Her voice was crisp and melodious, yet Zane remained impassive at Gray Veil Marionette's words, showing no sign of delight.
"Where... am I?"
Gray Veil Marionette lowered her arms and glanced around, disoriented. She was in that state of waking after far too long asleep—utterly dazed.
"This is the Hollow, the interior of the Ballet Tower."
Zane didn't keep silent this time; he answered her directly.
"The Ballet Tower..."
Gray Veil Marionette murmured softly, still somewhat out of it as she tried to recall the meaning of those four words, searching her memory for anything connected. But having only just awakened, her empty mind clearly couldn't catch up so quickly.
Beside her, Black Veil Marionette knelt on the ground with her head lowered. Under the dim light, her unreadable face was cast in shadow as her soft veil suddenly split apart and drifted down—light as a feather.
"Alright, sit up first."
Zane smiled slightly at Gray Veil Marionette, then helped her sit up straight. She settled on the floor and rubbed her face, as if trying to clear her head. But the moment her hand touched her skin, she froze. The strange sensation made her lower her hand and stare at it. Somewhat startled, she looked over her arms, then down to her skirt and legs...
"This is... Huh? Is this me?"
Gray Veil Marionette opened and closed her palm, curiosity and surprise in her voice.
"Feels like the special armor heroines wear in movies... I want to find a mirror..."
She muttered to herself. Zane, supporting her, hadn't expected that reaction; helplessly, he glanced toward Black Veil Marionette.
Unlike Gray Veil Marionette's confusion, Black Veil Marionette seemed to have faintly realized something. Looking over her own body, she spoke softly:
"I remember... it was the Hollow Disaster..."
"That's right. This form... it must be Ethereals... Ugh... it was back then..."
She drew a sharp breath, pain tightening her features as her hands clutched her head and her body bent slightly. Memories of watching herself and her sister being eroded into monsters surged like blades from the depths of her mind.
As she spoke, Gray Veil Marionette noticed the other presence nearby. She stiffened and fell into thought, then, after a few breaths, snapped back to herself.
"Sister? You're my sister?!"
Her delighted voice rang out. Gray Veil Marionette knelt and crawled a couple of steps toward Black Veil Marionette, taking her by the arms.
"Sister, what's wrong?"
Perhaps because Gray Veil Marionette came to her side, Black Veil Marionette's pain eased a little. She lifted her head to look at Gray Veil Marionette and slowly calmed.
"Augetta..."
"Sister..."
Gray Veil Marionette's voice grew much softer. Even if her memory was returning slowly, seeing Black Veil Marionette like this brought back faint images from the past. She knelt as her sister did, memories sharpening bit by bit, and gently leaned against her, curling in slightly as if seeking even a shred of safety.
"Did you do this... Though we've become Ethereals, we've regained human consciousness..."
Unlike Gray Veil Marionette, Black Veil Marionette, though still in pain, raised her head to look at Zane and asked softly. Perhaps it was her responsibility as the elder sister, or perhaps it was Gray Veil Marionette's current unease, but she chose to take the initiative to speak with him.
Augilia's gaze rested on Zane, probing, as if doubting the reality of what she was experiencing. Once a human becomes an Ethereal, they are a different kind of being altogether. Could this really be happening? Or was it... a dream? But why did it feel so real...
"Yes, Augilia, I did it."
"But this state won't last long."
Zane explained quietly. His words reached her, and Augilia spoke again:
"Why did you do this?"
She stared at him intently, holding Augetta in her arms, as if trying to read something from his expression. Back when she and her sister rose to fame through dance, all kinds of ill-intentioned people appeared. She had to be cautious—one wrong step meant the abyss. Even with a time limit, Augilia didn't think regaining sanity was a bad thing. Precisely because it was good—and because its difficulty was self-evident—she remained deeply suspicious and wary of Zane.
"Because I wanted to, so I did. Why must there always be a reason?"
Zane's eyes flickered slightly. He understood her concern, so he held up the electronic device again.
"If you absolutely need a reason, then take this as one... It should put you more at ease."
As he pressed the device, the recording played once more. This time, both Augilia and Augetta could understand every word... Like warm sunlight in a park on a quiet afternoon—calm and familiar.
Augilia froze.
It was a memory from even further back.
Inside the Ballet Tower, everything fell silent. Only a faint glow seemed to flow, carrying from the past into the hearts of Augilia and Augetta.
...
It felt as if a long time had passed. That was Augilia's perception. When the recording finally stopped, she stirred only slightly, and after another moment, she came back to herself.
"Sister... that was Grandfather's voice... shouldn't we be happy?"
Augilia covered her face with both hands, her body trembling. Beside her, Augetta tried to comfort her. Compared to before, Augetta seemed stronger now... And yet Zane could see that, as she spoke those comforting words, it was as if they consumed all the strength she had left.
Zane closed his eyes, then opened them a few seconds later. His sapphire gaze, star-bright, fell upon the twin sisters.
"Now that you understand the situation, I need to explain your condition."
"Humans eroded into Ethereals differ from Ethereals created by Hollow. The former are based on human bodies; the latter are constructed entirely from Ether."
"Your current sanity is only possible because I temporarily extracted part of the Aether energy eroding your human foundation."
Seeing their eyes on him, Zane paused before continuing:
"However, the corrosion can't be fully reversed. Ether and flesh have completely fused. The Aether energy extracted will inevitably carry traces of your life force."