But at this tense moment, no one noticed a hand quietly resting on Zane's shoulder as he stood watching the scene unfold.
"Hm? You..."
Just as Zane was about to unwrap the candy he'd recently gotten from Ellen, he suddenly sensed the presence behind him and glanced back in confusion—at Gray Veil Marionette.
He was about to speak when his body jerked violently. In the next instant, he was yanked away, swallowed by a spatial rift.
Almost instantly, Zane vanished from the rooftop.
The others, focused on the airship, never noticed. The candy slipped from Zane's grasp, rolling across the ground before coming to a quiet stop.
As the airship prepared to land safely and Eous let out a breath of relief, she stepped forward—right onto the candy.
"Hm? This is... candy?"
"Looks like Ellen's. I saw her eating one earlier. How did it end up here..."
Eous bent down and picked it up. She was about to return it to Ellen when her eyes widened. Something felt off.
Huh? Where was Zane?
When had he disappeared?
After thinking for a moment, Belle pushed the thought aside. She wasn't worried—Zane could have gone anywhere, and with his strength, nothing unexpected was likely to happen.
Turning her eyes back to the descending airship, she saw Victoria Housekeeping already moving in. Eous hurried over as well, ready to help with the evacuation.
The rooftop was bustling with activity. Meanwhile, elsewhere, Zane wasn't exactly idle either...
...
"How about... stopping for a moment?"
"What exactly are you planning to do..."
Zane, led along by Gray Veil Marionette who held his wrist, spoke curiously.
But Gray Veil Marionette didn't seem to understand him. She gave no response, and Zane could only sigh and let her pull him along.
Only she, one of the Twin Ethereals, would drag him away without explanation. If it had been anyone else...
Still, he had been planning to seek them out anyway.
Moments later, Zane and Gray Veil Marionette entered a grand hall. Since he'd been brought straight inside, he didn't know which floor it was.
Looking around, he noticed that aside from the Ether crystals, the place wasn't badly damaged—it even looked fairly normal.
"Black Veil Marionette..."
Zane lifted his gaze slightly toward the figure standing with her back to them. Sensing their arrival, Black Veil Marionette turned, lifted her skirt, and dipped into a slight curtsy.
Gray Veil Marionette let go of Zane's arm. Her sharp, needle-like feet scraped the floor as she glided forward like she was skating across ice, stopping before Black Veil Marionette.
She then took Black Veil Marionette's hand and walked back toward Zane. Seeing this, Zane raised an eyebrow, a sudden thought striking him.
Wait... just now—was Black Veil Marionette... blushing?
No way...
The twins couldn't speak, nor could they understand Zane's words, making communication nearly impossible. But then again, they didn't seem to have much they wanted to communicate anyway.
Zane could tell the twins only retained instinctive awareness, much like Nineveh. They lacked rational thought. It wasn't the same thing at all.
After all, Nineveh's case was unique—she only remained that way because of him.
"Is this your home?"
Watching the twins' movements, Zane spoke softly as he followed them. Then he remembered they couldn't understand and fell silent.
As he trailed after them, he saw the twins cradle a music box like a treasured possession, then eagerly show him a stage poster. A strange feeling stirred within him.
It was odd—so odd that the twins even seemed... almost cute to him.
Smiling faintly, Zane shook his head. If that was the case, then some things were worth testing.
With that, he reached forward and took Gray Veil Marionette's hand. She froze for a moment, then turned to look at him.
She seemed curious as to why he would do that. But strangely enough, she didn't resist, letting him hold her hand. Beside her, Black Veil Marionette tilted her head, watching with curiosity.
Her hand was cold, but Zane felt no romantic stirrings. Instead, he quietly sensed the rippling Ether energy within her body.
It was something he had thought about many times, but never tried. Perhaps he should have tested it back when he faced Nineveh.
But now wasn't too late.
As Ether energy stirred faintly, Gray Veil Marionette noticed something was wrong. She thought of pulling her hand away, but for some reason, she didn't.
Moments later, Zane's eyes flickered—certainty forming in his mind.
The transformation of humans into Ethereals was a process...
So could this process be reversed?
Drawing on his past theories and this close encounter, Zane conducted a tentative test.
The answer was yes.
But it was also no...
He sighed softly and released her hand.
As expected—something that had become a disease of the world would never be that easy to cure.
The scythe of death had already fallen. Unless time itself could be turned back, there was no undoing it.
With a complex expression, Zane glanced at the twins. He pulled out a recording device, hesitated for a moment, then asked softly,
"I have a recording. Do you want to hear it?"
Of course, the twins couldn't respond. The question was more symbolic than anything. Zane played the recording anyway.
But when it ended, the twins only looked at him blankly. No reaction at all.
He wasn't surprised. If anything, it confirmed that what he was seeing was instinct, not rational thought.
Zane reached out and took their hands.
At once, strands of Ether energy peeled from their bodies. Clearly, his control over the energy was stronger than theirs.
The twins writhed in discomfort. Black Veil Marionette stumbled back a few steps, only to find she couldn't escape the range of the energy being stripped away. Fear flickered in her eyes before she grew weak and sank to her knees.
Gray Veil Marionette, however, did not retreat. Instead, she stepped forward, grasping Zane's raised hand with both of hers, her expression pained and confused.
She looked at him, as if asking why he was doing this.
Zane remained calm, unmoved. After several more seconds, Gray Veil Marionette's strength gave out. Just as she collapsed, Zane released the energy and crouched down to catch her.
Looking at the weakened Gray Veil Marionette, he let out a quiet breath.
A few moments later, she stirred, raising her head slightly to look at him.
Nearby, Black Veil Marionette propped herself up with her arms, her gaze fixed on Zane. Her eyes were filled with a complex mix of shock, confusion, curiosity, and doubt.
In Zane's arms, Gray Veil Marionette slowly lifted a trembling hand and brushed his cheek. Unlike her twin, her expression was dazed, almost innocent.
And then—her voice rang out.
"Oh... such a handsome gentleman..."
"Um... who... are you?"