Akihiro opened his eyes.
There was nothing.
No sky. No ground. No sound.
Only emptiness.
He stood in the middle of a void. No walls, no floor—yet he didn't fall. The space around him was cold, but not physically. It was the kind of cold that sank into your chest and stayed there.
He turned slowly, scanning the endless dark. It felt familiar. He'd been here before.
Then it hit him.
"Stella…" he whispered.
He spun around. "Stella!" he called, louder this time.
No answer.
Just silence.
His head dropped. Fists clenched. His voice cracked. "Where are you…"
Then he saw it.
A tiny light in the distance.
It flickered—small, far, almost like a candle flame—but it was the only thing that broke the darkness.
His eyes widened. "Stella?"
He started running.
The light was far, but he didn't stop. His legs moved faster than they should have. He still couldn't feel the ground—but he moved anyway.
"Stella!" he shouted again, louder now.
