When I opened my eyes this time, a strange calmness settled over me. There was no racing pulse, no headache, no confusion—just quiet. Almost too quiet.
I sat up slowly, glancing around the room. It was oddly dim, shrouded in a twilight-like darkness.
'Wait… Am I the only one awake?'
My voice stayed in my head as I scanned the rows of beds. Everyone was still sleeping—Hana, Satoru, Sota, Cheng Hao… all of them. All except one.
Inaya's bed was empty.
I didn't feel like I'd been asleep for a whole day. Something was different. There were no windows in the room, which made it impossible to tell what time it was. The unsettling quiet nudged me forward, and I followed my instinct—toward the secret balcony.
As I stepped outside, the cool air greeted me like an old friend, and there she was. Inaya stood still, her brown hair swaying with the wind. The sky behind her held that mysterious shade of blue right before the sunrise, and her eyes—closed at first—looked peaceful, as if she were absorbing every whisper of the breeze.
I took one careful step forward.
Her eyes fluttered open.
"Oh, Shin!" she said, her lips curling into a soft smile.
"Hi," I waved gently.
"You're early today," Inaya said, her voice calm, eyes still fixed on the horizon.
"Guess I am. So… you're not?" I asked, stepping up beside her.
"I always wake up before sunrise, she replied without shifting her gaze.
"Wait, really? How do you manage that? I mean—sleep isn't really in our control anymore, right?" I tilted my head, half-joking, half-curious.
"Maybe not," she said softly. "But waking early was a habit back in our world. Seems that habit followed me here too."
A pause lingered between us as the wind danced through her hair. She looked peaceful—anchored, even in this unfamiliar world.
"I didn't get the chance to ask you properly before… about your power. Mind explaining what's actually going on?" I turned to her, my voice a little more serious now. The first hints of sunlight were beginning to wash the sky in soft golds.
She didn't answer right away. Instead, she smiled faintly and nodded toward the horizon. "Look at the view. Isn't it beautiful?"
I followed her eyes and fell quiet. The world around us was slowly stirring, bathed in the stillness that only came right before the sun claimed the sky. For a moment, I forgot the question.
"So," she began again, and I turned to face her fully. "About the power…"
She took a breath. "After I killed Riku, I came here—right here, to this balcony. My head started spinning. My nose was bleeding . I tried to find Celestina, but she was nowhere. I rushed to the kitchen to look for Zeno, but... I blacked out. When I woke up, I was already back in my room."
Her voice tightened slightly, but she went on. "That night, I realized training had ended without me. I was angry—furious at myself. My body was weak, my vision blurred, but I pushed myself to join the session anyway. Because I knew... if I didn't train, I wouldn't survive this world. And not everyone here is ready to die, right?"
She looked at me, and her expression was unreadable. "When death is looming in front of you—when you can see yourself reflected in hell itself—tell me, Shin… would you give up? Would you surrender to fate, knowing it might lead you somewhere even worse?"
I didn't answer. I couldn't. She continued.
"I didn't want to end up like the others. But my body gave out. I fainted that night again. Even in my dreams, I was running. I saw myself burning—chained, screaming. But no sound came from my mouth. Not even I could hear my own voice. It was like I'd forgotten how to speak."
She stopped and took a slow breath. "It was terrifying. I thought I was being punished for my sins. I could feel every part of me burning, cell by cell. I didn't know how to survive it."
"…That's terrible," I whispered, my voice barely a sound. But it was the only thing I could say. Every word she shared sat heavy in my chest, like I'd lived it alongside her. It was pain, raw and real—and yet, she stood here still.
And that alone was something powerful.
"I know, right?" Inaya chuckled softly.
"But later, when I woke up the next morning, I felt a bit more relaxed than before. When I came to this balcony again, I felt something in my hand."
"What was it?" I asked, curiosity piqued.
"A magic spell was drawn by a thin blue light," she said, her eyes distant as if recalling the sensation. "Truth be told, I felt relaxed and hurt at the same time. It was a feeling I can never forget. The pain was like my blood and blood cells were being ripped and blessed simultaneously. I couldn't control myself at the beginning. Then, suddenly, when the sun rose, my transformation began to change. Slowly, day by day, I was secretly training myself to control that transformation. I didn't even say anything to Celestina. I thought maybe this is a curse. Well, who knew it was a blessing instead? At least my pain was worth it." She smiled again, looking at my face.
"Well, it is indeed a blessing. But did you know it was Sergio's sword?" I asked.
"I realized it the moment I held it. But it's not like I stole it, right? It chose me; I didn't choose it. So basically, I didn't do anything bad," she said.
"I wasn't talking about doing bad or not. I was just saying, looking at Sergio, I just felt like he really hated that situation," I said.
"It's not something I can change if a person hates you for no reason. You can't possibly change that, can you?" she asked.
"I don't know. Sergio really never talked with you much... So," I couldn't finish my words.
"It's not like he talks with others besides you and Celestina anyway, and I am not exceptional." She smiled.
"Yeah. I'm feeling sleepy a bit again," I said, yawning.
"We should probably head out to the kitchen for now," she suggested.
"Yeah, let's go," I agreed.
When we got to the kitchen, Sergio, Celestina, and Uncle Zeno were already waiting for us.
"Hey, you're early today, Shin. How did you manage to keep up with Inaya?" Celestina asked as we stepped into the kitchen, her tone light with a hint of curiosity.
I gave a small shrug. "I don't know. My eyes just opened early this morning, somehow."
As Inaya and I made our way inside, I noticed Sergio rising from his seat. The moment his gaze fell on Inaya, something shifted—subtle, but I felt it. He turned away, his movements composed yet distant, as if he were intentionally avoiding her presence.
"I shall be departing for my duties now," he said in that low, composed voice of his—calm, formal, carrying the unmistakable elegance of someone born of another era. Then, without another glance, he left the room.
Inaya and I took our seats at the long dining table as Uncle Zeno bustled around preparing breakfast. The scent of something warm and rich filled the air.
"So what's the next game?" I asked, turning to Celestina. "You're here for the announcement, right?"
"I am," she replied, folding her arms with a knowing smile.
"Though just in case you didn't know, I stay here. In this mansion."
I blinked. "Wait—you live here? How come I've never seen you around? Where's your room?!"
"You mean *you* haven't," Inaya chimed in, taking a sip of water. "Everyone else knows she stays here in this dimension. She's always busy organizing things for us. As for the room—she has her own. I guess you haven't explored the entire mansion yet, Shin."
Just then, Uncle Zeno placed steaming bowls in front of us.
I picked up my spoon and looked at Inaya with mock offense. "Wait—how come no one ever told me this? Not even you?"
She raised an eyebrow, completely unfazed. "Well, you never asked."
"So?" I pressed.
"So I thought you already knew."
Celestina and Uncle Zeno both chuckled at our exchange, their laughter warm and unguarded.
"Well, I didn't!" I huffed.
"But you do now," Inaya said with a smile.
We finished our breakfast together, the room echoing with laughter, casual teasing, and that fleeting feeling of normalcy that somehow managed to exist—even here.
After we finished our breakfast, laughter still lingering in the air, the door creaked open and the rest of the group began filing in.
"That's totally new! Shin! You woke up earlier than us!" Sota exclaimed, wearing his usual mix of shock and amusement like a second skin.
"Yes, yes, I know," I groaned, waving my spoon. "You guys don't have to make a whole song out of it. I've already heard enough about it this morning, so spare me."
"But seriously, it's shocking!" Sota insisted, grinning as he took his seat.
Uncle Zeno, with his usual calm precision, placed steaming plates of breakfast in front of each of them just as they settled in. Celestina, who had been sitting quietly at the far end of the table, stood and clapped her hands twice, drawing everyone's attention.
"Alright, everyone," she said, her tone suddenly more official. "I have an important announcement to make."
"Is it about the next game?" Brother Cheng Hao asked, leaning forward.
Celestina smiled, her expression both cheerful and oddly solemn. "Yes. And this will be the final one."
A hush fell over the room.
"What is it then?" Cheng Hao asked again, this time quieter.
Well," Celestina began, her voice calm but firm, "this might sound like good news to some of you—or maybe bad news to others. You'll have thirty days before the game begins, and the game itself will last another thirty days. In short, you have time. Today counts as day one."
The silence deepened. Everyone looked around, unsure whether to feel relieved or tense.
"There's no new training planned for you," she continued. "You're free to train yourselves however you want, or not at all. Wander, rest, prepare—use the time however you choose. But once the final game begins, you'll need everything you've got."
With that, Celestina sat down again, her message sinking into the table like the weight of a storm about to arrive.
"And?" Satoru asked, folding his arms and eyeing Celestina with curiosity.
Celestina exhaled softly, letting a brief silence settle before she continued, her tone composed. "Now I'll share what I came to say—both the information and my suggestion. The next and final game is called 'Find the Treasure Hall.' As the name implies, your goal will be to locate a hidden hall overflowing with perso, rare metals, and priceless jewels… all within a limited window of time."
Her gaze swept across the room. "But make no mistake—this will be harder than anything you've faced before. The obstacles will be merciless, and you'll have to fight your way through them. Reaching the hall won't be simple, and surviving it even less so."
"That was the information," Satoru said slowly. "Right?"
"Yes," Celestina nodded. "And now, my suggestion."
Everyone leaned in a little, the atmosphere shifting.
"For the first week, you should all rest completely. Your bodies and minds need it. After that—Shin, you'll train under Sergio for two weeks. Satoru, you'll undergo training in the Intelligence Impact. Cheng Hao and Sota will focus on the Physical Impact. Inaya will train under my direct supervision."
Celestina then turned to Hana. "And you, Hana, will learn medicine and food crafting from Zeno. Your subject on Earth was chemistry, wasn't it?"
"Yes," Hana nodded, somewhat surprised but attentive.
"Then that settles it," she said with a satisfied look.
"And the last week?" I asked, curiosity pushing through my unease.
"You may do as you wish during that time. Rest, explore, prepare... or simply enjoy yourselves." Her voice softened slightly. "Few have made it this far. Fewer still have returned from this mission alive. So… consider this your chance to live before you face death. Choose how you want to spend it—wisely."
A heavy silence settled, but Sota, ever the joker, broke it in typical fashion.
"Hey, don't scare us like that. Shin might just pee his pants if you make it sound any darker."
"Shut up, you!" I snapped, half-embarrassed.
Celestina smiled faintly, then stood. "I was simply sharing the truth. What you do with it is your choice." And just like that, her figure shimmered—and vanished. She was gone in the blink of an eye, her spell leaving only a faint ripple in the air.
The silence returned, more sobering this time.
And somehow, we all knew—this wasn't just another challenge.
It was the beginning of the end.