Planet Orimund,
The world didn't end.
Ron opened his eyes slowly.
Above him—
the familiar orangish-red sky.
Two red suns hung in their usual places, calm and indifferent, as if nothing extraordinary had happened.
For a moment, his mind refused to catch up.
"…We," Ron whispered, voice dry, "we're… alive?"
Lia stirred against him.
She had been clinging to his chest, arms tight as if afraid the world would vanish the moment she let go. Her eyes fluttered open, unfocused at first—then widening as the sky registered.
She inhaled sharply.
"We're… still here…?"
Her fingers tightened on Ron's clothes, then trembled.
In a cracked, almost breaking voice, she asked,
"W-what about Professor Zane…?"
A few steps away, Jax's eyes snapped open.
He was holding Selene's hand without realizing it. When awareness hit him, his grip tightened unconsciously.
"No… no, no, no…" he muttered, shaking his head.
"It can't be… right, guys…?"
His voice rose, desperate.
"Professor Zane can't be—
