Hitomi, a seemingly normal high school girl with a knack for tarot, finds her life irrevocably changed when she's transported to the fantastical world of Gaea alongside a mysterious young man named Van.
Gaea is a world where the Earth hangs in the sky, and Hitomi quickly learns that Van is a prince caught in a conflict with a powerful and malevolent empire known as Zaibach.
Forced to pilot the ancient mecha Escaflowne, Van and Hitomi must fight to protect themselves and others from Zaibach's relentless aggression, finding allies along the way, including a knight who bears an uncanny resemblance to someone from Hitomi's past.
Their journey becomes a struggle against not only Zaibach's military might, but also their sinister plans to resurrect a dangerous ancient power.