Haruto's life was nothing special. He spent his days at university, attending lectures, studying for exams, and gaming in his free time. He had friends, though none he considered close, and his family was decent, if a little overbearing. It was a simple life.
That was, until the day everything changed.
It began like any other, with Haruto eating his usual breakfast of toast and eggs. As he grabbed his bag to head out to class, a sudden blinding light filled the room. It wasn't like the sun streaming through the windows—this light felt… unnatural.
Before he could react, the world around him twisted. The walls of his dormitory dissolved into swirling colors, and the ground beneath his feet disappeared, as though he was falling through an endless void. He tried to scream, but no sound came. Panic surged through him as he felt the world slip away.
Then, as suddenly as it had started, everything stopped.
Haruto blinked, his mind spinning. He was no longer in his dormitory. In fact, he wasn't even in his world anymore.
The sky was a deep shade of violet, and towering mountains stretched into the distance, their peaks hidden by clouds. Around him was an unfamiliar forest, its trees covered in strange glowing moss. He was standing in a lush clearing, the air thick with an unfamiliar scent of herbs and magic.
"What… happened?" Haruto muttered to himself.
A figure stepped out from the shadows. A tall man with silver hair and piercing blue eyes, dressed in armor adorned with strange symbols. His expression was unreadable, but there was a coldness in his gaze that sent a shiver down Haruto's spine.
"You're awake," the man said, his voice deep and commanding. "You must come with me."
Haruto opened his mouth to speak, but the words stuck in his throat. His mind was racing. Was this some kind of dream? A game? Had he been drugged?
"Who are you?" Haruto finally managed to ask, his voice trembling.
The man didn't answer right away. Instead, he studied Haruto closely, as though evaluating him.
"The Exiled Hero has returned."
Haruto frowned. "Exiled… Hero? What are you talking about?"
The man's expression softened, though not by much. "You've been gone for a long time. The kingdom has suffered in your absence."
"Kingdom? I… I don't understand."
The silver-haired man sighed and stepped closer, his hand resting on the hilt of a sword that looked like it had seen many battles. "You were betrayed, Haruto Sakamoto. You were once the savior of this world, but you were cast aside. Now, you must rise again."
Haruto's head spun. What was going on? He was just an ordinary student, not a hero of any kind. Was this some kind of elaborate joke?
But something in the man's words struck a chord within him. The name "Haruto Sakamoto" felt strangely familiar. And the way the man had said it… like it was something important.
"Come with me," the man repeated, extending a hand. "There is much to explain, but you must trust me if you wish to survive in Yurelia."
Haruto hesitated for a moment, the weight of the decision pressing down on him. He didn't know where he was, who this man was, or what had happened. But a strange force, an unexplainable pull, urged him to follow.
He took the man's hand.
And thus, his journey into the unknown began.