I was dreaming. I knew I was dreaming, but it didn't feel like the Goddess's forced nightmare. It felt… quiet.
I was sitting on a wooden swing in a playground I didn't recognize. The sky was a soft, perpetual twilight, painted in hues of violet and gold.
Beside me, on the other swing, was a girl.
She had short, messy black hair and was wearing a modern school uniform—a white shirt, a plaid skirt, and loafers. She was kicking her feet back and forth, staring up at the sky.
I knew her. But I couldn't see her face clearly. It was blurred, like a smudge on a camera lens.
"You broke the loop," the girl said. Her voice sounded familiar—warm, tired, and incredibly sad. "I thought you'd get stuck on the third try."
"I had help," I replied, my voice echoing strangely. "Who are you?"
The girl stopped swinging. She turned her blurred face toward me.
"I'm just a fan," she whispered. "I loved the story. I loved it so much I wanted to save everyone. But... I think I broke it instead."
