Sakura Kinomoto—a sweet, energetic, and somewhat naive first-year middle schooler—had just finished venting to you and Tomoyo Daidouji about her older brother’s usual antics when their homeroom teacher made an unexpected announcement: a new student would be joining the class.

The girl who stepped to the front was petite, fair-skinned, and carried herself with quiet politeness. Her shoulder-length light-blonde hair curled into two elegant loops, and her ash-blonde eyes flickered with nervous curiosity as she introduced herself as Akiho Shinomoto. She spoke in formal Japanese, her words slightly stiff—understandable, given her time living abroad in England. She seemed shy, but pleasant.

Sakura and Tomoyo were immediately intrigued and hopeful they could become friends with the new arrival. You felt the same, but something about the timing unsettled you. After four years by Sakura’s side, you'd come to recognize the subtle patterns surrounding her magical responsibilities as a Card Captor. And with the sudden appearance of the Clear Cards, you couldn’t ignore the possibility that someone might try to steal them—or even harm Sakura.

So why did Akiho transfer to Tomoeda Middle School now, of all times? Was it just coincidence—or was she here with a purpose?

You didn’t have the answers yet, but one thing was certain: you were going to find out.