Ryoma paced the length of the room, jaw tight, each step landing heavy against the wooden floor—a restless rhythm that mirrored the weight pressing on his mind.
Kaen glanced up from where he sat near Astra, his brows knitted.
"What do you mean… she's caught in an illusion?"
Ryoma halted mid-step. Slowly, he nodded.
"Yes. And not just any illusion," he said gravely. "This is a deep bind—an ability reserved for higher-tier demons. The greater the tier, the stronger the bind. It doesn't trap the senses, but the soul itself."
His voice lowered. "For such a bind to take hold, the victim must carry intense psychological attachments—emotions like trust, love, hatred, or fear. Fear is the easiest link to exploit." He paused. "And Astra… she's always been afraid of demons. That makes this bind far more suffocating for her. Everything inside it feels real—pain, terror, even death." His gaze darkened. "If she dies there… her body here will follow."
Shion swore under his breath, while Seirou's expression darkened.
Ryoma knelt back beside Astra, brushing a strand of damp hair from her forehead. His voice dropped, steady but grim. "Illusions like these feed on the victim's weakness. They twist memory, fear, and desire until she can't tell truth from lie. The more she struggles without understanding, the deeper she sinks."
He glanced at Kaen and Shion, his expression dark. "Illusions aren't just dreams. They bend the mind until it believes the false is real. Stay trapped long enough, and the body starts reacting as if the wounds are real too."
Kaen's grip on Astra's cold hand tightened. "Then how do we pull her out?"
Ryoma exhaled sharply, shadows settling in his eyes.
"There are only a few ways," he said quietly. "Sometimes, the voice or touch of someone she trusts can become a strength slipping through the cracks and reaching her, even inside the illusion." He paused, then added more softly, "Or… she can find her own anchor. A memory strong enough to remind her of what's real. Something she refuses to lose."
Shion frowned, tension pulling tight at his jaw. "But the memory… she can't remember those." He stopped short, eyes widening slightly. "Wait—are you going to unseal them?"
Ryoma's gaze dropped, a shadow passing over his face. For a brief moment, it looked like he might say something else but then he shook his head. "…There is one more way." His fists clenched at his sides. "Inside the illusion, if she inflicts pain on herself, her mind might jolt awake. The shock can tear through the false reality and force her back. But…"
Kaen's head jerked up. "But what?"
Ryoma's eyes hardened, his usual composure cracking just enough to show the fear underneath. "If she doesn't wake up even after that or if her mind accepts the pain as death, she won't wake up ever again. Her body will die here too."
The weight of his words settled heavy over the room. "The pain should be enough to jolt her awake, but if it fails…" He shook his head. "I'm not risking that either."
Kaen swallowed, his grip on Astra's hand tightening. "…Then we try the first option, We call her back." He lifted his head, gaze sharp as it moved between them. "Shion. Seirou. Both of you—come here."
Inside the illusion, Astra struggled to catch her breath, each inhale a heavy labor. Her mind was a chaotic storm of images—Huozhen's mocking grin, shifting shadows, and impossible corridors twisting around her. Every step she tried to take felt like wading through thick fog.
Huozhen loomed, teasing. "Still struggling, little wren? You're so fragile, yet you insist on running."
Astra opened her mouth to reply, but exhaustion stole her words. Her knees buckled slightly, and she closed her eyes, trying to gather the last of her strength.
Then—a voice, distant but unmistakable, pierced through the chaos. "Astra… Astra!"
Her eyes snapped open. The storm in her mind stilled for a fraction of a second. The voice, the clarity, the warmth cut through the illusion like a beacon. She glanced around frantically, searching for the source.
Huozhen's expression twisted, a flicker of surprise passing over his face. "What is this? Want to run again?"
Astra shook her head, her thoughts racing.
What… was that? Was it Ryoma? Or just another illusion?!
Summoning her remaining strength, she stood, her fists clenched. "You won't stop me this time," she muttered under her breath, then bolted forward, the illusion twisting violently around her.
Meanwhile, in the real world, Ryoma and Kaen tried again and again, calling her name, shaking her hands, trying to pierce through the illusion, but each attempt faltered.
Shion's frustration was palpable. "It's not working. Maybe we should try the other method…"
Ryoma froze, tension etched across his face. Kaen looked at him steadily. "Maybe we should keep trying this. There has to be a way."
Seirou eyes darkened with thought. "…Perhaps… unsealing a memory she can hold onto safely, something strong enough to anchor her, but won't cause harm—might work."
Kaen's brow furrowed. "…but Ryoma won't—"
Ryoma drew a slow, controlled breath and nodded, "I have to try."
————
Inside the illusion, Astra's lungs burned and her legs ached, yet she ran on, the world around her shifting with every step. Then, faint but unmistakable, laughter reached her ears—a soft, carefree sound, like children playing in the sun.
Her pace faltered for a moment. Now… what's this? The sound tugged at something deep in her chest, an instinct she couldn't resist. Compelled, she veered toward the laughter, her exhaustion momentarily forgotten.
The scenery around her melted and reformed in an instant. The chaotic void transformed into a sun-dappled forest, leaves rustling gently in a breeze she could almost feel. Ahead, three children played near a cluster of rocks, their small hands tossing a ball between them.
Astra stopped, watching. One boy had climbed atop a large branch, precariously perched as the other two laughed and shouted, teasing him to come down. Their joy was contagious, yet surreal, as though the forest itself were a memory stitched together from fragments of her own mind.
She took a step forward, drawn by the innocence of the scene—but the world shifted again. The forest dissolved like smoke, replaced by a jagged cliff overlooking an endless void. A man stood at the edge, his back to her, silhouetted against the fading light.
"Try to wake yourself… or do you wish to remain lost?"
She took a step forward, drawn by the figure at the cliff's edge, her heart pounding in a rhythm she couldn't quite explain.
"Who are you? What's happening here?!" Astra demanded, tension tightening every muscle.
The man turned slowly, revealing a sharp, striking profile. A faint, knowing smile curved his lips as he let out a quiet sigh, almost amused. "I can't believe you still get tricked," he said lightly. "With all the power you possess."
A soft chuckle escaped him.
Astra stared at him, her breath catching. "Tricked?" she asked. "What do you mean by that? And who are you?" Her gaze sharpened, suspicion rising. "Are you another illusion? Or—are you a demon too?"
The man shook his head, the smile fading. "Silly," he said, almost fondly. Then his tone shifted, settling into something serious.
"Follow me," he said, turning away. "If you want to wake up."
Without hesitation, he leapt from the cliff. Astra's eyes widened at the motion, but before fear could take hold, she moved. She didn't think—she leapt after him, closing her eyes tightly.
For a heartbeat, she plummeted, wind whipping past her. Then a firm, warm hand grasped hers mid-fall, anchoring her. A whisper, gentle yet commanding, brushed against her ear:
"Now… it's time to wake up."
Her eyes snapped open. The illusion shattered. Gasping, reality flooded back, and she found herself lying on a soft mat in an unfamiliar room—though the faces around her were known.
Kaen, Shion, and Ryoma hovered anxiously beside her, their expressions taut with worry.
Astra's heart pounded violently, every muscle trembling, yet no words came. Her mind swirled, fractured by the lingering echoes of the illusion. Amid the relief of returning, a single thought kept piercing through:
Who… was that man?