Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!
The sound of a ringing phone resounds throughout the railway station. Anna, who is waiting at her platform for the train, takes out her phone and reads the caller's name.
"Mom..."
Steam escapes from her lips. She picks up the call and answers, "Yes, Mom."
Her mother's voice comes from the opposite side of the phone. "where are you?"
"Anna, it's already 9:30 p.m., so why are you not at home already? Where are you? Are you with any boy or at any club? WHERE ARE YOU?!"
Anna takes her phone away from her ear in an irritated manner. Everyone around her was staring.
Anna replies to her, "Mom, I am not with anyone. The train is an hour late, and I am just waiting for it."
"Are you lying to your mom?!"
Sighing, she says, "Do you even hear any club noise...?"
"Are you trying to be smart with me?!! You better not test me!!"
Hoooonk - Hoooonk!
Frustrated with her mother's continuous nagging, she says, "Amm..I think the train has arrived, so I am hanging up the call. Bye."
She checks the time, puts her phone in her pocket and checks her surroundings.
As she looks around, she sees that people are tired of waiting for the train, kids are running around playing whatever games suited their mischievous mood, and then, in the faint fog of winter, a snowflake lands onto her nose.
She takes her hand out of her pocket, raises it in front of her, and another snowflake lands on her palm.
Looking up, she comments in a slightly frustrated yet delighted tone, "It's snowing..."
Hoooonk!!
Hearing the train's horn, she immediately looks at the track and mumbles, "Thank god it's finally here. If it had taken more time, I am sure that I would have become ice cream... I can imagine kids trying to eat me... Dumb kids..."
She steps closer to the safety line, then everyone who was sitting on the benches stands up and moves near the edge of the platform.
The train slightly lowers its speed to stop, but all of a sudden, Anna feels a strong push from behind, and before she knew it, she was thrown off the ground.
'What?!' she thinks, her eyes wide in disbelief.
The next moment, she slams into the railway tracks. Pain courses throughout her body, her head busts from hitting the track, and the whole crowd descends into frenzy.
People near her instantly shout and try to help her, but no one dares to step down on the tracks because of the incoming train.
On the other hand, Anna is frozen in her place, still processing what has just happened, and much to the crowd's horror, the train is still moving towards her with a speed that would crush her into paste without fail.
The parents yank their children away, and they cover their children's eyes with their hands to keep them from witnessing the horrifying scene that is about to happen.
Anna stares before herself in a daze, and all of a sudden, a blinding light hits her, forcing her eyes shut. She trembles in fear, finally catching up with what is about to happen next.
"N-No no..." She sobs, dreading the incoming train, but instead of the train, a strange swoosh reaches her ear, following it is another swoosh, then an ominous otherworldly hum and finally a screech.
Right after, the ground quakes, and the shouts of the crowd turn into horrified screams, staggering back, they point before themselves and shout, "w-w-what the hell-l-l is that?!?!"
Painful cries and screams spread throughout the station, and hearing them, Anna finally opens her eyes.
Just as she opens her eyes, a faint blue light hits her, and an ominous diamond-shaped blue tear in the space falls into her vision, supporting the swirling tear are the dark tendrils spilling out from its edges.
"A gate...?" Anna mumbles, noticing the similarity of the otherworldly scene before her to the novels and anime that she devours like a hungry wolf.
Suddenly, the gate widens. A giant, monstrous hand shot out of the gate and struck the ground.
Serpentine cracks spread outwards, and Anna's eyes widen in terror, yet a crazed smile appears on her face upon seeing a blue screen flash before her eyes.
[Whoosh!]
[Host has entered the apocalypse!]
[You have awakened the trait: The First Mage!]
[Yaha! Your current rank is Star!]
"S-star M-mage, what is this now?" Anna mumbles, stunned.
The monster's hand clutches the ground, grabs a big part of it and heaves it towards Anna.
Swoosh!
The ruble went past Anna, missing her by just a half inch.
Anna froze instantly.
Panic spread throughout the station.
The parents pick up their children and run away from the blue gate, cursing their unfortunate situation and praying to whatever deity they believe in.
Still dumbfounded by everything, Anna forces herself to stand. Gritting her teeth, she turns and limps away from the gate.
With a sharp shreak, the gate widens even further and then a figure walks out of it — it was a giant monster, its skin like jagged basalt, dark brown hair falling over its shoulders along with pointed ears, round face with fangs and red shining terrible eyes along with its scarred muscular body, fur clothing over its waist down, shoulder plates covers its arms and in its left hand is a crude giant spear that looks like a pillar.
Roarrrr...!!
Letting out a roar, it hurls the spear towards Anna.
The spear zips through the air, cutting it with ease. Warning bells ring in Anna's head, she quickly turns around, and her eyes glow with the white light, taking the form of a star.
Raising a hand, she mumbles, "redirect."
A blue screen flickers before her eyes.
[Host has learned the one-star spell: Redirect!]
The spear, which is about to hit her, moves to the side and completely misses her.
Anna takes a glance at the spear that has just crushed over a dozen people, and she mumbles, "It seems I have come back... Even if it's for a little time."