The Day the Sky Fell
The sound of a plane engine should not scare anyone.
It was something people heard every day. A distant hum. A passing shadow. Just another machine moving across the sky.
But today, it felt wrong.
The sky was bright, washed in blue. The wind brushed gently against the streets, carrying the smell of summer and the noise of children heading home from school.
Airi clung to Haruto’s sleeve as they walked, her steps light, her schoolbag swinging back and forth like a pendulum.
“Onii chan, look look,” she said, pointing upward. “That cloud looks like a bunny.”
Haruto followed her finger and squinted.
“…Airi. That looks nothing like a bunny.”
“It does,” she insisted. “See? That’s the ear, and that’s the”
“That is literally just a round blob.”
“Hmph.”
She puffed her cheeks, eyes shimmering as if tears were preparing for battle.
Haruto sighed.
“Fine. It’s a bunny. Happy?”
Her expression flipped instantly into a radiant smile.
“Hehehe. Onii chan finally sees the truth.”
She skipped ahead, pigtails bouncing with every step.
Airi was clingy. Loud. A little troublesome.
And Haruto would never trade her for anything.
Then the sky roared.
A thunderous sound tore through the air, violent enough to make the ground shudder.
Airi froze.
“Onii chan… what was that?”
Haruto slowly lifted his eyes.
A plane.
Low.
Far too low.
Smoke streamed from one wing, thick and black. Fire burst from its side, metal screaming as if the machine itself was in pain.
“…No way.”
The aircraft tilted, spiraled, and began to fall.
“O Onii chan… it looks like it’s falling…”
“Run.”
Haruto grabbed her wrist and pulled her with him.
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
The plane descended, spinning out of control.
Straight toward the city.
“Onii chan, it’s coming here!”
His heart pounded, but his voice stayed firm.
“Airi. Look at me. Only me. Hold my hand.”
Her fingers trembled as they tightened around his.
“Haruto… I’m scared…”
“I know. I’m here.”
The impact came like the end of the world.
A deafening explosion swallowed the street.
Fire surged outward. A chunk of the plane tore through a nearby building, ripping concrete apart as if it were paper. Glass burst from windows, raining down in sharp, glittering shards.
Haruto shoved Airi behind a bus stop pillar.
“AIRI GET DOWN!”
He threw himself over her, wrapping her small body in his arms.
The ground shook.
Smoke filled the air, thick and choking.
“Onii chan…?”
“It’s okay,” he whispered. “I’ve got you.”
He was above her.
Shielding her.
A sharp crack rang out.
A massive slab of concrete broke free and fell.
Haruto saw it.
He did not think.
He moved.
The weight slammed into his back.
Something inside him shattered.
“Agh…!”
Warm blood splashed across Airi’s cheek.
“…Onii… chan?”
His arms shook violently, but they did not loosen.
“I told you,” he breathed. “I’ll protect you.”
His voice faltered.
“Airi… s sorry…”
Her chest tightened.
“Onii chan? Why are you apologizing…?”
“I… couldn’t save”
The words never finished.
His body went still.
“…Onii chan?”
She touched his hand.
Cold.
Not the kind that fades.
The kind that stays forever.
Tears spilled uncontrollably as she clutched him tighter.
“No… no no no… Onii chan, wake up. You can’t die. You promised me. You said you wouldn’t leave me…”
There was no answer.
“If you’re leaving me…”
Her voice cracked.
“…I’m coming too.”
More debris collapsed.
Darkness swallowed everything.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
The sound echoed in a place without ground, without sky, without air.
Airi floated in emptiness.
…Am I dead?
A voice reached her.
“Airi. Wake up.”
Onii chan?
“Airi, wake up, dummy.”
Dummy? Onii chan never calls me that.
Her eyes flew open.
“O Onii”
She launched herself forward.
“ONII CHAN!”
Haruto barely had time to react before a sobbing twelve year old crashed into his chest.
“Ueee… I thought… I thought I wouldn’t see you again…”
“There, there,” he said softly, patting her head. “Don’t cry like that. It’s not good for you.”
She sniffed loudly and wiped her face on his shirt.
He frowned.
“…Don’t use my shirt as a tissue.”
“But it’s closer.”
He sighed, defeated.
“Where… are we?” Airi whispered.
A gentle, warm voice answered from behind them.
“You are in my home.”
They turned.
A woman approached, her steps steady despite the lack of ground beneath her feet. With each step, the darkness dissolved, replaced by soft light. Floating orbs shimmered in the air. Golden curtains drifted without wind. Smooth white marble formed beneath their feet, warm like sunlight on stone.
Airi blinked, overwhelmed.
The woman smiled.
“Sorry to interrupt your reunion.”
Airi squeaked and immediately hid behind Haruto, clutching his shirt. He stepped forward without hesitation.
“Who are you?” he asked.
“Do not fear me,” the woman said, placing a hand over her chest. “I am the Goddess Aether.”
Airi gasped.
“G Goddess?”
Haruto swallowed.
“So… we really died.”
Aether nodded.
“You both did. But your bond was strong. Stronger than fear. Stronger than fate.”
A soft glow bloomed in her palm.
“I will not separate you.”
Airi’s voice trembled.
“You won’t?”
“I will reincarnate you into another world.”
Her eyes lit up instantly.
“Another world?”
Haruto blinked.
“Like magic? Monsters? Swords?”
“Yes,” Aether said brightly. “All of that.”
Haruto cleared his throat. “Well… we do like those things.”
Airi tugged his sleeve, sparkling with excitement.
“Onii chan, we’re going to live in another world!”
Aether laughed softly.
“And I shall grant you powers.”
She turned to Airi.
“You will be able to command monsters. Your instincts and senses shall be sharpened.”
Airi gasped.
“Like a tamer hero!”
Aether then faced Haruto.
“You will wield both magic and sword. A path that does not exist in that world.”
He bowed.
“Thank you. But I ask one thing.”
“Speak.”
“Send us somewhere without humans.”
Aether studied him, then smiled gently.
“The Great Forest. A land untouched by mankind.”
Light flooded the room. A glowing circle formed beneath their feet.
“Onii chan!” Airi cried.
Haruto squeezed her hand.
“I’m right here. Hold on.”
The light consumed them.
And their new world began.
