The battlefield lay in ruin.
Ash drifted through the air like black snow, whispering over shattered stones and scorched sand. The smell of smoke and blood lingered like an unwanted ghost.
Riku stood frozen, his chest heaving, his eyes locked on the unmoving body before him. Mina's small frame lay twisted amidst the wreckage, her once-vibrant aura dimmed to a faint shimmer that flickered — then died.
"No…" he breathed, dropping to his knees beside her. His trembling fingers hovered over her skin. "No, no, no, not you… not like this!"
Roku's clothes were torn, his face cut and bruised, his voice hollow as he whispered, "She… she jumped in front of me. I didn't even see it coming."
Arin turned away, her jaw tight, her bow trembling in her grip. "She was faster than all of us," she muttered. Her tone tried to stay steady, but her voice cracked at the edges.
Ren exhaled shakily, clutching his side where a deep wound still bled. "Damn it, kid… you were supposed to be the one with hope," he muttered, his gaze softening as he looked down at her face.
Silence fell over them, heavy and suffocating. Even the air seemed to grieve.
Riku clenched his fists. His knuckles turned white. "If I had been faster… if I'd just—"
"Stop," Arin interrupted sharply. "Don't do that to yourself."
But she couldn't meet his eyes. None of them could.
The world around them felt quieter than death itself.
Then, a faint hum broke the stillness.
At first, they thought it was the wind — a hollow note slipping through broken rocks. But then the sand beneath Mina's body began to glow. Thin lines of light spread outward from her, forming intricate runes that pulsed like a heartbeat.
Ren's eyes widened. "What the hell is that…?"
Roku stepped back instinctively. "This… this is wrong. I've seen spirits fade, but this—this feels alive."
The Relic of Wrath, still hanging from Riku's belt, began to vibrate violently. The crimson gem at its core flared to life, flooding the area with a deep red glow that merged with the golden light under Mina.
"Mina…?" Riku whispered, reaching toward her.
Her body shuddered — once, twice — then lifted slowly into the air. Her hair floated weightlessly, her eyes still closed, her body surrounded by strands of light that swirled like torn souls seeking form.
"Mina!" Riku shouted, taking a step forward.
Ren grabbed his arm. "Wait—don't touch her!"
But the moment Ren's voice broke the air, the light changed.
It darkened.
The golden glow turned violet — deep, cold, and sharp. The air grew heavy, pressing down on their chests. The runes beneath her body burned brighter, warping, changing shape into something more ancient.
And then came the voice.
Soft at first — a whisper that wasn't Mina's.
"The gate was not yours to open."
The sound reverberated in their heads, more thought than sound, ancient and alien.
Riku fell to his knees, clutching his skull. "Wh-what… what is that?"
Arin staggered back, her bow shimmering faintly in reaction to the strange energy. "It's— it's inside my head…"
The violet light erupted outward, a shockwave of force that sent them sprawling backward. Dust and debris swirled into a maelstrom around Mina's levitating form.
Then, slowly… her eyes opened.
But they weren't the same.
The gentle amber warmth they once held was gone — replaced by a deep, luminous violet, glowing like the void itself.
"Mina…?" Riku whispered again, his voice breaking.
She hovered for a heartbeat longer, the wind howling around her — then gently descended, her feet touching the ground. The air calmed.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then she lifted her gaze.
"Did you call me back…" she said softly, her tone distant, layered with something else, "…or did I choose to return?"
Riku froze. The voice was hers — and yet not hers. It was colder, deeper, carrying an echo like something ancient speaking through her.
"Mina, it's me," he said cautiously. "Riku. You—you died saving Roku. You're safe now, okay?"
She blinked slowly, her expression unreadable. Then, a faint smile curled on her lips — faint, tired, and haunting.
"Safe? No one is safe here, Riku."
The runes beneath her faded, the last traces of light sinking into the earth. The group exchanged uneasy glances.
Ren broke the silence. "That energy… it wasn't human. It felt like—like the Realm itself was reacting to her."
Arin nodded, still staring at Mina with wide eyes. "I saw something in the light. Shapes. Souls maybe… being pulled toward her."
Roku swallowed hard. "Then… did we bring her back? Or did something else use her to come through?"
No one answered.
Mina's eyes drifted to her hands. For a brief moment, they shimmered faintly with violet symbols, then vanished.
"I saw… something," she whispered. "A door… endless hands reaching for me. And a voice said, 'You are not done.' Then I was here."
Her words chilled them to the bone.
Ren straightened up, forcing a grim smile. "Well, you're breathing, kid. That's better than dead. Though next time, try not to scare us half to death doing it."
Arin shot him a sharp look, but even she let out a small, shaky laugh — relief mixed with fear.
Riku exhaled, tension easing just slightly. "You're back. That's all that matters."
But as the wind passed through the ruins, Mina turned away from them. Her expression was distant, as if hearing something none of them could.
Far in the distance, thunder rolled across the mountains. The sky dimmed unnaturally — a faint ripple of dark energy passing through the clouds.
Riku looked up, his hand instinctively tightening around his sword.
Ren frowned. "You feel that too?"
"Yeah," Riku said quietly. "Something's coming."
Mina's violet eyes reflected the storm forming above.
Her voice, barely a whisper:
"It knows I came back."