening, even taking Kamiro's side when a customer started complaining about the increased price of the man's favorite bento.

"Sorry, sir, but we are not able to provide a discount," Kamiro said with a forced smile.

The man clicked his tongue. "I wish to speak to your manager."

But Mr. Manager was not having any of it that night. It wasn't until later that Kamiro learned the middle-aged manager had a date that evening. That was sure to make any man happy.

Once back at his humble apartment, Kamiro took a quick shower and plumped himself in front of his small TV, turning on his gaming system. Monster Hunter was the game of choice.

"Tonight is your final night, you monster."

Kamiro had been struggling in one of the hunts against a black demon-like beast. Ms. Yua Sensei had recommended that he use a different weapon type, but he was stubborn. "I'll stick to my Dual Blades until death do us part," he'd always tell her.

After a while, he decided to call it a night. There was school the next day, and it was best to avoid Ms. Yua's wrath.

***

3:00 AM. Kamiro made out the numbers on his clock, his blurry vision still adjusting.

It seemed that another sleepless night was to come. It wasn't the first time that it'd happen, and it probably wouldn't be the last; Aliens, ghosts, or the feeling of someone staring at you? He wasn't sure, but for whatever reason, Kamiro would randomly wake up sometimes, right as the clock stroke 3 AM.

He sighed. "At this point, it's just getting annoying."

At first, it was a little creepy, and living by himself never helped, but after a while, he started getting used to it. He'd began to play with himself; no, not in a dirty way... at least, not most times. Instead, he'd make a game out of it. Whenever he'd awaken in the middle of the night, he'd make sure to keeps his eyes shut and would ask himself, "How much do you wanna bet it's 3 AM?" Most of the time, he was the winner.

Kamiro sat up, looking around the dark room. "..."

This time it felt different. It felt like the third reason one might awaken in the middle of the night. The feeling that someone is staring at you in your sleep. Could it have been some sixth sense kind of thing Kamiro possibly had? Though he was open to many ideas, the dark silhouette of a human figure in the corner of the room made him think otherwise.

His heart pounded while reaching towards the lamp. It went "click," but no light emerged.

Shoot, that's right, I keep forgetting to change the bulb.

And it didn't help that he left his cellphone charging at the other side of the room.

Kamiro took a deep breath, forcing himself to stand, and resisting the urge to hide under his covers.

It's probably just a chair, right?

He approached the figure, which became more visible with each trembling step he took. But once he stood in front of it, his fear subsided.

"Are you serious?"

In the corner of Kamiro's humble studio apartment stood a girl, hiding underneath a black pillowcase.

His face showed his disbelief, but mostly his indifference. I'm not dreaming, right?...

Hiding might've been an exaggeration. The girl was standing like a statue, covered by the pillowcase from head to chest. It was as if she'd freaked out from his sudden awakening and tried to hide with the first thing she saw. She stood a few centimeters lower than Kamiro, who was around 175 cm. Her causal, well-fitted dress reached mid-thighs and accentuated her lovely figure. Thigh-high socks nearly connected but left just the right gap of bare skin to almost be considered Absolute Territory.

What is she doing? There's no way she thinks she hasn't been caught. Kamiro stared at her with narrow eyes.

Still, the girl didn't move an inch, so he proceeded to tickle her sides. She giggled and fidgeted, but once he stopped, she went right back to standing stiff as a board.

Kamiro went back to bed, under his covers, and exaggerated fake snoring.

No more than ten seconds passed, and Kamiro tossed off the covers the moment he heard footsteps. The girl had the pillowcase in hand and was already making her way towards him. She stopped when Kamiro looked; they might as well have been playing a game of Statues. The girl fumbled to cover herself with the pillowcase again.

"Okay, this is getting ridiculous." Kamiro hopped out of bed, flipped on the ceiling lights, and snatched off the pillowcase from the girl's head.

She clicked her tongue and turned her gaze.

"That's your reaction? What are you doing in my apartment? How'd you even get in here?!"

The girl closed her eyes and crossed her arms. "Hmph. You're in no position to ask questions."

"I'm in—?" I can't believe this girl.

There was no denying her looks, with the pillowcase off, her face matched her attractive physique perfectly. Appearing to be no older than Kamiro, she had a fair complexion with light, aqua eyes, and matching, straight shoulder-length hair. Kamiro would've been lying if he said it didn't make his heart skip a beat. But the short glimpse he'd gotten of her personality didn't do her any favors.

The girl had a blue jewel with a gleam; it was encrusted on a necklace around her neck. She grasped it with one hand, then without warning, she snatched the black pillowcase Kamiro had taken off.

She nodded. "Okay, let's do this."

"H-Hey, what are you doing, crazy!?" Kamiro had no time to react. Before he realized the girl tied his head inside the pillowcase.

"Don't struggle," she said while making sure the knot was tight.

Kamiro hyperventilated, his vision dulled inside the blackness of the cotton pillowcase. He fell on the ground, squirming in a futile attempt to take it off. "Oh, god. I'm gonna die, I-I can't breathe."

She sat on top of him. "Stop moving around so much, I can't concentrate. Just take a deep breath, it's just a piece of cloth."

Wait, she's right. What am I doing?

Before Kamiro settled down enough to get a handle on the situation. He heard the girl utter strange words that sounded like a prayer. Through the darkness of the fabric, he could make out the increased blue glow of her necklace, and the next thing he knew, a bright ring manifested in front of them.

"What is happening..." Kamiro was too shocked to put up any resistance.

"Why... are you so heavy?" The girl struggled to pick him up.

Hey, I'm only around 62 kg, that's normal for my height. ...Wait, now is probably not the time.

The girl had changed tactics and instead dragged Kamiro to the ring-like manifestation.

"Why are you doing this?" Kamiro's voice broke. All hairs stood on edge the closer he got to the bright ring.

"Because... I need you."

He heard her mutter those words before being engulfed by a bright light the moment he crossed through the ring. His stomach dropped, like falling down an endless cliff. Then... everything went dark as his consciousness faded.