The rain had calmed on this cold morning.
Water flowed quietly across the narrow alleys and stone-paved roads,
while the bare branches of the trees swayed with the wind.
In the house where Marcy and her family lived, raindrops fell gently, forming delicate melodies.
Luna was on the second floor, sitting quietly on her bed, holding a cup she was nearly finished with between her palms.
Nearby, small crystals floated in the air, softly illuminating a cold blue glow. The crystals melted slowly, one after another.
Within this fading light, Luna's features appeared sorrowful and mysterious.
The first words she whispered were:
"I haven't seen that bitter expression of his in a long time."
She added silently, staring into the cup:
"At that moment, his tears were flowing behind his rain-soaked face."
"I'm certain it wasn't just my imagination… but why did he seem this sad?"
About two hours ago, I never expected the day to turn out like this.
—
Toki stood before me, his hands trembling slightly.
Before he could approach with hesitant steps, I said:
"Good morning, Toki. Have you decided to return from your job at the shop?"
He didn't respond immediately. He stopped after taking a few steps, pressed his lips together, then answered coldly:
"No… I just came to check on you."
What did he mean? What was he implying?
I didn't fully understand yet. These thoughts crossed my mind the moment he spoke, but I still wasn't convinced.
I stood calmly, despite a faint, warm ache in my knees.
I approached him and took his trembling right hand. It was cold and slightly rough, as if burdened by something beyond his capacity—deepening my doubts.
Then I said, without being direct:
"If something is bothering you, you can tell me. Come on… lift your head."
His eyes looked more sunken and miserable than before.
How could he have reached such a state?
He barely smiled—a small, pale smile that felt as though it didn't belong to him—then said in an unsteady voice:
"I finally woke up… I thought I'd never be able to see you again."
He whispered softly afterward:
"So this is how Sophie used to see me…"
I sighed and closed my eyes, then smiled faintly, realizing things were unfolding just as I had expected, and that what he had revealed was only part of the answer.
I felt a weight around my back—Toki was hugging me, the pounding of his heart betraying his unstable emotions.
I was slightly startled, then gently patted his messy purple hair.
At the same time, I spread my crystalline petals around us, warming the room and drying Toki's clothes.
He whispered beside my ear in a trembling, unclear voice:
"I truly thought I'd never see you again… It was my mistake to use things whose consequences I didn't understand…"
I asked softly:
"Do you remember the promise we made together that day?"
He replied quietly:
"I don't want to lose any more… and you're the one I wanted to disappear the least."
I held his shoulders once he stood upright before me, then touched his cheeks.
It felt strange seeing Toki confess to me—he rarely shared his thoughts.
I was overwhelmed with joy… and at that moment, I felt that Toki had changed.
I replied with a smile that naturally emerged:
"Don't worry~ I'll stay with you!"
"See? I'm still standing right here!"
Toki finally lifted his head toward me.
A gentle breeze drifted through the room, moving between our clothes and strands of our different-colored hair, while tongues of my spiritual energy swayed atop the crystals.
A few minutes later, we sat on my bed, after he handed me his favorite apple juice.
He sat apart from me at the edge of the bed, legs folded, hands clasped together, while I played with part of my coat's hood.
Silence lingered for a few seconds, our shadows swaying across the wooden floor.
Then Toki began speaking in his usual tone:
"Sophie left the village at dawn today…"
I averted my gaze toward him.
Then he continued with a question that caught my attention, as though he were climbing a difficult ladder while avoiding the fall.
That was the closest way to describe it.
He asked in heavy breaths:
"Am I really that much of a failed leader?
There were only three of us… and I couldn't even guide that small number toward a safe future."
"How ironic is that, don't you think, Luna?!"
"How long will I remain this naive?"
"No! Don't listen—" the words slipped from my mouth.
"Don't listen to what your past tells you… don't turn back to it!"
Toki suddenly raised his head and stared at me, his eyes lost.
I continued with confidence, as if the words poured out without full awareness:
"If it weren't for that, we would never have met!
If it weren't for that, we wouldn't have made it this far!
And if it weren't for it, we wouldn't have been able to continue!"
I felt how serious my words were and tried to take a deep breath.
Then I said to reassure him:
"I knew Sophie would make that decision."
He asked calmly:
"How—?"
I took a sip of juice, then explained:
"Two months ago, the day we parted at the accessories shop…
I was practicing threading a sewing needle through an old cushion."
I turned toward Toki, who appeared more relaxed.
"At the time, she described to me a change she was going through."
"And as far as I remember, she said she felt some regret for possessing a power she didn't know how to control."
Toki said:
"Is that really what she said? If so… then that's part of my failure."
I answered after another sip:
"I know you were also struggling with how to use your spiritual pulse, but don't measure yourself against others."
Toki lowered his head, then stood and said:
"To be honest, I only came to visit you… and I'm glad to see you well."
Before he passed by me, I reached a conclusion from his movements after my talk about Sophie, and noticed something he was hiding.
But naturally, I didn't wish to reveal it.
The more difficult the mystery, the greater the pleasure in uncovering it.
I said in an indifferent tone:
"Really? That's unusual for you."
He replied with light sarcasm:
"What's so strange about it? I just felt like coming."
Before taking another sip, I said coldly without looking at him:
"So… what does Sophie mean to you?"
Toki stopped briefly at the door without turning back.
I continued in the same tone:
"Could it be that you're trying to satisfy yourself by pleasing her…?"
A solemn silence filled the room for a few seconds.
Toki clenched his fist, steadying his stance.
"I'm just kidding~!"
I smiled brightly as Toki left the room.
—
Luna finished her juice, still lost in thought, replaying what had happened two hours earlier.
She placed the cup atop the last crystal floating beside her, and the glass melted away along with its lingering scent.
Luna passed her hand through the air—the moment vanished—then drew back her arm, summoning her red-covered journal.
She opened a new page and began writing down what had happened.
Her handwriting was elegant and refined, different from earlier entries in the journal.
As she wrote, she gradually transitioned into a white space lined with sky-blue streaks.
The journal fell onto the white ground. She bent down calmly to retrieve it, but it sank beside her feet.
As she brushed aside the ground that looked like clouds, she decided to stop searching for a while, choosing instead to play with those clouds that could not be precisely touched.
And in that moment…
Something ominous and terrifying began to appear behind her.
A staircase rose, forming step by step.
Then—
A massive, imposing entity descended—shaped like a headless cube.
Beside it, another enormous form emerged, a cube that seemed to be collapsing at an extremely slow pace.
They revolved around one another atop the staircase's end, as though a core lay between them—yet none existed.
Then a golden ring appeared, circling above them.
As this awe-inspiring scene reached completion…
Luna smiled a mysterious smile.
A wind swayed her coat, dress, and rose-colored hair.
She stood confidently, her features appearing more enigmatic and terrifying.
Then she turned toward them, and as the surroundings suddenly darkened with grim colors, she said:
"So it's you… hmm…"
"It's been a long time since the last time…"
"You -#@&"
…..
End of Part One of Volume One
— To be continued in the same volume