I never liked touching people.
It wasn't because I hated them.
And it wasn't because I was scared of getting hurt.
It was because whenever my skin met theirs, I saw things I wasn't meant to see.
Things that hadn't happened yet.
That morning felt ordinary—too ordinary, considering what would follow.
Rain tapped softly against the window of my room, a quiet rhythm that matched my breathing. My parents had already left for work. The house was silent, just the way I liked it.
I sat on my bed, staring at my hands.
Nothing strange today, I told myself. Just another normal day.
Then I noticed it.
A white envelope lay neatly on my desk.
My heart skipped.
I was sure it hadn't been there before.
No footsteps.
No sound of a door opening.
No reason for it to exist.
Slowly, I stood up and stepped closer.
The envelope was plain, with no stamp and no sender's name. Only one thing was written on it—my name.
Perfectly spelled.
Perfectly centered.
I swallowed.
Don't touch it.
That warning rose inside me instantly, the same feeling I always got before a vision. A quiet pressure behind my eyes. A dull ache in my chest.
I should have listened.
But curiosity is a dangerous thing.
My fingers brushed the envelope.
The world shattered.
My vision darkened, then exploded into fragments of light.
—Cherry blossoms falling endlessly from a gray sky.
—A girl standing alone beneath them, clutching a letter with trembling hands.
—Tears slipping down her face, even though she was smiling.
Why…?
Pain stabbed through my head. I gasped and collapsed to the floor, my back hitting the desk.
The vision vanished as suddenly as it came.
I stayed there, breathing heavily, my heart racing like I'd run a marathon.
"…That wasn't supposed to happen," I whispered.
Usually, my visions came from touching people—not objects.
Slowly, I pushed myself up.
The envelope had opened on its own.
Inside was a single black card.
I hesitated… then read.
To the one who sees tomorrow's regrets,
You have been selected.
Report to Astral Academy at the start of the spring term.
Do not refuse.
Do not tell anyone.
My hands trembled.
"What… is this?"
At the bottom of the card was a symbol—an unfamiliar crest that seemed to shimmer when I stared at it too long.
I looked away quickly.
Astral Academy.
I'd never heard of it.
And yet… my chest felt tight, as if some part of me already knew the name.
I sat back on my bed, staring at the letter.
If this was a prank, it was cruel.
If it was real…
"…I just wanted a quiet life."
Outside, the rain began to fall harder.
I didn't know it yet, but this letter wasn't inviting me to a school.
It was dragging me into a future where every touch would hurt—
and every bond would cost something precious.
And somewhere ahead of me…
Someone was already waiting.