The shadowed woman finished her dance with a final, graceful leap, landing perfectly in the center of the lake, upon the reflection of the red moon. She extended a slender hand toward Seiichi, a silent, beckoning invitation.
Hesitating for only a moment, Seiichi took a step forward. His racing heart calmed as he drew a deep, steadying breath. He stepped onto the water's surface and fell through as if it were empty air.
His eyes widened in shock as he plummeted into an endless, dark void. Though he was inside the lake, he felt no wetness, no resistance. He wasn't breathing, yet he felt no urge to gasp for air, no burning need for oxygen.
He continued to fall, the darkness swallowing him whole. A profound heaviness pressed on his eyelids, and he felt his consciousness beginning to slip away. He fought to keep his eyes open, but it was a losing battle. Just before they closed completely, he saw the shadowed woman descending toward him. In seconds, she was before him, her shadowy arms wrapping gently around his neck.
Even with her impossibly close, her features remained a mystery, hidden in the gloom. As he fell deeper into the oblivion, his eyes finally shut, and his awareness faded. His body grew cold, yet his breathing remained unnaturally calm and even.
The woman tightened her embrace, her form pressing against his, yet he felt nothing, no weight, no warmth, no substance. It was as if she were a phantom, a mere illusion conjured by the void.
Suddenly, a bright yet ominous red light erupted from the depths below. It was a devouring light, threatening to consume him and erase all trace of his existence. The hairs on his body stood on end, and violent chills racked his frame.
Forcing his eyes open a sliver, Seiichi saw the red light rushing up to meet him. He and the shadowed woman were swallowed by it. Instantly, a wave of warmth flooded his body, a sensation of life returning to his limbs.
His eyes flew open. Below him sprawled a gargantuan palace of obsidian and crimson. The sky was a sheet of blood red, dotted with lakes that shimmered with the same sinister hue. The trees were colossal, twisted into shapes unlike anything he had ever seen. His fall slowed until he was merely floating in the scarlet sky, the shadowed woman beside him, both gazing down upon the horrific yet beautiful landscape.
The woman loosened her hold on his neck, extracting herself from their embrace. The lake beneath them began to glow, and from its depths, countless red bubbles rose, floating upward like luminous spores.
"What are these?" Seiichi muttered as the bubbles drifted around him. He tentatively extended his right hand. One bubble floated toward him and came to rest on his palm. Peering into it, his eyes widened. Inside, he saw his mother, Lumine, and Dómvalka together in a room, talking and laughing.
He released it and reached for another. This one showed the same three figures, but now they were sleeping peacefully. He hurriedly snatched the first bubble back with his left hand, holding the two realities side-by-side: one of joyful conversation, the other of serene slumber.
"Are these different possibilities?" he wondered aloud, confusion etching his features.
One by one, he examined other bubbles. Each contained a different scene. In one, Lumine was eating on the ship; in another, she was training at the castle. One showed Iris sleeping alone, while another showed her hugging him in his bed. Some depicted mundane chores, others a safe arrival at the ceremony, and one horrifying bubble showed their ship under attack by a monstrous creature.
The conflicting realities swarmed his mind, the paradoxes piling up until a sharp, throbbing pain bloomed in his head. As his pain intensified, the world around him began to fracture. The sky cracked, the lakes evaporated, and the ground splintered apart.
Just before total annihilation, the shadowed woman was there again. She cupped his cheeks with her hands and pressed her forehead against his. At her touch, the destruction halted, and the world seamlessly knitted itself back together.
For the first time, Seiichi could feel her skin against his. It was neither warm nor cold, but it was undeniably, solidly there. He looked at her, and though her face remained shrouded, he could now see her eyes. They were a breathtaking crimson, gleaming like precious gems. Gazing into them, he saw his entire ten years of life flash by in an instant, reliving every memory and emotion.
"Who are you?" he asked, his voice low and gentle. "Where am I? Why am I feeling things I've never felt?" He held her gaze, all fear forgotten.
He could sense her smiling through the shadows. When she spoke, her voice was a low, melodic, and profoundly relaxing whisper. "You will find out with time." Her words were so beautiful they made him forget everything, if only for a moment.
"When?" he breathed, his voice barely audible.
"Very soon." She leaned closer, her face now just inches from his. His eyes widened slightly as her lips met his in a deliberate, gentle kiss. They were soft and warm. A deep lethargy washed over him, his eyes growing heavy. The sensation of her lips and her presence began to fade.
He forced his eyes open one last time, watching as she started to dissolve. "Will I be able to see you again?"
She smiled gently. "It is up to you whether you wish to meet me. But remember, I will always be with you, no matter what." With those final words, she faded completely from sight.
---
The world around him began to dissolve into nothingness.
"Master. Master, wake up." A soft, gentle voice called him back.
Seiichi's eyes fluttered open. He was lying in his bed aboard the ship. He looked around to find Iris standing beside him.
"Master, we have reached our destination. Everyone is waiting for you," she said, her voice a quiet murmur.
"I understand." Seiichi sat up slowly. He closed his eyes for a moment, collecting himself, then stood and walked toward the door, Iris falling into step behind him.
He opened the door to see his mother, Lumine, Azariel, and Dómvalka waiting for him on the deck below.
Before he could walk down, his attention was captured by the view ahead of the ship. There, looming in the void, was a giant gate. It was a pure, vivid red with glowing purple outlines, a structure both terrifying and magnificent, and hauntingly similar to the gate of their own realm.