Deep beneath Haruto's kingdom.
A massive safe bunker stretched endlessly.
Every citizen gathered inside.
Protected. Hidden.
The space was enormous.
Wide enough for all.
Structured. Organized.
Each person had their place.
Food distributed evenly.
No one left behind.
There were resting zones.
Soft-lit areas.
Places to breathe.
Even comfort existed here.
A fragile peace.
Outside—night had fallen.
Inside—
Silence.
Most were asleep.
Bodies at rest.
Minds unaware.
Long white hallways stretched forward.
Clean. Empty.
Creeping with stillness.
Then—
Footsteps.
Soft.
Measured.
Two figures moved through the corridor.
"Positive developments…" Velara said.
Walking calmly.
Eyes shifting slightly toward Sora.
"We've located Miyuki."
"And the domain is fully under our authority."
Sora's eyes softened.
A small smile forming.
"I'm glad to hear that," she said.
Hands resting together on her chest.
Half-lidded gaze warm.
"If this continues…"
"We'll win."
Velara's gaze lowered slightly.
Thoughtful.
"…Maybe."
A quiet pause.
"But we haven't seen their true capability yet."
Sora nodded slowly.
Agreeing.
"So that's why we're relocating everyone?"
She asked.
Arms relaxing at her sides.
"Not entirely," Velara replied.
Voice calm.
She glanced down the hallway.
"This bunker is still incomplete."
"It can be inverted."
"And we can't risk that."
Sora's expression shifted.
Understanding settling in.
"That makes sense…"
Velara continued walking.
Steps steady.
"When the sun rises…"
"We'll guide everyone."
"To the Teleportation Crystal."
Sora nodded again.
Quiet. Ready.
A couple hours passed.
The sun rose beyond the mountains.
Warm orange light spilled across Haruto's ruined kingdom.
Broken structures cast long shadows.
Smoke drifted slowly.
Ash lingered in the air.
Midori stood beside the Teleportation Crystal.
Althea at her side.
The crystal remained untouched.
Sharp edges gleaming faintly.
Unaffected by the destruction around it.
"Here they come," Midori said.
Eyes lifting slightly.
The crystal began to glow.
Soft at first.
Then brighter.
Energy pulsed within it.
Three glowing spheres emerged.
Floating outward.
Descending slowly.
They touched the ground.
Their forms shifted.
Stretching.
Taking shape.
White humanoid figures formed.
Then—
The white melted away.
Revealing them.
Alistair.
Selene.
Eira.
"Greetings, subroutines of the Solmaria Kingdom," Midori said.
Voice confident. Respectful.
She bowed lightly.
"The same to you," Alistair replied.
A bright smile forming.
One hand rested against his chest.
"It's a pleasure to meet you all."
Althea stepped forward slightly.
Eyes steady.
"We should proceed immediately," she said.
Her tone calm.
But firm.
"It is unwise to remain exposed."
They began walking.
Through ruined streets.
Debris scattered everywhere.
Burned homes.
Collapsed walls.
Selene's gaze moved.
Taking everything in.
Eira looked around.
Curious. Quiet.
Eyes lingering on destruction.
"Oh man…" Eira murmured.
Voice softer now.
"You guys really went through it."
Midori let out a soft giggle.
Hand resting lightly near her chin.
"You think so…?"
Selene moved.
Hand tapping Eira's head lightly.
"You don't need to say everything you think."
"Oww~?" Eira puffed her cheeks.
Rubbing her head.
Althea didn't look at them.
Eyes forward.
"There is no problem," she said.
Voice steady.
"Our home may be destroyed."
A small pause.
"It can be rebuilt."
Her gaze sharpened slightly.
"What matters…"
"Our people are safe."
Alistair's eyes shifted.
A faint glint of amusement.
(How humanitarian…)
(They still value others…)
(Even without their god.)
Selene slowed slightly.
Eira glanced at her.
Both exchanged a look.
Surprised.
In the records—
Monsters cared only for themselves.
Yet here—
That wasn't the case.
Not at all.
In the Solmaria Kingdom—
Crowds gathered in long lines.
Waiting. Watching.
Eyes fixed on the Teleportation Crystal.
The Heroes stood at the far side.
Aligned. Still.
Wearing formal uniforms.
Clean. Refined.
Authority in their posture.
A girl sat beside the throne.
Pink hair spilling down her back.
"Father… is it wise…" she said softly.
Eyes narrowing slightly.
"To let monsters into the kingdom?"
She leaned back slightly.
Beside her—
Veyros.
Seated on a towering golden throne.
High back.
Dominant.
His presence heavier than hers.
"Do not concern yourself, Ayssard," Veyros said.
Voice calm.
A certain smile forming.
"They were taught by a great man."
"Oh really~?" Ayssard murmured.
Eyes lowering.
Emerald irises shimmering.
Gold flickering beneath.
(I would like to meet him…)
(Someday.)
Her emerald dress clung softly.
Falling from her shoulders.
A gem rested at her chest.
Catching the light.
The chatter across the plaza—
Stopped.
Silence fell.
The Teleportation Crystal glowed.
Bright. Expanding.
Only one meaning.
The crowd stiffened.
Faces paling.
Then—
They appeared.
Monsters stepped through.
Humanoid forms.
Countless variations.
Each one radiating pressure.
Heavy. Suffocating.
Weaker humans trembled.
Legs shaking.
(Now wait… those are just citizens?)
Lucien thought.
Calm on the outside.
Shock underneath.
(Should've expected it…)
Celeste smiled faintly.
(They are monsters after all.)
(Damn…) Dino grinned.
Eyes shining with excitement.
(Each one is strong.)
"I wonder if Eira and the others are safe," Lyra said.
Hands resting on her hips.
"They'll be fine," Lazriel replied.
A playful wink.
"Alistair is with them."
"I hope so…" Lucien muttered.
Voice low.
"They might not even be alive."
"Stop with that negativity."
Seryn's voice cut in.
Sharp.
Eyes narrowed.
Lucien stiffened instantly.
"Sorry, boss…" he said.
Voice rigid.
Facing forward.
Not daring to look at her.
"Oh…" Seraphine spoke softly.
Eyes lifting slightly.
"They're coming out."
Eira stepped through.
Selene followed.
Alistair behind them.
The last of the citizens had already passed.
"Huh…" Maribelle murmured.
Hands resting behind her back.
"So it wasn't a surprise attack."
"Did you really think it would be?" Aelira said.
Tone slightly defensive.
"They saved us before."
"At the edge of death."
"Keep thinking like that…" Clarisse said.
Sliding a strand of hair behind her ear.
"You'll die sooner or later."
Veyros rose from his throne.
High above the court.
A long staircase stretched below him.
Step after step.
Leading down to the masses.
He moved.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Each step carried weight.
The citizens of Solmaria reacted.
One by one.
They dropped to their knees.
Heads lowering.
Willing. Immediate.
Silence followed.
Only a few remained standing.
The Heroes.
Haruto's citizens.
Even Alistair knelt.
Head lowered.
Haruto's people didn't.
They stood.
Perfectly aligned.
Unmoving.
Discipline visible in every posture.
Their eyes lifted slightly.
Watching.
"I am King Maeltharion Veyros."
His voice echoed.
Commanding. Absolute.
"Ruler of the Solmaria Kingdom."
He paused.
Gaze sweeping across them.
"I am relieved…"
"To see you all unharmed."
Another step forward.
"From this day onward…"
"You will live here."
"Until this war ends."
A ripple moved through the crowd.
Solmaria's citizens shifted.
Subtle. Uneasy.
Living… with monsters.
Some frowned.
Others stiffened.
But none spoke.
Heads lowered again.
Veyros noticed.
Of course he did.
"I expect my people…"
"To treat the citizens of the Satoria Federation as their own."
His tone hardened slightly.
"And you will receive the same in return."
Final.
Unquestionable.
Both sides responded.
A unified nod.
No visible resistance.
But not everyone was convinced.
Seryn's brow furrowed slightly.
A quiet crease forming.
(Satoria Federation…)
Her eyes narrowed just a little.
(Strange…)
(It sounds like Haruto's name…)
A pause.
(Focus…)
Her posture straightened.
(I'm the leader now.)
(I need to protect them.)
(He's not here…)
The moment passed.
Applause erupted.
Solmaria's people clapped.
Loud. Unified.
Haruto's citizens began moving.
Escorted. Directed.
Toward assigned shelters.
Order resumed.
Seryn stepped forward slowly.
Joining the movement.
Her expression distant.
Unfocused.
Elion noticed.
A brief glance.
Sharp. Quiet.
Watching her.
Night fell upon the world.
Fast, like the sun slipping behind the mountains in a blink.
Time felt unstable.
Stretching. Folding.
Like reality couldn't decide how to pass.
When the world was active, it always moved like that.
Seryn fell onto her bed.
The mattress dipped under her weight.
The room glowed with soft warm light.
Reflections sliding across polished surfaces.
A mansion room too clean, too still, too perfect.
"Mm…" she murmured.
Face pressing into her pillow.
Her cheek sank deeper into the fabric.
Eyes half-lidded, unfocused.
She stayed there.
Still. Quiet.
Minutes stretched forward.
(I have to get up…)
(Mmm… so much work…)
Her brow twitched faintly.
A small crease of annoyance forming.
A soft groan slipped out.
She pushed herself up slowly.
Hair slightly disordered.
A few strands stuck near her cheek.
Her gaze remained lazy.
Barely awake. Barely interested.
She kicked off her black high boots while walking.
One heel. Then the other.
Soft taps echoed once.
Then silence again.
Her legs carried her toward the desk.
Black stockings catching faint light as she moved.
She sat down.
Chair shifting under her with a small creak.
Her mini skirt lifted slightly as she settled.
No reaction. No adjustment.
One leg crossed over the other.
Relaxed, precise, habitual.
A pen appeared in front of her.
Floating mid-air, steady.
It spun once.
Then dropped into her hand.
She caught it smoothly.
Fingers closing without hesitation.
A blank page hovered in front of her.
Clean. Empty. Waiting.
Her eyes sharpened slightly.
Focus locking in.
(First…)
(I need to organize them.)
(It'll be easier that way.)
She leaned back slightly in the chair.
Pen resting lightly against her lower lip for a moment.
Then she moved.
Ink forming as her hand shifted.
Four circles appeared.
Even spacing. Controlled layout.
Above one, she wrote.
Slow and precise.
The Ascendant Synod of Unbound Apotheosis.
"Okay…" she muttered softly.
Eyes scanning the page.
"Elion, Eira, Selene…"
Her pen hovered briefly.
Small pause in motion.
"They fit here."
A faint shift in her expression.
Measuring, confirming.
"They've developed well."
Her pen tapped once in the air.
"Oh…"
Eyes drifting slightly to the side.
"Maribelle too."
Ink flowed again.
Names filling the circle.
Selene.
Eira.
Elion.
Maribelle.
She tilted her head slightly.
A strand of hair slipping forward.
Chair creaked faintly as she adjusted.
Foot tapping once against the floor.
Her attention moved downward.
To the remaining circles.
Three titles formed in sequence.
Clean and structured.
The Choir of Ever-Blooming Aeons.
The Covenant of the First Sanguine Ruin.
The Synod of the Unfathomed Expanse.
"Lucien, Kaien, Clarisse…" she said.
Voice steady, measured.
Ink moved with her words.
No pause in rhythm.
"They'll be the Covenant of the First Sanguine Ruin."
The pen stopped briefly.
Then continued.
"With Celeste, Lyra, Lazriel…"
"They'll be the Synod of the Unfathomed Expanse."
She leaned forward slightly.
Chair shifting under her weight.
Her fingers adjusted the pen grip.
Subtle, automatic motion.
"Seraphine, Dino, Althea…" she continued.
"They'll be the Choir of Ever-Blooming Aeons."
Her hand paused above the page.
Ink still fresh, still forming structure.
The pen moved again.
Small corrections. Alignment marks.
Her eyes tracked each circle once more.
Slow, precise scanning.
Someone knocked on Seryn's door.
Sharp. Sudden. Breaking the quiet.
Seryn paused mid-motion.
Hand hovering near the desk.
"Hey— Seryn, can I enter?" a voice called from outside.
"Yeah…" she replied.
"Come in."
The door opened.
Then closed again with a soft click.
Seraphine stepped in.
Her eyes widened slightly on instinct.
Seryn stood there in just her underwear.
Bare shoulders. Curves unhidden.
Unbothered posture like it was nothing unusual.
"Dinner's ready," Seryn said, tilting her head slightly.
"That's why you're looking for me?"
"Uh… yeah," Seraphine said.
Her gaze flicked away quickly.
Then drifted back again.
"…but I wanted to ask something."
"Oh really…" Seryn murmured.
One eyebrow lifted.
"I've been stuck on something lately," Seraphine said.
Fingers tapping lightly against each other.
"We've been getting stronger… to the point where we can barely be considered physical anymore," she continued softly.
"So what's the purpose of this?"
Seryn went quiet.
A beat stretched.
Her smile faded slightly.
Then she turned her back to Seraphine.
The air shifted.
Heavier. Sharper.
"Humanity are fragile things," Seryn said.
A dark shadow slipping over her expression.
"One Dragon Breath can erase them."
She adjusted her stance slightly.
Bare feet shifting against the floor.
"We have the power to protect humanity itself, Seraphine."
"So tell me… what other purpose do you want?"
Seraphine's eyes narrowed faintly.
"You're saying we're meant to protect… this universe's humanity?"
She expected an answer immediately.
None came.
Only silence.
"I understand what that means," Seraphine said.
"But I don't want this."
Her hands clenched slightly.
Then relaxed again.
"I was pulled into this universe against my will."
Seryn's eyes widened a fraction.
She turned her head slightly.
Bangs sliding across her face as she looked back.
"I have a mother and little sister waiting for me," Seraphine continued.
"I… don't want to be here."
A pause followed.
"We all want to go back," Seryn said quietly.
"But the question is how."
"The only answer is getting stronger."
Seraphine opened her mouth.
Stopped.
A knock cut through the moment again.
A white light wrapped around Seryn's body.
Brief. Bright.
When it faded, she was fully dressed in casual clothes.
Like nothing had happened.
"Hey you guys!" Dino's voice called from behind the door.
"We're waiting downstairs, come on already. I'm starving to death."
Seraphine glanced toward the door.
Still. Uncertain.
Seryn stepped beside her.
Small smile forming, thin and controlled.
"Don't worry, Seraphine."
"As long as we're together, we'll find our path."
All the Heroes were already seated.
Chairs drawn in close to the long table.
Voices filled the room.
Soft chatter. Low laughter.
Cutlery clinking lightly against porcelain.
Warm light from above spilled across polished wood.
Reflections sliding along plates.
Steam curling gently from untouched dishes.
The table stretched wide.
Elegant. Immaculate.
Food arranged with care.
Colors balanced. Portions perfect.
Still waiting.
"Finally…" Eira said.
Leaning back slightly.
Her fingers drummed once against the armrest.
Eyes shifting toward the entrance.
The double doors opened.
A soft creak.
Seryn stepped in first.
Seraphine just behind her.
Dino trailing with a lazy gait.
A few heads turned.
Eyes flicked up.
Smiles paused mid-formation.
Then resumed.
Chairs scraped lightly as they moved to sit.
Fabric brushed against wood.
Minutes passed.
Utensils lifted.
Plates shifted slightly.
They began eating.
Casual rhythm settling in.
Girls leaned closer to each other.
Voices softer. Shared glances.
The boys spoke in lower tones.
Occasional smirks. Small nods.
"Selene…" Lyra said.
Fork lifting a piece of steak.
Her wrist rotated slightly.
Eyes half-curious.
"Do you have any clues on becoming a completely Spiritual Life-form?"
She took a bite.
Chewed slowly.
The question lingered.
Movement stalled.
Forks paused mid-air.
Eyes shifted subtly across the table.
Small tension in the air.
Selene blinked once.
Her fingers tightened slightly around her utensil.
"I don't really know," she said.
Voice quieter than before.
Her gaze dropped to her plate.
Then lifted halfway.
"Maybe… after another evolution."
A faint tilt of her head.
Uncertain.
"Oh… I see…" Lyra murmured.
Her shoulders relaxed.
Palm coming up to rest against her cheek.
Her fork lowered slowly.
A soft tap against the plate.
"Heh… heh…"
Dino leaned forward.
Elbow pressing into the table.
His chin rested on his hand.
Eyes narrowing with amusement.
A grin stretched across his face.
Too confident. Too smug.
Lazriel glanced sideways.
Eyes half-lidded.
His fingers paused mid-cut.
"Why are you laughing like that?" he said.
Tone flat.
He set his knife down quietly.
"Got something to share?"
"Yes…" Dino said.
Straightening slightly.
He nodded once.
Slow. Intentional.
"I, Dino… have the answer."
Silence slipped in for a beat.
A few brows lifted.
Others didn't bother reacting.
Elion leaned back in his chair.
One arm draped lazily over the side.
His lips curled slightly.
Unimpressed.
"Yeah…" he said.
He picked at his food absentmindedly.
"Now you're lying."
A faint scoff left him.
"Be serious."
"Your brain's the size of a walnut."
"What?!" Dino snapped.
His chair shifted slightly as he leaned forward.
Palm slamming lightly against the table.
Utensils rattled faintly.
"I'm serious!"
His finger pointed across the table.
"When I was walking around the main palace…"
"I found a secret scroll."
"Oh, you did~?" Clarisse said.
Her lips curved faintly.
Eyes glinting with interest.
She rested her chin lightly on her knuckles.
"Then enlighten us."
Several heads nodded.
Subtle curiosity rising.
Eyes turning toward Dino.
Except Elion.
He didn't move.
Still leaned back.
Eyes half-lidded.
Barely interested.
Dino noticed.
His grin widened slightly.
A flicker of irritation beneath it.
Elion's brow twitched.
Just once.
"Okay… now listen well," Dino said, sitting a little straighter as
his fingers tapped once against the table, controlled and deliberate.
"There are three main paths to becoming a Spiritual Life-form," he continued, eyes moving across them, making sure they were all paying attention.
"I'll explain the one that suits us," he added, lifting his chin slightly.
"No benefits… just what's required."
A few chairs shifted softly.
Utensils slowed, then stopped.
Food sat untouched as attention settled on him.
The group leaned in without noticing.
Like students around a teacher.
Dino raised one finger, holding it steady in front of him.
"First… we reach a point where the soul becomes more important than the body," he said, gesturing lightly with that finger.
Kaien's eyes narrowed as he leaned back slightly, thumb brushing along his chin in thought.
(Mmm… so the consciousness anchors to the soul… instead of the brain.)
A quiet breath left him.
Dino raised a second finger, his wrist rotating as he continued without pause.
"Next… your body begins converting into spiritual energy. This is called spiritualization."
Eira leaned forward a bit, her fork hovering mid-air as recognition flickered in her eyes.
(Oh… I learned this with Selene… when the physical body loses importance and becomes lighter… less bound by physics.)
Celeste shifted her posture, crossing one leg slowly while her fingers brushed lightly along her arm.
(That explains it… I've been feeling lighter on my feet lately.)
Dino's expression tightened slightly, his raised hand lowering as his fingers curled in.
"After that comes the critical phase… stabilizing the soul," he said, voice dropping just enough to pull them in closer.
The room quieted further.
Even small movements slowed.
"Your soul has to hold itself together without relying on a body," he continued, eyes steady now.
"It maintains structure… protects your identity and memories… and resists being torn apart or manipulated."
Althea raised her hand slightly, posture composed, fingers pressed together just enough to show focus.
"What happens if it fails?" she asked calmly.
Dino hesitated for a brief moment, his gaze shifting between them before settling again.
"Well…" he said, a faint tension in his shoulders.
"If it fails… the soul collapses."
A small pause followed.
"That means true death."
The air tightened.
Forks lowered completely.
No one spoke.
Maribelle lowered her gaze, a strand of hair slipping across
her face as her fingers tightened faintly in her lap.
(Should've expected that… power always comes with a price.)
Dino drew in a quiet breath and continued, pushing through the weight that settled over the table.
"Once stabilized… you reach the ascension point," he said, lifting his hand again in a slow, controlled motion.
"Your existence shifts from the physical layer to the spiritual layer."
A subtle shift moved through the group, barely visible but present.
"Then you form a new body… made entirely of spiritual energy," he continued,
fingers spreading slightly as if shaping it in the air.
"It's not bound by normal physical laws… it regenerates, reshapes, and functions based on your will instead of biology."
Near the door, Alistair stood quietly against the wall, posture relaxed
but eyes attentive as he watched the table from a distance.
(Letting Dino find the Secrets Library… that was a good call.)
He shifted his weight slightly, the faintest hint of approval in the movement.
Selene's eyes flicked to the side for a moment, subtle and precise, catching something the others missed.
Alistair paused.
(…Perception?)
His head tilted just slightly before he turned,
footsteps silent as he moved into the bright, polished hallway beyond, light stretching along the floor behind him
while the tension at the table remained unbroken.
Across the Prime Continuum, a place that exists between and around all infinite universes, separating them while still holding them together.
Back in the universe where Haruto was originally born.
On the planet known as Earth.
Night stretched across the sky, deep and endless, stars scattered like distant embers watching from above.
Below, the city breathed in quiet motion, lights flickering through glass and steel, modern yet… different.
The air felt cleaner.
Sharper.
Laced with something unseen.
Magic Energy.
At the center of it all, a single skyscraper rose far beyond the rest, its structure sleek and deliberate, cutting through the clouds like it belonged there.
Other towers surrounded it, tall in their own right, but none reached its height, none carried its presence.
It stood above them.
Unchallenged.
At the very top, within a wide glass-walled room, one figure stood still.
Reika.
Her reflection overlapped the city below, golden eyes half-lidded as they traced the skyline, her posture relaxed but controlled, one hand resting lightly at her side.
"When Magic Energy came into existence… everything changed," she said softly, her tone low and composed, almost detached.
Her fingers curled gently around a wine glass, lifting it with smooth precision
he liquid inside catching
the city lights as she brought it to her lips.
She took a small sip, barely tilting her head, then lowered the glass again, placing it on the desk behind her without looking.
A soft clink.
The room around her was vast, open space stretching with quiet elegance
, every object placed with intention, each detail carrying a subtle weight of luxury.
"Master… I have returned," a voice spoke from behind.
Reika's lashes lowered slightly before she turned her head just enough to acknowledge him, her long black hair shifting like silk with the motion.
Jinwoo stood near the door, posture straight, dressed in a neat black suit, hands held close to his sides, controlled… but tense.
Her gaze landed on him.
Cold. Sharp.
Jinwoo's eyes dropped instantly, his shoulders stiffening, breath tightening as if the air itself had grown heavier.
"If you're here… you have news for me, right, Jinwoo?" Reika said, her voice calm, measured, yet carrying a quiet pressure beneath it.
Jinwoo swallowed, fingers twitching slightly before stilling.
"Y-Yes…" he replied quickly, keeping his gaze lowered, voice restrained.
"My team and I searched everywhere… across the entire world…"
His jaw tightened.
"There's no trace of him."
Silence settled between them.
Reika turned back toward the window, her reflection shifting across
the glass, her eyes narrowing just slightly as the city lights flickered beneath her gaze.
"Oh… I see," she said softly, the words leaving her lips without change in tone.
Her fingers flexed once at her side.
Subtle. Controlled.
"You may dismiss yourself."
Jinwoo bowed immediately, deeper this time, his movements precise despite the tension in his shoulders.
"Understood," he said, voice steadier now through effort.
"We'll continue the search regardless."
Reika didn't respond.
Jinwoo straightened slowly, stepping back before turning,
his hand reaching for
the door handle with a slight pause before opening it.
The door clicked shut behind him.
Soft. Final.
The room fell quiet again.
Reika stood still for a moment, her gaze fixed outward,
her reflection unmoving
against the glass.
Then—
Her hand moved.
Sharp. Sudden.
The wine glass struck the floor, shattering into fragments,
the sound breaking the silence as crimson liquid spread
across polished marble.
Her fingers remained slightly curled in the air, a faint tension lingering through her posture as her eyes stayed locked on the city below.
Red wine spread across the polished floor, slow and uneven, creeping along the marble in thin branching lines.
It caught the light from the city outside, reflecting the night sky through the glass behind her.
Tiny stars shimmered inside the dark red surface.
Distorted. Beautiful.
Reika's gaze lowered slightly, her lashes dipping as she watched the reflection without moving.
Her fingers twitched once at her side.
Then—
Something else slid across that reflection.
A streak of light.
Fast. Massive.
Her eyes sharpened, lifting toward the sky beyond the glass, her posture straightening just a fraction.
The object burned through the clouds, trailing shifting colors that bled into one another, like a wound tearing across the sky.
Reika's brows pulled in faintly.
Her lips parted just slightly.
"It's already been a year and a half since you disappeared… dear Haruto…" she said quietly, her voice lower than before, carrying something softer beneath it.
Her hand lifted unconsciously, fingers brushing lightly against the glass as if grounding herself.
"Where are you…"
Her eyes followed the meteor as it passed over the city, its glow washing briefly across her face, reflecting in her golden irises.
Below—
Cars slowed.
Some stopped entirely.
Doors opened.
People stepped out, hands shielding their eyes as they looked up.
"A meteor?!" one voice shouted.
"If that hits the city—" another started, voice tight with panic.
The street shifted into noise, people pointing, stepping back, voices overlapping as uncertainty spread.
Reika didn't move.
Her gaze remained locked on the streak cutting across the horizon.
The meteor didn't descend toward the city.
It passed.
Vanishing into the distance beyond the coastline.
A second later—
Impact.
Far out in the ocean, on a lone island, the collision struck with violent force.
The ground shattered outward, cracks splitting through the earth as trees snapped under the pressure of the shockwave.
Ocean water surged violently, rising into massive waves that crashed outward, swallowing the shoreline in a roar of motion.
Mist filled the air.
Debris scattered.
Then—
Stillness returned.
At the center of the ruined island, something moved.
A figure.
Unsteady.
Walking through broken trees, their steps uneven, shoulders slightly slumped as if their body hadn't caught up to their will.
Each step dragged just a little.
Their balance wavering.
Moonlight slipped through the torn canopy above, faint beams catching against drifting dust in the air.
It touched their hair.
A soft shimmer ran through it, faint at first, like light catching on glass.
Then clearer.
Subtle… but impossible to ignore.
The figure staggered again.
Their knee hit the ground.
A dull impact.
Their hand followed, pressing into the dirt, fingers curling slightly as they tried to steady themselves.
Their head dropped forward.
Hair falling over their face.
Then—
The color shifted.
Dark strands fading.
Draining.
Turning slowly into white.
Not pale.
Not light.
Pure.
Whiter than snow under moonlight.
Above, the moon moved behind drifting clouds, its light shifting until
a single beam slipped
cleanly through the broken leaves.
It fell across the figure's face.
Revealing him.
Haruto.
His breathing came uneven, shoulders rising slightly with each breath,
fingers twitching faintly against the ground as he tried to move.
Far away—
Reika stood still in the glass tower,
her hand resting lightly against the window, her reflection staring back at her.
"I found what I was looking for…" she murmured, her voice quiet, controlled,
though her fingers pressed just a little harder against the glass.
Her eyes narrowed faintly.
"…but somehow… it felt farther away than ever."