The day had started like any other—an ordinary Wednesday morning in Osaka. The trains screeched as they entered crowded stations, where commuters stared into their phones, not making eye contact. In the streets, the buzz of conversation was mixed with the clang of bicycle bells, the rumble of cars, and the occasional shout from a convenience store worker.
Iya and Yukari, both first year students at the local high school, walked side by side, their backpacks strung over their shoulders. Iya adjusted her backpack, her gaze shifting from the busy road to the skyline. Though the morning was clear, the world felt heavy. There was an odd sensation in the air, as if the city was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen.The streets felt familiar, yet something about them seemed… out of place. It was the kind of feeling that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on why.
Yukari, with her dark, straight hair falling over her face, was engrossed in her phone. Her fingers moved quickly across the screen, lost in an app or website. For a moment, Iya envied that about her—Yukari was always so present, so unfazed by the chaotic world around her.
Their path to school took them through a narrow alley, a shortcut they’d discovered years ago. Flanked by old wooden houses and vending machines, it was a quiet escape from the city’s clamor. Sunlight filtered through the slanted rooftops, painting fractured patterns on the asphalt. It was a route they had walked countless times, yet today it felt different.
As they rounded a corner, Iya froze. Standing at the far end of the alley was a man clad in traditional clothing—a deep blue hakama and a haori embroidered with intricate patterns. People wearing traditional clothing was not uncommon, especially near Children's Day. But, his presence felt startlingly out of place—as if he was from another place. He didn’t move, his piercing gaze fixed on the two of them.
“Let's hurry” Iya said, quickening her pace “We don't want to be late for school”.
??Yukari barely looked up from her phone, tapping the screen absentmindedly. "Mmhmm," she mumbled in agreement, though her tone lacked any urgency.
But Iya couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling in her chest. Her steps became faster, and she glanced over her shoulder once, just to make sure the man hadn’t moved. He hadn’t. His posture remained stiff and unwavering, like a statue carved from time itself.
The alley seemed to stretch longer than usual, the shadows growing deeper as if the light were being swallowed by the air around them. The noise of the city—cars, voices, even the distant chatter of a nearby shopkeeper—faded, leaving only the sound of their footsteps against the pavement. A strange stillness hung over the space, an almost unnatural calm that made Iya’s heart race faster.
As they reached the end of the alley, Yukari finally looked up, sensing the shift in the atmosphere. "What's up with you today?" she asked, her voice light but curious.
Iya didn’t answer immediately, still glancing behind her to make sure they were far enough away. "Didn’t you see that man?"
Yukari raised an eyebrow, scanning the alley behind them. "What man?" she asked, confusion on her face.
The alley was empty now. No man in a hakama. Just the usual rows of vending machines and the sun-dappled pavement.
Iya stopped in her tracks, her pulse quickening. "There was someone standing right there, by the corner. He was... different. I don’t know, Yukari, it just felt wrong."
“Did you get enough sleep last night?” she questioned “There were only the usual people in the alleyway, the only difference was the cat.”
Iya opened her mouth to argue, but the words stuck in her throat. A cat? She hadn't noticed any cat.
“I saw someone,” she insisted, but her voice wavered.
Yukari shrugged. “Maybe you just imagined it.”
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Iya wanted to brush it off, to agree and keep walking, but her skin prickled with unease. As they stepped onto the main road, she cast one last glance over her shoulder.
The alley was still empty.
Yet, for the briefest moment, she thought she saw something shift in the reflection of a vending machine—a flicker of blue fabric, a shadow vanishing into the light.
— —-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The rest of the school day passed in a blur.
Iya couldn’t shake the strange feeling from that morning—the eerie presence of the man in the alley, the way the air had felt wrong. Even as she sat through her lessons, ate lunch with Yukari, and endured the usual routine of high school life, the memory clung to her like a shadow.
Yukari, on the other hand, seemed unfazed. She yawned through math class, scrolled through her phone during lunch, and groaned about the upcoming history test. If she was worried, she didn’t show it.
By the time the final bell rang, Iya was exhausted.
"Finally," Yukari stretched, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. "Let’s stop by the convenience store. I need an energy drink if I’m gonna study tonight."
Iya laughed, shaking her head. "You always say that, but you never actually study."
"Shhh, let me dream."
The sun was already setting when they left the store, the sky streaked with orange and pink. The streets were quieter now, the rush of the day giving way to the calm of the evening.
As they approached a crosswalk, the traffic light blinked red. Iya and Yukari stopped at the curb, waiting for the signal to change.
Yukari cracked open her drink. "You’re still thinking about this morning, aren’t you?"
Iya hesitated, then nodded. "I just… I don’t know. It felt real, you know? Like something was watching us."
Yukari rolled her eyes. "It was just some weird guy. Or maybe no one at all. You probably—"
A deafening horn blared.
Someone screamed.
Iya barely had time to register the bright headlights before an impact sent her world into darkness.
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When Iya opened her eyes, the first thing she noticed was the ceiling—high, ornate, and bathed in soft candlelight.
The second thing she noticed was the sheer weight of her body. Or rather, the difference of it. Her limbs felt unfamiliar, as though they didn’t quite belong to her.
She struggled to sit up, but the moment she did, a wave of nausea hit her.
“Milady, you mustn’t overexert yourself!”
Iya blinked. A woman in a maid’s uniform hovered beside the bed, her expression filled with concern.
Milady?
Iya’s mouth opened, but her voice felt strange when she finally spoke. “Where… am I?”
The maid gasped. “You must still be disoriented, Lady Eloise.”
Lady Elosie?
That wasn’t her name.
Panic gripped her chest. Something was wrong.
She threw off the blankets and stumbled toward a nearby mirror.
The reflection staring back at her was not her own.
Long golden hair, deep emerald eyes, and delicate features—this wasn’t Iya.
Or rather, she wasn’t Iya anymore.
—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Meanwhile, in another part of the estate, Yukari shot up from a plush velvet couch, her heart hammering in her chest.
"What the hell?"
Her voice sounded different—sharper, more refined.
She looked down at herself.
A deep red gown, intricate lace sleeves, a heavy pendant resting against her collarbone.
She turned to a nearby window and caught her reflection in the glass.
Raven-black hair, striking crimson eyes, and an air of cold beauty.
Yukari had read enough web novels to recognize the truth instantly.
She wasn’t just in another world.
She was the villainess.
And judging by the luxurious surroundings, the wealth, and the sinking feeling in her gut…
She was the villainess of the story.
The one doomed to fall.
