A crescent moon. A thin curved sliver of white shining faintly in the sky.

  Drip. Drip. Drip.

  The sounds of the shining moondrops hitting the surface of the water in the distance. Despite being far away from me, I could hear it just as if it was happening right in front of me.

  Splish. Splash.

  The surface of the water sloshed around as my feet rapidly pressed down and propelled of it. I was already running, as if my life had depended on it.

  ~Crap. Crap! I fell asleep again!

  I skidded to a halt, creating large waves in front of me. This thankfully knocked away a few phantoms.

  Slsh. Clank. CRASH.

  The sounds of the many doppelgangers’ tools colliding echoed throughout the darkness. White stars and black phantoms constantly clashed as they made their way towards me.

  “Stay away!” I shouted, slinging my arm at them, sending waves of mana at them and generating a barrier.

  The mana cut through a number of them, causing them to dissipate and sink into the waters. But many more came, replacing and multiplying simultaneously.

  ~Damn it! There’s no end to them!

  I began coughing. My throat hoarse and my breathing ragged. I wiped my face with my sleeve, feeling something wet.

  I looked at my hand. It was my blood. It glew luminously with iridescent colors as it, too, began to dissipate and fade.

  Then a sharp pain in my chest that made me stand up straight, my back slightly arcing.

  I glanced down to see the tip of a black blade piercing my chest. Looking behind me, the shadow who had stabbed me grinned. Hundreds of more stood behind him, murmuring.

  “You don’t belong there.” Their distorted voices seemed to repeat in a way that could only be describe as chanting.

  “I am the real one.” Some others murmured.

  “The angel was right.” A few said. “Ener was right.”

  I coughed again, more of my mana material splashing out of my mouth and vanishing into nothingness.

  ~Shit. I let them get too close.

  I gritted my teeth, grabbing the blade’s point.

  “Shrink!”

  The blade shrunk, allowing me to get away and regain my footing. I spun around, kicking away the phantom with a wind blow.

  I kicked up some waves to push the rest of the phantoms further away and then created a blade from the sea’s black waters.

  Immediately, the water from the blade began to distort and wrap around my arm like some kind of monstrous slime.

  ~The hell!?

  I looked at it in shock, quickly letting go and freezing the water blade on contact. It shattered and I sent the ice shards at some phantoms that had started to charge at me.

  I keeled over, trying to catch my breath.

  Then my heart skipped a beat. Two beats. Three beats.

  It felt as if something had— or was passing through me. Soon, I saw a white, translucent figure moving forward from my exact position.

  Visions began to pour into my mind— a dojo, fighting, swords, guns, war.

  That shimmering figure slashed away at phantoms ahead of me and was followed by more white stars.

  I fell to my knees, my head screeching with auditory and visionary information.

  “Ugh…” I groaned, coughing.

  “Yoiya… Yoiya!!!”

  A voice called out to me as I began to lose consciousness. Weakly, I stretched out my hand towards the voice.

  “Mia…”

  …

  “Yoiya!!!”

  Mia was shaking my shoulders in a frantic panic when my eyes began to open.

  I sat up slowly, looking around the room in a semi-daze. My room was just as I left it when I laid down in bed earlier.

  “Are you okay?” She asked me. Her face was wrought with worry, more than I had ever seen in her face before.

  “Yeah… I’m okay now…”

  “Are you sure? You were shaking rather violently in your sleep just now…” She frowned at me, looking into my eyes. “Maybe you should tell your club you can’t make it today?”

  ~Make it? Ah right… Comiket’s today… I was supposed to meet them—

  “Huh? Wait… What time is it?”

  “It’s almost one in the afternoon….” Mia said, her eyes still filled with concern as she hesitantly answered my question.

  “Huh!? I’m totally late!” I leapt out of bed, getting ready to rush out. But before I was even able to make a single step, Mia grabbed me by the wrist.

  “Hold on, lil bro.” Mia said, scanning me as if checking for injuries.. “Are you sure you’re going be okay going to Comiket? You haven’t had a nightmare like that since that time in the cafe. I thought you were having a seizure.”

  My body froze.

  And my breath hitched.

  “I-I’m fine.” I said, slightly stuttering. I could still feel my hands shaking. “Really, I just overslept. The others are probably already waiting for me. I need to hurry.”

  Mia looked at my eyes, gazing deep into them. She let out a small sigh and smiled at me. “Alright, I’ll give you a ride. But promise me you’ll call me if anything happens.” She looked away for a moment, whispering something under her breath.”

  ~Huh? Ake? Why would Ake be there? She’s not a part of the club… Not that I’d mind her being there, but why—

  “Come on, Yoiya. We better get ready. Wouldn’t want you to be too late since you seem so insistent on going.” Mia said, cutting off my train of thought.

  “R-right…” I responded.

  Mia left to go to her own room to get ready.

  Giving it a moment a pause, I began to change clothes. My clothes were surprisingly soaked in sweat.

  But I froze the moment I took off my shirt.

  There, on my chest, a large scar had formed.

  ~Huh? Is that from where i got stabbed in the dream?

  I shook my head, quickly changing shirts. Mia walked in again just as I did.

  “Ready?”

  “Yeah. I’m ready to go.”

  I followed Mia to the door and I reached for the handle to open it.

  ~”You don’t belong there.”

  The shadows’ words echoed in my mind, freezing me in my tracks.

  The world’s light and color seemed to dim for a moment.

  ~”You think that’s a good idea?”

  My own voice echoed the question in my head as I imagined everything bad that could possibly happen.

  ~I could lose control. I could have an episode at the event.

  ~I’ll put everyone in danger. I’ll make everyone worry.

  ~It’ll be a disaster if that happens. My peaceful facade would come crashing down on me.

  But the thoughts were instantly silenced when Mia placed her hand on my shoulder and gave me her usual warm, reassuring smile— a smile that brought color back to my world.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  “Don’t worry. You’re not alone.”

  I gave her a simple nod, and opened the door.

  …

  Mia held my hand as she led me through the crowd.

  Chattering, whispers, and laughter echoed all around me as she navigated our way to the gates of the building and pulled me through.

  The heat from inside wafted against my face, contrasting against the cold winter breeze I felt outside.

  The crowd split off in multiple directions, spreading rapidly across the floor. There was oddly more space to breathe inside than outside.

  Catching my breath, I looked around, searching for the club members.

  ~Where did they say our booth was?

  “Oho! There’s our protagonist!” A familiar voice cried out amongst the chaos.

  A girl with a blond ponytail ran up to me and Mia. It was Mashiro. And with her—

  A second girl stood beside her, her light brown hair and hazel eyes seemed to glimmer against the fluorescent lights far above us.

  “Ake? Why are you here?”

  “Ah– Uh…” Ake looked away nervously. “I’m here for the romance novels, obviously! And I wanted to be sure to support my classmate.”

  “That’s a lie, she’s here for you, Yuru—”

  Ake quickly covered Mashiro’s mouth, pulling her back and giving her a glare.

  “I… see…’

  Mashiro wiggled out of Ake’s grip and grabbed me by the wrist. “Anyways. Come on, mister protagonist. Everyone’s been waiting! Let’s hurry!”

  She began to drag me along.

  “W-wait!” I yelled out.

  I looked back to my sister Mia. Her face and blonde hair beginning to blur in the distance as the crowd cut into my vision. But for a moment, she appeared to have a smile on her face—one of relief.

  “I’ll be back later with the girls, lil bro! Good luck!” Her voice shouted out above the noise, calling out to me.

  …

  We had arrived at our booth, or rather— Mashiro and Ake had arrived, with me in tow.

  “You’re late.” Raneko said, his face straight and stern as he looked at me. He held a clipboard to his chest, scribbling something onto it with a pen.

  “Guess you didn’t die after all.” Eliba muttered.

  “Die?” I asked, taken aback by her blatant statement. I had not really considered the possibility of dying.

  ~Though these dreams are getting more dangerous. Maybe I should consider the chances after all…

  Rea tugged on my sleeve, looking at me quietly.

  “Are you… okay…?”

  My face and cheeks warmed up immediately and I turned away.

  Mashiro leaned in towards me, studying my face. “Now that you mention it, Eliba. He does look like he died! Did you just come back from saving another world or something cool like th-”

  Raneko pulled Mashiro away from me before she could finish her interrogation. “That’s enough Mashiro. That obviously isn’t what happened.” He looked around at each member. “Now that everyone is here, we should get to work.”

  He then looked at me. “Since you scored at the very top on every exam this semester, how about you handle our finance-”

  “No way!” Mashiro pulled Raneko away this time. “He needs to help out with sales! He’s our protagonist after all! That also makes him our mascot!”

  Raneko pinched the bridge of his nose. “He is not a mascot. He’s a member of the club. And we need someone competent handling—”

  “Sales!” Mashiro insisted, puffing out her cheeks. “He’s cute, he’s polite, and customers will love him! It’s perfect marketing!”

  “I’m not cute,” I muttered under my breath.

  Ake coughed into her fist, muttering into her breath. “You… kind of are.” Then she quickly spoke her, changing her tone. “Anyways, Yoiya is clearly tired, we should let him rest first.”

  Though her suggestion did not reach the group.

  My heart skipped a beat as I listened to her words.

  ~Ake thinks I’m cute?

  Rea tugged my sleeve again, softer this time. “Yuru?kun… if you don’t feel well, you don’t have to force yourself…”

  Her voice was almost drowned out by the crowd, but somehow it still reached me clearly.

  Raneko sighed. “Fine. We’ll compromise. Yuru, you can help with sales for now. If it gets too chaotic, switch with me.”

  Mashiro pumped her fist triumphantly. “Yes! Operation Protagonist Mascot is a go!”

  “That is not what we agreed on,” Raneko deadpanned.

  Eliba flipped a page in her sketchbook. “Just don’t pass out on the customers. That’d be bad for business.”

  I swallowed hard.

  ~Pass out…?

  ~I… might actually do that… I need to make sure I don’t…

  Mashiro shoved a stack of freshly printed manga into my arms. “Here! Smile, greet people, and hand these out! Easy! Oh! And make sure to get payment for them!”

  The weight of the books felt heavier than it should have.

  The noise around me swelled.

  Voices layered over each other.

  Footsteps thudded like distant drums.

  The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead.

  My heartbeat quickened.

  Rea stepped closer, her shoulder brushing mine. “I’ll be right here… okay?”

  Her warmth steadied me for a moment.

  But only for a moment.

  Because as the first wave of customers approached the booth, the dream’s whisper slithered back into my mind—

  “You don’t belong there.”

  My grip tightened on the books.

  Mashiro waved at the crowd. “Step right up! Limited copies! Support our club!”

  Raneko organized the money box.

  Eliba doodled lazily.

  Ake hovered nearby, pretending to browse but watching me out of the corner of her eye.

  Rea stayed close, her fingers brushing my sleeve every few seconds like she was checking to make sure I was still there.

  And me?

  I forced a smile.

  “W?welcome…!”

  But my voice cracked.

  The crowd surged closer.

  The lights flickered.

  The scar on my chest throbbed.

  And the world began to tilt.

  A customer walked up to me. “That looks interesting. May I buy one?”

  “Sure thing.” I said, doing my best to maintain my smile. But when I opened my eyes to look at him, what I saw was not a customer but a phantom, jabbing a blade towards me.

  I instinctively backed away a little and blinked.

  It was just a normal guy. He took the manga copy from my hand and handed me his payment.

  My mind flashed back to the dream— the battle against my others, the battle against my time, the battle against myself.

  My heartbeat began to rapidly increase and soon it was all I could hear.

  I continued to back away slowly as the crowd before me blurred together and the lights seemed to shine brighter.

  Without a sound, I ran to my right. My eyes darted around for an exit.

  “You don’t belong there. You don’t belong here. This is not a place gods like you were meant to walk.”

  The voices echoed in my head and all around as I continued to run.

  I slipped through the crowd with ease, dodging both people and shadows alike, until I made my way outside.

  Cold air slammed into my lungs the moment I burst through the doors.

  I staggered forward, gripping the railing as the winter wind whipped against my face. My breath came out in sharp, uneven gasps, fogging in the frigid air.

  The noise of Comiket dulled behind me — muffled, distant, like I was underwater.

  But the voices in my head weren’t muffled.

  “You don’t belong there.”

  “You don’t belong anywhere.”

  “This world rejects you.”

  I pressed a hand against my chest.

  The scar burned — a deep, pulsing ache that spread through my ribs like frostbite.

  ~Stop.

  ~Please stop.

  ~I’m here. I’m real. I’m—

  My knees buckled.

  I caught myself against the wall, fingers trembling violently. The world around me blurred at the edges — the snow, the pavement, the distant chatter of people walking by.

  Everything felt too bright.

  Too sharp.

  Too loud.

  Too empty.

  I squeezed my eyes shut.

  ~I shouldn’t have come.

  ~I shouldn’t be here.

  ~I’m going to ruin everything.

  ~I’m going to scare them.

  ~I’m going to hurt someone.

  ~I don’t belong—

  A soft crunch of footsteps in the snow.

  I froze.

  For a moment, I thought it was another phantom — another shadow come to drag me back into the dream.

  But then—

  “Yuru?kun…?”

  Her voice was small.

  Fragile.

  Real.

  I opened my eyes.

  Rea stood a few steps away, her breath forming little clouds in the cold air. Her hands were clasped tightly against her chest, her eyes wide with worry.

  She looked like she’d ran the whole way after me.

  “Yuru?kun…” she whispered again, stepping closer. “I… I saw you leave. You looked… scared.”

  I tried to speak, but my throat tightened.

  Rea hesitated — then reached out, her fingers trembling as they brushed my sleeve.

  “Can I… stay with you…?”

  Her touch grounded me.

  Pulled me back.

  Softened the edges of the world.

  But the voices still lingered.

  “I…” My voice cracked. “I don’t… belong here. I don’t… belong anywhere… Do I…? I never… should have… Why was I… born…?”

  Rea’s eyes widened — not with fear, but with something deeper.

  Something that made my chest tighten in a different way.

  She stepped closer, her hand sliding down to gently hold my wrist.

  “If you don’t feel like you belong anywhere, then…” she whispered, her breath warm in the cold air,

  “…you can belong to me.”

  The world went still.

  The voices fell silent.

  And for the first time since waking up, I could breathe.