Chapter 1

"In a minute, Mom!"

I yelled down from my bedroom,

"Just another minute!"

I was in the middle of reading Fushigi Yugi: Genbu Kaiden volume four for the umpteenth time, right at the part where Tomite and Rimudo are arguing. I had read this book so many times that I'd memorized it.

"You can't even decide what gender you are!"

"Say what? You wanna do this?"

I recited the words without even reading them on the page. By now, every word said by every character in all five volumes was forever imprinted in my mind. Obsess much, Gwen? I chuckled to myself. Ah well, at least I'm not self-denying it, I thought.

I had always felt connected to books. I just loved them, ever since I first picked one up and read it for myself at age four. Now that I was thirteen, I read tougher stuff, but Genbu Kaiden stood apart from any series I'd ever read-- it was my first-ever manga, the story a friend had recommended in the sixth grade. I had read loads of mangas since then, but Genbu Kaiden was still my favorite, and probably always will be.

I think it wasn't so much books that I loved, it was the stories. It appealed to me that I could use my imagination and make up something beautiful, that others would appreciate and praise me for. I had become addicted to stories at an early age. I read them, wrote them, won prizes for them. My teachers were thrilled with me, and so were my parents. I read, wrote, or drew pictures every spare second that I could.

But by fourth grade, I began to realize that I wasn't just your average book nerd. When I was in the middle of a good book, I'd walk around in a daze, hardly acknowledging anything but the story. I would be there with the characters, scared or happy or sad depending on what was happening. During school, I'd sit in the corner behind the bookshelf and read through entire lessons, often waking up from my book-daze to find the lights off and the room deserted. My friends told me I could've read through a hurricane, a stampede and a heavy metal concert if my book were good enough, and I had to admit they were right.

"GWEN! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU? GET DOWN HERE AND WATCH YOUR LITTLE BROTHER AND SISTER!"

My mother jolted me out of my reverie. Sighing, I marked my place in the book and trudged downstairs.

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Later that evening, I lay in bed on my stomach, reading in my pajamas. This time it was volume five of Genbu Kaiden. I was at the part when the Genbu seishi were drinking from the sacred spring when my eyelids began to grow heavy. Aw man! I thought, not now! I want to finish reading! It was then that I drifted into oblivion.

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"Um, hello? Are you okay?"

Someone was gently shaking my shoulders. And I was freezing cold.

"Um, are you from here? That is, Hokkan?"

Hokkan??!! I jolted awake, then sat up quickly. Leaning over me was a silver-haired girl of about fifteen with a concerned look in her grayish eyes. She looked familiar, as if I'd seen her somewhere before. And she'd mentioned Hokkan. With a gasp, I realized who she was. It couldn't be! I rubbed my eyes and shook my head, then looked back at the girl. My hand went to my shoulder, the spot where she'd been touching me a few seconds ago. I pinched myself. Yes, I was awake. This was no dream. This can't be happening! I thought, am I where I think I am?

Just then a shout startled both the girl and me.

"Aira! There you are! We've been looking all over for you!"

A group of people came dashing around the corner of a building, and for the first time I took in my surroundings. I appeared to be in front of an abandoned building on the edge of what I could only assume was a small town. It looked like nothing I'd ever seen before. No… it looked like Hokkan.

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(Sorry about the cliffhanger ending!)