Sasaki slowly opened his eyes.
For a few seconds, he didn't move.
He simply stared at the ceiling above him.
It was unfamiliar.
Dark.
Plain.
Quiet.
Sasaki blinked.
Once.
Twice.
His vision was still blurry.
He tried to remember where he was.
The forest.
The strange power.
The darkness.
The voice.
The Calamity...
Sasaki's brow furrowed.
"...What happened?"
He slowly turned his head.
That was when he noticed someone sitting beside his bed.
Shigura.
His brother was asleep in a chair.
His arms were crossed over his chest, and his head had tilted slightly to the side.
He looked uncomfortable.
Sasaki stared at him for a moment.
A small smile appeared on his face.
"...Shigura?"
Shigura didn't respond.
Sasaki waited.
Nothing.
He looked at him again.
"Shigura?"
Still nothing.
Sasaki reached toward him.
He stopped just before touching his shoulder.
"...Are you asleep?"
Shigura suddenly opened his eyes.
He looked directly at Sasaki.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then—
Thwack!
Shigura smacked Sasaki on the back of the head.
"Good job making me worry."
"Ow!"
Sasaki immediately grabbed the back of his head.
"You didn't have to hit me!"
"Apparently, I did."
Sasaki frowned.
Shigura tried to keep a serious expression.
He lasted about two seconds.
The two brothers started laughing.
Sasaki leaned back against the pillow.
"You really hit hard."
"You deserved it."
"For what?"
"For disappearing into the forest and making everyone think something happened to you."
Sasaki's smile faded slightly.
"I didn't disappear."
Shigura raised an eyebrow.
"You were unconscious."
"Oh."
"Exactly."
Sasaki looked away.
"...Sorry."
Shigura sighed.
Then his expression softened.
"It's fine."
He leaned back in the chair.
"Just don't scare me like that again."
Sasaki nodded.
"I won't."
For a few moments, neither of them spoke.
The infirmary was quiet.
Sasaki could hear the faint movement of nurses somewhere outside the room.
Sunlight came through the window.
Everything felt normal.
Almost too normal.
Sasaki stared at the ceiling again.
Something was bothering him.
He couldn't explain what.
But the words from earlier kept returning to his mind.
You are my successor.
The Calamity...
You must stop its incarnation before it is too late.
Sasaki frowned.
Then another sentence surfaced.
Everything that stands in your way will perish.
His expression slowly changed.
"..."
Shigura noticed.
"What?"
Sasaki looked toward him.
"Hm?"
"You got quiet."
Sasaki shook his head.
"Nothing."
Shigura studied him for a moment.
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
Sasaki forced a smile.
"I'm fine."
Shigura nodded.
"Alright."
He closed his eyes again.
Sasaki looked toward the window.
The sunlight seemed strangely bright.
He blinked.
Something felt wrong.
His surroundings became slightly blurry.
Sasaki rubbed his eyes.
"...Huh?"
He looked around.
The infirmary was still there.
Shigura was still sitting beside him.
Everything was normal.
Then—
The room disappeared.
Sasaki froze.
He was standing somewhere else.
Darkness surrounded him.
His feet touched nothing.
There was no ceiling.
No walls.
No sound.
Sasaki slowly turned around.
"...Not again."
He looked into the darkness.
"The Coalescence?"
No answer.
Sasaki waited.
Nothing.
He took a cautious step forward.
"Hello?"
Silence.
He looked around again.
"Where are you?"
Still nothing.
Sasaki frowned.
"You were the one who brought me here last time."
Nothing.
Sasaki waited.
"...So why aren't you saying anything?"
Silence.
He looked down at himself.
Everything seemed normal.
His hands.
His clothes.
Even his breathing.
Sasaki closed his eyes.
"Wake up."
Nothing happened.
He opened them again.
Still darkness.
"...Wake up."
Nothing.
A small feeling of panic began creeping into his chest.
Sasaki looked around.
"Wake up!"
Still nothing.
Then—
A faint sound.
Thump.
Sasaki froze.
He looked around.
Another sound.
Thump.
His eyes widened.
"What is that?"
The sound wasn't coming from the darkness.
It was coming from somewhere else.
Somewhere familiar.
Sasaki slowly reached toward his chest.
Then—
His surroundings began fading.
The darkness disappeared.
The infirmary returned.
Sasaki blinked.
He was back.
He looked around.
Shigura was still there.
The nurses were still moving around the room.
Everything looked normal.
Sasaki exhaled.
"...Okay."
He lowered his hand.
Then he noticed something.
His right hand felt warm.
Very warm.
Sasaki frowned.
He slowly looked down.
His expression changed.
There was blood on his hand.
For several seconds, he simply stared at it.
"...What?"
He looked toward his arm.
Then toward Shigura.
His mind struggled to understand what he was seeing.
His arm was pressed against Shigura.
Too close.
Far too close.
Sasaki's eyes widened.
"...!?"
The nurses had stopped moving.
Shigura had gone completely still.
Nobody spoke.
Nobody moved.
Sasaki slowly pulled his arm away.
His breathing became shaky.
"Shigura..."
Shigura looked down.
Then back at Sasaki.
His expression was confused.
"The hell..."
He swallowed.
"...was that for, Sasaki?"
Sasaki couldn't answer.
"I..."
His voice barely came out.
"I didn't..."
Shigura took a small step backward.
His legs gave way.
He dropped to his knees.
"Shigura!"
Sasaki immediately moved toward him.
"I'm sorry!"
He fell beside his brother.
"I—I don't know what happened!"
Shigura tried to steady himself.
"It's okay..."
He forced a weak smile.
"Just a small cut."
Sasaki stared at him.
"No."
His voice trembled.
"It's not."
He looked down at his hands.
They were shaking.
"I didn't mean to."
Shigura looked at him.
"I know."
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay."
"I'm sorry."
"Sasaki."
"I'm so sorry."
His eyes began filling with tears.
Then—
The room became quiet.
Too quiet.
The nurses stopped.
The sounds disappeared.
Even Shigura seemed frozen.
Sasaki slowly looked around.
"...What?"
The walls began fading.
The infirmary disappeared.
Darkness surrounded him once again.
Sasaki's breathing became faster.
"No..."
A familiar voice echoed through the darkness.
"Everything that stands in your way..."
Sasaki froze.
"...will perish."
His eyes widened.
"No."
The voice repeated itself.
"...will perish."
Sasaki grabbed his head.
What's happening to me?
Why am I doing this?
"I don't want to hurt anyone..."
Tears rolled down his cheeks.
"I don't want to hurt anyone."
He looked toward Shigura.
His brother was still there.
But somehow, he seemed farther away now.
"Sasaki."
Shigura slowly reached toward him.
"Get up."
Sasaki shook his head.
"I can't."
"Get up."
Shigura extended his hand.
"I'm sorry for hurting you, brother!"
Sasaki's voice broke.
Shigura gave him a soft smile.
"Don't worry, bro."
He held out his hand.
"I'll protect you."
Sasaki stared at him.
His tears continued falling.
He slowly reached toward his brother.
Then—
A voice echoed through the silence.
"So wake up."
Sasaki froze.
His hand stopped.
"...Huh?"
The voice was soft.
Gentle.
Nothing like the Coalescence.
Sasaki looked around.
"Who are you?"
No answer.
The voice came again.
"Wake up, ————."
Sasaki's eyes widened.
Who is that?
He tried to move.
Nothing happened.
The darkness around him slowly began to brighten.
His vision became blurry.
Shigura disappeared.
The voice faded.
Everything faded.
And then—
Sasaki opened his eyes.
"W-What... happened?"
He immediately grabbed his left eye.
His breathing was uneven.
He slowly pushed himself upright.
The room around him was different.
Wrong.
Sasaki looked around.
There were no nurses.
No beds.
No walls.
Nothing familiar.
Then he saw someone standing several feet away.
Shigura.
Sasaki stared at him.
"Shigura?"
His brother didn't answer.
Instead, Shigura stared at him with fear.
Sasaki's expression became confused.
"What?"
Shigura took a step backward.
"Who the hell are you...?"
Sasaki froze.
"What are you talking about?"
He gave a nervous smile.
"It's me."
He slowly stood.
"Your brother."
Shigura backed away again.
Sasaki's smile disappeared.
"...Shigura?"
He turned around.
And stopped.
He couldn't speak.
Behind him stood the Kingdom of Volgsina.
Or what remained of it.
Sasaki stared.
At first, he couldn't process what he was seeing.
The streets he knew were covered in smoke.
Buildings had collapsed.
Trees burned in the distance.
Wagons had been overturned.
Shops had been reduced to rubble.
The guild was gone.
Sasaki slowly looked toward the center of the city.
The castle...
Was gone.
His eyes widened.
"No..."
He took a step forward.
People were running through the streets.
Some screamed.
Others searched through the ruins.
Smoke covered the sky.
The largest Elven kingdom in the realm...
Was burning.
Sasaki's breathing became unsteady.
"This..."
He looked around.
He recognized these streets.
He knew these buildings.
He knew these people.
This was Volgsina.
His home.
His kingdom.
His people.
But none of it made sense.
Sasaki slowly turned toward Shigura.
"Shigura..."
His brother stared at him.
For a moment, they simply looked at each other.
Then Shigura slowly turned away.
"Wait."
Sasaki took a step forward.
"Shigura?"
His brother looked back one last time.
His lips moved.
Sasaki couldn't hear him.
"What did you say?"
Shigura disappeared into the smoke.
"Shigura!"
Sasaki rushed forward.
He reached toward the smoke.
Nothing.
His hand remained suspended in the air.
"Shigura..."
He slowly lowered it.
He was alone.
Surrounded by the burning remains of Volgsina.
His home.
His people.
Everything he knew.
Gone.
Sasaki stood completely still.
The sounds of the kingdom seemed to fade around him.
Silence.
"...No way."
His voice trembled.
He looked down at his hands.
For several seconds, he simply stared at them.
Then—
His eyes widened.
"I..."
He swallowed.
"...Did this?"
The flames continued burning in the distance.
Sasaki slowly looked toward the smoke where Shigura had disappeared.
His voice became barely a whisper.
"...Right, Shigura?"