The soft click of a wooden lock echoed in the hallway as the front door swung open.
Hikari stepped inside, greeted by the faint creak of old wood beneath his feet. The house was small—simple in design, yet warm. Wooden floors, paper-panel windows that bathed the interior in a diffused, golden glow, and the faint scent of tea leaves that always lingered in the air like a memory. It was the kind of place where time seemed to slow down.
He bent to unlace his shoes, but just as he slipped them off, a familiar melody pierced the air—an in-game tune so grating it made something deep within him twitch with discomfort. His brow furrowed. That game again...
He walked softly toward the living area, following the sound. And there she was—his little sister, seated cross-legged on the floor, hunched forward with a game controller in her hands. Her long blond hair cascaded down her back in a gentle wave, strands catching the light like threads of gold. Her blue eyes, usually calm, were narrowed in irritation as she grumbled at the screen, “What is wrong with this main character?! He’s so weak it’s painful!”
Without a word, Hikari let his bag drop beside her with a gentle thump.
She paused the game, eyeing the tossed backpack with a scowl. “What a barbaric way to treat your books. At least take them to your room.”
“What are you doing, Sera?” he asked, his voice low and sleepy.
“I’m trying to finish the game you brought yesterday,” she said with a huff. “But what even is this garbage? It’s miserable.”
Hikari chuckled softly, covering his mouth with his fingers.
She glared at him. “What now?”
“Nothing,” he said, a faint smile curling on his lips. “Just happy to know my little sister shares my taste.”
She frowned harder. “You say that like it's a compliment. Gross.”
Her expression shifted slightly as she studied his face. “Onii-chan… have you looked in a mirror today? You seriously look like a zombie.”
Hikari rubbed his eyes and turned away. “Tell Mom not to wake me before seven,” he mumbled, heading toward the stairs. “I really hate it when my sleep schedule gets messed up.”
He paused halfway up. “By the way, what are you doing home? Didn’t school end at four today?”
There was a short silence behind him.
“Ah… right, that,” Sera said, voice suddenly a pitch higher. “Uh… my stomach hurt! Yeah, super bad cramps. I figured playing this dumb game might help distract me from the pain.”
She reached for the controller and mumbled under her breath, “Though honestly, this game’s making my stomach worse…”
Hikari raised a brow. “Don’t skip school for no reason. And quit this game already,” he added as he started walking again. “It’s just a prototype from my little dev studio. You don’t need to suffer through it.”
Behind him, Sera muttered just loud enough for herself, “Baka... this game’s trash is still better than those fake faces at school…”
He didn’t hear her. His door slid shut behind him.
His room was quiet. Neat. A single bookshelf, a desk with nothing on it but a closed laptop, and a bed that looked almost untouched. Everything was placed with a quiet order—no clutter, no chaos. Just silence.
He collapsed onto the bed, the soft mattress sinking under his weight. His eyes fluttered closed. Tired. He was so tired.
That was the first time in my life… I found blue eyes beautiful.
I’ve always hated this color in my own eyes. It felt cold, distant.
So why can’t I stop thinking about hers?
Royal Fantasy Elixir… What’s so fun about that genre, anyway?
His thoughts dissolved into silence, sinking beneath the weight of sleep.
He was out cold.
.
.
.
Hikari was drifting.
Somewhere beneath an endless, velvet-blue ocean, his body sank deeper and deeper. His limbs were weightless, his breath stolen, leaving behind only a trail of shimmering bubbles that floated to the surface—soft, fragile orbs catching the dim light like broken stars.
Onii-chan...
The voice echoed above him. Distant, gentle—like someone calling from beyond a dream. The sound rippled through the water, bending reality around it.
His golden hair floated around his head like a halo, the strands flowing with each subtle current. He barely noticed. His eyes remained closed, his thoughts quiet.
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This water… it's warm.
The warmth wrapped around him like a blanket. Safe. Silent. Weightless.
Onii-chan...
The voice again, a little clearer. More insistent.
It echoed in his skull like a memory trying to surface. Over and over. Louder.
Onii-chan... Onii-chan...
His thoughts resisted. Something was pulling him from this peaceful place. Tugging gently at first, then harder.
No, he thought. Leave me here… just let me sink. Quietly.
But then—
ONII-CHAN!
Like lightning through calm waters, the voice tore through the silence.
Hikari’s eyes snapped open—bright, oceanic blue, still dazed. The world shifted around him in an instant.
He was no longer underwater.
He was in his room.
His sister stood at the foot of his bed, arms crossed, golden hair slightly tousled, an eyebrow arched in clear irritation.
“Oh, come on. You’re finally awake?”
“Sera…?” Hikari mumbled, dragging a hand to his head.
He sat up slowly, the bedsheet crumpling around his legs as he shifted toward the edge of the bed. His voice came out low and groggy.
“What time is it—?”
His sentence faltered.
His eyes landed on something unusual at the foot of his bed.
A cardboard box. Not too big. Not too small. Just… there.
“What’s that?” he asked, voice still thick with sleep.
“It’s a package,” Sera replied. “Came for you earlier.”
Hikari ran his fingers through his messy blond hair, standing with a sigh as he dragged his feet toward the box.
“Must be the one Professor Kusanagi mentioned this morning…”
Before he could reach it, Sera’s phone buzzed. She glanced at it and beamed.
“It’s 8:00 PM, Tuesday night!” she chirped. “The new episode of my favorite romance anime just dropped! Hurry up and open it already—I need to go watch it!”
Hikari crouched beside the box and began peeling off the tape. The adhesive tore away with that satisfying rip as he muttered,
“You’re still into those cheesy romance anime?”
“They’re the peak of Japanese art,” she replied, completely serious.
He snorted. “Peak, huh?”
A smirk tugged at his lips.
Inside the box, nestled neatly in foam, was a sleek, futuristic device—shaped like a pair of sci-fi inspired eye masks. The design was elegant and minimalistic, like something ripped straight out of a cyberpunk dream. A digital screen shimmered faintly across the surface.
Sera’s eyes widened. “Is that… a Wystoria device?!”
Hikari raised an eyebrow. “Yep. The real deal. I don’t like where this is going… the professor must be planning something.”
He dug deeper. Alongside the visor were four flexible, high-tech accessories—two gloves and two sock-like wearables, made of soft, synthetic material laced with tiny circuits.
Sera leaned in, whispering like she was seeing a forbidden treasure. “You’re kidding… a Wystoria console? That thing’s like, mythical! Does the professor like you that much?”
Hikari rolled his eyes. “He’s just looking out for his own interests, trust me.”
“But you know Mom and Dad are totally against Wystoria,” she warned, the excitement fading slightly. “You remember what happened…”
Hikari paused, his eyes falling back on the visor in his hands. He pressed the power button.
A soft hum followed. Blue lines of light raced along the device’s edges. Then—a pleasant chime.
“Hello. I am your personal interface. Please select your language, assign a name, and choose a preferred voice tone.”
He stared at it silently, as if holding a piece of some parallel future.
“Sera,” he said slowly, “what do you think my chances are… of convincing our parents?”
She answered without hesitation.
“Zero percent.”
He sighed. “Thought so.”
He set the device aside on the bed and pulled out the final item from the box: a letter.
Yo, Hikari!
You probably have a million questions right now, and I’ve got answers. I know you’re not a fan of RPGs—trust me, I know. But I need your brain on this one. For just one week, dive into the world of Royal Fantasy Elixir. My company’s developing a next-gen title, and I need someone sharp enough to break this game down fast. No one else in the country—hell, in the world—can do what you do. You're our secret weapon. Help me out, not as a student, but as a future hire. The cost of the gear? Forget it. Just give me that Hikari-grade analysis. You're our last, best shot. Sincerely, your favorite professor—Kusanagi.
Hikari read it once. Then crumpled the paper and tossed it to the corner of the room.
At the bottom of the box, he found a glossy game access card. Royal Fantasy Elixir. The game logo shimmered with magical overlays.
He flipped it over.
Login details. Username. Password.
“He’s really going all in this time,” he muttered.
“What are you gonna do?” Sera asked.
He sighed. “Reject it, obviously. This is a violation of my right to exist in peace and laziness.”
Then—
His phone rang.
The screen lit up with a familiar number.
Professor Kusanagi.
Hikari’s finger hovered over the red icon.
Sera gave him a look. “You don’t have to be rude, you know.”
With a reluctant breath, he answered.
“…Hello.”
Kusanagi’s cheerful voice chimed through the speaker. “You were totally about to hang up, weren’t you?”
“…Yes.”
“Don’t be so honest!” the professor laughed. “Anyway, guess who I’m with?”
“I don’t care about your personal life,” Hikari replied flatly.
“Are you sure?” Kusanagi teased.
Something about his tone made Hikari’s eyes narrow.
He turned to Sera. “It’s 8 PM. Mom and Dad should be home.”
“They… said they had a meeting with someone,” she replied, hesitant.
Her eyes widened.
She got it too.
Kusanagi laughed. “Ah, the great Hikari finally deduces the obvious. Sadly, my boy, I’ve already won this round.”
“What exactly do you gain from talking to them?” Hikari asked coldly.
“Why don’t you ask them yourself?”
A woman’s voice came through the line.
“Hikari! I’m so proud of you, sweetheart! I can’t believe how far you’ve come since joining the university.”
Then, his father’s voice.
“Your mother and I have already signed the contract.”
Hikari rubbed his forehead. “Wait—wait. You signed a work contract on my behalf?! I thought you hated Wystoria!”
“We were convinced,” his mother said. “The professor made a great case. Besides, it’s been four years since… that incident. We believe in you, Hikari.”
The call ended.
Hikari tossed the phone aside. “He probably promised them some insane paycheck. That sneaky bastard. He even weaponized my family.”
He picked up the visor again.
Sera smiled. “Hikari-niichan… I don’t know why, but I feel like this is going to change your life.”
He groaned, rubbing his eyes. “Go watch your anime, or whatever. Looks like I’ve got no choice.”
He pulled on the gloves. Then the sleek socks. Finally, the visor. He ran a hand through his blond hair, adjusting it just right.
Sera stepped out, closing the door behind her.
In the hallway, she padded barefoot down the wooden floor, a quiet smile on her lips.
“Hikari hates RPGs for one reason,” she whispered. “Back in 2029, he ruled them all—so thoroughly that global tournaments became boring. He got banned from his favorite game. The one he gave his soul to.”
She opened a drawer.
“He’s hated them ever since. But now… maybe he’ll find a reason to play again.”
She smiled as her voice drifted into the silence.
“Go on, big brother. You can smile now—I’m not there to see it.”
Back in his room, Hikari’s lips curled faintly.
The visor lit up.
“Welcome to Royal Fantasy Elixir.”