Chapter Text
The sky above Tristain Academy was a bruised canvas of indigo and violet, the last traces of twilight clinging to the horizon. The cold, crisp air whispered through the narrow cobbled streets as the young mages made their way toward the center of the campus. The evening was still, with no sign of the chaotic storm that would soon tear through the academy. For now, it was a quiet, peaceful night—one that would mark the beginning of something extraordinary.
In the center of the courtyard, under the towering spires of the academy, Louise de La Vallière stood alone, clutching the summoning scroll in her trembling hands. She was surrounded by the stone battlements that framed the courtyard, lit by the faint glow of the torches. The faint hum of magical energy in the air seemed to vibrate with anticipation. Louise had tried to summon a familiar before—many times, in fact—but each attempt had failed. Every time, the summoning circle would fizzle out, leaving her with nothing but frustration and the sting of humiliation.
But tonight was different. Tonight, Louise felt a strange sense of urgency—a pull, as if the world itself was aligning to guide her. She could not explain it, but she knew this time would work. This time, she would succeed.
With a resolute breath, she unrolled the scroll and muttered the incantation under her breath. Her words rang out, echoing through the quiet night as she focused all of her magical energy into the spell.
The wind began to pick up, howling as if in response. The ground beneath her feet trembled. The magic pulsed, stronger and stronger, until it felt as though the very fabric of the world was bending. Louise's heart raced as she poured every ounce of her magical power into the spell, her face flushed with the effort. And then, with a blinding flash of light, the air seemed to crack open.
The sky above the academy darkened, the storm clouds swirling unnaturally, gathering around the summoning circle. Louise's heart skipped a beat as the ground shook violently beneath her. The magical surge was uncontrollable now, and it was all she could do to stand her ground, eyes wide in disbelief.
In an instant, the world seemed to warp, and then—thud. A figure crashed into the ground at her feet.
For a moment, there was silence.
Louise blinked, her heart pounding in her chest. She could scarcely believe what she was seeing. At her feet lay a boy, no older than herself, unconscious and covered in dark, unrecognizable armor. His jet-black hair was disheveled, his face hidden beneath the shadow of a hood. The summoning circle was still glowing faintly, the magic fizzling around the boy as if trying to stabilize itself.
Her mouth went dry. This was… this was not a familiar. This was not what she had intended.
The boy stirred, his gloved hand twitching slightly, and Louise took a cautious step back, unsure of what to do. She had never summoned a person—only magical creatures or beings bound by the laws of this world.
"Who are you?" she muttered to herself, her voice barely audible above the wind.
The boy groaned, lifting his head, and Louise's breath hitched in her throat. His dark eyes, sharp and intense, locked onto hers. His expression was one of confusion, but there was no fear. Only a calm, measured determination—like someone who had faced danger a thousand times before.
"What… where am I?" the boy murmured, his voice rough, as if it hadn’t been used in a while.
The words felt foreign, as if they didn’t belong to this world.
"Wait—" Louise began, but she froze as a sudden, blinding light flared from the boy’s body, surrounding him like an ethereal aura. She took a step back, watching in awe and confusion as the magic swirled around him, intensifying. Her breath caught in her throat, her mind racing.
This is no ordinary familiar.
Before she could process what was happening, another figure appeared from the light—a woman, strong and composed, her long auburn hair cascading around her shoulders. Her eyes were soft but full of concern as they met Louise’s.
The woman knelt beside the boy, her gaze flickering to Louise with an expression of shock and confusion.
“What is this place?” the woman asked, her voice calm but with an edge of urgency. “What happened to us?”
"Wait," Louise stammered. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"
The boy slowly pushed himself to his feet, his hand brushing off the dirt and debris. His eyes darted to the sky above, scanning their surroundings with a practiced, cautious gaze. Then, without warning, his hand reached to his side, where a sword would have been, but found nothing.
“Not good…” he muttered under his breath. "Asuna... I think we’re no longer in the game."
The woman, Asuna, looked at him, her expression grave. “What do you mean? What game?”
“This… isn’t our world,” the boy—Kirito—said, his eyes narrowing as he scanned their surroundings. “We’ve been transported to a whole different reality. A world of magic.”
Asuna’s gaze softened as she looked around at the unfamiliar environment, the towering spires, the magic-infused architecture of the academy. “But… how? And why?”
Before either could answer, a voice rang out from behind them. “You two are not supposed to be here.”
Louise spun around to see a group of academy staff, including an older man in a formal robe, his gaze sharp as he eyed the newcomers warily. His presence radiated authority, and his tone suggested that this unexpected arrival was far from a coincidence.
“You’ve broken the laws of magic,” the man continued. “And summoned two people from another world. You’ll have to come with us.”
Kirito and Asuna exchanged a look, understanding the weight of the situation, but neither seemed intimidated. The woman stepped forward, her eyes never leaving the staff.
“We don’t even know how we got here,” Asuna said firmly, her voice calm and unwavering. “We need answers.”
Louise stood frozen, caught between curiosity and fear. These strangers were not like the summoned familiars she had read about in her books. They were something else entirely, something beyond the magic she knew.
“Who are they?” Louise finally managed to ask, her voice trembling with both awe and uncertainty.
“They are…” Kirito began, his voice steady. “...strangers to your world. But we need to figure out how we got here, and how to get back to where we belong.”
Louise couldn’t help but feel a strange tug in her chest. This is just the beginning, she thought. But something tells me that these strangers... could change everything.