Darkness.
It wasn't cold or painful—just endless and empty.
Furi floated in the void, unable to feel his own body. He could neither move nor breathe. He wasn't even sure if he still existed at all.
Is this… the end of me?
He tried to remember something—anything.
A voice. A smile. A moment.
Instead, all he felt was the pull of a silent current, dragging him deeper into the dark.
But then—
A faint sound broke through.
So soft that at first he thought he imagined it.
"Furi…"
A whisper. Gentle. Familiar.
A name spoken with warmth.
His heart—if he still had one—trembled.
Another voice followed. Not a whisper this time. Stronger. Clearer.
"I haven't given up. I won't leave you behind."
Kento.
A flicker of light appeared in the darkness. Small. Fragile.
But real.
For the first time in what felt like eternity, Furi remembered something:
Two boys standing on a cliff.
Wind in their hair.
Laughter in the sky.
"As long as you believe in us… we'll meet here again!"
The light grew brighter.
The current pulling him downward began to weaken.
But just as Furi reached out, another force surged from the darkness—cold and hungry.
The voice of the Astral Devourer echoed like thunder.
"You cannot return. You belong to me now."
Chains of shadow wrapped around Furi's body, trying to drag him back into the void.
He struggled, but the chains tightened—fueled by despair, regret, and all the broken promises the Devourer had consumed.
The flicker of light started to fade.
But then… Kento's voice rang out again—loud, unwavering.
"FURI! Listen to me! I'm coming for you!"
The light blazed, piercing the darkness.
The chains shrieked and cracked.
Furi's eyes widened as warmth rushed through him.
Not just Kento's voice—but his promise.
Pure and unbroken.
For the first time, Furi moved on his own.
Slowly. Weakly.
But he reached toward the light.
"Kento…" he whispered, and the darkness around him trembled.
(To be continued…)