Prologue – Isekai Time

Snap

Cain sat at his cluttered desk, his smartphone capturing the image of the book he had just finished reading. With nimble fingers, he deftly tapped out a message on his screen.

(Loved this new book, "Tales of Dragonwyrm Academy." Wish I could meet the author.)

"Annnddd post, perfect."

Cain stretched his lean frame as he uploaded the new post to his Inst*gram account. He couldn't help but wonder about the enigmatic author of the book. Why did they use a pen name, and HeWaY, of all names? It added an element of intrigue to the whole experience. His followers, numbering in the thousands, often speculated about the identity behind the pseudonym.

"Well, whatever, thinking about it too hard won't solve anything."

Cain put the mysterious author aside and focused on the task at hand. He finished brushing his dark black hair, smoothed out his stylish black jacket over a plain white tee, and adjusted his ripped jeans. To maintain his anonymity when he ventured outside, he also put on a mask and a pair of sleek sunglasses.

"Time to go to the fan signing event, I guess. Good thing it's close."

Deciding to be proactive, Cain set out toward his fan signing event a couple of hours ahead of schedule. He wanted to ensure he had ample time for preparation and to account for any potential delays.

With his apartment securely locked, he embarked on a leisurely stroll towards the event venue. On the way, a sign caught his eye.

"(Hot Chocolate 25% off!!!)"

"Ooh, hot cocoa! Might as well get some on the way." Cain made a quick detour to a small hot chocolate stand and ordered a small one to go.

slurp

"Ahhh, nothing is better than hot cocoa in the winter." Cain savored each sip as he let out a contented sigh.

"One hot chocolate, please!"

Cain heard someone's cheerful voice behind him, placing an order at the stand. Turning around, he saw a petite woman with a cascade of dark brown hair, donning brown mittens, a blue overcoat, and a bright red scarf.

"Thank you, have a nice day!"

The woman received her drink with a beaming smile and held a book in her free hand. After taking a sip of her hot chocolate, she promptly continued on her way.

"What an eccentric girl," Cain mused, both amused and intrigued, as he finished his drink and resumed his journey in the same direction. As he walked alone, he eventually reached a crosswalk situated right in front of the event venue.

thump

"Ahh!" The woman let out a surprised exclamation as she bumped into someone, inadvertently spilling her hot chocolate.

"You b*tch!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she repeatedly apologized in distress, frantically trying to blot the spilled drink from the person's clothes.

"Just leave me alone!" The man shouted angrily, pushing her away. Startled and shaken, the dark-haired woman stumbled backward, falling onto the pavement.

From a distance, Cain observed the unfolding scene and immediately sprang into action, rushing to assist her. Unbeknownst to him, he failed to notice that the traffic lights had shifted colors.

"Hey, are you all right?" Cain asked, crouching down to offer his help.

"Mhm," she replied in a muffled voice.

"Alright, good. Let's get you off this crosswalk, okay?" Cain gently lifted her into his arms, carefully carrying her to safety away from the bustling street. However, just as he was guiding her to the sidewalk, she abruptly twisted in his grasp, shouting, "Wait, my book!" She darted back toward the center of the crosswalk to retrieve her precious book.

"Hey, look out!" Cain shouted in alarm, racing back to her.

CRASH

Out of nowhere, a massive truck thundered down the street, hurtling straight toward Cain and the woman.

"Did... they... truck?"

"Are... okay?"

"Someone call 911!"

Cain crawled over to where the dark-haired woman lay, holding her tightly in his arms. His vision came and went as he drifted in and out of consciousness.

"Damnit, screw you truck-kun."

Despite his courageous intentions to save the woman from harm, fate had different plans, and Cain found himself lying there, clutching her as his hazy vision slowly faded into nothingness.