The summer training camp had reached its peak. The air is full of joy. Evening breeze carrying the rich, savory aromas of grilled yakitori, sweet takoyaki batter, and spun sugar. Paper lanterns stretched everywhere they go, casting a soft and warm light over the crowds of local townspeople and Tracen students enjoying their rare evening of complete freedom.
"Wait, is this fold supposed to go over the left or the right?"
"Here, let me help with that," Top Road said with a chuckle, stepping up behind Dora.
With practiced hands, Top Road gathered the yellow fabric, gently overlapping the left side over the right. "It's left over right! Doing it the other way around is actually for traditional burials, so we definitely don't want that for a summer festival!--"
"--There! Not too tight, right?"
Dora gives her a thumb and smiled. "Perfect, actually. Thanks, Top Road. You're a miracle worker."
Over in the corner, Haru Urara was practically vibrating with excitement, she twirled around in her cherry-blossom-patterned yukata. "Look, look! Rice-chan! Mine is so pretty!"
"W-Waah, Urara-chan, be careful!" Rice Shower squeaked, while holding her own pale blue sash together. "You're going to ruin your yukata!"
Astonishing watched the others from her spot by the mirror with an amused smile. She smoothed down the front of her dark navy yukata, the white spider lily patterns drapes gracefully against her frame.
She looked at the hair tie on her hand. Normally, she would tie her hair before going out, especially during training. It's not like she doesn't like loosening her hair, it's just more conveniet to tie it, keeping every strand strictly out of her face.
Though... she doesn't feel like she wants to tie it tonight.
Astonishing slipped the elastic band aside. She raised both hands, running her fingers through her dark hair and letting it fall over her shoulders.
'Just for tonight,' she thought with a smile.
"Oh, Aston-san!" Top Road turned, her eyes lighting up instantly. "You're leaving your hair down tonight?"
"Aston-san looks really beautiful" Rice Shower said as she looked up at her with bright, admiration-filled eyes.
A faint blush appeared on her cheeks. "Thank you, Rice. You look lovely as well. The blue suits you nicely."
Dora leaned over, flicking her paper fan open with a sharp clack as a small smirk spread across her lips. "Not bad at all. Letting your hair down, huh? What's this? Don't tell me someone actually caught your eyes, hmm... let's see... it must be-"
POW!
A perfectly placed chop landed squarely on the top of Dora's head.
"Ouch! Hey!" she yelped.
"Let's headout, the others had left too" Astonishing said.
"You've got a killer strike, you know that? Definitely target practice material."
.
.
.
The path leading down from the camp dormitories was illuminated by rows of glowing paper lanterns hanging from bamboo poles.
Once they entered the festival area, the atmoshpere changed dramatically. There are people everywhere, locals and Tracen students alike.
"I've got eyes on the dango stall!" Urara immediately stormed through the crowd towards the stall.
"W-Waah, Urara-chan, wait for me!" Rice Shower followed after her.
"Urara-chan! Rice-chan!" Top Road called out, taking a swift step forward. "Wait, don't rush off into the crowd"
She turned back to glance at Astonishing and Dora, but just as she did, a massive wave of local townspeople came like a wave.
"Ah, sorry!" Top Road was pushed along by the momentum of the enthusiastic locals, slowly disappearing into the sea of cheerful faces. "Everybody for themselves!"
"Figures," Dora snorted, lazily waving her paper fan over her head as the tide of people swept between her and Astonishing. "Well, I'm off to find that goldfish-scooping booth before the kids clear out all the big ones. Don't wander off too far, Aston-chan!"
With a flashy flick of her wrist, Dora slipped into an opening in the crowd, leaving Astonishing alone. Just like that, the lively chatter of her friends dissolved into the ambience of the festival.
'Well, at least I can visit every stalls freely now' she thought, clenching her full wallet.
"First order of business..." Astonishing murmured to herself, her ears twitching as her sharp senses locked onto a particularly mouth-watering aroma wafting through the air.
Guided by her nose, she strolled deeper into the heart of the festival, effortlessly weaving through the bustling crowds. She stopped in front of a modest corner stall where a veteran vendor was flipping piping-hot takoyaki.
"One order of takoyaki, please. Extra bonito flakes," she said, presenting her payment.
"Coming right up, young lady!" the vendor boomed cheerily, sliding a fresh boat of eight piping-hot, golden-brown spheres over the counter.
Taking a delicate wooden toothpick, Astonishing blew softly on one of the takoyaki before popping it into her mouth. The crispy exterior gave way to a rich, molten batter filled with tender octopus, savory sauce, and smoky bonito flakes that melted on her tongue.
Savoring her prize, she continued her culinary adventure through the festival.
Next stop: a sizzling yakitori grill where the rich, smoky aroma of tare-glazed chicken skewers practically begged for her attention. She ordered two skewers and went off again to find another stalls.
After polishing off the yakitori, her ears twitched at the distinct sound of ice being shaved at a nearby wooden cart.
"One big portion, please, the matcha one!" she requested.
The vendor handed her a bowl overflowing with vibrant green syrup, and condensed milk. Finding a relatively quiet spot beside a stone lantern near the trail, Astonishing took a small bite with a plastic spoon. The sharp, cool sweetness melted instantly on her tongue.
She took her time finishing the sweet treat, listening to the muffled roar of the festival crowd. Once the last drop of condensed milk and shaved ice was gone, she deposited the empty bowl into a nearby trash bin
With her stomach thoroughly satisfied and her mind clear, she stepped back into the center of festival ground.
'Now then...' she thought, 'where to next?'
As she strolled deeper into the quieter, fringe areas of the festival ground, away from the sizzling food stalls and chaotic game booths, the bustling noise began to recede.
It was there, nestled under the dark boughs of an ancient tree, that a solitary tent caught her eye.
A handwritten wooden sign hung by the entrance,
[ Destiny & Divination. Unveil What Lies Ahead ]
Astonishing paused, her ears twitching in interest. To enliven the festival even more, the students are also allowed to participate whether selling foods, holding mini games, whatever they like.
This tent must be one of those.
Yet, as she took a step closer, something felt subtle, almost strangely out of place.
Curiosity piqued, Astonishing raised her hand, lifted the thick curtain, and stepped inside.
The interior was surprisingly spacious, lit only by a single, low-burning candle floating inside a brass dish of water atop a round table.
Sitting behind the table is an orange-haired figure wearing some kind of... robe?
Her head slightly bowed as she carefully touched a crystal ball in front of her.
"Welcome, seeker," she spoke
Astonishing opened her mouth to greet her back, but stopped.
Something was off.
Astonishing had never talked with the person in front of her, but sometimes Dora talks about her. Sometimes Astonishing also sees Dora hanging out with her.
'Her name is... Mate... Matty... Ken? Aru?'
She had trouble spelling the name.
'Though... doesn't she has short-hair?'
Astonishing is very sure that the person's hair isn't supposed to be that long.
'Maybe she used a hair growth product' she simply thought. Astonishing decided not to overthink it.
"Step closer, seeker of the path," the figure intoned.
Astonishing closed the remaining distance. She pulled out the small wooden stool across from the table and sat down. The figure across the table did not break her posture. Her hands remained poised just millimeters above the crystal ball.
Yet, as Astonishing settled onto the stool, the ambient temperature inside the tent seemed to drop subtly. The ambient roar of the festival outside seemed to fade away, as if muffled by an invisible wall.
"Umm... I come for a reading" Astonishing said.
The person didn't say anything, she gently rubbed the crystal ball as if searching for something, like an information.
"Two souls merged into one body"
"Black and White"
"Regret and Hope"
"A wanderer who entered a vessel already written by fate"
"A stranger behind the mask."
Astonishing's posture locked rigid in an instant. It's not long for sweats to stream down her face.
"What... did you say?" Astonishing spoke. "How did you know about this?"
The person stopped rubbing the crsytal, lifted her face and stared at Astonishing in the eyes.
"Tell me." Her stares sent chills to Astonishing, it's like she's staring right into her soul. "What has she entrusted to you?"
Suddenly, a wave of memories filled her head.
.
.
.
"Run in the Classic"
"It is where you will find your true capabilities. A key to unlock your hidden strength
"It is where you will finally become 'true' "
.
.
.
Astonishing's eyes widened, the dark pupils trembling as the fragments of memory dissolved.
"The Classic..." Astonishing whispered, "She entrusted me with... the Classic."
"To become 'true'..." she continued. "But... why...? What does she means by becoming 'true'?"
"Hmm... it seems she didn't tell you the whole story"
"What... story?" Astonishing leaned forward, she's eager to hear what she's going to say.
"The punishment" she said.
"The true owner of your body had once prayed to the Three Goddesses for strength. They heard her earnest plea. They saw her passion, her desperation, and they prepared a divine blessing"
She paused, leaning forward just enough for the flickering light to catch the solemn intensity of her eyes. "But that time never arrived. In a moment of overwhelming fear and doubt, she severed her faith. She turned her back on the Goddesses, and lost all trust in the very deities who had answered her call."
"She... betrayed them?"
"To betray the divine is to invite their wrath," she continued. "Feeling betrayed by the very soul they intended to elevate, the Three Goddesses passed down an agonizing sentence. They bound her to a cruel, endless cycle, a closed loop of fate."
The temperature inside the tent plunged further, making Astonishing shudder.
"In this loop, she was forced to walk her written path again and again. Every stride, every struggle, every bitter defeat was replayed down to the exact second. And every single time she failed to reach the summit... the world dissolved, resetting the board back to the beginning."
"Then... Why am I here? If she was trapped in that loop... where do I fit into her punishment?"
"Because a soul trapped in an eternal trial will eventually break. Desperate to shatter the cage the Goddesses built for her, she performed one final, forbidden act before the latest loop reset. She reached out beyond the boundaries of this world, and pulled you, an untethered soul, into her vessel."
The single candle lighting up the room suddenly went out, and the tent becomes dark with only a little illumination sleeping throught the entrance.
The fortune teller took out a match and ignite it to light the candle back. "Of course, nothing get past through the Goddesses' watch. Surprisingly, they didn't take any action to stop it, and just decided to watch. Maybe they are interested how things will unfold this time."
The candle lits up, bringing the light back into the tent. "Altough, it probably won't mean much. If you failed, the loop will start all over again. Maybe this time they will put even greater restrictions on her. But you..."
She paused.
"I'm afraid there will be no second chance for you"
"What... do you mean? No second chance?"
"You are an anomaly," she spoke, her eyes catching the fresh candlelight. "A soul plucked from outside the tapestry of this world. When the Three Goddesses reset the wheel, they sweep away every piece that belongs to their board, resetting them to their designated places. But you do not belong to their board."
She leaned forward.
"If this run ends in failure, the vessel will be reset, wiped clean to begin her punishment once more. But your soul, unanchored, foreign, and stripped of its anchor, will not be carried back. It will simply dissolve into the blank space between cycles. Erased. As if you were never pulled into this world"
Erased.
Not just defeated. Not just sent back to start over. She would vanish into total nothingness.
Astonishing felt a cold sweat break out along her spine. "If she had failed everytime, then how am I supposed to succeed in this one? Is there even a way?!"
"There is." She simply said.
"Then what is it?!" Astonishing demanded.
The fortune teller only chuckled in response. "Of course, I cannot tell you that. It's forbidden, remember? She too, told the same, right? I don't think The Goddesses will tolerate another forbidden act. They are more powerful than me"
Astonishing clenched her fist. "Not enough... I need to know more. Tell me more! Please..." she pleaded.
"I am merely a viewer holding a mirror to the divine," the fortune teller spoke. "I cannot hand you the answers. Nor am I the one you should be asking."
"Then who...? Her? She's gone! I don't know where she went but she's just gone! There's only..." Astonishing paused. "That thing..."
"So you have seen it," the fortune teller said softly.
"Is that... her?"
"It is her core." She said. "A soul that has been broken, reset, and crushed under the weight of a divine trial a thousand times over does not remain pristine. Pain changes things."
"But that thing is not a monster born of malice" she continued. "It's the remnant of her broken spirit, the part of her that gave up on her own strength, wrapped in the chains of her divine sentence--"
"--You ask how to succeed where she failed? You will not find that answer in my words, nor in any book written by mortal hands. You must descend into that darkness and confront her."
"Confront... her?"
"Two souls cannot run as one if one remains a hollow phantom in the dark. She brought you here not as a replacement, but as the spark she lost. As long as you fear her darkness, you will remain divided."
Astonishing looked down at her hands, hands that felt so real, so capable, yet belonged to a body that had run a thousand tragic loop before she ever opened her eyes in this world.
"If I go into that dark..." Astonishing began, her voice trembling slightly, "what do I even say to her? How am I supposed to convince someone who has given up to stand back up?"
"Because you are the only one who can," the fortuner teller stated simply. "She tore a hole in the fabric of this world to drag you here. Whether she realized it or not, she chose you."
Astonishing closed her eyes, absorbing everything she just heard. Cold sweat still lingered on her neck, but the overwhelming tension had burned away, leaving behind only a spark of determination.
"I don't plan on dissolving into nothingness," she said, "And I'm not going to let her stay trapped in that darkness either. If she pulled me into this world, then I just need to pull her from wherever she is"
A faint smile appeared on the fortune teller's lips, "A fine answer"
She raised one hand, sweeping it gently over the crystal ball. The low-burning candle flickered once, flare-bright, before settling back into a calm glow.
"The night grows late, and your friends are likely searching for you. Go back to the light of the festival. Your battle awaits, but for now, enjoy the moment"
Astonishing stood up from the wooden stool. She gave a short, respectful nod to the mysterious figure, turned, and pulled open the heavy curtain.
"Wait a minute, I still don't understand" She turned around. "How did you know all of... this...?"
The space behind her was completely empty.