Fractal Plane: Awakener's Pact

Prologue - World of Red

Kazuki Arata long considered himself quite the expert when it comes to fantasy. Having spent hours on end on anime and video games has familiarized him with unknown worlds like the one he now finds himself in.

However, nothing could have prepared him for this. For once, he found himself in a fan's wildest dream... or his worst nightmare. Reality is harsh, and it's not every day that you end up with powers that would subject you to the envy of geeks worldwide.

What the Hell? I did not sign up for this!

Kazuki's eyes frantically surveyed his surroundings which looked nothing close to the Aria Alley that he was in mere minutes ago. 

Gone were the neon lights, the tight passages, and the numerous bustling restaurants. 

His eyes now lay sight on rock formations and broken-down buildings scattered all around as well as this granite tower that stuck out and extended skyward.

The desolated appearance of the place is further amplified by the sky: not a clear blue or a calm black, but scarlet. Like blood.

By all means, the place looks like one of those ancient cities that often show up in movies and TV shows, those that often hid treasures and dangers.

He felt that something was bothering him.

He wished to never hear those sounds again, and he hastened his pace and broke off into a run past the supposed streets of the city ruins.

Eventually, his feet stopped their frenzied run. This brought him to a stop in front of a corner between two towering structures. Seeing a window on one of the rocky structures, Kazuki nimbly jumped and rolled down inside the structure nearest him.

He still cannot believe what he saw. Moments ago, he saw horrors that should not exist in this world. Thinking about those things, Kazuki felt himself shudder a bit.

He scrambled for thoughts, but none really made sense. For now, the danger dissipated, and he had more time to collect himself.

This is something that could only make sense if he were in a work of fiction. Recalling all the things that he spent time reading and watching, Kazuki drew blanks except for one thing.

"Did I somehow die and get reincarnated in another word?"

Left pondering that question, Kazuki reached into his pocket. Feeling his smartphone and his wallet there and the fact that he is still in his school uniform opens the possibility that it was not the case.

Predictably, nothing special happened when he flicked his fingers together or tried drawing a magic circle in the air. 

"No powers, too..."

"Trucks cannot fit in Aria Alley's small passages, and I did not get struck by lightning, so those methods of getting waltzed into a fantasy world are out of the question," mulled the teen.

The daily life of being an ordinary high school sophomore certainly feels a lot better than this. What started out as a rather innocent investigation had taken a turn for the worse.

"Regardless, I have to get out of here quick."

He spoke with urgency as his nose continued getting assaulted by the smell of sulfur and smog. Ever since finding himself in this world, those stenches have not subsided one bit.

He had hoped that he would eventually desensitize himself, but it's not getting any better.

Finally getting up after the momentary break, he walked carefully and leaned against a dilapidated door several meters away from the window from which he entered. Placing his ear against the door, he confirmed that the place had gone quiet.

Seconds after the door let off a creaking sound, another unwelcome sound entered Kazuki's ears – the same growls and screeches that had trailed him for so long.

"Ah crap!"

They have been waiting. He could not determine where they were coming from exactly, but he knew that he had one way to go: forward, through the narrow roads and empty streets of the ruined city.

Wasting no time, Kazuki once again broke off into a run, his medium-length hair and bangs swaying as he ran full speed ahead.

He did not have a direction in mind, but the first thing he needed to do in order to regroup would be to get away from the immediate danger.

Strangely enough, the growling did not follow Kazuki after he went through the fourth corner in this labyrinth of a city.

He mostly focused on running, yet part of him cannot help but recall the events that led to this situation.

Kazuki's run through the city continued for what seemed like ages to the teen. Shuffling past the buildings and heading straight for the skyward tower that looked so far away, he felt himself slowly running low on stamina as he approached a clearing.

Then, his feet reflexively came to a screeching halt.

Surprised, Kazuki Arata's eyes widened at what stood in front of him.

A shadow towered over him just as he fell on his back out of reflex.

"You gotta be kidding me."

A loud screech followed as his mind replayed the events that occurred just hours ago. The saying goes that curiosity killed the cat. 

Who knew that such a truth would have taken such a cruel form at this point in time?