See vers

The trio slowly regained consciousness. The first thing Fren noticed was the soft, uncomfortable sensation of a chair's rope tying him in place. He blinked, his mind slowly catching up to reality. He looked around in confusion. He was in some sort of stage-like room, a theater, or at least it looked like one, except there was no audience. Just a few scattered lights illuminating the space.

Fren: (struggling against the ropes, voice groggy) "Did we get kidnapped? Am I in a hostage situation? Is this a bad dream?"

Kai: (grumbling from the seat next to him) "If this is a dream, I want a refund. It's not even a cool dream."

The girl, Aria, was sitting calmly in a chair across from them, watching them with an expression that didn't seem to faze her.

Aria: (casually) "You're awake. Took you long enough."

Fren: (still panicking) "Are we dead? Is this the afterlife? I don't know if I'm ready for this, I didn't even fill out a bucket list."

Kai: (looking around, deadpan) "If this is the afterlife, I'm pretty disappointed. Thought it'd be a little more... well, heavenly."

Fren: (exasperated) "What's happening here? The monsters, the fight, the weird dimension?"

Aria: (smiling faintly) "One of us defeated the monster, and now we're back. Simple."

Fren: "One of us defeated—WHAT? I didn't do anything! I was knocked out the whole time!"

Aria: (shrugging) "Guess you'll never know."

Before Fren could protest, the sound of footsteps echoed from the shadows, and a figure emerged into the light. The man was tall, with strikingly beautiful features and eyes that seemed to gleam with an otherworldly glow.

Kai: (whistling low) "Okay, if this guy isn't a magician, I'll eat my hat."

Fren: "Who… who are you?"

The man smiled, seemingly amused by their reactions.

Mysterious Man: "Ah, you must be the famous, 'What's going on?!' crowd. I'm Ress. A magician, and a wanderer, of sorts."

Ress raised his hand, and a small flicker of light danced across his fingers.

Fren: (deadpan) "Wow. That was... something. Are you trying to impress us?"

Ress: (grinning) "Is it working?"

Kai: "Well, I have to admit, that was kind of cool. Can you do something cooler? Like summon a pizza?"

Ress: (raising an eyebrow) "Hmm, I could... but that's not really my style." He flicked his wrist again, and the ropes that bound Fren and Kai vanished. "You're free now. No more ropes. You're welcome."

Fren: (rubbing his wrists, sarcastic) "Oh, great. So, we're free... but tied up in a weird dimension, without knowing where we are. I feel so much better."

Ress: (smiling as if amused by their frustration) "You're in my domain. A place created by energy. Specifically, it's like the energy of that monster you faced."

Kai: (squinting at him) "Wait. The monster? You mean that thing was real? It wasn't just some nightmare?"

Ress: "Oh, it was very real. And you're in the dimension where such creatures live. That monster was collecting energy, and when it had gathered enough, it transferred you all in her domain."

Fren: (frowning) "So, we're in some sort of monster dimension? Is this where we get to sign up for 'Monster Hunting 101'?"

Ress: (laughing) "Something like that. But no worries, the monsters won't bother you. Not unless they're looking for a fight. Which, by the way, they've been known to do."

Kai: (playfully) "So, when do we start the next round? I hope we get more flashy light shows."

Ress: "You should focus less on the lights and more on the reason you're here."

Fren: (narrowing his eyes) "What do you mean?"

Ress: "Well, you're not just in a random dimension. You two—" (pointing to Kai and Fren) "—have awakened a Stigma, a power that binds you to this world and its energy. For now, it's dormant, but it will grow. And You'll need to learn how to control it."

Kai: (grinning) "Did you just say 'Stigma'? Sounds pretty dramatic. So, I'm like... a magic superhero now?"

Ress: (smirking) "If by 'superhero' you mean 'magic experiment gone wrong,' then sure, let's go with that."

Fren: (scratching his head) "Okay, but why were we tied up?"

Aria: (calmly) "You were unconscious. We couldn't just leave you lying around."

Fren: "Unconscious? And what about the fight? Who took down the monster? I don't even remember who did what!"

Ress: (smiling knowingly) "Ah, that's the catch. You see, one of you defeated the evolved version of the monster. But the problem is, neither of you remembers."

Fren: (looking at Kai) "Uh... you good, Kai? Did you kill it while I was napping?"

Kai: (shrugging) "I mean, I did try. But it was kind of a team effort. More like 'we all got knocked out together.'"

Ress: (nodding) "Exactly. And, for the record, it was Kai or Aria who defeated the evolved monster.

Fren: (staring at Kai) "Wait, Kai did it? The same guy who's been useless up until now?"

Kai: (grinning widely) "Hey! I was knocked out for most of it, too! But apparently, when things get tough, I glow and punch monsters."

Ress: (mockingly) "Well, that's one way to describe it. I'd call it more of a 'flamboyant glow-up.'"

Aria: (seriously) "You two should focus. Things are about to get a lot more complicated."

Ress: (with a mischievous glint) "But don't worry, I'll give you a little head start. Here." He handed Fren and Kai two small cards. "These are for when you need... help. It's not often that someone walks into my domain without making a mess."

Kai: (grinning) "Well, I'm happy to leave a good impression."

Fren: (sighing) "A mess is more like it."

Ress: "Go ahead and keep those cards. You'll need them. Life's going to be much more interesting now."

Fren: (squinting at him) "But where do we go from here? What happens next?"

The room began to shift again, the atmosphere buzzing with stood, and there back again to PC café all still a bit dazed and after that it's like nothing happened it just was like a dream for them, or so there thought.