In only ten minutes or so, Emi finally arrived back home as she stood in front of her house, opening the gate. She walked onto the porch before swinging open the door and stepping inside, joyful as always.
"Das, I'm home!" She walked into the front entrance smiling big as ever.
"Ah, my sweet girl! Welcome back."
Her father, a tall man with manly features and glasses, emerged from the kitchen, wiping his hands on a dish towel.
His suit jacket was neatly hung on a nearby chair, and a briefcase sat on the table beside it.
"Did you have a good day at school, Emi?" He asked, smiling down at her.
"Yeah! It was loads of fun!"
Emi chirped, kicking off her white loafers and spinning around once before landing in a dramatic bow.
"I even helped Kenji today. He got bullied by Moon Scar, but I saved him!"
Her father raised an eyebrow as a small, amused smirk crossed his face.
"Moon Scar again? You're really making a habit of this, aren't you?"
Emi puffed her chest out proudly.
"Of course! I can't just let anyone get hurt in our neighborhood. Especially not my friends!"
Her father chuckled and shook his head.
"Always the hero, huh? Your mom would be proud."
"Mom's at work, so it's just you and me for now!" Emi said, bouncing toward the kitchen. "And I'm starving! What's for dinner? I hope it's my favorite!"
"Hmm..." Her father hummed thoughtfully as he followed her with a smile. "Let's see... I could make something special tonight. But first, wash up. And Emi..."
She paused in the kitchen, turning her head toward him.
"Yes, Dad?"
"Be careful from now on. I don't want you getting too involved with that Moon Scar gang?"
His voice took on a serious tone, just enough to make her widen her eyebrows.
"I know you're brave, but... some things out there are bigger than you think."
Emi nodded her head, seemingly agreeing with her Father
"Don't worry, Dad, I'm aware!"
Her father's expression lightened up at her reply, but just as he was about to say something else, the sound of a distant whisper reached Emi's ears.
"...Huh?"
It was faint, but it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.
"Uh... Dad? Did you feel that?"
He looked around, tensing slightly.
"Feel what?"
Emi suddenly jogged to the window, peering outside into the evening. Nothing seemed out of place; it was just a quiet street as always.
It was rare to find commotion within Hoshikawa Town, unless it was done by the Moon Scar gang.
But then, out of nowhere, Emi spotted something.
It was a shadow standing at the edge of the yard, just beyond the gate.
Its shape was humanoid as it moved in a way that felt unnatural. Its eyes glowed a deep red color as it stared at their house, unmoving.
"...There it is again, another Shadow..." She whispered to herself, gripping the edge of the counter.
Her father noticed her expression and approached the window, following her gaze. But he saw nothing out of the ordinary.
In fact, he couldn't even see the shadow.
"Emi, are you alright?"
Emi was staring the shadow dead in the eyes but backed away, nodding her head.
"Mhm! Everything is all good, Dad!"
Despite seeing something so horrifying, she shook her head and kept her usual smile. Emi then bounced toward the kitchen sink, humming a little tune.
"So, so! What special meal are you making? It is my favorite, right?" She reached for the soap and started scrubbing her hands as she turned on the faucet.
"Tempura Shrimp and Miso Soup." He said, awaiting her reaction.
"Yaaaaay!" And just as he expected, Emi jumped into the air, cheering. "You're the best dad in the whole wide world!" She said, running to hug him around the waist.
"Whoa, hey! You didn't even dry your hands."
She hugged him even tighter as he gave in and patted her head.
"You're a tempura shrimp fanatic, just like your old man." He said with a gentle smile. "As long as you don't eat it all up and save some for your Mom when she gets off work."
"I'll try not to!" She said with a playful smile before stepping back, proceeding to dry off her hand with a napkin. "Anyway, I have to go do my math homework for tomorrow!" Emi jogged into their living room before sprinting upstairs.
"Alright, make sure to stay focused. School work is important." He said, placing his hands on his hips.
"I know, I know!"
Her footsteps thumped up the stairs before a bedroom door clicked shut.
"Kids..." Her father muttered with a small chuckle, turning back toward the kitchen. He picked up his knife and started to prep dinner, letting his daughter focus on her work.
And so, everything felt normal once again... almost too normal.
Upstairs, Emi dropped her backpack beside her desk and flopped onto her chair with a little spin.
She pulled out her math workbook, pouting as she flipped it open.
"Multiplication again... why do numbers have to be so mean?" She mumbled, resting her chin in her palm. "This is gonna take all day!"
She picked up her pencil, but suddenly froze.
Emi felt shivers trail up her spine as she slowly lifted her head.
Her bedroom window was open halfway as the curtains swayed gently—even though there was no wind.
"...That's weird?" She whispered to herself.
The young girl stood up from her chair and took small steps toward the window. She was hesitant to move any closer at first, but slowly she reached forward, until a loud, obnoxious voice caught her attention.
"Uwaaaayaya! Waaaaiittt! Don't close it! I'm almost there!"
"Huh?"
She widened her eyes before finally peering out the window to see something absurd. It was a floating star with two eyes and a mouth, trailing right into her room and underneath the open window.
"I made it!!" It shouted, knocking Emi back on her butt.
"O-Ow...!" Emi yelped as she landed on the floor, staring wide-eyed at the thing hovering in front of her.
It was a star.
It was small—about the size of a plush toy—with a bright yellow glow, stubby little points, and an expressive face plastered right in the middle.
It panted exaggeratedly as it stuck out its tongue, bobbing in the air.
"Haah... haah... t-that was close! Do you have any idea how close I was to being caught by that shadow?!" It complained, spinning once before righting itself.
Emi scooted back on her hands, blinking rapidly.
"...What?"
The star gasped, clutching its chest dramatically with its little pointer.
"O-Ouch! Cold reaction! That hurts, you know!"
It floated closer, peering down at her face with curiosity.
"Wow... yep! You're definitely the girl I was looking for! I sense an incredible magical power emanating from you! You smell just like a Magical Girl!"
"A Magical... Girl?" Emi said in confusion, just staring at the floating star.
The star snapped upright.
"Ah! R-Right! Introductions! I'm doing this all wrong!"
It cleared its nonexistent throat and struck a pose mid-air.
"Ahem! I am Lumi, a Star Spirit!" It said, placing its little pointers on its nonexistent hips. "I come from the Luminara Kingdom, located in the stars! I was sent here by Queen Stellara to recruit three powerful Magical Girls on planet Earth!"
Emi scrambled to her feet.
"S-Stop! Hold on! Why is there a talking star in my room?! A-Are you a Shadow?!"
"Shadow?!" Lumi widened its eyes as it recoiled like it had been personally offended. "What?! No! Absolutely not! Those things are gross and creepy! We Star Spirits aren't like those Formless Spawn! These guys are polymorphic entities made of black ichor and have the ability to change their form and shapeshift!"
"U-Um..." Emi backed up a little, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. "I-I don't really understand what you mean by... all of that."
Lumi floated closer, tilting its stubby star-shaped head.
"It's complicated, yes, but... basically, they are cosmic entities that never required flesh and act as parasites, scouts, or fragments of greater power! To humanity, they are malicious and predatory, feeding on fear, attention, and sanity! Usually they only exist within the dark, so we have no idea why they're roaming in the daylight!"
Emi frowned.
"So... that thing outside my house... it's not a ghost?"
"Nope! Not really!" Lumi said, bouncing up and down in the air. "It's more like a... really persistent problem that needs to be solved by a Magical Girl. And that's why I'm here, to help you awaken your powers and fight these things!"
Emi's mouth opened and closed a few times, unable to process what he said.
"My powers? Fight it?"
"Yes!" Lumi cheered, spinning in a little spiral of light. "You are one of the few out of many who were born with Magical powers! Being born with magic is rare, and it means you can see invisible entities and creatures from the Dreamlands. But that's only the beginning! Once you accept your role as a Magical Girl, you'll be given a Reload, which will allow you to combat these things directly!"
Emi's eyebrows furrowed as she stepped back.
"M-Me? A Magical Girl? Are you... serious?"
Lumi saluted, floating upright with exaggerated pride.
"As serious as a shooting star! Queen Stellara herself picked me to find you and two other girls on Earth. Together, you three will protect humanity from Shadows and their masters!"
Emi tilted her head, looking down at the glowing little star in front of her.
"Uh... but I'm just... me. I'm small. I'm not strong... I barely handle Kenji's bullies. And you saw that Shadow outside, what if I can't..."
Lumi waved its tiny arms frantically.
"Nonsense! Size doesn't matter! Courage, determination, and a pure heart are what make a Magical Girl! Besides, Magical girls are usually kids anyway, because their emotional state fuels magic. Hope, joy, and belief are strongest in childhood! Also..." The star floated closer to her and whispered dramatically. "You already saved Kenji today, didn't you?"
Emi blinked multiple times.
"I-I guess so..."
"That's exactly what I mean!" Lumi spun in excitement. "You don't have to be huge, you just have to be kind, and care for other people! And lucky for you, the Reload will awaken your Soul Root, allowing you to gain Magical powers!"
Emi hesitated, glancing toward her bedroom door as if expecting her father to burst in at any moment.
"Soul Root...?"
"Yes! Now, we don't have much time." Lumi's voice dropped to a serious tone. "The Formless Spawn outside is already planning to attack innocent people. If it reaches full strength, it could hurt people nearby. We'll have to set you up for the Reload process!"