In a modest two-story apartment in New York City, a young woman named Betty sat in front of her computer, fully engrossed in a manga titled Fake and Real Daughter: Apocalypse Edition.
As she finished the latest chapter, her expression twisted with frustration. Without a word, she stood up, walked over to her bed, and grabbed a life-sized teddy bear. With clenched fists, she began pummeling it while yelling at the top of her lungs.
"What kind of manga is this?! Why is the fake daughter being treated so badly?! She just wants her family's love! And the author had the nerve to name her Betty! Same as me?! AHHH!"
Suddenly, a sharp voice cut through the night from the apartment above.
"Girl! Can you stop screaming at midnight? Why are you yelling like you're being chased by ghosts?!"
Startled, Betty froze. "Oops..."
She tiptoed to the window, looked up, and called out sheepishly, "Sorry, Grandma! I was reading manga and got a little carried away. I didn't scream on purpose, I swear!"
Her elderly neighbor opened her window and looked down at Betty with a tired but amused expression. "Hai hai… You didn't scream on purpose—just like last night, right? That wasn't you, that was a donkey, I know. Even now, I still hear donkey sounds. And why aren't you asleep, dear? Go to bed already."
With a sigh, she closed her window.
Betty pouted, placing a hand on her chest. "Grandma… that really hurts my heart."
Still grumbling, she turned away from the window and headed to turn off her computer. But as she reached for the switch, her hand brushed against an exposed wire. A jolt of electricity surged through her, her body convulsing before she collapsed, unconscious.
When she finally regained consciousness, her eyes fluttered open to an unfamiliar ceiling. She sat up with a jolt, panic rising in her chest.
"Where… am I?"
She stumbled to her feet, but her legs gave out beneath her and she crashed to the floor.
"Ow… why does my body feel so strange? It's like… it's not mine…"
Suddenly, a sharp pain pierced her skull as unfamiliar memories flooded her mind. Names, faces, places she'd never seen before spun through her head like a storm.
When the pain finally subsided, she jumped to her feet and rushed to the nearest mirror.
What she saw stunned her.
A beautiful young woman stared back at her. Long, flowing silver hair framed her delicate face, and her eyes sparkled like crimson rubies. Betty reached up and touched her cheek in disbelief.
"Mwah… I'm gorgeous! How can I be this beautiful?!"
As she basked in her own reflection, a strange sensation crept over her—like something was calling to her, urging her.
"Huh? What is this feeling… like I could just disappear if I wanted to…"
Suddenly, a soft, childlike voice echoed in her head.
"Master, you can enter the space. You just need to think about going in."
Betty's eyes widened. She quickly scanned the room, looking for the source of the voice.
"W-Who's there?! I'm warning you, I'm not scared! Show yourself!"
But the room was empty.
Then, recalling the voice's words, she hesitated... and then closed her eyes, thinking about entering "the space."
In an instant, her body vanished.
When she opened her eyes again, she found herself in a completely different world—a small, private dimension surrounded by lush greenery and towering halls that resembled a massive warehouse.
Her jaw dropped.
"…What the hell kind of manga logic is this?"
A soft voice echoed behind her, calm and gentle like a whisper in the wind.
"Master, this is your space. Here, you can rest. Those halls over there are for storing supplies—anything you place here will remain untouched by time. You can retrieve whatever you need, whenever you need it."
Betty spun around, eyes darting in every direction. "Who said that?" she called out, heart pounding. "Show yourself!"
But the room was still. No one was there.
Just as she was about to convince herself she'd imagined the whole thing, she felt a gentle tug at her ankle.
An irritated voice rang out again, this time much closer.
"I'm here! Look at your feet, you giant!"
Startled, Betty glanced down—and froze. A tiny, fluffy white cat with shimmering fur and intelligent blue eyes was pawing at her leg.
"Aww!" she gasped, immediately scooping the feline into her arms. "You're adorable! But wait… who told me to look at my feet just now?"
The cat wriggled in her grip, puffing up in irritation.
"That was me, obviously! And stop squishing me like that. Meow!"
Betty's eyes widened in disbelief. She quickly placed the cat back on the ground like it was a piece of fragile glass.
"W-Wait… you're talking? The cat is talking?!"
The cat looked up at her with an expression that could only be described as judgmental disappointment.
"What's so surprising? Haven't you ever seen a talking cat spirit before?"
Betty blinked. "Nope. Definitely not. Is this some kind of magical girl thing?"
The cat ignored her rambling and flicked its tail, eyes turning serious.
"There's no time to waste. You need to start gathering supplies immediately. The apocalypse is approaching—there's very little time left."
Betty took a step back, trying to process everything. A magical space. A talking cat.