A Certain Anomalous Chaos Trigger (Toaru X OC/Male Reader)

Chapter 6: The Queen of Tokiwadai

The faint glow of sunlight filtered through the curtains as Mikazuki's eyes opened. For a moment, he stared at the ceiling, unmoving. Then, slowly, he pushed himself up, sitting on the edge of his bed with a quiet exhale as he glanced at the bedside clock to see that it was an hour before noon.

He raised his arms and stretched, muscles protesting and joints cracking in response. Like so many nights before, sleep had done little to restore his energy.

Leaning back on the softness of his pillow, his thoughts immediately drift back to the nightmare he had the night before. He had experienced nightmares before, but this one was more vivid than ever.

The details were already starting to slip away, like fog dissipating under morning light, yet the feelings it left behind clung to him stubbornly. It was as if he had been pulled back into Shibuya, forced to relive the chaos, the fear, and the helplessness all over again. Even now, the echo of those horrible incidents still lingered in his chest.

He rubbed his temple, trying to shake the lingering images. It wasn't just a dream. It felt like something buried, clawing its way back to the surface. And maybe that's what unsettled him the most.

Turning on his bed, his thoughts drifted back to yesterday, the strange encounter, the investigation, the tension in the air that hadn't left since he first heard about the Group Dive case.

"...The Queen of Tokiwadai, huh?"

He recalled the message left for him by the messenger. An invitation, or a summons, really, to the School Garden. To meet the so-called 'Queen of Tokiwadai'.

He wasn't sure what to expect. Part of him didn't even want to go. What could someone with that title even want from him? And to approach at such a time is suspicious as well.

But something about the nightmare twisted in his gut like a warning. A part of him felt that ignoring it, ignoring her, would only let things spiral further out of control.

It was nothing but a baseless gut feeling, but after everything he had gone through, he had learned that sometimes, instincts are to be trusted. He figured that it's better to be safe.

He stood up, brushing his fingers through his hair with a quiet sigh. "Guess I don't have much of a choice."

Decision made, he turned to get ready. Today, he was going to meet the Queen of Tokiwadai.

He splashed cold water over his face in the bathroom sink, the chill grounding him. Droplets clung to his cheeks as he stared at his reflection, still pale, eyes sunken from a restless night. Wanting to freshen up, he went and took a nice shower, granting him a small moment of relief.

After showering, he dried off with a towel and stepped back into his room, opening the closet. After a few seconds of indecision, he pulled out his school uniform. Crisp white shirt, dark slacks. He figured if he was going to meet someone with such a title, he might as well put on something nice and proper.

A small part of him hated how much he cared about appearances right now.

Once dressed, he grabbed his phone, slipped his wallet into his pocket, and headed out. The hallway was quiet, the hum of electricity barely audible behind the walls. He stepped into the elevator and rode it down in silence.

Outside, the morning sun had fully risen, casting a soft warmth over the city. Mikazuki made his way to the nearest monorail station, eyes scanning the scenery out of habit more than interest.

The train arrived with a soft chime, doors sliding open with mechanical precision. He stepped inside, found a window seat, and sat down. As the monorail began its smooth journey across the elevated tracks, he glanced out the window.