Volume 1: The Sacrifice

...Tokyo, Japan. Sixteen-year-old Aoi Sato stirred in her cramped Tokyo apartment. The city's familiar hum was already a dull backdrop to her morning. Her black, tightly curled hair framed a face etched with a weariness beyond her years. Green eyes, shadowed by dark circles, blinked open to the familiar sight of her room. She was an average girl, a single persistent pimple marring her cheek - a small, defiant mark in a world that often felt intent on leaving larger ones....

...Aoi rose, the simple act revealing a landscape of bruises blooming beneath her thin nightclothes. Each mark was a silent testament to encounters best left unremembered. Her gaze drifted to the wall, where a woman's exposed photo was tacked beside faded band posters. A bitter twist touched her lips as she looked at them, a silent acknowledgment of the torment she endured. Her small bookshelf held an eclectic mix: tales of grand adventures, distant galaxies, the supernatural, and fantastical realms. Nestled amongst them were also the brightly colored spines of Yuri manga, a quiet acknowledgment of a truth she held close....

......The morning routine was a practiced ritual, each movement carrying the weight of unspoken anxieties. Breakfast was a solitary affair, eaten with a dull resignation. As she prepared to leave for school, a wave of fear washed over her. She takes a moment to gaze at her reflection in the mirror "Hmm.. great looking unattractive as always".

Then Aoi walks towards school by herself. Wrapping her arms around herself, as if to ward off unseen blows, she Whispered into the Tokyo air, "I wish I could disappear." The sentiment was a constant companion, a silent plea in the bustling streets.......

...Then, her gaze snagged on a figure ahead. Hana Tanaka, with her blue eyes that always seemed to hold a spark of joy and hair the color of cherry blossoms in spring, was practically dancing down the pavement, skipping steps and humming a cheerful tune. Aoi felt a flicker of warmth, a momentary respite from the gray landscape of her mind. Hana's carefree laughter, even from a distance, was a melody Aoi unconsciously leaned towards. "it's great to be the popular student huh?" Aoi murmured herself....

...But the vibrant scene fractured in an instant. As Hana reached a busy intersection, a golden light erupted around her, an ethereal corona in the mundane reality of Tokyo. Hana froze, her joyful skip arrested mid-air. Confusion warred with dawning fear in her cerulean eyes. She looked around wildly, a trapped bird seeking escape. Her lips parted in a silent cry. She wanted to flee, but an invisible force held her captive. Her small hands trembled, and her knees visibly shook. Her gaze darted to the onlookers - her friends, perhaps - but their faces were masks of terror, frozen in place....

...In a heartbeat, driven by an instinct she didn't understand, Aoi surged forward. Ignoring the paralyzing fear gripping the others, she reached Hana and yanked her back with surprising strength. It was too late for herself. The golden light intensified, and the ground beneath Aoi dissolved. She plummeted downwards into a gaping chasm, a tunnel of shimmering gold that seemed to lead to an unknown abyss....

...Tears streamed down Aoi's face, a mixture of terror and a strange sense of relief. A weak smile touched her lips as she looked back at the bewildered Hana, now safe on solid ground. Her vision blurred. "At least, I could save that girl... I'm glad..." she whispered, her voice fading into the golden void. "It's much better than leaving behind such a worthless life."...

...Then, darkness claimed her. The vibrant colors of Tokyo, the fear, the fleeting moment of connection with Hana - all dissolved into an inky blackness, leaving only the echoing silence of the unknown. The golden light above flickered and then vanished, leaving the street as ordinary as it had been moments before, save for the gaping hole that now marked Aoi Sato's sudden and inexplicable departure....

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......To Be Continued......

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