Chapter 0:
Shuichi Shindo, or Shu as he preferred, jolted awake, a cold sweat clinging to his skin. The remnants of a dream, vivid and terrifying, clung to him like a phantom limb. He had been there, in that other world, a place bathed in swirling galaxies and shimmering energies. He had seen a person, a mirror image of himself, caughts in a maelstrom of events that felt both familiar and impossibly strange.
He inhaled deeply, trying to ground himself in the familiar scent of his room, the soft hum of his air-conditioning in his room. His heart hammered against his ribs, a frantic drumbeat against the chilling reality of the dream.
"It was all so real..," he whispered, his voice hoarse, "But.. why? Why me?"
He knew, with a certainty that chilled him to the bone, that he had glimpsed the future, a future that unfolded in another world, a world that mirrored his own in ways both terrifying and exhilirating. He had seen the rise of a power, a force that could shatter the very fabric of reality, and a hero, a reflection of himself, caught in a crosshairs of a destiny he could not fathom.
He was Shuichi Shindo, a 19 years old lead vocalist of Bad Luck, a band that had taken Japan by storm in just a year. However, he is not a local Japanese citizen. Shu was originally from Korea and his real name is Lee Jinsoo.
He glanced over at the empty half of the bed, the sheet still warm from Yuki's presence. Eiri Yuki, a renowned novelist with a sharp wit and a heart of gold, was the love of his life. He knew he was out working but the emptiness of the bed felt like a physical ache. He was about to get up and make some coffee when a wave of dizziness washed over him. He stumbled back onto the bed, his heart pounding in his chest.
He closed his eyes, trying to regain his balance. He felt a strange tingling sensation, a surge of energy that coursed through his body. He opened his eyes, and his world shifted. A translucent message window appeared in mid-air, hovering in front of him. It shimmered faintly, its text glowing with ethereal light.
"Requirements to be a 'Player' has been fulfilled."
"Do you want to be a 'Player'? [Yes/No]"
Shuichi stared at the window, his mind racing. He had never seen anything like this before. Was it a dream? Was he going crazy? He glanced at the 'Yes' and 'No' option, his finger hovering over the 'Yes' button. He felt a strange pull, a sense of destiny, urging him to choose 'Yes'. He clicked 'yes' in mid-air, and the message window changed.
"Welcome 'New Player'!"