Morning had arrived, but the sun was nowhere to be seen. The sky was draped in heavy, dark clouds—rain was definitely on its way.
"What month is it even?"
A girl with long black hair and round glasses sat at a bus stop, waiting. She clutched several thick books to her chest, a small bag slung over her shoulder. She had been waiting for nearly thirty minutes, and the bus was nowhere in sight. Her patience was wearing thin.
"Aya, why didn't you leave earlier?" she muttered to herself, regretting her timing now that it seemed the bus wasn't coming at all.
Sighing, Aya stood up. She decided to walk to campus, but her luck didn't hold out for long.
As if the darkening clouds were an omen, Aya ran straight into a group of men armed with blades. Among the five of them stood a mysterious hooded figure. Aya froze, her heart hammering against her ribs. She stared at them, terrified and confused.
"Who are you?" she asked, her feet instinctively shuffling backward.
They didn't answer. Suddenly, the hooded figure lunged at her with blinding speed, the others following close behind.
"Stop!"
Thud! Thud!
Their cold sneers sent shivers down her spine. Paralyzed by fear, she finally turned and bolted, screaming for help.
"Help! Someone, please!"
Strangely, the streets were deserted. No pedestrians, no cars—it was as if the city had been emptied, leaving her utterly alone.
"Dad! Mom!"
She screamed for her parents, but it was futile; her house was miles away. Aya kept running until her lungs burned. Her lack of stamina quickly took its toll, and her focus began to slip.
"Ouch!"
She tripped over her own feet and slammed face-first onto the pavement. The assassins closed in, raising their axes, the sharpened steel glinting menacingly.
Aya trembled violently, closing her eyes as terror took hold. She thought this was the end of her miserable life.
Tap.
Aya expected the strike, but instead, she heard a different set of footsteps.
Who?
Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked back. Standing there was a man with blonde hair, though the tips of each strand were pitch black. He wore a sharp formal suit and dark sunglasses.
Despite the shades, Aya caught a glimpse of his striking, mismatched eyes: one sapphire blue, the other a bright cat-like yellow. She was mesmerized, and strangely, her fear evaporated in an instant.
CRASH! BOOM!
"GYAAAAA!!"
Ear-piercing screams erupted from the assassins. A powerful shockwave followed the man's iron-fisted strike. Aya blinked in disbelief. She scrambled up from the ground and looked back.
"They're all... down?"
Not only were the assassins blown away, but the asphalt itself was cratered. The road was unnaturally demolished.
"Just from a punch? How can a punch destroy the whole street?" Aya whispered, stunned.
Hearing her voice, the man turned. Aya immediately felt a wave of nervousness and embarrassment. He was incredibly handsome, even with those unique eyes hidden behind sunglasses.
"I didn't expect to run into a weak, ugly girl like you."
"Huh?"
Her admiration vanished instantly. The man stared at her with furrowed brows, his expression mocking.
"What did you just say?"
Aya's first impression of him: Zero. Imperfect, annoying, rude—the list went on.
Fuming at being called weak and ugly, she clenched her fists and glared. She stepped right up to the blonde man, standing on her tiptoes to look him in the eye.
"How dare you call me ugly! Okay, fine, I'm weak—that's a fact—but listen here! I am NOT that ugly!" she shrieked, indignant.
"Who cares. Anyway, take this."
He reached into his suit pocket and handed her a small card. The name on it read: Slacard Fickliet – Bodyguard Family.
"Fi?" Aya stared at the card, puzzled.
"I'm part of a family of bodyguards. Since you're weak, you obviously need protection, don't you?"
After dropping the card and the insult, he turned to walk away.
He hadn't gone far when one of the attackers stirred. It was the mysterious hooded figure. The figure raised both hands, and the blonde man snapped his head back, sensing something.
"What now?"
Aya's fear returned. The figure began chanting, and strange glowing runes manifested in the air. Seconds later, a massive magic circle erupted on the ground, glowing a deep, blood-red hue.
Realizing something was wrong, the man sprinted toward Aya, who was standing right in the center of the circle. But he was too late.
A violent gust of wind surged from beneath them, and their world turned blindingly white.
The moment Aya opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was the face of a blonde-haired man. Even though he was wearing dark sunglasses, she could tell they were locked in a direct gaze.
That was when it hit her—she was pinned right on top of him.
"Wh—?! Where am I?" Aya shrieked, spiraling into a blind panic. She scrambled to her feet, heart racing as she scanned her surroundings. There was nothing but forest in every direction.
A chilling realization washed over them: this was not their world. The air felt crisp and fresh, yet the silence of the woods carried a sense of dread.
"Hah... too late." The man in sunglasses let out a sharp, frustrated sigh. He hauled himself up and, without another word, began to walk away.
"Wa-wait! Where are you going?" Aya ran after him, grabbing his sleeve.
"Look, this isn't my problem anymore. I don't know where we are either. Bye!" He coldly brushed her off and kept walking.
"Wait! I don't want to be alone! I want to go home! Take me back! Please!" Aya jumped in front of him, blocking his path, her eyes welling with tears.
"I told you, I don't know where this is. Go find someone else to help you," he said, indifferent.
Aya gasped. In a moment of desperation, she pulled out the business card he had just given her.
"Fine then! I'm hiring you! I'll hire you as my bodyguard! I'll pay you once I get home safely—in one piece!"
The man, who clearly had an interest in money, let out a smirk.
"You sure you can afford me?"
"I can! I'm rich, you know!" Aya shouted confidently. She took a breath, turned her head, and muttered under her breath, "...Maybe."