"W-Woah!"
Sasaki's voice echoed through the endless white.
He had barely enough time to realize what was happening before his body dropped.
Fast.
Very fast.
The sensation of falling returned all at once.
Wind rushed past his face.
His clothes fluttered violently as he tumbled through the air, completely caught off guard.
"Wait—!"
He twisted his body around.
Below him—
A forest.
Bamboo.
A lot of bamboo.
Sasaki's eyes widened.
"Oh, come on."
He tried reaching for something.
Anything.
There was nothing.
"Why do I always—"
Crash!
Sasaki slammed directly into a bamboo tree.
The impact bent the stalk beneath him.
For a brief moment, he remained there.
His body awkwardly balanced against the bamboo.
His eyes slowly shifted upward.
"…Huh."
The bamboo creaked.
Sasaki's expression changed.
"Oh."
Snap.
The bamboo broke.
Sasaki dropped again.
"Wait—"
Thud!
He hit the ground.
Silence.
For several seconds, Sasaki didn't move.
He simply lay there.
Face down.
The grass beneath him was slightly flattened.
A few pieces of bamboo leaves drifted down around him.
Sasaki slowly lifted one hand.
Then let it fall.
"…Oof."
He remained on the ground for another few seconds.
Eventually, he rolled onto his back.
His eyes stared blankly toward the sky.
Then he reached behind his head.
"Ah…"
He rubbed the back of his head.
"My head…"
Sasaki slowly sat up.
He looked around.
Tall bamboo surrounded him on every side.
The forest was quiet.
Almost unnaturally quiet.
Sasaki glanced upward.
Then toward the broken bamboo tree.
Then back toward the sky.
His expression slowly became annoyed.
"Stupid books."
He sighed.
He pushed himself to his feet.
"Dropping me off in the sky…"
Sasaki brushed dirt from his clothes.
He picked a leaf from his shoulder.
Then another from his hair.
"…At least give me a warning."
A familiar voice suddenly came from behind him.
"Hmm?"
Sasaki froze.
His hand stopped halfway through brushing off his sleeve.
He slowly turned his head.
"Is that you, Incarnation?"
Sasaki turned around completely.
Standing several feet away was Sivarnte.
Sasaki stared at him.
Then blinked.
"Huh."
He tilted his head.
"Oh."
A small smile appeared on his face.
"Hello, Siv."
Sivarnte tilted his head slightly.
"I see you've returned."
"Yeah."
Sasaki looked back at the broken bamboo.
Then at the ground.
Then back at Sivarnte.
"I just came back from another stupid book."
"I see."
Sivarnte didn't seem particularly surprised.
Sasaki raised an eyebrow.
"That's it?"
"What else should I say?"
"I don't know."
Sasaki shrugged.
"Maybe something like, 'Welcome back, Incarnation. I'm glad you survived being dropped out of the sky.'"
Sivarnte stared at him.
"…You survived."
"Exactly."
Sasaki nodded.
"See? That would've been nice."
Sivarnte said nothing.
Sasaki sighed.
"Whatever."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The bamboo leaves shifted gently in the wind.
Sivarnte eventually looked toward the distance.
"I currently need to attend a meeting with the others."
He paused.
"Care to join?"
Sasaki looked at him.
"The others?"
"Yes."
Sasaki thought about it.
Then looked around the forest.
He had nowhere else to be.
Besides—
He had been spending an absurd amount of time inside books.
Meeting the people Sivarnte had mentioned before sounded interesting.
Sasaki nodded.
"Of course."
He stretched his arms above his head.
"I think it's about time I met them."
He lowered his arms.
"You do spend hours with them."
"I suppose I do."
Sivarnte turned around.
"Follow me."
Sasaki took a step.
"Okay."
He followed.
For a while, they simply walked.
Neither of them spoke.
Sasaki occasionally looked around at the strange landscape of Dream Space.
Eventually, he glanced at Sivarnte.
"So…"
"Hm?"
"What are they like?"
"The others?"
"Yeah."
Sivarnte was silent for a moment.
"You will see."
Sasaki frowned.
"That doesn't really answer my question."
"It wasn't intended to."
Sasaki stared at the back of Sivarnte's head.
"…You're annoying."
"I know."
Sasaki sighed.
They continued walking.
Then—
Sivarnte stopped.
Sasaki almost walked into him.
"Hm?"
Before Sasaki could ask anything—
The world around them disappeared.
One moment—
The forest was there.
The next—
Nothing.
Sasaki stood completely still.
He blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Then looked around.
"What just happened?"
Sivarnte stood beside him as though nothing unusual had occurred.
"I brought us to the meeting place."
Sasaki slowly looked around.
The environment had completely changed.
They were inside a dark room.
A very dark room.
There were no windows.
No decorations.
Nothing hanging from the walls.
Even the floor was difficult to make out beneath the darkness.
The room felt enormous.
And yet—
Empty.
At the center of it stood a massive table.
Sasaki slowly walked toward it.
His footsteps echoed through the room.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
He placed one hand against the table.
The surface was cold.
He looked around again.
"Where are the others?"
"We'll have to wait."
Sasaki looked at Sivarnte.
"For how long?"
"A few minutes."
Sasaki stared at him.
Then at the empty chairs.
Then back at him.
"…Great."
He walked around the table.
More than he could immediately count.
Yet every single one was empty.
Sasaki pulled one out.
He considered sitting.
Instead, he leaned against the table.
His arms folded across his chest.
He waited.
A minute passed.
Then another.
Nothing.
Sasaki looked toward the door.
Nothing.
He looked at Sivarnte.
Nothing.
He looked back at the door.
Still nothing.
Sasaki sighed.
"This is going to take a while, isn't it?"
Sivarnte didn't answer.
Sasaki closed his eyes.
"Thought so."
Another minute passed.
Then—
Click.
Sasaki opened his eyes.
The door slowly opened.
He straightened.
A figure entered the room.
Sasaki watched her carefully.
She walked calmly into the room.
Her attention immediately went toward Sivarnte.
Then—
Her eyes shifted.
They landed on Sasaki.
She stopped.
For a moment, she simply looked at him.
Then—
"Who's the young boy?"
Sasaki blinked.
Something about her voice immediately caught his attention.
It was calm.
Soft.
Almost soothing.
Woah.
Sasaki stared at her.
Her voice sounds so soothing.
Sivarnte gestured toward him.
"This, right here, is my Incarnation."
He turned toward Sasaki.
"And boy…"
He gestured toward the woman.
"This is Cynforia."
A brief pause.
"The Truth of Tranquility."
Sasaki immediately straightened.
He brushed his clothes once more, despite there being nothing wrong with them.
Then he gave a small bow.
"Hello, madam."
He raised his head.
"Nice to meet you."
A polite smile appeared.
"I am Sasaki Oyuki."
Cynforia stared at him.
She didn't say anything.
Sasaki waited.
He tilted his head slightly.
Cynforia continued staring.
Sasaki began wondering if he had said something wrong.
Then—
Her eyes suddenly widened.
"Aww!"
Sasaki blinked.
"Huh?"
Cynforia suddenly rushed toward him.
"Wait—"
Sasaki barely had time to react.
She wrapped her arms around him.
"You're so small and tiny!"
"W-Wait—"
She squeezed.
Sasaki's eyes widened.
His arms were trapped against his sides.
He tried moving them.
Nothing.
"Can't…"
He shifted his shoulders.
"…move."
Cynforia squeezed a little tighter.
Sasaki's expression became increasingly strained.
"Seriously…"
Then she suddenly realized what she was doing.
"Oh goodness me!"
She immediately released him.
Sasaki stumbled back half a step.
He took a breath.
Cynforia stepped away.
"Sorry for my rudeness."
She placed a hand against her chest.
"I am Cynforia, the Truth of Tranquility."
Sasaki stood there for a moment.
Then slowly straightened his clothes.
"Right…"
He glanced at her.
"Nice to meet you."
He wasn't quite sure what else to say.
So he looked around the room instead.
"Where are the others?"
Sivarnte answered.
"About that."
Sasaki turned toward him.
Sivarnte pointed toward the empty chairs surrounding the table.
"Currently, only Cynforia and I are able to manifest a Silhouette."
Sasaki frowned.
"A Silhouette?"
"Yes."
"So…"
Sasaki looked around.
"If the others came here…"
"You wouldn't be able to see them."
Sasaki slowly looked at the empty chairs.
"Oh."
He thought about that.
Then looked back toward Sivarnte.
"That sounds inconvenient."
"It is."
Sasaki nodded.
"Fair enough."
He looked around again.
His eyes wandered across the table.
One empty chair.
Another.
Another.
Then—
He stopped.
His expression changed slightly.
There was someone sitting in one of the chairs.
A man.
Sasaki stared.
He hadn't noticed him before.
The man simply sat there.
Sasaki narrowed his eyes.
"Then…"
He slowly raised his hand.
He pointed toward the man.
"What about him?"
Sivarnte looked at where Sasaki was pointing.
Sasaki glanced back at him.
"I'm guessing he can also make one?"
Sivarnte froze.
Completely.
His expression changed almost immediately.
"…!"
Sasaki blinked.
"What?"
Sivarnte slowly looked back at Sasaki.
His expression had become much more serious.
"How are you able to see him?"
Sasaki looked toward the man again.
"I don't understand."
He looked back at Sivarnte.
"Am I not supposed to?"
"No."
Sivarnte's voice had changed.
There was no joking in it now.
"Seekers cannot be seen or felt by anyone if they do not have a Silhouette."
Sasaki looked at the man again.
Then back at Sivarnte.
He scratched his head.
"Oh."
He paused.
"Okay."
A few seconds passed.
Then Sasaki suddenly remembered something.
"Hey, Sivarnte."
"Hm?"
"I think I forgot to tell you something."
Sivarnte looked at him.
"What?"
Sasaki pointed toward his own face.
"I met someone who gave me your eyes."
Silence.
The entire room seemed to become quieter.
Sivarnte stared at Sasaki.
"…Excuse me?"
"Yeah."
Sasaki said it casually.
Almost as if he were mentioning something completely ordinary.
"I have your physical eyes from the time you Seekers came to our world."
Cynforia looked between them.
Her expression slowly changed from curiosity to confusion.
Sivarnte's expression hardened.
"Impossible."
He lifted a hand.
His fingers touched the side of his face.
"My eyes are right here, are they not?"
Sasaki looked at him.
"Not exactly."
Sivarnte slowly lowered his hand.
For a moment, he seemed confused.
Then—
He noticed something.
His eyes widened slightly.
The right side of his eye had turned gray.
He stared at it.
His expression changed completely.
"What…"
He touched it again.
"What in Co's name is happening?"
Sasaki pointed toward it.
"See?"
He smiled.
"I took your eye."
Sivarnte stared at him.
There was a long pause.
Then—
"Who gave you my eye?"
"I don't know."
Sasaki shrugged.
"I couldn't see him."
Sivarnte's eyebrows lowered.
"Then how did you get it?"
"He just gave it to me."
Sasaki breaks.
He thought back.
The memory was strange.
Almost incomplete.
"He asked me to close my eyes."
Sasaki looked down for a moment.
"Then…"
He touched the area around his own eye.
"I felt something strange around my eye."
He looked back at Sivarnte.
"And then I had it."
Sivarnte remained silent.
His gaze stayed fixed on Sasaki.
Eventually, he sighed.
"I have to tell you something."
Sasaki waited.
Sivarnte's expression became serious.
"My eyes have dangerous properties."
Sasaki's smile faded slightly.
"So?"
"So from now on…"
Sivarnte pointed toward Sasaki's eye.
"Try not to overexert yourself."
Sasaki listened.
"You might trigger something you don't understand."
For once, Sasaki didn't immediately joke.
He looked away.
Then nodded.
"Alright."
"Got it."
Sivarnte stared at him.
Sasaki stared back.
Neither said anything.
Eventually—
Sivarnte sighed.
"Well…"
He turned toward the table.
His gaze moved across the empty seats.
"Since you can see the others…"
Sasaki waited.
Sivarnte continued.
"Why not stay for the whole meet—"
Sasaki suddenly inhaled.
His eyes widened.
"Gasp…"
Something changed.
The room blurred.
The table disappeared.
Cynforia disappeared.
Sivarnte disappeared.
Everything—
Gone.
Sasaki's eyes suddenly opened.
He inhaled sharply.
For a moment, he didn't move.
He simply stared ahead.
Stone.
Cold stone.
He slowly looked to the left.
A wall.
He looked to the right.
Another wall.
Then forward.
Iron bars.
Sasaki sat there.
Silent.
His breathing slowly returned to normal.
"…So it wasn't a dream after all."
He looked around the cell.
A small cell.
Bare.
Cold.
Nothing inside except himself.
He slowly rubbed his forehead.
"I really got captured."
He sighed.
Then leaned his head against the wall.
"In a stupid book, no less."
Sasaki looked down at his hands.
He raised one.
He focused.
Nothing.
He tried again.
Still nothing.
His fingers tightened slightly.
"Come on…"
Nothing happened.
Sasaki frowned.
He tried reaching for his sorcery again.
Nothing.
His expression darkened.
"I can't even use my sorcery."
He lowered his hand.
For a few seconds, he simply sat there.
Then—
Footsteps.
Sasaki looked toward the hallway.
Step.
Step.
Step.
The sound grew louder.
Closer.
Sasaki's attention remained fixed on the darkness beyond the bars.
The footsteps stopped.
Right outside his cell.
Silence.
Then a voice.
"Hm?"
Sasaki looked toward the speaker.
"Who are you?"
A stranger leaned slightly closer to the bars.
"Did you get locked up recently?"
Sasaki stared at him.
"Yes."
He shifted slightly.
"About a day ago."
A pause.
"And who are you?"
The stranger smiled.
"I am Saru."
He held a small container of food.
"I occasionally sneak in here to feed the wrongfully accused prisoners."
Sasaki looked at the food.
Then at Saru.
"So you help these people?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Saru shrugged.
"Because I can."
Sasaki stared at him.
There wasn't really anything he could say to that.
"…Alright."
Saru turned around.
"Well."
He started walking away.
"I'll be going now."
Sasaki watched him leave.
Then—
"See you next week."
Sasaki's eyes widened.
"…What?"
Saru kept walking.
Sasaki immediately grabbed the bars.
"Wait!"
Saru stopped.
He looked over his shoulder.
Sasaki stared at him.
"Get me out of here."
"Huh?"
Saru turned around.
"You want out?"
"Yes."
Saru walked back toward the cell.
He looked at the bars.
Then at Sasaki.
"Just punch through them."
He pointed toward Sasaki.
"Your energy readings are off the charts."
Sasaki looked down at his own hands.
"I can't."
Saru raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"I can't use my strength or powers for some reason."
Sasaki flexed his fingers.
He could feel his body.
But something was missing.
It was difficult to explain.
"It feels like…"
He paused.
"…I've been stripped of everything."
Saru looked at him for a moment.
Then sighed.
"Alright."
He reached into his equipment.
"Sure. Why not?"
He pulled out a strange, high-tech device.
Sasaki watched curiously.
"What is that?"
"You'll see."
Saru aimed it toward the bars.
A thin beam of light appeared.
Zzzzt.
The bars separated cleanly.
Sasaki stared.
Saru lowered the device.
"There."
Sasaki stood.
For a moment, he simply looked at the opening.
Then stepped through.
He was free.
Sasaki looked at Saru.
"Thanks."
He paused.
"I don't like owing favors."
His gaze shifted toward the device in Saru's hand.
"So…"
He looked back at him.
"Is there anything I could do for you?"
Saru thought about it.
"Hm…"
He reached into his belongings.
After a moment, he pulled out a small device.
"Sure."
He held it toward Sasaki.
"Could you get me this?"
Sasaki looked at it.
Then shrugged.
"Done."
"Huh?"
Sasaki held out his hand.
The object suddenly appeared in his palm.
He looked at it.
Then handed it over.
"Here."
Saru stared at the device.
Then at Sasaki.
"How did you do that?"
Sasaki shrugged.
"That's my authority."
He turned away.
"Anyways…"
He started walking.
"I need to go."
"Wait!"
Sasaki stopped.
He slowly looked back.
Saru hesitated.
"Before you go…"
Sasaki waited.
"I need to ask."
"What?"
Saru looked at him.
"What's your name?"
Sasaki went quiet.
For a moment, he didn't answer.
His eyes lowered slightly.
Then—
"…It's Oyuki."
He looked over his shoulder.
"Just call me that."
Saru nodded.
"Alright."
He looked down at the device in his hands.
Then back at Sasaki.
"Could you also make me this?"
A small smile appeared on his face.
"Heh."
Sasaki stared at him.
Then sighed.
"Why not?"
A few moments passed.
Then—
The object appeared in front of Saru.
His eyes widened.
"Nice!"
He reached out and grabbed it.
"Thank you."
Sasaki turned away.
"Don't mention it."
He paused.
Then glanced back.
"Ever."
Saru blinked.
Sasaki raised one hand.
He reached forward.
His fingers closed around empty space.
There was nothing there.
But Sasaki pulled anyway.
Slowly.
Almost casually.
The air began to distort.
Then—
Rip.
A rift opened.
Saru's eyes widened.
Sasaki looked at it.
"Alright."
He stepped toward the opening.
Then paused.
He glanced back at Saru.
"Take care."
Before Saru could respond—
Sasaki stepped through.
"Woah…"
Saru stared.
The rift slowly closed.
And he was left standing there alone.
Sasaki returned to the Dream Space.
His feet touched the familiar ground.
He looked around.
The endless white stretched in every direction.
He turned.
Nothing.
Sasaki frowned.
"Siv?"
No answer.
He waited.
Nothing.
He raised his voice.
"Hey."
Silence.
Sasaki looked around.
"Where are you?"
Still nothing.
He sighed.
"Seriously?"
He waited a little longer.
Then—
"Siv?"
Nothing.
Sasaki rubbed the back of his neck.
"Where are you?"
Suddenly—
Someone appeared directly in front of him.
"Hello, Incarnation."
Sasaki jumped backward.
"Creepy."
Sivarnte stared at him.
Sasaki put a hand over his chest.
"You can't just appear like that."
"You called me."
"I know."
Sasaki sighed.
"Anyways…"
He looked around the Dream Space.
"How long has it been?"
Sivarnte's expression became unreadable.
"It has been…"
He paused.
Sasaki waited.
"…1,384 years."
Sasaki froze.
His expression went blank.
"…What?"
Sivarnte repeated himself.
"1,384 years."
Sasaki stared at him.
Silence.
He looked toward the ground.
Then toward the sky.
Then back at Sivarnte.
"…Damn it."
Sivarnte continued.
"Almost halfway."
Sasaki's expression dropped.
"Almost halfway…"
He slowly looked upward.
Then sighed.
"I wish I could go to the future."
Sivarnte's expression immediately changed.
"Be careful of what you say."
Sasaki stopped.
He looked at Sivarnte.
For a moment, he said nothing.
Then he lowered his gaze.
"…You're right."
A small pause.
"Apologies."
Later that night—
Sasaki lay beneath the artificial stars.
The Dream Space was quiet.
There was no wind.
No distant noise.
Nothing.
Just the endless sky above him.
Sasaki stared upward.
His eyes remained open.
"…My head is killing me."
He brought a hand to his forehead.
For a while, nothing happened.
His breathing remained slow.
His eyes gradually grew heavier.
Sasaki eventually closed them.
For a moment—
Nothing.
Then—
A flash.
Sasaki's eyes opened.
"…?"
He stared upward.
He didn't move.
Another flash.
Then another.
They were gone almost as quickly as they appeared.
Sasaki sat up.
His expression became more serious.
Images.
Places.
People.
Things he couldn't understand.
They passed through his mind too quickly to grasp.
He reached for one.
It disappeared.
Another came.
Then vanished.
Sasaki frowned.
"Wait…"
He stared into the darkness.
"Is this the future?"
Another flash.
Sasaki immediately closed his eyes.
He forced himself to stop thinking.
He emptied his mind.
One thought at a time.
Until—
Nothing.
The flashes stopped.
Silence returned.
Sasaki slowly exhaled.
His shoulders relaxed.
"That was close."
He lay back down.
He stared at the stars again.
For a few moments, he simply remained there.
Then he closed his eyes.
Eventually—
He fell asleep.
Sasaki dreamed.
There was someone there.
A figure standing in the distance.
He couldn't see her face clearly.
Everything around her seemed blurred.
Sasaki stared.
He tried to remember.
Something about her felt familiar.
Very familiar.
But every time he tried to grasp the memory—
It slipped away.
A girl…?
He watched her silently.
She was short.
An umbrella rested in her hand.
Sasaki tilted his head.
She looks… familiar.
He continued staring for another moment.
Then—
He shrugged.
Whatever.
A pause.
I've seen better women.
The dream slowly faded.
The figure disappeared.
The umbrella disappeared.
And eventually—
Everything became dark.
The next morning—
Sasaki woke up.
He stared at the ceiling for several seconds.
His mind was still foggy.
He slowly sat up.
He rubbed his eyes.
Then remembered the dream.
For a moment, he tried to recall the girl.
Nothing.
He frowned.
"…Whatever."
He stood.
Eventually, Sasaki made his way toward the bathing area.
The moment he stepped into the warm water—
His shoulders relaxed.
"Ahh…"
He leaned back.
"So warm…"
For several seconds, Sasaki simply sat there.
The warmth was calming.
His eyes began to close.
Then—
A voice came from outside.
"Hey, Incarnation."
Sasaki's eyes opened.
He stared toward the entrance.
"…What?"
"Have you seen my scroll?"
Sasaki sighed.
"No."
He leaned back again.
"Now get out."
There was a brief silence.
Then—
"Alright."
Sivarnte's voice sounded slightly amused.
"Don't need to be so grumpy."
Sasaki narrowed his eyes.
He waited.
A moment later—
The footsteps disappeared.
Silence returned.
Sasaki sighed.
"…Sigh."
He closed his eyes.
The warmth of the water slowly relaxed him again.
His thoughts became quieter.
The events of the previous day began drifting away.
One thought after another faded.
Sasaki's breathing became slower.
His head tilted slightly.
His eyes remained closed.
And before he knew it—
He drifted off again.