Sky Fãllen

I fall. No wind howls in my ears. No ground rushes toward me. Just a slow, dreadful descent—as if the universe itself has decided to let go of me. I twist my body instinctively, looking around. “…It’s dark.” Not the comforting dark of night, but the kind that swallows sound and direction. The kind that makes your thoughts echo back at you. I squint, desperately trying to find something—a star, a wall, a horizon. Then I see it. A ring. No—rings. Countless luminous circles floating in the abyss, layered like halos carved from starlight. They shine softly, beautifully… wrongly. My breath catches. “Oh… those shiny rings… is that—” A bird suddenly darts into view, wings beating wildly as if fleeing something unseen. It curves toward the rings— FSSSSHH. Gone. Burned away in an instant, reduced to sparks that scatter and vanish into the dark. “Tff—RUN.” Panic grips me too late. I realize then—I’m not standing. I’m not falling toward anything. There is no surface. No gravity I can trust. My limbs flail uselessly as a crushing sensation wraps around me. I’m sinking. No—flooding. The darkness pours into my lungs, my ears, my thoughts. Every direction is the same. No up. No down. Just endless void. My chest tightens. So this is it. I stop struggling. Closing my eyes, I let myself drift, waiting for death to finish what the universe started. — × Moments Later × — Sound. Soft. Muffled. Warmth. Something brushes against my cheek—gentle, repetitive. “…Hm?” My back feels… solid. That alone sends a jolt through my body. Surface. I suck in a sharp breath and slowly open my eyes. “Tff???? Holy—” Light floods my vision. Not the blinding white of heaven, but a familiar, colorful glow. Elegant architecture. Soft fabrics beneath me. A faint, sweet scent in the air. I freeze. This place— “…No way.” My heart starts pounding. This is— I’ve seen this world a thousand times. Explored it. Fought in it. Lived in it through a screen. “I got… reincarnated?” My gaze snaps downward. My body feels lighter. Stronger. Real in a way it never did before. “…In Genshin Impact.” A laugh bubbles up in my chest, half hysterical, half euphoric. “And I’m the main character?” I don’t even get time to process the absurd joy of it before— Squish. Something presses against my cheek again, this time deliberately. Playfully. “Hey—” I turn my head. And my brain short-circuits. Silver hair. Pale skin. A serene smile curved with mischief. Eyes that feel like they’re peering straight into my soul. I’m resting on someone’s lap. “…Colum...bina?” My voice cracks. She tilts her head slightly, fingers still gently pinching my cheeks like I’m some amusing toy she’s just discovered. “M-m… mommy—” The word slips out before my dignity can stop it. Shock. Excitement. Joy. Absolute disbelief crash into me all at once. She laughs softly, a sound far too dangerous for my heart. “Oh, darling, you’re finally awake, huh?” she says sweetly, though there’s a faint huff at the end. “I’ve been trying to wake you up for five whole minutes now.” Her arms shift, pulling me a little closer. “i got you…” she adds, smiling. “Sky fàllen!…” My fate, it seems, has just begun. And somehow… Falling into a black hole was the best thing that ever happened to me.