It had been two days since Takeshi stepped into that strange part of Nehvarra — the place where the ground shimmered like glass and the wind whispered in broken words. Even now, back in the real world, he could still feel the chill of that place.
He stared at the window of his classroom. The sun was warm, and the sky was clear, but something inside him was shifting. Like a thread had been pulled loose.
"Asami…" he mumbled.
She sat two rows ahead. Quiet. Sharp. Always scribbling things in her notebook no one ever saw.
She hadn't spoken to him much since their last dream. But she looked… distracted. Nervous, maybe. Her fingers tapped on her desk in a slow, steady beat, like counting something.
"Hey," said Rei, leaning over to Takeshi's desk. "You been out of it lately. Still thinking about that 'other world' stuff?"
Takeshi nodded slightly. "There's something going on there. Something big."
Rei raised an eyebrow. "You're not saying we're, like, chosen heroes or something, right?"
Takeshi chuckled. "I wish it was that simple."
---
That night, Nehvarra called again.
He didn't fall asleep. He was dragged in.
He woke up standing near a massive stone gate. It looked ancient — older than anything he had seen in this world. Runes lined the edge, glowing a soft blue. The gate was slightly open, just enough for the wind to slip through and whisper things no one should hear.
He stepped forward.
"You shouldn't be here."
A soft voice. Cold, like a winter breeze.
Takeshi turned.
Asami stood behind him, her silver hair flowing in the wind. Her eyes glowed faintly — not with fear, but with warning.
"I didn't choose to come," Takeshi said. "The Drift brought me."
Asami looked at the gate. "That's the Forgotten Gate. Once it opens, things change. People lose parts of themselves."
"Is that what happened to you?" he asked.
She didn't answer. Instead, she stepped forward and pressed her hand against the stone. The gate shook slightly. A faint hum rose in the air.
"This gate leads to one of the Hidden Courts," she said quietly. "Places that even the high factions avoid. If your Drift brought you here, it means…"
"It means I'm being pulled into something deeper," Takeshi finished.
Asami looked at him. "You should be scared."
"I am," he said honestly. "But I can't stop now."
---
Back in the real world, Takeshi woke up with a headache. He reached for his notebook and wrote everything he could remember.
Gate. Runes. Wind. Asami. Hidden Court.
He drew the shape of the gate, trying to remember the runes. But halfway through, his hand froze. One of the symbols he drew… it glowed faintly on the paper.
He blinked. Looked again.
Nothing.
Just ink.
But he could still feel the hum.
His phone buzzed. A message from Rei.
"Meet me after school. I need to show you something. It's about Nehvarra."
Takeshi stared at the message.
The real world was starting to feel just as strange.
And Nehvarra… was no longer just a dream.