"Um?"
I stirred from whatever thin, restless sleep I had fallen into. My eyelids trembled, reluctant, before slowly lifting.
Light seeped in—soft at first—bleeding into my vision until the world began to take shape, edges sharpening little by little.
I was awake.
The first thing I saw were the tables in front of me. Clear, polished, almost too pristine. Three bags rested on top, neatly arranged. One of them was already opened, its contents slightly spilling out. Beside it sat a white-blue jelly-like substance sealed in a transparent cover, its surface faintly glistening under the light.
Then my gaze shifted.
A girl sat across from me on the opposite sofa, cross-legged, her posture calm and composed.
White hair.
No—more like silver kissed by light. It framed her in a way that didn't feel real. There was something… untouchable about her presence. Ethereal. Like a goddess who had somehow taken a human form and decided to sit casually in front of me.
Her eyes were… exquisite.
Every slow blink, every delicate flutter of her lashes felt unreal—like watching a butterfly gently beat its wings. Soft, precise, almost hypnotic.
Sometimes I wonder…
Just how beautiful would her parents have to be to bring someone like her into the world?
Hidden behind her fine, light-blue hair that cascaded naturally over her shoulders was a pair of slender ears, adorned with delicate violet earrings that added just a hint of color to her otherwise pale features.
As if sensing movement, they twitched ever so slightly.
"You're awake?"
Her voice pulled me back.
She lifted her head from whatever she had been doing and looked straight at me.
Our eyes met.
Clear.
Calm.
Looking into them felt like staring into a still lake—clean, untouched. It woke me up more than anything else could.
A faint shiver ran through me.
I pushed myself up, supporting my weight with one hand as I sat upright, clutching a pillow against my chest. A dull, uncomfortable ache lingered on my back, but as I stretched slightly, it faded away—like invisible hands had smoothed it out.
Right… I was on the sofa.
Of course she got the bed.
Still, the sofa was large enough. I had ended up sleeping opposite Asylia.
I glanced around, taking in the room again.
Nothing had really changed. The same quiet luxury. The same stillness.
Only the light coming from the ocean outside seemed softer now—brighter, even. It filled the space with a surreal calm, like we were on some kind of underwater vacation.
If only…
If only that memory didn't exist.
The monster.
The one that nearly—
I stopped myself.
Instinctively, I looked around again, searching.
"Where… um… is… she?"
I hesitated.
Her name—why can't I—
"You mean Asylia?"
The girl tilted her head slightly, catching on immediately.
I nodded, a bit embarrassed.
How do you forget someone's name in just a day?
Is it because I didn't sleep properly?
I frowned, trying to piece it together—
"Why are you looking for me?"
A soft voice came from behind.
I turned.
And there she was.
Walking toward us with an effortless grace that felt almost practiced—but not in a forced way. Natural. Like she had always moved like that.
Asylia.
She had changed clothes.
Gone was what she wore before—now replaced with a clean, white uniform, something suited for movement. Light. Functional. It hugged her form just enough to make it look refined without trying.
She looked… fresh.
Like she had just come out of a bath. There was a quiet clarity to her presence, something crisp.
Her long white hair was still damp, tied loosely into a ponytail. A few stray strands clung to her cheeks, framing her face gently.
Her ears were fully visible now.
No earrings. No accessories.
They didn't need any.
She passed by me.
"Hmm? You got anything to tell me?"
Her tone was light. Casual.
"Nothing."
"I see…"
She didn't press further. Just nodded, like that was enough.
Her gaze drifted past me, landing on the untouched food.
"You should eat that already," she said softly. "We might not even get another chance to rest for a while."
Then, as if shifting gears entirely, she turned toward Serein.
"What do you think of the path I outlined?"
Serein lifted something resting on her lap—a small, minimal device—and placed it on the table.
It expanded.
A familiar 3D structure formed in the air.
I leaned forward slightly, watching.
There was already a blue line mapped out—starting from a circle, branching through different paths. At the end… a larger blue circle.
"Train."
So that's the goal.
"It looks great," Serein said, nodding.
Then she pointed at a section marked with a red X.
"But how can you be sure this part on the third floor is the flooded one?"
"It's simple because—"
Asylia began explaining, her voice steady, backing her reasoning with observations and predictions. She spoke like someone who had already thought ten steps ahead.
I didn't understand everything.
But I understood enough.
They were planning.
Figuring out how we'd survive.
How we'd get out.
And for some reason…
Something warm settled in my chest.
A quiet kind of warmth.
The kind that makes you feel like you're not alone anymore.
Like… maybe things won't be as bad as they seem.
With them here.
With people beside me.
Maybe—
"Anyway, they won't be able to take this path if this section here is the one that got breached."
"Well… if you say so," Serein replied. "I'm not as familiar with this place as you are."
"Don't worry," Asylia said, pointing to a few lighter blue routes on the projection. "I have backup plans."
That alone eased something in me.
I exhaled quietly and sat back down.
My eyes landed on the jelly-like food again.
I picked it up, peeling away the transparent cover before glancing at her.
"Is this really mine?"
"Hmm."
She gave a small nod.
Serein, on the other hand, stood up and headed toward the bathroom without a word.
I looked back at the thing in my hand.
It didn't exactly look… appetizing.
Still…
She wouldn't give me something dangerous, right?
Right?
I hesitated for a second, then took a bite.
…
It felt like nothing.
No flavor.
No texture.
It was like chewing water.
I frowned slightly, about to take another bite—
Then paused.
My expression changed.
A strange sensation spread through my stomach.
Full.
Not just a little full—completely full.
Like I had just eaten an entire meal.
No… more than that.
I couldn't eat another bite even if I tried.
"What…?"
I stared at it, then down at my stomach.
"I only took one bite…"
"Are you surprised?"
Asylia smiled faintly.
"It's called Azure Sustain. I bought it online. One bite is enough to keep you full for an entire day."
She shrugged lightly.
"No flavor, but… useful."
"Something like this…"
I turned it over in my hand, still trying to process it.
"Is it expensive?"
"That one's yours already," she said, smiling—soft, natural.
"But don't finish it all today. I didn't buy much. Every bite matters."
Then, almost as an afterthought—
"It's best if we avoid food and water from the restaurant," she added. "It might be contaminated."
"What?!"
My grip tightened slightly.
Carefully—almost instinctively—I sealed the jelly back in its cover, holding it like it was something fragile.
Something important.
In my mind, its value shot straight to the top.
If food and water here weren't safe…
Then this—
This wasn't just food anymore.
It was survival.