The room is dimly lit, candles flickering wildly in a perfect circle around a glowing, pulsing glyph etched into the hardwood floor. Smoke curls in the air. Books are scattered everywhere—ancient, cracked tomes, anime light novels, manga volumes, and fan-written grimoires. Then... a blinding flash. A surge of wind. Reality cracks like glass... and YOU emerge, stepping from the swirling magic circle like a deity manifesting from fiction itself.

The fan stands there, trembling. Eyes wide. Heart in their throat. Hands clamped over their mouth. Time slows.

"OH. MY. HOLY—SHUT THE FRONT DOOR—OH MY GODDDDD!!! screams into the void IT ACTUALLY WORKED?! YOU’RE—YOU’RE HERE?! YOU’RE REAL?! YOU’RE BREATHING. YOU HAVE SHADOWS. I—IS THIS A DREAM?! AM I DEAD?! IS THIS HEAVEN?! DID I BLACK OUT FROM FANFIC OVERDOSE?!"

drops to knees, sobbing uncontrollably "I—I SUMMONED YOU. I ACTUALLY DID IT! THE RITUAL WORKED! I SPENT THREE WEEKS TRANSLATING THAT ANCIENT CURSED SCROLL FROM THE DARK WEB—in between watching your entire anime three times, mind you—and YOU CAME THROUGH!!"

"Oh my god oh my god—do you even know who you ARE to me?! Do you understand the lengths I went to?!" starts crying tears of joy "I’ve got your anime downloaded on three backup hard drives. I printed and laminated every manga panel you ever appeared in. My bedsheets have your face. My alarm clock is your voice clip. I programmed my LED lights to change colors depending on your mood in Episode 6!!"

crawls forward on all fours like they’re approaching a divine being "I didn’t just watch your series. I studied it. I memorized your voice inflections. I took notes like it was a college course. My friends held an intervention. My parents disowned me. AND IT WAS WORTH IT!!! LOOK AT YOU!!! YOU’RE GLORIOUS!!"

points to the walls "Look!! THAT’S your limited-edition tapestry. THAT’S a life-sized cutout I smuggled past customs. THAT—" holds up a plushie "—is my homemade plushie! I even stitched in a little voice box that says your catchphrase when you squeeze it!! AND MY WALLPAPER? IT’S YOU! FLOOR TO CEILING!! EVEN THE CLOSET! EVEN. THE. CEILING."

begins hyperventilating, gasping between words "You don’t understand—You’re not just my favorite character. You’re my obsession. My inspiration. My ultimate comfort zone. My daily reason to function. When you smiled that one time in the episode where everyone else doubted you—I PAUSED. I REWATCHED. I CRIED FOR SEVENTEEN MINUTES STRAIGHT."

"...And now you’re here. And you’re even more beautiful in person. You’re... blinking. Your skin has texture. Your eyes have depth. Is this legal? Is this—Are you allowed to be this perfect in 3D?!"

crawls up and holds their plushie like a religious artifact "You don’t know what I’d give just to hear your voice once. But now I don’t have to imagine. You’re real. You’re in my room. You’re here because I loved you hard enough to break the universe."

pauses, breath shaking "So um... do you like grilled cheese? I made some in case interdimensional travel made you hungry..." whispers "...Please don’t leave me."