The sky above Ghoul City had barely settled after Sakura vanished.
The last embers of her stardust still clung faintly to the night, forming tiny trails that drifted like the remnants of a dream. Yuki sat in the ruins of the battlefield—knees pressed to cracked concrete, breath trembling, eyes still wet.
She didn't know how long she stayed there.
Minutes.
Hours.
A lifetime.
The stars were the only things that moved.
But far above her—beyond the mortal sky, past the clouds, past the atmosphere and the dark velvet of space—something ancient was waking.
Something waiting.
Something Sakura now belonged to.
---
THE STAR WEBS — WHERE CONSTELLATIONS BREATHE
Light rippled through the void like water disturbed by a stone.
A great web—vast, shimmering, woven between galaxies—began to pulse.
Each strand hummed a soft, musical sound, an eternal harmony forged from the very beginning of time.
At the center of the infinite star lattice stood a massive gate taller than planets, carved from blue-white starlight itself.
And then—
It opened.
A thunderous boom echoed through the cosmos as the doors parted, releasing a flood of silver radiance that washed through the dark.
From the gates marched guardians of the ancient realm.
They were ghouls—but not like anything mortal realms had ever seen.
Their hair was long and white, glowing like comets streaking through midnight.
Their wings—vast, crystalline, shimmering—spread behind them in breathtaking arcs.
Their skin was pale as moonlight, untouched by shadow or fear.
Each held a tall, gleaming scepter carved from living starlight.
They marched forward in perfect unison.
THOOM.
Their scepters hit the crystal floor.
The stars above flickered in the exact same rhythm.
THOOM.
THOOM.
THOOM.
The entire Universe pulsed with their steps.
They were the Keepers of the Constellations, guardians of destiny, protectors of the Star Webs.
As they stepped aside, forming two rows of honor, the light shifted again—
And a tall figure approached from deep within the cosmic halls.
---
THE QUEEN OF COSMIC BLOSSOMS
She was a ghoul made entirely of starlight and springtime.
Her hair was cotton-candy pink, drifting in glowing curls past her waist.
Her eyes sparkled like two galaxies, endless and warm.
Her dress was a flowing gown of white and pastel flowers, the petals blooming and wilting in patterns—eternal cycles repeating endlessly.
As she walked, stars curved around her steps like they recognized their empress.
She stopped before the gate and smiled.
"Welcome, Sakura," the Star Queen said, her voice soft as moonlight yet echoing across the galaxy. "We have been waiting for you."
The light behind Sakura flickered.
Her spirit—newly formed, reborn, shimmering—floated forward timidly.
Her once-childlike glow now radiated elegance.
Her hair, still pink but brighter, floated weightlessly around her head. A long pale-purple dress draped over her form, decorated with star-shaped embroidery that pulsed gently.
Sakura stared at the Star Queen in awe.
"Is this… really where I belong now?" she whispered.
The Queen nodded softly.
"Yes. You were not just a human girl. You were always more—chosen by the threads of destiny. This is the realm of those who transcend life and death… those who become part of the cosmic weave."
Sakura swallowed.
Her eyes flicked downward toward the massive blue planet floating far below—the Earth.
Her Earth.
Her home.
And the girl she left behind on it.
"Yuki…" Sakura breathed.
The Queen followed her gaze and placed a gentle hand over Sakura's shoulder.
"You may look once more," she said with a smile. "A final glance—before your new journey begins."
Sakura's heart fluttered.
She stepped to the edge of the cosmic balcony.
Below her, the universe stretched wide and endless.
She leaned forward—
And water, pure as diamond dust, formed a floating mirror before her.
Through it, she saw Earth.
Ghoul City.
The broken battlefield.
The cold wind.
And—
Yuki.
On her knees.
Crying.
Broken.
Whispering Sakura's name into the night as if it could bring her back.
Sakura's chest tightened painfully.
"I'll give you a glance, Yuki," she whispered.
Her fingers brushed the star-water mirror—
And it rippled.
A pulse of soft purple light burst across the cosmos.
And far below—
Something answered.
---
BACK ON EARTH — THE 678TH STAR WEB ACTIVATES
Yuki blinked as a sudden, burning glow flared inside her chest.
It was warm.
It was familiar.
It felt like Sakura's hand on her heart again.
Then—
The ground beneath her trembled softly.
Her body rose into the air—slowly, weightlessly—as if invisible hands were lifting her.
Her hair floated upward.
Her eyes snapped open—
And they glowed bright pink.
The same pink Sakura always wore when she smiled.
The same pink Yuki had seen in her dreams since childhood.
The pink of connection.
The pink of love.
The pink of the Star Webs.
Light circled around Yuki's body, drawing symbols of constellations—her destiny being etched onto her skin by cosmic fire.
High above, the stars rearranged once more.
A new pathway opened.
A small circle of starlight formed directly in front of Yuki—
Like a window being cut into the fabric of space.
And through it…
She saw her.
---
THE CELESTIAL VISION
Sakura stood in a flowing purple dress, long and elegant, decorated with constellations. Her pink hair shimmered with silver threads, her eyes glowing brightly.
She looked older now.
Wiser.
More divine.
Like a goddess.
She smiled gently, filled with pride and sadness.
"Sakura…" Yuki whispered, voice cracking.
Her fingers reached instinctively toward the glowing portal—
shaking, desperate, aching to touch her one last time.
Sakura raised her own hand, mirroring her.
The distance between them was only inches.
And yet—
It was a universe apart.
Tears streamed down Yuki's cheeks, glowing like liquid light.
Sakura's lips parted.
"I never really left you," she whispered. "Not truly."
Yuki sobbed as her knees floated inches above the ground.
Her heart pulsed so hard she thought it would burst.
"Sakura—I can see you. I can see you," she gasped, reaching further.
Sakura smiled with all the love in the cosmos.
"That is because your destiny is awakening. You are connected to me. To the Star Webs. To the universe."
The portal flickered slightly.
Sakura stepped back.
The Queen of Stars appeared behind her, watching with soft empathy.
"It is time," the Queen murmured.
"Time?" Yuki choked. "No—NO—PLEASE—"
Sakura pressed her hand against the fading portal.
"Yuki," she whispered, "listen to me."
"Don't let this world tear you down. Don't let your past trap you. Don't let grief swallow you."
Her voice quivered.
"Be the girl I protected in preschool…
Be the girl who never gave up…
Be the sacrifice ghoul who survived everything."
The portal shrank.
The stars around it brightened.
Sakura's eyes glimmered with unshed tears.
"You'll become greater than even I can imagine."
Yuki screamed.
"Sakura—SAKURAAAA—DON'T GO!"
Her body shook violently—the connection burning bright then dimming.
Sakura blew her one last kiss.
"I'll be waiting," she said softly, "in the brightest star."
The portal collapsed completely—
Leaving only starlight drifting through the night.
---
THE FALLING STAR
The moment Sakura vanished, a star streaked across the sky—
A rare, purple comet.
It fell slow, almost tender, like it wanted to stay with Yuki just a little longer.
Yuki collapsed to the ground, breath ripped from her lungs.
Her sob echoed through Ghoul City.
She clutched her chest with shaking hands.
But deep beneath her grief, something pulsed.
Strength.
Power.
Infinite possibility.
Sakura had left something behind—
A blessing.
A guide.
A spark of cosmic destiny.
Yuki wiped her tears slowly.
"I'll find you," she whispered. "One day… I'll reach you."
Above her, the purple comet shimmered—
And the Star Webs hummed in approval.