The first thing she felt was… movement.
A slow, steady vibration beneath her back. A faint hum in the walls. The kind of motion that made her stomach shift every now and then, as if the whole world around her was gliding forward on invisible rails through the air. Not fast, not rough, just constant. Almost soothing. Almost.
She opened her eyes to a ceiling she didn't recognize.
Her head felt heavy, her limbs weak, like someone had drained the light out of her bones. She blinked a few times, forcing her sight to adjust. The room around her was small and painfully plain. A bed. A desk. A single chair tucked neatly beneath it. No windows. No personal belongings. No color. No warmth.
It looked less like a bedroom and more like a holding cell.
She pushed herself up slowly, wincing at how useless her arms felt. Her body wasn't supposed to feel like this. Not after everything she'd been through. Not after all the power she'd carried.
That's when she remembered.
Opening the crack.
Forcing a tear through space itself and holding it open long enough for her friends to escape. She knew it would drain her. But she hadn't expected it to leave her like this. And certainly not for this long. She should've recovered faster. She always did.
She closed her eyes and tried to feel her surroundings, falling back on instinct. Back home, on Earth, she could sense everything. Every heartbeat. Every mind. Every presence, near or far. Being the Herrscher of Finality meant the world was never truly quiet. She could always feel the movements of others, even without focusing. And with enough concentration, she could see it all even more clearly. Like watching a movie from the best seat in the theater.
But here…
Nothing.
Her senses stretched outward, reaching as far as they could, only to return empty. No heartbeat. No Honkai energy. No voices. Not even the faintest whisper of that familiar chaos she had carried since childhood. The Herrscher cores weren't responding. She could feel them inside her, but they were like hollow shells, empty, silent.
It was as if she had been hollowed out.
Since the moment she existed, she had never been just a girl. She had always carried someone else's shadow, someone else's will inside her. The Void. The Haste. The Finality. Even after finding herself, after choosing her own path, she had never once been alone in her own body.
But now… she didn't know what to feel.
For a moment, she didn't know whether to laugh or cry. To be relieved or terrified. Was this what other people felt like? Was this what it meant to be ordinary?
But she wasn't in her world. She wasn't sure it was safe. And she didn't know where she was, who brought her here, or what they wanted.
Her fists trembled slightly.
…No. No, no, no. She couldn't afford to get stuck thinking like that.
She sucked in a deep breath, then smacked both her cheeks with a sharp, echoing slap.
"Alright," she said to herself, forcing her usual smile back onto her face. "One thing at a time. Whatever happens, happens."
Even powerless.
Even lost.
Even confused.
She was still Kiana Kaslana.
And she would face whatever came next the same way she always had. Head-first, heart-open, and absolutely refusing to give up.
Right after she made up her mind, the door slid open, and a girl stepped inside. A girl with short, silvery-white hair that faded into streaks of crimson near the tips. Her bangs framed her face neatly, giving her a sharp yet composed look. She wore a black, form-fitting uniform trimmed with deep red, decorated with a topaz-colored gem that swayed with every step she took. Despite the tidy, professional cut of her outfit, there was something oddly casual, almost relaxed in the way she carried herself.
Right behind her waddled a round, glossy creature, something like a chubby pig-shaped animal with white and black coloring. Its tiny legs pattered against the floor, and a pair of small purple and gold…ears? wings? sprouted from the sides of its head. The creature blinked up at Kiana with round, innocent eyes.
The sight of it lowered Kiana's guard almost instantly. She couldn't help but stare, trying to decide what exactly the little thing was, or whether those things on its head were ears or wings.
And the longer she looked, the more her hungry mind started shaping it into one thing:
A pig.
…And somehow, that only made her feel even hungrier.
Growl.
Kiana's stomach protested loudly, and before she even realized it, a thin line of drool slipped from the corner of her mouth.
The girl was the first to break the silence, her lips curling in amusement.
"I hope you're not looking at my pet like that. You're scaring them."
The pig-like creature squeaked and immediately hid behind its owner's legs, trembling as though its very life were in danger.
"S-sorry…" Kiana wiped her mouth quickly and rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment, her guard dropping completely.
"…Sure!" she replied with sudden enthusiasm.
"Can you walk?" the white-haired officer asked, sounding genuinely concerned she might collapse from hunger.
"No problem. Let's go."
The girl gave a small nod, then led the way. They walked for about five minutes through clean metal corridors, and when the doors finally slid open, Kiana froze in awe.
The cafeteria.
It reminded her so much of the Hyperion's cafeteria that her chest tightened for a moment. Bright, spacious, lively. But not with people. Instead, creatures of every shape and fluffiness lounged around the tables and floor.
Pig-like creatures like the one she'd seen earlier. Tiny lions with big eyes. Dogs, cats, some kind of floating jellyfish, a bird wearing what looked like a tiny tie, an entire zoo casually wandering around as if this was a perfectly normal lunch hour.
Kiana was too busy staring, her eyes sparkling and her mouth slightly open. She didn't even notice the officer had already taken a seat at her usual table. Before long, a full-course meal was brought out and placed neatly in front of her. Soup. Steak. Dessert. Juice. It looked like a festival feast.
After finally pulling herself away from the adorable creatures, Kiana sat across from the officer and caught sight of the meal laid out before her. It looked like something straight out of a fancy restaurant menu.
"Wow! Is this for real!?" she gasped, right on cue with a loud stomach growl.
"It is," the officer said calmly, sipping her tea. "Eat as much as you like."
Kiana hesitated, noticing the girl didn't have a single dish in front of her.
"Are you not eating?"
"I already did. Don't mind me."
"Okay then…" Kiana mumbled, glancing at the girl one last time before giving in to her hunger and digging into the feast.
Meanwhile, the pig-like creature stood on the chair beside its master, letting out a soft, accusing whimper as if tattling on its master.
The officer smile lightly and stroked its glossy head.
"Don't worry, Numby. I'll give you a snack before the meeting."
Numby snorted, unconvinced. But accepted the head pats anyway.
Kiana paused mid-bite, swallowing her mouthful of steak.
"So that little one's name is Numby…" she murmured, eyeing the round creature curiously. "Then what about yours? By the way, my name is Kiana."
The officer studied her with a faint frown, a hand rising to her chin in thought. She sifted through her memory, trying to recall if she had ever heard that name before.
Because from everything she knew, "Kiana" didn't match anyone from Jarilo-VI.
And certainly not the kind of person that man would have in his possession.
That man, the troublemaker, fraud, walking disaster that was infamous across multiple planets. Everyone knew the chaos he caused, the messes he left behind, the headaches he created for local authorities. Yet every time someone finally managed to catch him, he somehow slipped away again.
This time, though, it was her subordinates who got him first.
They had barely dragged him in before he threw himself at their feet, wailing dramatically, clinging to their boots, begging for mercy. He cried so loudly and so persistently that her team ended up reporting the situation just to make the noise stop.
By the time Topaz arrived, he was still on the floor, still crying. Still insisting that the unconscious girl he had with him was "worth far more to the IPC" than arresting him.
From the look of him, he had no serious crimes attached. Just a string of petty, annoying pranks that weren't worth a drawn-out case. And the girl… well, she certainly looked more promising than he did.
So Topaz made her call.
And she let him go.
Kiana's shoulders tensed.
"Is something wrong?" she asked quietly, sounding as though she feared she'd said something she shouldn't have.
"Oh, no, it's nothing," the officer replied quickly. "Just curious, that's all."
She gestured toward herself with a small smile. "You can call me Topaz. And as you heard, this is Numby, my partner."
She lifted the pig-like creature slightly, presenting it like a proud owner showing off their favorite pet.
"You have a cool name," Kiana said bluntly and without hesitation. The innocence in her tone was almost disarming. Now that she'd eaten, surrounded by harmless little creatures and warmth, her guard had completely lowered. In her mind, someone who cherished a tiny creature like Numby couldn't possibly be a villain.
Topaz almost laughed. Not out of mockery, but at the sheer earnestness in front of her.
It was amusing how literally this girl took her words, never questioning whether "Topaz" was a codename.
"That's the first time anyone's ever said that," Topaz admitted, lips twitching upward.
"Why?" Kiana tilted her head, genuinely confused.
"It's nothing. But thank you."
"Sure…?" Kiana muttered, still puzzled, then returned to finishing the last bits of her food.
Topaz watched her for a moment before leaning back in her seat. When she finally spoke again, her voice was careful, measured. But casual enough not to startle.
"Can you tell me what happened to you?" she asked. She didn't push, didn't pry. Just left the question floating gently between them.
Kiana hesitated, chewing on the inside of her cheek. She clearly wanted to answer. But she just as clearly needed to sort out her own confusion first.
"Hmm…" she murmured, thinking hard. "Before I explain anything… could you tell me where we are? I just want to make sure of something."
"We're on my ship," Topaz replied without hesitation. "On the way to Penacony."
"Penacony?" Kiana frowned. "Is that a city?"
"It's a planet."
"A planet!?" Kiana's head snapped toward her, eyes wide. "Is that normal here? Traveling across planets?"
"Yes?" Topaz tilted her head, feigning mild confusion while quietly baiting her. "Don't you know that?"
"I mean… It's possible," Kiana said, choosing her words carefully, "but not as easy as you make it sound. People usually need rockets just to get to the moon. Or special spaceships that only go to one place. They're not flexible. They can't just go anywhere. And even if there are ones that can, civilians can't use them. They'd only be for the military."
Her brows knitted tighter.
Topaz listened carefully, every detail Kiana offered only made the girl more intriguing.
"Really?" Topaz said, leaning back slightly. "Here, you can travel across planets by hitchhiking. Or just pay someone to bring you wherever you want to go."
Kiana's mouth fell open.
The idea of space travel working like catching a taxi or a bus was almost absurd.
Then a spark of hope lit up her eyes.
"Then, have you ever heard of a planet named Earth?" Kiana asked, leaning forward, voice trembling with desperate optimism. Maybe, just maybe, her situation wasn't as impossible as it felt.
"Earth?" Topaz repeated, brows drawing together. She raised her hand and slid a finger through the air; a translucent panel bloomed into existence. Her fingers moved quickly across it.
Kiana watched her with breathless hope.
Minutes ticked by,
Five…
Ten…
Twenty...
At last, Topaz stopped and slumped back into her seat, shoulders sinking in rare defeat. She exhaled slowly, the faintest hint of frustration pressing between her brows as she closed the search window.
"I've checked everything I can access," she said quietly. "And… there's still nothing. No record of any planet called Earth."
Kiana's expression crumpled, the light in her eyes dimming.
Topaz quietly studied her face.
Her mind raced through possibilities,
A small, insignificant planet?
An uncharted one?
A place too remote or primitive to be documented?
Or… was the girl lying?
But she discarded that last thought the moment she saw Kiana's dejection. So raw and genuine it couldn't possibly be faked.
Topaz folded her arms, gaze softening just a touch.
"Can you tell me what it's like?" Topaz asked gently. She kept her tone soft, careful. Like coaxing a startled animal to step closer. "Maybe I can ask around my coworkers. Someone might've heard of it."
Kiana nodded slowly. "It's a planet with… a lot of water. Seas, rivers, lakes, you name it."
She paused, trying to gather bits of memory that still felt shaky around the edges. "People use planes to travel across countries. Especially the rural ones with mountains or forests. But in the cities, the advanced ones, there are flying cars sometimes. And tall buildings everywhere. Oh, also, casinos! Though I've never gone inside one…"
Topaz's frown deepened with every word.
Water-covered landscapes… rural regions… flying cars… sprawling cities… casinos…
That sounded like five different planets mashed into one.
She leaned back, arms crossing lightly as her mind worked. Penacony had its theme, dreams, festivities, and opulence. Jarilo-VI had its frozen tundras. Xianzhou ships had their structured layouts and long-living residents. Even planets under IPC watch usually had one dominant environment or cultural direction.
But this Earth Kiana described sounded impossibly vast. Diverse. Too many ecosystems. Too many societal layers. Too contradictory.
Before she could ask another question, a sharp chime rang in her ear.
Topaz tapped her earpiece. "Jade? What's wrong?"
A voice answered on the other end. Slow, calm, authoritative. A voice she knew by heart.
Topaz's posture stiffened. Her eyes widened, all traces of ease wiped clean.
"What—? Ah, sorry, I didn't pay attention to the time! I'm on my way!"
She cut the call in a hurry and shot to her feet so fast the chair screeched against the floor.
"Sorry, Kiana," she said, already gathering her things. "I have a meeting to attend. Something urgent came up. You can take it easy here until I'm done. I'll come check on you later."
And with that, Topaz hurried off, practically sprinting toward the direction they came from, back to her office.
Numby stayed behind.
The round creature waddled right back to Kiana's side and hopped onto the chair beside her. It let out a tiny snort and made itself comfortable, as if firmly deciding that following Topaz into a meeting was absolutely not worth the effort.
…Or maybe it had been eyeing Kiana's leftovers this whole time.
Kiana blinked at it.
"…You're really not going with her?"
Numby shake its head, then looked pointedly at the remains of her meal.
"Ah. I see how it is…" Kiana leaned closer, squinting at the glossy creature. "Can you even eat this…?"
Numby let out another soft, rumbling snort, as if deeply offended she even questioned it.