Amidst the hum and heartbeat of the bustling city, Aiko Hoshino wove her way through another day, her soul alight with an unshakable sense of wonder. The world around her was a storm of motion—car horns blaring, hurried footsteps tapping against pavement, and conversations layering over each other like the intricate chords of a symphony. But for Aiko, the city’s rhythm was a background hum to a melody only she could hear.

Every morning was the same. She slipped through the crowd like a leaf drifting on a stream, her focus elsewhere, her thoughts already ahead of her body. Today was no exception. The library called to her, as it always did—a sanctuary of stillness amidst the chaos, a world where time stretched and softened, where the weight of the unknown felt closer and more tangible.

Aiko pushed open the heavy oak doors of the library, the familiar creak of the hinges greeting her like an old friend. The noise of the city fell away, replaced by the hushed whispers of turning pages, the muted tap of shoes on polished floors, and the faint, comforting scent of aged paper. She exhaled slowly, her shoulders relaxing, as if the air itself was lighter here.

She drifted through the shelves, letting her fingers trail along the spines of books, some smooth and glossy, others rough with the wear of years. She didn’t look for anything in particular; she never did. Instead, she let her instincts guide her, pulling her toward hidden corners and forgotten titles. Her movements were unhurried, deliberate, as if each step brought her closer to something profound and unknowable.

Books weren’t just objects to Aiko—they were doorways, each one leading to a place she longed to reach. Within the pages, she found fragments of worlds, glimpses of possibilities that stirred her imagination and made her heart race. Her fascination with the multiverse was more than a passing interest; it was an anchor, a truth she clung to even when others dismissed it as folly.

“You’re always lost in some fantasy,” her classmates would say, their laughter light but edged with condescension. “It’s just fiction, Aiko. Why do you take it so seriously?”

She’d smile in response, her expression calm but her resolve unshaken. “Because fiction is where truths begin,” she’d reply simply.

Deep down, she wondered herself why she held onto this belief so fiercely. Why did the idea of other worlds, other realities, feel so real to her? Was it because she’d glimpsed something once, some fleeting moment when the boundaries of this world seemed to waver? Or was she simply a dreamer, enchanted by the idea of endless possibilities?

Even Aiko didn’t have the answers. All she knew was that the thought of the multiverse—of infinite worlds, infinite lives—thrilled her in a way nothing else could. It was as if she could feel it pulsing just beneath the surface of reality, alive and waiting for her to reach out and touch it.

She often imagined what it might be like to step through the veil, to lose herself in the vastness of the unknown. The thought filled her with equal parts exhilaration and fear, but she knew one thing for certain: if the chance ever came, she would take it without hesitation.

As she turned a corner, her hand brushing the spine of a particularly old, leather-bound book, she paused, her breath catching. Something about this one felt different. It seemed to hum beneath her fingertips, as if it were alive. Aiko hesitated, her heart pounding.

“Could this be it?” she whispered to herself, the words barely audible in the stillness.

She pulled the book from the shelf, cradling it in her hands. Its cover was worn and faded, the title barely legible, but there was something magnetic about it. Slowly, almost reverently, she opened it, the yellowed pages releasing a faint, musty scent.

The words on the first page were in English, but they didn’t sound right. They twisted in her mind, their meaning slipping through her grasp like water through cupped hands. She read them aloud, her voice trembling with a mix of curiosity and trepidation.

And then, the air around her changed. The lights flickered, and a low hum filled the room, growing louder with each passing second. Aiko’s eyes widened as a swirling vortex began to form in front of her, its colors shifting and churning like a living kaleidoscope.

“No way,” she breathed, her voice barely audible over the roar of the portal.

Before she could react, the vortex surged forward, pulling her into its depths. The world around her dissolved into a whirlwind of light and sound, and her last coherent thought was a mix of fear and exhilaration:

It was real. The multiverse was real.

And she was about to discover it for herself.

Aiko woke to an odd, wet sensation on her face. Something warm and rough was brushing against her cheek. Groaning softly, she forced her eyes open and found herself staring into the wide, sparkling eyes of a creature unlike anything she’d ever seen. It resembled a dog, but its fur shimmered with an iridescent glow, and its nose was heart-shaped.

“W-What are you?” Aiko stammered, scrambling to push herself up despite the dizziness threatening to overtake her. The creature tilted its head as if considering her question, wagged its stubby tail, and then trotted away, its luminous fur leaving faint trails of light in its wake.

She blinked, sitting up fully now, and her breath caught in her throat. Around her stretched a forest unlike any she’d known. The trees spiraled upward with glowing vines wrapped around their trunks, their leaves pulsating in gentle hues of blue and green. The air sparkled with tiny, floating motes of light, and flowers bloomed in impossible colors.

“This… this isn’t Earth,” she whispered, her heart racing. Her eyes darted around, taking in the vibrant, alien landscape.

A sudden movement caught her attention. She looked down just in time to see a small, rat-like creature scurry past her feet. Only, it wasn’t quite a rat—it had an elephant-like trunk and ears that flapped as it moved.

A nervous laugh escaped her. “Okay, this has to be a dream. Right? Just a really, really weird dream…”

The thought was cut off by a sound that sent a chill down her spine—a deafening roar that echoed through the forest like thunder. She spun around, her pulse quickening. From the shadows, a massive beast emerged, its golden mane glowing faintly under the ethereal light of the forest. It was a lion-like creature, but its fangs were long, curved, and razor-sharp.

“Oh no,” Aiko whispered, her body frozen in fear.

The creature snarled and charged, each of its thunderous steps vibrating through the ground. Aiko’s instincts finally kicked in. “Oh no, no, no, no!” she screamed, spinning on her heel and running as fast as she could.

Her surroundings blurred as she sprinted, her heart pounding like a drum in her chest. She leaped over a fallen log and ducked under a low-hanging branch, but her foot caught on an exposed root, sending her sprawling to the ground.

Pain shot through her ankle, but she had no time to react. The beast was on her. It lunged, one massive paw swiping down.

Aiko screamed as its claws raked across her arm, hot pain blooming immediately. Blood trickled down her sleeve as she clutched her injury, her vision swimming.

“Help…” she murmured, though her voice barely rose above a whisper.

Just as the beast lunged again, a figure appeared out of nowhere, moving with incredible speed. “Hold on!” a firm, commanding voice called out.

Aiko’s blurry gaze caught sight of a young man. His golden-brown eyes gleamed with focus, and his hands glowed with an otherworldly light. With a swift motion, he raised his hand, and a surge of energy shot forth, forming a barrier between Aiko and the beast.

The lion roared in frustration, clawing at the barrier, but the man stood his ground. “Stay down,” he ordered, glancing back at Aiko.

Her vision darkened as exhaustion and pain overcame her, but she clung to the image of him—the determined look in his eyes and the strange, glowing power in his hands.

The last thing she heard before succumbing to unconsciousness was his calm, steady voice. “You’re safe now.”

Aiko woke to the gentle glow of lamplight casting shadows across a small, cozy room. The air smelled faintly of herbs, and a warm blanket was draped over her. As her eyes adjusted, she realized she was lying on a soft bed crafted from strange, woven fibers. The ceiling above her was slanted, covered in smooth bark, and the walls of the hut seemed alive, their surfaces subtly pulsing like the veins of a leaf.

“Ah, you’re awake,” a calm voice interrupted her thoughts.

Aiko turned her head, groaning slightly at the soreness in her body. Sitting on a stool nearby was the young man she’d seen before blacking out. His golden-brown eyes caught the light as he fiddled with a strange device that looked like a cross between a compass and a sundial.

“Who… are you?” she managed, her voice raspy.

He turned toward her, setting the device down. “My name’s Orion,” he said simply. “And you’re lucky I found you. That beast nearly turned you into a snack.”

Aiko touched the bandage wrapped around her injured arm and winced. “You… saved me?”

Orion gave a small nod. “Well, technically, I saved half of you. The other half was doing a pretty good job of running for its life.” His lips twitched into a faint smirk.

Aiko stared at him, caught between gratitude and disbelief. “What kind of introduction is that?”

“The honest kind.” Orion shrugged, leaning back against the wall. “What’s your name?”

“Aiko. Aiko Hoshino,” she said cautiously. She glanced around the room, her confusion mounting. “Where am I? This doesn’t look like any place on Earth…”

“You’re in Shambal,” he said, his tone matter-of-fact. “A dimension far from your Earth.”

Aiko sat up abruptly, immediately regretting it as a wave of dizziness hit her. “Shambal? Dimension? Wait… you’re telling me the multiverse is real?”

Orion raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t think you landed in an elaborate movie set, did you?”

Aiko frowned, ignoring his sarcasm. “This is insane. I mean, I believed in the multiverse, but to actually be in it… What even brought me here?”

Orion’s expression grew serious. “That’s the real question. You’re not supposed to be here. Something triggered a portal, and you were pulled through.”

She blinked at him. “So, how do I get back?”

He hesitated, his gaze drifting to the device on the table. “There’s a way,” he said slowly. “There are seven portals scattered across Shambal. If we open all of them, the seventh will lead you back to your Earth.”

Aiko’s shoulders sagged with relief. “Great! Let’s get started, then.”

Orion held up a hand. “Hold on. It’s not that simple. Each portal requires a foreign object to stabilize it. And in this case…” He paused, meeting her gaze.

“In this case?” Aiko prompted, her brows knitting together.

“You’re the foreign object.”

Her jaw dropped. “Wait, me?!”

Orion nodded, his expression almost apologetic. “Congratulations. You’re officially Shambal’s most valuable tourist.”

Aiko buried her face in her hands. “I didn’t sign up for this. I just wanted to read a book!”

Orion chuckled, leaning forward. “Well, if it makes you feel any better, you’re probably the most interesting thing to happen here in years. Most portals just spit out junk—like shoes or weird gadgets.”

“Glad to know I rank slightly above lost luggage,” Aiko muttered, but a reluctant smile tugged at her lips.

Orion’s smirk softened. “Look, I know this is overwhelming. But if you want to get home, we’ll have to work together. What do you say?”

Aiko hesitated, her gaze falling to her bandaged arm. The memory of the lion-like beast flashed through her mind, and she shuddered. “If that’s what it takes,” she said finally, her voice steadier than she felt. “I’ll do it.”

“Good,” Orion said, standing and extending a hand toward her. “Then let’s get started. But fair warning—this isn’t going to be a walk in the park.”

Aiko took his hand, pulling herself to her feet. “Considering the ‘parks’ around here have saber-toothed lions, I figured as much.”

Orion chuckled, his golden-brown eyes glinting with amusement. “I think I’m going to enjoy this.”

“Speak for yourself,” Aiko muttered, but a spark of determination flared in her chest. She didn’t know what lay ahead, but she was ready to face it—one step at a time.