When Yuta opened his eyes, the scenery had changed.
The scorched sky, ruined Celestia, Arley, the light…
everything was gone.
He was lying in a hospital bed.
His parents stood over him, their worry impossible to hide.
— Yuta, how do you feel?
— We told you to be careful when coming home so late! his father said, his voice trembling.
Yuta offered a faint, guilty smile.
— I'm sorry, Dad… Mom. I worried you.
— As long as you're feeling better, that's all that matters, his mother whispered, relieved.
— We should go. Come straight home once you're allowed to leave, his father added.
They left the room.
A nurse entered shortly after, advising him not to push himself over the next few days.
He would be allowed to leave later that evening.
Once alone, Yuta let his thoughts wander.
Arley.
Celestia.
The Y'onn.
The indistinct silhouettes.
Was he really… an Eygis?
Was he the only one?
Who were those people in the flower-filled plain?
No answers came.
All he could do was wait… and hope.
══ ✦ ══
That evening, Yuta left the hospital and returned home as his parents had asked.
Even though he felt better, a strange heaviness still weighed on his head.
He collapsed onto his bed, exhausted, and fell asleep almost instantly.
The next day, routine resumed.
He told no one what he had experienced.
He ate breakfast, went back to class, trying to convince himself it had all been a dream.
— Yuta! What happened to you? Are you okay? Ren called out, worried.
— I'm better. Don't worry.
— Man, I was terrified when I heard you were in the hospital!
— I only missed one day, Ren.
— Exactly! That never happens to you!
Yuta laughed despite himself.
— So, which room are we in?
— C402. We've got five minutes—plenty of time.
— You and time management… a lifelong struggle, Yuta replied with a smile.
They headed toward the classroom, but an uneasy feeling lingered within Yuta.
Something about him… wasn't right.
The lecture began.
Normally, he took notes, asked questions.
But this time… nothing.
He couldn't focus.
Every word the professor spoke slipped through his mind.
— Professor… I'm not feeling very well. May I go to the infirmary? he asked politely.
— Of course. Go rest. And if it really doesn't improve, head home.
Yuta left.
But instead of going to the infirmary… he left the campus.
On the way home, the same questions looped endlessly in his mind.
When he arrived—his house empty, his parents at work—he tried to contact Arley.
Through his phone.
His computer.
Even by calling her name aloud.
Nothing.
No sign.
He stepped into the shower to calm himself.
But when he stepped out… he took a step back.
Strange marks had appeared on his skin.
They pulsed… then vanished instantly.
— What is this now?! he panicked.
A peculiar warmth spread through his body.
Gentle, yet powerful.
Like a force hidden beneath his skin.
Then, before his eyes…
Stars.
Constellations.
Fragments of light rushing past at incredible speed.
His breath caught.
This was his power.
Arley's gift.
The power… of the Stars.
— So… this is what it means to be an Eygis. The light from earlier… that was me.
But… how am I supposed to use it?
Over the following week, Yuta devoted every free moment to understanding his power.
Feeling it.
Testing its limits.
In vain… or almost.
══ ✦ ══
By the end of the week, one certainty became clear:
for now, he had no way of contacting Arley.
That day, he didn't have his evening job.
Classes had dragged on, and he was simply heading home.
On the way, his phone vibrated.
A message.
An unknown number.
He frowned.
— Huh…? Who sent this?
The message read:
"Renounce your choice, or your loved ones will pay for it."
Yuta felt his blood run cold.