The flickering fluorescent lights in the Tokyo research lab played a dull hum that matched Kaito Shun's mundane existence. At just seventeen, he stood before a whiteboard filled with equations that would baffle most professors. To him, however, they were merely a fun challenge.
"Shun-kun, your calculations are... outstanding," remarked Professor Nakamura, studying the board closely. "You accomplished in three days what our team spent six months on."
Kaito bowed respectfully. "It simply required a different approach to the variables."
In reality, everything seemed too easy. He grabbed a marker and neatly resolved a gap in the professor's work that had puzzled the department for weeks, leaving Nakamura in awe.
"Incredible," the professor stuttered.
Kaito's smile was strained. While his parents beamed with pride over his accomplishments, they were more invested in the trophies he could earn than in him as a person.
"I need to go," Kaito said suddenly. "I have another appointment."
His appointment was with the only challenge that truly engaged him: "Lumenkin Chronicles," a full-dive VR game boasting infinite complexity and strategy that truly tested his intellect.
The train journey home was a blur, his mind already concocting battle strategies for the legendary S-rank Lumenkin, the Auriwren, which he had been pursuing for months. Tonight, he felt, was his best chance.
His apartment was immaculate, reflecting his parents' expectations, but in his room lay the realm of different possibilities. He entered his VR pod, and the world faded into digital static before crystallizing into the game's login screen.
"System check complete. Welcome back, LumenkinMaster," the AI announced.
He navigated the menus with focused intent, materializing in the Sunstone Ruins, a setting rich in detail and more vibrant than reality itself—a complexity that had captivated him.
Before him, the ruins beckoned, ancient stone structures wrapped in twilight. Kaito maneuvered his avatar cautiously, scanning for any sign of the elusive creature.
According to guides, the Auriwren was solar-powered and could only be captured during a specific celestial alignment. It required skill and deep knowledge of its habits; many presumed the special ritual was mere superstition. Kaito understood it was a hidden system waiting to be mastered.
Reaching the central chamber—the designated spot—he arranged mirror-lures per the guides' advice while incorporating adjustments based on his understanding of the game's light-refraction mechanics.
Then he waited.
Minutes turned into an hour, filled only by the sounds of crickets and the breeze that created a tense atmosphere. He held his breath, eager for any sign of movement.
Just as doubt began to creep into his mind, a flicker of gold drew his attention.
There, on a crumbling pillar, was the Auriwren—smaller than he had envisioned, no bigger than his hand. Her golden downy feathers and elegant crest filament pulsed softly with light, and her eyes sparkled with intelligence.
Kaito's heart raced. This was the moment he'd been preparing for—months of effort culminating to this point.
He began the three-beat melody, his fingers deftly dancing over the controls. The Auriwren cocked her head, responding to his rhythm with brightening light.
Maintaining unwavering concentration, he initiated the binding sequence as the game's sigils encircled her. Instead of fleeing, she approached, curious and unafraid.
The binding progress bar inched upward—25%... 40%... 65%...
Sweat trickled down his forehead. He was achieving what no one before had. The creature was now just inches away from his avatar's hand.
85%... 95%...
The Auriwren seemed to hesitate, her form shifting between the small bird and something grander, more radiant. For a fleeting moment, he glimpsed her "Ascended Form"—a humanoid with draconic features and fists composed of pure light.
99%...
The screen flashed white. The binding was successfully completed—she now belonged to him.
Kaito reclined in his pod, elation flooding through him. This was genuine achievement. He had succeeded where thousands had failed, conquering the game's most complex challenge.
The game displayed his capture statistics:
CAPTURE SUCCESSFUL
Lumenkin: Auriwren (S-Rank)
Binding Purity: 98.7%
Rating: Legendary
Kaito felt a satisfied grin spread across his face. He had done it. He gazed at the small creature on his status screen—she was his, and he named her Auri.
But as he lingered on her image, something strange began to occur. Her figure flickered, alternating between her normal shape and the Ascended Form, while the game graphics warped, colors running together.
"What the..." Kaito murmured, checking for diagnostics. Everything appeared normal.
The glitching grew more severe. To Kaito's astonishment, Auri seemed to connect with him through the screen, her eyes now bearing a sense of awareness.
A notification appeared, producing stark white text against the black backdrop:
LUMINADRIVE ACTIVATED
PREDICT 48% — AURIWREN SIGNATURE DETECTED
BIND-FRAMING SEQUENCE INITIATED
"What is happening?" he wondered, suspecting a hack was at play.
Before he could explore further, an intense golden light engulfed the pod. He squeezed his eyes shut, but the brilliance penetrated through. A peculiar sensation overwhelmed him, as if his atoms were being rearranged; a high-pitched ringing resounded in his teeth, and the air pressure changed dramatically. The familiar confines of his apartment vanished.
The last image he perceived before darkness engulfed him was Auri, now not just on his screen but floating before him, accompanied by a final message that etched itself into his mind:
REALITY SYNCHRONIZATION COMPLETE.
WELCOME, BINDER.
When Kaito regained consciousness, he found himself not in his pod. Instead, he lay on uneven stone beneath an enormous, distorted sky, colored purple with two moons. The scent of ozone mixed with flowers filled the air.
He slowly sat up, taking in the ruins around him, eerily similar to those in the game but more tangible and weathered. Stone pillars reached up to the sky, adorned with shifting symbols.
"This can't be real," he whispered.
A chirp caught his attention. There, perched upon a nearby pillar, was Auri. But she had transitioned from game character to reality, her feathers rustling in the genuine breeze.
As Kaito gazed at her, an odd hum resonated in his consciousness. Text scrolled across his vision, a stark white overlay against the purple sky.
LUMENLOG — VAN: N/A
Binder: Kaito Shun | Rank: F | Region: Unknown
Lumen Day #: 1 | Time: 06:23
Encounter: Auriwren (S-Rank)
[GENDER: FEMALE]
Outcome: Captured
Notes: First bond successful. LuminaDrive active.
Luxflow: 0
Signature: Pending
"Binder?" he said aloud, confused by the unfamiliar terms displayed—Van, Luxflow—those he'd never encountered in the game.
Auri chirped again and hopped to a nearby pillar, drawing Kaito's attention.
He blinked at her, his mind struggling to grasp the reality of the situation. Surely this was just a dream. But the solidity of the stone, the authenticity of the air, and the palpable fear in his heart all felt unsettlingly real.
"Where am I?" he asked the empty air.
The LuminaDrive pulsed in his mind, bringing new text to light:
LOCATION: BLACK SPRAWL, SECTOR 7-GAMMA.
AMBIENT LUMEN LEVELS: 12% (CRITICAL).
CYCLE: DAY.
TIME UNTIL NIGHTFALL: 4 HOURS 32 MINUTES.
Kaito's breath caught. The Black Sprawl? What was happening? That was merely a relic from the game's lore, a cataclysm from millennia past. This was not a game mechanic; the world he'd known revolved around tournaments, not... this.
Auri chirped more insistently, then took to the air, flying in a particular direction.
Before Kaito could decide whether to follow, the LuminaDrive pinged once more.
NEW OBJECTIVE: TUTORIAL - SURVIVAL UNTIL NIGHTFALL.
The task list appeared swiftly.
PRIMARY TASK: ESTABLISH SHELTER.
SECONDARY TASK: LOCATE LIGHT SOURCE.
TERTIARY TASK: ASSESS LUMENKIN COMPANION STATUS.
His anxiety warred with a newfound clarity. There were rules, a system to navigate. Mastering systems was his specialty.
"Alright," he said, his voice firmer now. "Let's establish shelter."
He stood, slightly shaky on his feet, still in his school attire, now dust-streaked.
Auri briefly flew ahead, then circled back, chirping as if urging him to catch up.
With limited options, Kaito followed her, his mind kicking into gear. He was a prodigy at problem-solving, and this new world, with its bizarre rules and looming threats, was the ultimate puzzle.
As he chased after the glowing creature, the LuminaDrive flashed one final notification:
WARNING: NOCTURNAL ACTIVITY INCREASES 300% AT NIGHTFALL.
MAY YOUR LIGHT BURN BRIGHT, BINDER.
The sun set on Kaito Shun's former life. A new chapter was about to unfold.
And in a corner of his mind, a thought crystallized: *Game on.*