“Damn, another day ery awaits me.” I sighed, a long breath esg from my mouth as I stared at the email on my monitor, sing the tents.

  “Another g job. How dull. Still, the pay is adequate… damn, how I wish for a job that pays well, or eveer, great!” Shaking my head I ran my hand through my short-cropped bck hair, grimag as sweat drops scattered all arou was baking hot, but running the air ditioner was a luxury I couldn’t affht now. The window in my small apartment en, but the day was cloudless with barely a breeze, so that was hardly helping.

  “Oh well, the sooner I finish this, the quicker I rex.” I muttered to myself, getting to work quickly. Taking out a notepad I quickly sketched out a few ideas, and after a few minutes I was satisfied I uood how to go about meeting the t's needs.

  For several hours the only sounds that could be heard in the small room were the clig sounds of keys being pressed and the faint hum of the puter as I worked. By the time I was fi was early afternoon, the suing down, turning the air hot and oppressive.

  “Damn, that was harder than I thought it would be.” Sending the finished work back to the t, I stretched my arms above my head, trying to work my tired muscles. Standing, I gnced around the room, catg sight of myself in the mirror that was hanging ihroom through the half-open door.

  I was tall for a Japanese maing on for five foot nine inches i, though that probably had something to do with my mixed blood, no doubt, not that it was easy to tell at a ghat I was half British. The clearest giveaway was the eyes, which were an unusual steel-grey colour, and shaped a little differently from the normal. Still, I thought I wasn’t too bad looking, even if not everyone agreed.

  As if mirr my thoughts an email pinged up on my s, from Oshiro Sapphire Aiko, my sister. Gng to the side of my workspace I looked briefly at the framed photograph that sat there, a few years old, of me in the middle, looking younger and shorter, while on one of my sides was my sister, with her striking and rare blue eyes and hair so bck it was almost glowing blue, while oher was a smaller girl, looking more cssically Japanese, with her hair tied up into adorable pigtails. Crag a wry smile I sat down again, clig open the email. No doubt it would just be more pints, but she was certainly adorable… in her own way. There was another photo o it, of some old uy friends too, but I didn’t spare it a gnce.

  Spoiler

  [colpse]Hey big bro moonstone, how’s things? The first line read. I couldn’t help but scowl. Man I hated that name. Oshiro Moonstone Akiht hero of the moon. I wasn’t an idiot, I knew my mave us middle names as a tribute to her nationality based on the colour of our eyes, but when I got to middle school I had done a sear the i and realised no-one in Britain ever did that anyway. Besides… Sapphire I see, but Moonstone?

  Shaking my head, I realised I was getting distracted by stupid stuff again. I tio read, trying to rein in my irritation. Are you going to be ing home for summer break this year, I haven’t seen you in forever? Eri- is missing you as always, not that I uand why. At that my eyes flickered over to the photograph again. The smaller girl was Eri-, childhood friend of me and my sister. We went everywhere together when we were young, my role to look out for them both, Eri- especially, as she was armingly timid and did not take to people easily. Still, she was cute even back then.

  Anyway, this year is my st year here, so I’ve really got to start studying. It’s just so hard, the weather here is perfect, summer's already in full swing. I've been thinking I might want to try for a Tokyo uy like you did, bro, but I’m not really sure… I’ve never been away from home lohan a few days before, and we don’t really have the money so… Well, in any case, want to try being a useful big bro moonstone and give me some advice? If I did e to Tokyo I could stay with yht? It’d be a bit of a ute, but I’d save loads of money on lodgings…

  That would be all I needed. I pinched my nose, feeling a headache ing on. It wasn’t like I wouldn’t be able to squeeze her in here if I had to, although charitably the apartment could be called cosy (and if I was being ho, cramped would be a better word), and as a plus it didn’t allow pets, so no dogs, but living together with my sister would definitely have more mihan plusses. Yes, she is pretty damn cute, and her eyes and hair really stand out, the blessing of being a half, I guess, but I’m definitely not a sis, so that’s hardly an actual be. Besides, I worked from home most of the time, and having the space filled up with her crap… I mean her possessions would make it harder for me.

  One mnce around the small room and I could see my bookshelves, piled up with refereerials in both book and DVD format. The less enlightened, such as my dear sister, would probably call them stupid cartoons, but they were for work. I didn’t just dramming, I also did graphic design and also art projects, such as signage, but one of my favourite jobs was when I did some 3D modelling and g for an Indy game. It paid like shit (in fact, it hadn’t really paid at all yet, but the project lead insisted I’d make a tohe service finally goes live) but it was somewhat fun. I still have a poster of the main hero and heroines around here somewhere. Premature, since we aren’t ready to release yet, and I do wish she hadn’t based the main heroine on her own image. A princess ihat reminded me, it had been a few days since I had heard from her, so it was about time she sent me some more work. I had to prioritise the paying work first, but I just couldn’t say no to her for some reason. Daming distracted again. I must be w too hard…

  In any case, this small one-room-plus-bath apartment right oskirts of the Tokyo suburban area was hardly going to be the ideal py sister to stay, let aloore all the clothes, makeup and other things a young girl needed for day-to-day college life. I’d been living here for a couple of years now, and now I had enough work ing in that I could afford it without looking to mom and father for handouts, not that I was living luxuriously. I suppose if my sis was here then we’d have a bit more money for…

  “No, this is a dangerous line of thought.” I shook my head to clear it, and finished off reading the email.

  In any case, I hope you are w hard, big bro. I’d hate to think you were sg off without your awesome sister watg over you. Are you sure you won’t get any free time to visit over the summer? It’s been ages since we saw you for New Year. Unless you are too busy… with a girlfriend? Haha, I’m just joking, there’s no way you would have a girlfriend, is there big bro moonstone? Please reply promptly, si’s rude to keep your adorable little sister waiting, okay?

  “Oh man, my sister be seriously annoying sometimes.” I pined out loud as I hammered out a quick reply, saying that her wonderful brother would be more than happy to advise her, but that it also looked like he wouldn’t have any free time to make it back this summer. By the time that was done a couple more emails with offers of work had appeared, including as expected one from the ‘princess’, so I steeled myself to ighe early summer heat a back to work…

  ********

  I barely stifled a yawn as I leaned ba my chair. It was now te evening, the only light from without the glow of the streetmps outside my window. Unfortuhe temperature hadn’t ged much, the still night air remaining oppressively warm.

  This time a yawn did burst free, so I decided that I would call it a night. One of the tasks I had bee was rgely finished, and the other was ing along nicely and could be finished with another day or two of work. That would put ara few yen in my pocket and take the pressure off for the rest of the month.

  Getting up, I took a bottle of iced tea from the small fridge sitting in one er of my room, popped the top and took a swig. “That’s good.” I sighed in pleasure. Nothing was better than a reward after a hard day of work. Taking another long draught I had a thought that perhaps I was too easy to please…

  “Oh well, no point dwelling on things.” It was important to make the most of the pead quiet, as if my sister had her way, which I had to admit she usually did, as she was the apple of our parents’ eyes, she would be here by summer, so this may very well be my st year of peace, unless I somehow hit it big with work. Although, finances are very tight bae… perhaps I’m being premature, it probably won't happen. Anyway, not that such excitement was likely to just fall into my life. I was just a normal half-Japanese guy with a freence part-time job, getting by in life without making waves.

  Do You Believe You ge The World?

  I blinked, rubbing at my eyes. I must have worked harder than I had thought, as I could have sworn I heard a strange hollow voice speaking behind me. Of course, when I turned around there was no-ohere.

  “I must be hearing things…”

  The Time Is Now. Your World Is About To ge. With Chaos And Danger es Opportunity. Will You Grasp It Or Let It Go Forever?

  Once more a voice came from behind me. Now I couldn’t tell whether the beads of sweat sliding down my face were from the heat or this suddehat rig at me.

  “Who’s there?” I asked, turning around slowly.

  Opportunity.

  The half-drunk bottle of tea fell from my hand, spilling across the floor. In front of me was a glowing figure, light shining a cold silver, washing everything in pale shadow, shrouding all detail except a vague shape. I staggered backwards, my feet soaked by the spilled tea a out a hasp of arm. As I reparing to run, mind reeling, the ‘figure’ spoke once more.

  This World Stands At A Crossroads. Soo ge Will Befall It, And If Not Protected Only Ruin Awaits. Will You Refuse Fate’s Hand And Allow Your World’s Fate To Rest On Other Shoulders, Or Will You Reach Out And Take The Offered Hand And Protect That Which You Hold Dear?

  I was frozen mid-flight, gazing at the glowing figure, which was strange in itself being a light sht it should have hurt my eyes, yet it had seemingly no effect, almost as if it was an illusion. As it stretched out a glowing arm towards me I was uo move, mind rag.

  This World Is Now Open To A Higher Realm. But Fear Not, The Gods Are Not Cruel. We Have Bee By The Heavens To Open The Way For Those Who Have The Power Within To Defend This World. You Are One Such.

  I still wasn’t sure I hadn’t fallen asleep at my desk and was dreaming this whole thing, but to be ho with myself I’d read enough Light Novels about other worlds and mysterious beings to at least give a little thought to the possibility this was all true. And if it was… could I five myself for passing up the ce to be someone who mattered, someone able to make a differerong enough to defend those I held dear? No, to be a hero?

  “So… just what is this crossroads? How I protect Earth?” I asked nervously, heart rag.

  It Is A Battle For The Astral Realm Above Through Which All Worlds Are ected. You Must Gather Ether, Which All Covet, Until You Stand Above All Others With Enough Power To Repel Those That Would Take Your P For Their Own, Until You Stand Alone As An Astral Emperor…