I always did love Fate.

The battles. The Servants. The lore. And, of course, all the cute characters. All of it was just so… so engrossing. Fate was more than just a story, to me. It was a respite from the dreary monotony of a full-time 9 to 5.

So, when I heard the rumours of a way to summon a Servant in real life? I knew it couldn’t possibly be true. There was no way that it could be true. I mean, there was no way that would be possible, right? A book that I could use to summon a Servant right here in my hometown? No way it could be real.

...

...

But then again… What if it was real? What if I really could summon a Servant? How could I not pass up that opportunity?

According to the rumours, the method for summoning a Servant was listed within an obscure and out-of-date Fate compendium. People had been trying to find its location for years, but it always seemed to pop up seemingly randomly around the world. But… according to the latest rumours… it was here. In my local library, of all places. It was within grasp.

So, when I got to the library, I immediately made my way to the computers to see if it was actually here.

Searching… searching… searching…

Zero results.

Of course. Of course it wasn’t here. Of course it was fake.

I sighed. Well that was a waste of time, wasn’t it…

Out of habit, I still made my way to the manga section, perhaps hoping that maybe the system was wrong. Nevertheless, I was resigned to the fact that I was barking my way up the wrong tree.

But when I got there, I noticed it. The ebony black cover of the book, with its gold lettering dully gleaming under the lights.

I quickly snatched it from the bookshelf and skimmed its contents. It all seemed to line up to what I found in my research! Not believing my luck, I checked out the book and made my way home.

After reading through the book in great detail, I still couldn’t believe what I had read. Sure, all the backstories and lore that were detailed were interesting and all, but smack dab, in the middle, there really were comprehensive instructions on how to summon your own Servant. It all seemed a bit dubious, but… I mean… I had the book already. I might as well give it a shot, right? At worst, it’d just be a spot of fun.

Luckily for me, the required materials weren’t really that hard to get a hold of. I read the instructions again, to confirm that I got everything I needed and set everything up the way I needed to. Everything looked like it was in order. It was time to begin.

I began the process, meticulously following the steps given. And when I finished the last step… To my surprise, a magic circle appeared.

It… actually worked? It actually worked???

I looked at the back of my hand, seeing if the familiar command spells would appear. Nothing. I waited there a few moments longer… And still nothing.

The seconds continue to tick by. I can hear my heartbeat in my ears, continuing to thud, increasing in meter and volume until it’s the only thing I can hear.

Still nothing. Nothing. Nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing.

Gingerly, I approach the magic circle. It... looked like everything was still in order there.

Maybe it needs something to jolt the process…?

I rummaged through my pockets to see what was inside. Some coins, my phone, my wallet… And a cheap ballpoint pen.

I guess that would work?

I softly tossed the pen into the circle, as it bounced its way into the middle.

And then… It happened.

A dark portal opened up under the circle!

I gingerly approached the portal, but then a hand suddenly appeared, reaching out towards me. Too shocked to do anything, the hand grabbed my leg, and began dragging me in. I tried to scream, but it was too late - I was in the hole.

And slowly but surely…

My consciousness…

Faded…

Drifting slowly...

Towards...

The sound of nature was the first thing I noticed that was different. The birds chirping. The wind rustling through the air. The sound of water gurgling as it flowed.

Groggily, I opened my eyes and looked around. I was laying against a tree…? In a grassy forest, it seemed?

W-Where am I? How did I get here? How long has it been? And… What on earth happened here?

I slowly got myself to my feet. I… could tell that something was definitely different. I looked around.

Right, I heard a river close by!

Nervously, I inched my way towards the river. And from there, I saw it. My reflection. An unfamiliar face and body staring back at me.

I gasped. To say I was shocked would be an understatement. Unanswerable questions were whirring in my mind.

That’s… me? That’s… me??

I’m… I’m… me?

I continued to stare at myself in surprise. But… I knew I had to accept it. After taking a few more deep breaths, I calmly walked away.

And thus began my adventures to explore this new world. Hopefully, I’ll be able to find answers to my questions and find my way home.