Year 1000. Morning dew clung to the emerald leaves of a lonely, sprawling forest. The early spring sunlight pierced through the dense canopy, casting fragmented shadows over two young figures wandering aimlessly through the thicket.
"How did we end up here? And more importantly... where exactly is 'here'?" Renne murmured, her voice laced with a tremor of worry as she looked at her surroundings.
Haruto scratched the back of his head, his dark eyes sweeping the unfamiliar tree line. "I have no idea. But for some reason... this place feels oddly familiar. It's like a strange déjà vu."
Both of them were battered and bruised, their clothes torn and stained, bearing the fresh, heavy toll of a desperate battle they had only just survived. Before the silence of the woods could swallow them again, the deep, resonant chime of a bell echoed through the trees.
"Renne, let's follow the sound," Haruto said, his gaze sharpening. "It's the only lead we have."
She nodded, following closely behind him. They navigated the dense undergrowth until the foliage broke, bringing them face-to-face with a lone figure waiting in the clearing. He was a young man with striking white hair, and his deep blue eyes held a disarming charm capable of winning over almost anyone.
"Hey there. You two look like you've had a remarkably long journey... if my assumption is correct," the unknown boy said, his tone light but observant.
Haruto and Renne froze, remaining guarded and silent.
"Ah! My apologies, I should have started with introductions," the boy laughed softly. "I am Luke Anderson, General of T.S.R.E. But please, just call me Luke."
Haruto slowly lowered his guard, sensing no immediate malice. "I... I am Haruto Yagami. And she is Renne Ryuuki. What do you want from us?"
"Well, looking at the state of you two, what you need most is rest," Luke said, flashing a gentle, welcoming smile. "With injuries like those, you won't last long out here. Why don't you come back to my department? I can explain everything to you once you're safe."
Renne and Haruto exchanged a fleeting, cautious glance. They had no other options.
"Okay. We'll go," Haruto agreed.
"Great! Follow me."
Luke led them out of the forest edge, where a heavily armed perimeter came into view. Dozens of soldiers, clad in advanced, high-tech weaponry, were sweeping the area as if hunting for an anomaly.
"Hey!" Luke called out to the guards. "I found these two injured in the woods. Whatever 'it' was, it probably attacked them. Continue your search—I'll take them with me. I've known them since childhood."
The lie slipped from his tongue effortlessly. He ushered the bewildered pair into his sleek, armored vehicle, driving them away from the wilderness and toward the imposing, high-tech fortress of the T.S.R.E. Headquarters.
Inside the facility's pristine infirmary, the scent of antiseptic hung in the air.
"Jeane, will you treat them?" Luke asked a tall, pale woman in a crisp doctor's coat.
"Why not? It is my duty, after all," the blonde woman replied unenthusiastically.
She turned around, her clipboard in hand, but the moment her eyes landed on Haruto, she stopped dead in her tracks. Despite his injuries, his tall frame, dark hair, and striking facial features caught her completely off guard. A fierce blush crept up her pale cheeks.
"Hey, Haruto, why don't you take your shirt off so she can check your wounds better?" Luke chimed in, a highly mischievous smirk dancing on his lips.
"W-Wait! Not right now! I... I will send my male assistant in!" Jeane stammered, flustered as she practically fled the room.
Haruto chuckled nervously, but a sudden, chilling sensation crept down his spine. He slowly turned his head to see Renne glaring at him with a ferocious, predatory intensity.
"Looks like someone's having fun, huh?" she whispered darkly.
"A-Ah, it's not what you think!" Haruto smiled awkwardly, doing his best to calm the brewing storm.
Once patched up and bandaged, the duo stepped out of the infirmary to find Luke waiting in the corridor. He was in the middle of a serious conversation regarding new recruits, but the moment he saw them, he dismissed the officer.
"Looks like both of you are in much better shape," Luke noted.
"Yeah. Thanks to you, Gen—oh, right... Luke," Haruto corrected himself with an awkward smile, remembering Luke's preference for casual titles.
"If you're feeling up to it, I can finally explain your current situation to you."
"Yes, we'd really like to hear it," Renne said, her voice laced with anticipation.
The trio walked through a series of heavy security doors until they reached Luke's personal office. It was a spacious, elegantly designed room. Off to the side sat a polished tea table arranged for six, and on his main work desk rested a small, framed photograph of three children—two boys and one girl.
"Your childhood friends?" Haruto asked, noticing the photo.
"Yes. Though we don't meet very often these days," Luke replied, a subtle tone of melancholy slipping into his voice.
He gestured for them to sit at the tea table, pouring them cups of fragrant, steaming tea alongside a plate of colorful macaroons.
M-mmm, this is amazing, Renne thought as she took a bite.
"Thanks, Renne-san. I brewed it myself," Luke smiled.
"This is incredible! I've never had anything like this," Haruto praised, taking a slow sip. The macaroons were equally divine.
"I'm glad you like it. Now, to describe your current situation..." Luke's expression turned serious. "You are currently standing in the Holy Kingdom of Eshtarath."
He explained why he had been in the forest. The department's sensors had detected highly unusual space-time fluctuations in that exact sector. The higher-ups assumed a malicious creature had breached their world, teleporting in without passing through a 'Holy Gate.'
"What exactly is a Holy Gate?"
"Ah. You see, Haruto-san, the gods who crafted this place also enveloped it in a massive barrier known as 'Eshtarath's Umbrella.' It protects us, shielding the kingdom from the outside. The Holy Gates are the only permitted way to pass through that barrier."
"I feel like the more you explain, the more confused I get," Haruto admitted, furrowing his brow.
"Then let us start from the very beginning," Luke said softly.
He began to weave the ancient history of their world. He spoke of a time long before the concept of time even held meaning, when a supreme being emerged from the void and birthed new lifeforms called the 'Alkhalidas.' There were six in total. Five were given absolute authority over the fundamental elements. The sixth was Eshtarath, the absolute epitome of beauty.
The supreme being, whom history simply remembers as 'Him,' fell deeply in love with Eshtarath. In his joy, 'Him' created humanity, shaping them in the image of what he imagined their children would look like.
"But true happiness rarely lasts forever," Luke murmured.
A new entity, a dark reflection possessing power rivaling 'Him,' emerged from the nothingness. People called him 'Nero.' Nero craved control over the newly forged world, and above all, he coveted Eshtarath. A devastating, blood-soaked war raged across the heavens for thousands of years. 'Him' eventually emerged victorious, but the cost was absolute—Eshtarath perished in the crossfire.
Humanity was driven to the brink of extinction. In his grief, 'Him' commanded the five remaining Alkhalidas to build this sanctuary to protect the surviving humans, ensuring his beloved's name would be remembered until the end of time.
"Whoa... that's so beautiful, yet so tragic," Renne whispered, deeply moved by the mythos.
"The story isn't over yet," Luke continued. "The Alkhalidas bestowed their divine authority upon five great spirits, the 'Samants.' They reigned over five distinct kingdoms, eventually passing the burden of rule down to chosen royal families. You are currently in the Capital of Garlack, a domain under the watchful eye of the Earth Samant."
Haruto absorbed the weight of the history, resting his teacup on the saucer. "That explains the world. But it doesn't explain you. Why save us? If we bypassed this barrier of yours, aren't we considered a threat?"
Luke stood up slowly, walking over to the massive glass window overlooking the sprawling cityscape. The majestic Palace of Garlack loomed in the distance.
"I have been a General for over six years," Luke said, his reflection ghosting against the glass. "At first, I looked up to the royal family. But times change, and so does perspective. They say to uncover the darkness, one must first step into it. Think of my actions today as a calculated risk for the greater good of this kingdom."
Haruto took another slow sip of his tea, his eyes sharp over the rim of the cup. "Okay. But how can we be of any use to you? We're outlanders."
"I can't reveal the depths of my plan until you agree to my proposal. So, what do you say?"
Haruto gently placed his cup down. His youthful innocence vanished for a brief second, replaced by a cold, calculating seriousness. "Do we even have a choice?"
"Well said, Haruto," Luke smiled, returning to his seat to grab his cup. "Ah, my tea has already gone cold."
Without breaking eye contact, the liquid inside Luke's cup began to steam, boiling back to a perfect temperature in mere seconds.
"How did you do that?!" Renne asked, leaning forward eagerly.
"Let's save the magic lessons for tomorrow, shall we? For now, let's discuss our arrangement."
Luke outlined the perilous edges of his plan. Haruto and Renne listened intently, absorbing the gravity of what was being asked of them.
"We agree to the plan," Haruto said finally. "But I have one question."
"What is it, Haruto-kun?"
"If we were to betray you... if we decided to harm this kingdom... what would you do?"
Luke turned fully toward them. His genial smile remained, but his aura grew suffocatingly confident. "I would be there to stop you, Haruto-kun."
A tense, heavy silence settled over the room, an unspoken acknowledgment of power passing between them.
"Well, then! Everything is sorted," Renne interjected, shattering the tension. "Should we head to our room now?"
Both Luke and Haruto agreed, and the General escorted them to the living quarters.
"W-Why is there only one room?!"
Renne's embarrassed shriek echoed down the corridor. Her face burned even hotter when she pushed the door open to reveal a single, moderately sized bed.
"Why is there only one bed?!"
Luke flashed a mischievous grin from the doorway. "We're currently a bit short on vacant rooms. You'll just have to manage. Goodnight, you two!"
He closed the door behind him, his faint giggling fading down the hall.
Left alone, the atmosphere grew thick with a sudden, suffocating shyness. Haruto rubbed the back of his neck, unable to meet her eyes. "R-Renne-san, you can go take a bath first if you want. I'll go after you."
"O-Okay, Haruto-kun."
Renne hurried into the washroom. The warm water worked wonders, washing away the grime and exhaustion of their harrowing day, leaving her feeling human again.
When it was Haruto's turn, he stepped into the steamy room and slowly removed his ruined clothes. As he stood under the light, his lean, highly muscular frame was laid bare—crisscrossed with numerous faded and fresh scars. They were the silent, violent testaments of a seasoned warrior who had endured a tragedy far beyond his apparent years.
When he finally stepped out, towel-drying his hair, the reality of their sleeping arrangement set in.
"A-Are we really going to sleep in the same bed?" Renne asked, her voice muffled and flustered.
"I-I can just sleep on the floor," Haruto offered quickly.
"N-No! You don't have to do that... just, fine. Sleep beside me," Renne mumbled, pulling the blanket up to cover the lower half of her burning red face.
Haruto carefully slipped beneath the covers, keeping a respectful distance. The silence stretched for a few minutes before his demeanor shifted entirely, dropping the shy facade.
"Renne. I have something we need to discuss."
"W-What is it?"
"It's about the portal," Haruto whispered, his voice dropping to a serious, barely audible register.
Under the cover of darkness, Haruto quietly outlined his true intentions, mapping out the crucial steps they needed to take to survive this new world and achieve their real goal.
"So that's your plan..." Renne breathed.
"Yes. I know it's incredibly dangerous. But given our situation, it's the only way."
Renne reached out under the sheets, her fingers gently wrapping around his scarred hand. In the dim moonlight filtering through the window, her purple eyes sparkled with unwavering resolve.
"Don't worry," she whispered softly. "I have absolute faith in you."