Hajime was floating in an infinite cosmic space, without a body. His entire body was numb and paralyzed, but his mind was in a state of absolute awareness: he saw everything, felt everything, and perceived everything. 

The amount of information his senses transmitted to his brain was so vast that it was impossible for him to process it all. But the silver-haired boy clearly heard a voice speaking to him; it was neither feminine nor masculine but seemed otherworldly and incomprehensible to a mere human. 

"You are weak... you need to be stronger... use your power, Hajime... the [Grimoire] is yours, master it... otherwise, you will fall... like all those before you..." 

"W-who... are you?" (Hajime)

"I am the one who came before you... our time has run out." 

*****

Hajime suddenly awakened; his face was pale, and his body sweaty. The dream he had just experienced felt so real yet also seemed like a highly elaborate illusion. As the boy struggled to catch his breath, he realized he was not in his room. 

The place he found himself in looked like some kind of cell. The walls and floor were made of concrete, and there was only a solid steel door as an exit. Apart from the bed he was tied to, Hajime saw nothing else. 

"(Where am I?! What is this place?! Have I been kidnapped!? The last thing I remember was...)" 

The memory of his assault on a [Black Corps] member made him tremble. The silver-haired boy didn’t know if the tremor was due to fear or excitement. A part of him didn’t even want to know. 

The metal door suddenly swung open, the light from outside briefly blinding Hajime. The figure of the assassin entered the room.

"Y-you...?" 

"Shut up and don't try anything funny!" 

The restraints binding the teenager to his bed were replaced by handcuffs that suppressed his [magic] power. Hajime was led out of the cell, under the threat of his escort’s scythe. 

The boy felt incredibly calm; he wasn’t afraid of what might happen to him. This feeling was strange and foreign to him, yet he could not deny the comfort it brought. 

"(A corridor of concrete with lights and no windows? Are we underground?)" 

“Go right!”

“Yeah, I got it.” 

As they descended a couple of flights of stairs, Hajime wondered if the [Black Corps] member he had attacked had been killed by the person escorting him. The thought that he had helped someone kill him did not make him feel guilty at all; rather, he felt happy about it. 

"(Something is off about me...)" 

Eventually, they reached a spacious circular room. On one side of the room was a station filled with various computers, screens, and keyboards, also noticeable were several packages of junk food strategically placed among the various components. 

“Stay down!” 

Another figure appeared from one side; just like the guy in the black cloak, she also wore a mask, except hers was white. 

Her hair was albino, and her eyes, from what could be seen from beneath the mask, were a beautiful amethyst color. Despite it being obvious she was a girl, her flat chest made him doubt, and with her height of barely one meter fifty, Hajime could only think one thing.

"(A loli, huh?)" 

As if she could sense his thoughts, the girl approached him while a strong murderous intent emanated from her body. The person with the scythe tensed slightly and took a step back, as though not wanting to get caught in the crossfire. 

“....” (the girl) 

“I-I didn’t say anything!” 

The sound of footsteps caught the attention of the trio. From another corridor arrived another girl, this time without a mask. The newcomer was the complete opposite of the loli; she had a well-developed and toned body, long forest-green hair, and blue eyes. 

“Kohaku-chan! Why aren’t you wearing the mask!?” 

“Stop it; there’s no need. If everything goes well, you’ll be able to take yours off too soon. And what’s the point of hiding my face if you’re using my name, Chloe-chan?” 

The girl named Kohaku seemed the most balanced and peaceful of the group. Her blue eyes looked at Hajime with deep understanding, as if evaluating him. 

“I am Aomori Kohaku, nice to meet you, even if the situation isn’t ideal. Kamijio Hajime-san, you are the stepson of Mokuro Goto, right? Tell me, what is it like living with that man?" 

There was a moment of silence before the teenager began to speak, his words heavy with disdain and disgust. 

“It’s hell! That bastard of an old man has..........” 

The silver-haired boy spoke freely, recounting everything that he and his mother had endured over the years. 

Hajime eventually realized he had been drugged with some truth serum or something similar because he talked without a second thought, even about his shame at being so weak in protecting the people he loved. 

“Cloe-chan, is he lying?” (Kohaku) 

“N-no... he’s telling the truth.” 

“See? What did I tell you? We can at least give him the benefit of the doubt and talk to him face-to-face without masks, don’t you think?” 

The loli named Cloe finally decided to listen to what her friend had said and took off her mask. Hajime was slightly surprised; the girl truly had a stunning face, impeccable, and her amethyst eyes stood out even more now that he could see the brown complexion of her skin. 

“Kuro, what do you say if.........” (Kohaku) 

“No! I don’t trust him. If he tries anything, he better not know at least one of our faces!” 

The boy with the scythe, named Kuro, and Kohaku exchanged silent words, looking into each other's eyes; the moment lasted several seconds. Eventually, the girl sighed and turned back to Hajime. 

“I apologize for him. And for the interrogation, but we must be cautious...” 

The sound of a phone interrupted the attention of all four. The silver-haired boy realized it was his own cell phone. It wasn’t a big surprise to see it in Kuro's hands. 

“Kuro, pass it to me for a second.” (Kohaku) 

Kohaku's eyes shifted from blue to amber as she gazed contemplatively at the electronic device. 

“(Is she a [mage]? No, she’s interacting with my phone; I don’t think such [magic] exists... maybe she’s an [esper]?)” (Hajime) 

“Your little sister is worried about you... I’ll text her that you’re on your way home.” (Kohaku) 

“What!? You want to let him go!? It’s too dangerous; we should kill him!” (Kuro) 

As if to reinforce his position, Kuro moved his scythe a few millimeters from Hajime’s neck. A small tremble was all it would take, and the sharp blade of the weapon would have slit his throat. 

“Well, we are at a stalemate then, huh? Cloe-chan, which side are you on? Your vote will be decisive, so choose wisely.” (Kohaku) 

The white-haired girl stiffened at the gaze her friends were giving her. After a moment of hesitation, however, she made her choice. 

“I-I... trust you, Kohaku-chan! As always! And I don’t think it’s right to kill him after he helped save you, Kuro!” (Cloe) 

“ Thank you, my friend!” (Kohaku) 

“Tsk! As usual! Fine, let him go! But I don’t want him to know the location of this place!” (Kuro) 

Kohaku seemingly ignored Kuro's words as she handed the phone back to Hajime. But the boy felt that the smile she was giving him was a way to apologize. 

“I’m sorry, but Kuro is right. You can’t know where our home is yet.” 

“Wait, wha......!?” 

With the handle of his scythe, the boy still wearing the mask knocked out Goto's stepson with a solid blow to the head. Although he would have much preferred to use the blade part. 

“Kuro, take him somewhere near his home, then wake him up.” (Kohaku) 

“ Now I even have to play courier!” 

“Overdramatic, and I remind you that he saved your life.” 

*****

Thirty minutes later, Hajime awakened on a bench in the park of his neighborhood. For a moment, he thought he had just had a long and strange dream, but the message he received on his phone changed his mind. 

"[We will find you. Don’t tell anyone.] ....... I guess I didn’t just imagine that then......... better go home; Kaori-chan and Mom will be worried." 

When he arrived home, Hajime was greeted by his stepsister, Mokuro Kaori. The girl was 15 years old, with her ocean-blue hair tied in two pigtails, and her eyes were the same color. Her body had developed well, even though she didn’t have exaggerated curves yet; her physique was very balanced overall. 

“Onii-chan! I was worried! Where have you been?!” 

“Sorry Kaori-chan, I walked a bit to clear my mind... you know, with the new school and all.” 

“Ah, sorry. That’s true.” 

Hajime smiled at his little sister, gently stroking her hair as she blushed with embarrassment, even though her lips curved upward. 

“Well, it doesn’t matter; I’m tired. I’m going to bed.” 

“Whatever you want, onii-chan! Just don’t wake up too early tomorrow; I want to have breakfast with you!” 

“Sure, good night, Kaori-chan!” 

When the silver-haired teenager finally lay down on his bed, he couldn’t help but think back to what had happened today. 

“(I don’t feel guilty about what I did to that [Black Corps] member... and then that dream... what is happening to me?... those people who kidnapped me... what a damn day I’ve had today.)”