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Hanako remembered that night when she first learned of the magical world hidden under the normalcy of her everyday life. It was a year ago, on a particular summer night.
She'd been enjoying a small summer festival, waiting on her lonesome as her parents went out to buy some food for them to bring home. Sadly, she'd left her phone at home, so she was left bored as she sat and nursed her aching feet.
Then, by the corner of her eyesight, she spotted a strange tent located at the end of the line of stalls. She saw it, stared at it as she debated in her mind, before giving in to her curiosity and walked over.
She stood before it for several seconds, wondering why something so out of place was even here, before she entered.
And inside, she saw a simple table, two chairs, and a beautiful foreign lady sitting by the table, a smile on her face as she saw Hanako enter.
She introduced herself as Merry, and invited her to sit down with her. Blinking, Hanako sat down and asked what she was even doing here, and with a smile, Merry simply pulled out a book and asked her,
"Do you believe in magic?"
She said no. Magic was magic, and it wasn't real. Despite her answer, Merry only smiled and asked again.
"How about the supernatural?"
Hanako didn't answer. She couldn't really. After all, though she was a staunch supporter of logic and science, she couldn't say that the supernatural isn't real either.
There were still many questions left unanswered, too many mystical things that even science can't explain.
Merry took her silence as a positive and smiled, opening the book she'd brought out earlier. Curious, Hanako leaned in, and she listened as Merry told her of a hidden world of fantasy, where magical beings lived, where youkai and magic are commonplace, and where all that is forgotten is brought to.
A world known as Gensokyo.
Hanako was skeptical, but accepted the explanation anyway. The book had pictures of it, of the landscapes Gensokyo had, and they were all beautiful. Whether it be fake or real, it didn't detract from how pretty the pictures made Gensokyo look.
But then there were two pictures that mentioned the Hakurei Shrine and the Moriya Shrine, and Hanako stopped for a moment.
'Those names are real.' She'd thought. She didn't quite remember where the Hakurei and Moriya Shrine currently are, but she's heard and seen pictures of it, so she knew they were real. But to see them placed inside this Gensokyo was jarring, to say the least.
Then, as Merry flipped through the book, she saw pictures of several different people, some human and some not, all colorful and distinct from one another. She described them, told of their stories, of what they could do.
Hakurei Reimu, Shrine Maiden of Fantastical Paradise
Kirisame Marisa, An Ordinary Black Magician
Izayoi Sakuya, Perfect and Elegant Maid
Konpaku Youmu, Gardener of Azure Sky
Shimeimaru Aya, Crow of Wind and Rain
Cirno, Ice Fairy of the Lake
Remilia Scarlet, The Scarlet Devil
Yakumo Yukari, Border of Phantasm
Only Yukari didn't have a picture. Merry said that she simply didn't have a picture of her.
Honestly, Hanako found them far more interesting that she probably should. She spent a lot of time simply asking questions, asking on what they did and could do, and why they would do as they did.
She feared she was boring Merry with all her questions, but the woman was just as kind, smiling at her with interest and amusement as she answered her questions.
And just as suddenly as it began, it ended, with Merry closing the book and giving it to her, telling her to read it if she's interested. Hanako was happy of course, she liked reading quite a bit, but the book was clearly Merry's.
But as she looked up, the words in her throat froze as the seat across from her was suddenly empty, Merry nowhere in sight.
Hanako blinked, and blinked again. She stared at the now empty seat, rubbing her eyes to see if she was somehow seeing it wrong. But, no, the seat remained empty.
She even touched the empty seat just for good measure, and there was nothing.
Confused and very much nonplussed, she left the tent with the book in hand. She took a gulp of air, an attempt to calm herself before she turned to bid the tent farewell.
But she couldn't, because just like Merry, the tent was no longer there.
She stared at the empty area for a full minute or so before she turned and left, not quite sure what the hell just happened. 'It could've all been a fever dream.' She initially thought, but she wasn't sick, and the book in her hands was very much real, so that couldn't be it.
Before she could think anymore of it, she heard a scream coming from the nearby forest. She quickly turned towards where it came from, but she then noticed something.
No one seemed to notice. It was as if the scream didn't even happen.
But it did, right?
The scream came again, and fighting against her instinct, she ran towards the source, worried for whoever was the owner of that voice.
She ran into the forest, shielding her eyes against the twigs and tripping slightly. The scream came again, louder and more desperate, and Hanako ran faster.
Soon, she broke out into an open clearing, with no one in sight.
Well, no human that is.
In the center of the clearing was...a monster, one with the bottom of a spider and the body of a deformed human, its hand replaced by a long, bloody claw.
Hanako shivered as she watched the distressed expression on its face slowly morph into one of sadistic glee as its eyes found her. She took a shaky step back, and grinning, the monster took a step forward.
Then, she tripped.