Afternoon draped over them in a warm orange haze, the kind that made everything feel softer than it should.
The group lay sprawled across the grass, not speaking—just breathing, letting silence stitch them back together.
Lisha exhaled, every muscle made of wet cement.
"I need to train my body more…" she mumbled, already halfway asleep.
"…for physical fitness."
And she was out.
Mei looks at her, astonished by how she fell asleep.
"She fell asleep just like that!?—
I knew it, she is no human!"
"I mean… She's a walking–talking patient, so it makes sense."
"Mei, do you have any injuries?" A calming voice asked Mei.
It is Mira.
"Yea, here" Mei gives her hand out.
Mira's face froze looking at the stab on her hand
"Oh my lord… are you.. not feeling pain?"
In her mind she paniced
"How… How is she not screaming?, blood is leaking all over her hand."
"No… got used to it."
"Al-alright just hold still."
A bit far off, everyone sat together,
Some lay down, while others kept talking.
Milo—of course it was Milo—sat up and pulled food from his jacket like it was a suitcase.
Nobody questioned it. Hunger defeated curiosity.
"Line up you bigbacks!, we got food!!"
Milo said, waving his hand up high.
"Says the one with the food" muttered back Jasper.
A hand rests on his shoulder,
A voice deep.
Jasper jolted.
"Without me… you will starve…
To death."
The voice returns back to normal, It was Milo of course.
"Now help me with the distribution of food" a smile on his face, bright.
"... Y-yes sir!"
Hana held up a weird fruit, its surface shimmering faintly.
"Fantasy fruit… nice. Probably not poisonous."
Ivy leaned away. "Probably?? That's not comforting."
"Relax," Milo said, crossing his arms. "If it was poisonous, I wouldn't eat it either."
He paused.
"Yet."
Hana stares at him.
"Um... Okay, let me pretend like—I didn't hear that."
And turns to eat the odd looking fruit.
They sat down near a pile of wood, lit the wood with Jasper's help. The fire glowed like the one in the void.
They traded stories of what they'd faced with the other group— they were Japanese.
Each had a different experience in the trial.
"Well… for us, the maze was different," said Itsuki, voice calm but weary.
"There were ghosts everywhere—
We had to find a black gem at the center and destroy it. Not easy with that fog choking everything."
Itsuki added.
"They were like ghosts -or demons,
Their bodies were transparent below." said Hina.
"Yea, and the trees were dry and dead, there were broken carriages and boxes." Haru added "They had axes!"
"Dodging them was such a hassle!, especially towards the centre!" Rui said with irritation.
Kenji "And we broke the black gem!" but was cut off by Rui.
"He went crazy on that black gem and wouldn't stop smashing it!" She muttered, shooting a glance at Kenji.
"C'mon! You expect me to just trust one hit?" Kenji fired back, running a hand through his red hair.
"What if it regenerated? I've seen enough of this crap!"
He added.
"It's like those isakied stories."
Few of them laughed quietly.
"Yea! I saw him too" said Varun.
"Wait, from where?" Asked Itsuki.
"From above" answered Varun.
Kenji looks up at the sky, and looks back at Varun.
"So you were flying in the sky?Since when did you have wings?"
Few laugh, taking the image of Varun flying in the air.
"What?— NO!. I saw you from there!"
Varun points a path.
"Sure… I believe you–a thousand percent." Kenji's voice sarcastic.
"If it weren't for the fog,
I would have seen definitely seen Varun ascending—
ouch!"
Haru hit Kenji on the head.
"Alright that's enough, the others want to talk!"
"How did it go on your side?" Itsuki asked.
"For starters." Thanos began,
"We were stuck in a giant garden maze and monsters everywhere.
And dude– the vines literally pierced through my shield!"
"And these creepy hands came out of the ground!" Arjun added, half-laughing at the memory.
"They dragged Felix halfway across the hallway—it was terrifying and kinda funny at the same time."
"But later the walls grew taller!" added Felix.
"Yea, they did grow taller and…" Milo tried to remember what had happened, he shouted before he forgot it.
TH-THE GROUND BROKE!"
"WHAT!?" Everyone shouted.
"Were y'all doing Parkour???" Asked Hina.
"Parkour huh… interesting." Thought Kenji.
"No…" Arjun face palms.
He answers,"Just the ground split in half."
"Okay yours feel like an actual fight.—
Ours was just- keep silent, it was almost like 'do a sneak attack' for us" said Kenji.
"Later the walls grew eyes," added Varun "It was after sometime though."
"What…" Haru's face became pale.
"Eyes?– oh right!" Arjun said, his tone dropping.
"They were watching us as we ran—
Like… how do I say it?"
"Think Arjun, THINK!" He thought deeply.
Getting an example Arjun says,
"You know paintings that watch you?"
"Yea! Yea!" Nodded Rui.
"Yea basically, that's what happened."
Sora gave extra information.
"By the time we escaped—
Mei and Lisha were right behind us… chased by this huge blob of eyes and black liquid."
Haru thought "Plot armour…. Yea definitely."
"Disgusting… and scary." said Rui, half covering her mouth.
"Yea, it was." Said Sora sorrowfully.
"They made it out, right?" Haru asked, leaning forward.
"Yeah, duh!
If not, I wouldn't be sitting here wrapped in bandages!" Mei said, raising her voice.
They felt a sigh of relief after seeing her alive.
"Wait—where's Lisha? And what happened to your hand?" Rui asked, eyes widening.
"She's sleeping," Mei replied, glancing over at her.
"Let's just say.. she was choked— don't worry I saved her! And also the reason for this.." Mei raising her injured hand.
Kenji blinked. "That's—crazy."
"That's weird… Did the system say anything about the black liquid eye thingy?" asked Haru.
"No but!, It only showed us our blessings…
That's it…"
Varun sees the Japanese looking at him with confusion.
"What?"
"Blessing?" Itsuki cut in sharply, his tone suddenly serious.
"Yes," Mei said simply. "Blessings."
"What? You guys don't have it?" Ava asked.
"No, no, it's just… different in our case!" Rui explained.
"It's called speciality—
It grants us magic from a distance."
Rui adds "None of us really fight up close."
"Oh, odd… Well, our system calls it 'blessings'." Arjun added, folding his arms.
"Maybe it's different since you're from another country?– I am just guessing, really!"
"What's your system's name?" Itsuki asked curiously.
"Ours is the Ari System."
Arjun and Felix exchanged a glance — their stomachs twisted at the mention of that name.
"Well… ours doesn't even have a name," Ava muttered.
"Huh, normally every system has one —
no matter the case." Rui said sternly.
"Wait… does this mean everyone sees the messages differently?" Haru asked.
"Like— they see their own system, and we only see ours?"
The room went still.
No one spoke.
Their brains, trying to understand. Their systems weren't universal—
they were separate.
Each group could only see the messages created by their own system.
Itsuki spoke up,
"I mean… it would make sense but the real question is–
Why are there different systems?"
Varun tried to find an answer but couldn't, looked for Milo– he is known to be a genius when serious.
But disappointment met his face after seeing him eat chips.
"Wah?" Milo asked through a mouthful.
"Nothing," Varun muttered, exhaling in disbelief.
Kenji clapped his hands once, trying to cut the awkward silence.
"Okay… this is getting weird. Let's just move on to the next topic—"
Before he could finish, a sudden ding echoed in their heads.
"A mission? what mission?" someone asked.
"Did someone say that?" Milo whispered, still munching chips.
"Huh… guess not."
Itsuki glanced at his system window.
"Well, we have a mission… to find two crystals," he said, then frowned. "And… put them in order?"
"Cant someone else do it?" Kenji muttered, falling backward towards the ground.
"What type of crystal?" Asked Mei.
"Well, it is... Sun and the moon crystal."
"Woah, woah— the Sun and the moon crystal!?" Ava asked, her tone serious.
"Yes" confirmed Itsuki, as he looks for more information.
"What's the matter?" Asked Hina, as she sees their face with shock.
Ava sigs and replies back,
"Well dummies, for your kind information–
Both are missing."
This shocked the 2PG, Itsuke stopped mid way, and looked at Ava,
Kenji blinks while he still lays on the ground.
Rui turns pale.
"Did your 'Ari' system not tell you that?" Asked Felix.
"No- no." Asked Itsuki, his face confused.
Kenji still on the ground says dramatically
"Well, ain't that great...The mission should be named as
'find the two missing constellations' instead.
"This is getting confusing." Thought Rui.
Milo thought "Can this information just get any worse?"
Arjun and Felix exchanged a look. Their thoughts aligned in silence.
"We know where this is heading."
"That's nice. Good luck on your journey!" Milo said casually.
Kenji got back up
He blinked.
"Wait—when did you even get here?" His eyes dropped to Milo's snack bag.
"And give me that food! You promised me last time!"
Rui suddenly remembered Milo's earlier words and sprang up.
"You lied to me!?–
get back here you Blue Eater!!!" she yelled, charging after him.
Milo yelped, clutching his chips as he bolted–
crumbs scattering in his wake.
Both chasing him.
"I have some! —They're in my jacket—by the tree—near the riverAHHH!!" Milo shouted mid-sprint, half laughing, half terrified.
Arjun sighed, glancing at Itsuki.
"Here they go again," they both thought in unison.
Another ding sound was heard. This time it was for the 1PG.
"Well seems like we too have the same mission." Said Arjun.
"Well, guess we'll head off– Good luck with your mission though." Itsuki said, gathering his things.
"Good luck, we might meet some sunny day!" said Arjun jokingly.
As Itsuki's shadow disappeares into the woods.
While with Milo, Kenji and Rui.
Milo on top of a tree holding a stick.
"Back off you dogs!"
"This is what you get for lying!"
"Damn it!, I thought I could have this all for myself—
That's why I gave them those fruits, guess this was a bad idea" Milo thought, as he climbs higher.
"All right, that's enough!" Haru snapped, grabbing Rui and Kenji by the collars.
"We need to go—tell everyone about the mission."
Rui and Kenji were half-dragged, half-pulled away.
She glared back over her shoulder.
"I'll get my revenge on you, Milo!!" she shouted, voice equal parts threat and laughter.
Milo waved sheepishly, chips still clutched in his hand.
"We'll see about that." He mutters.
The groups separated—goodbyes tossed over shoulders, footsteps fading as plans and worry settled in.