...
Darkness. A suffocating blackness where one couldn't even see their own hand.
Hoshimi Miyabi felt as though she had crossed into another world.
She raised her hand, the faint glow of the spirit beast illuminating her fingers. Then her gaze shifted toward the unseen path ahead.
"I'm currently at the southeastern edge of the hollow... but if I keep wandering blindly like this, I'll end up lost."
Getting lost in a place like this would have consequences too grave to imagine.
Her eyes drifted downward—and something caught her attention. She arched an eyebrow slightly.
On the river's surface, fragments of crimson floated in perfect stillness.
Even before entering the hollow, Hoshimi Miyabi had noticed how sluggish the current was around its edge. But now that she was inside, she realized the water had stopped flowing altogether.
This body of water seemed cut off by the hollow itself, transformed into something stagnant and lifeless.
The palm-sized red fragment was not ordinary—it was the remnant of a firework from the recent festival.
Those remnants were supposed to be cleared away by staff after the celebration, since each firework device was fixed in place and connected together, never drifting with the river's current.
"I can probably use these remnants to figure out where I am..."
Miyabi murmured softly, recalling the arrangement of the fireworks. Her memory was still clear enough.
The colors and designs of each pyrotechnic device were distinct, so navigating by their remains wasn't difficult.
Guided by the dim light and the scattered fragments, Hoshimi Miyabi made her way through the hollow, heading toward its core. Along the way, there was nothing but water—some unexploded fireworks and the lingering debris of those that had been spent.
Her toes brushed the surface again and again, small blossoms of ice forming beneath her steps before melting back into darkness. With every movement, they trailed farther behind.
The thick darkness around her felt alive, like a beast waiting to devour her whole. Yet she pressed on silently, her grip on the blade firm and unshaken.
The scenery refused to change. If not for the remnants of fireworks guiding her path, she might have believed she was walking in circles.
Inside, the hollow seemed far larger than it appeared from the outside. Time had passed, yet Hoshimi Miyabi still found herself wandering endlessly, as if within a boundless void.
Then suddenly—a faint red light flickered in the distance, catching her attention.
She turned her gaze toward it. In the endless darkness, that faint crimson glow stood out vividly, impossibly distinct within the hollow. Hoshimi Miyabi immediately adjusted her course and headed toward it.
As she moved, she drew her blade.
But when she neared the light, her wariness turned into confusion. Not far ahead, she saw a single firework.
It wasn't debris. Nor an unfinished device. It was a firework that had already been launched—yet it had stopped midair, just a few meters above the water's surface.
It glowed faintly red, frozen in place before it could bloom.
Hoshimi Miyabi stopped, the tip of her blade lowering as she steadied herself on the icy surface. Her gaze locked on the unmoving firework.
The sight was strange—unnerving enough to make her heart waver for an instant.
But in the next moment, realization dawned.
She glanced down at the perfectly still water beneath her feet, and her thoughts began to connect.
It wasn't that the hollow had sealed off the flow of water, creating this scene. Even if isolated, the water should show at least some trace of motion.
This space beneath the river was far from naturally still.
And the frozen firework before her confirmed what she suspected.
Inside this hollow... time itself had stopped!
Just as that thought crossed her mind, a wave of icy killing intent rushed toward her with blinding speed.
Hoshimi Miyabi spun on instinct, her blade flashing as it met steel. A sharp metallic clang burst through the silence, and a powerful shock ran up her arm. She braced herself, stepping back several paces before regaining her balance.
When she finally looked up to see who it was, her eyes widened slightly. The hand gripping her sword froze at her side.
"Za... Zane?"