By the time I returned to Capsule Hill, the sun had already burned through the silver haze.The world looked normal again.Almost peaceful.But I could still feel the residue of the fight — the microscopic vibrations left behind by the Watcher's echo, fading into the earth.
I took a breath I didn't need, stabilizing my human form before stepping onto Lala's balcony.
Inside, she and Haruna were seated on the floor, holographic screens flickering around them. They'd been tracking me through Peke's sensors.The moment they saw me, everything stopped.
"Scourge!" Lala was up in an instant, rushing over. "You—You vanished! What happened?"
Haruna's tone was quieter, but her eyes told the same story. "We felt it. Like the world froze for a second."
I looked at both of them — concern in one, fear in the other — and simply said, "It's done."
"Done?" Lala echoed.
"The echo. The last trace of the Watcher. I destroyed it."
They didn't cheer.Didn't celebrate.Just stared at me, sensing the shift — the difference in the way I carried myself now.
Haruna finally spoke. "You're stronger."
I nodded. "Stronger… and heavier."
Lala tilted her head. "Heavier?"
"The World gave me control. Complete control. But control always wants something back."
She reached out, her fingers brushing my hand. "Then don't carry it alone."
Her voice was soft. Too soft. The kind that made the chaos inside me go still for just a moment.I squeezed her hand — gentle, but grounding.
Haruna rose, standing beside her. "You've done enough fighting for one day."
They guided me inside, the balcony door closing behind us. The light filtered through pink glass — quiet, diffused, warm.
Lala smiled faintly. "You're home now."
That word — home — hit deeper than any mission prompt.
For a moment, I let the system fade into the background. No objectives, no scores, no directives.Just their presence — two hearts in sync with mine.
But then — a flicker.
[System Update Complete][New Mission Unlocked: "Maintain Equilibrium"]Objective: Preserve emotional and planetary stability for 72 hours.Reward: ???
I blinked. The prompt vanished before I could inspect it.
It didn't feel like Aiko's voice.Nor the male one.Something else.
Something watching through the system.
I forced a smile when Lala looked back, unaware of the new data scrolling behind my eyes.Whatever this was — whoever had sent it — would have to wait.
For tonight, there would be peace.Because I'd earned it.
And because the next time someone tried to disrupt it…
Time itself would answer to me.