“the magic comes back”
Kazuki woke up early that morning to work out at the gym, which had a swimming pool, weights, and the whole nine yards of equipment. He already finished with the weights and dived into the pool to swim several laps. It was something he did every day without fail. Even though he owned and worked at a bar, he made it a habit to be up early to keep fit.
Once he finished with his daily morning exercise routine, he hopped into one of the gym showers, but he didn’t see anyone else in the showers. That was odd. Usually, there were a handful of people, but not today. Even the staff at the gym seemed less than usual. Was something going on today?
He shrugged the thought off and ignored the odd abnormalities. He finished with the showers, got dressed, and packed up his belongings with slightly wet hair. He wore a grey graphic t-shirt, a loose black jacket, black capri pants, and high-top white and black sneakers. He also made sure to slip on a pair of sunglasses, so he could drive his car back home. He left the gym, but it was eerily quiet, and the silence freaked him out. However, he convinced himself that it was still early in the morning, and the regular crowd must have taken a day off from the gym.
He stuffed his gym bag in the trunk of his car and contemplated whether he should buy some breakfast or make some at home. Before he had another moment to ponder on the issue, a sudden explosion loudly boomed, ringing in his eardrums, and caused him to lose his balance like an earthquake shook the Earth.
“What the fuck?” Kazuki immediately ducked down, gripping one hand on the car, so he could retain his balance.
An explosion? Did a car accident happen? He could then sense an immense heat scorching his skin. He blinked his eyes in confusion.
“Why the hell is it so hot?” Kazuki muttered to himself as he cautiously stood up.
When he did, he instantly noticed one of the nearby buildings being engulfed by dangerous flames and noxious smoke licking the morning sky. He couldn’t help but be stunned by it. Did someone burn their food in the kitchen and cause an explosion? Even so, that wouldn’t explain the abrupt and short-lived earthquake.
He rubbed the temples on his forehead and figured it was none of his business. He started to walk over to his car, but from the corner of his eyes, he noticed some strange beings, or rather creatures, floating in the air as though they were flying. He stopped in his tracks and gaped because the sight took his breath away.
He immediately rubbed his eyelids, foolishly hoping his brain fabricated the scenery before him. But it was no lie. He saw those oddly-looking creatures disappear towards the dangerous explosion. He had no idea how to process anything. However, he didn’t need to wait long to think because he instinctively flinched when he heard another successive explosion, which once again, rocked the planet once more.
“Shit! What the hell is going on?” Kazuki furrowed his eyebrows, puzzled by what was happening.
He contemplated as to what he should do. Fuck, was he in a dream? He pinched himself but he instantly flinched. No, this was reality. Creatures and explosions? This was beginning to turn out like some bad sci-fi movie.
He jumped into his car, ready to drive out. But the images kept bothering his conscious. What if… What if someone was in trouble? No, he wasn’t the police or the cops. He would only get in the way.
He quickly checked his smartphone and perused through the news online, but nothing was reported yet. Feeling uneasy, he decided to call Manabu, his good friend, and find out if anything as strange or bizarre was occurring in his neighborhood.
