The rain had stopped some time ago.
The mist that clung to the mountainside was unraveling, dissolving into the amber glow of sunset.Clouds drifted lazily across the sky, their edges kissed with gold and soft pinks.The fire that once crackled between them was now a pile of blackened wood and faintly glowing embers.
She sat there, silent as ever — a book clutched tightly in her hands.The same unfinished book the man had been reading from.
Her head was light.It felt like she was floating between two places.
Her fingers brushed over the cover absentmindedly as if making sure it was still real.The story… the sights… the voices…She could still hear them.Still see the red of Chara's eyes, the golden glow of flowers, the glint of knives in dying light.
Her hand rose slightly, making a small, questioning gesture toward the hooded man beside her.
Why me?Why did it feel so real?
The man chuckled softly, his voice rough but kind — like dry leaves in a quiet forest.
"Heh… How was it? Not too lost, are you?"
He leaned back against a worn, half-buried stone, glancing toward the horizon.
"I used a little… well, let's call it a spell.Something to let you see the past. Not just hear it — really see it.Haven't tested it on anyone else before, so uh… sorry if time got a little weird for you."
She blinked, tilting her head to the side.Another small motion of her fingers — a slow, thoughtful sweep through the air.
It was… incredible.Though she didn't say it aloud, the look in her eyes told him enough.
The man gave a lazy grin beneath the shadow of his hood.
"Glad you think so."He gestured lazily at the horizon."What you saw… wasn't the main story yet. Just the prologue. Pilot, context, whatever you wanna call it.The first ACT's about to start — now that everyone's where they shouldn't be."
She let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding.
A real wizard.That's what this guy was.A strange, quiet, knowing old sorcerer hiding atop a mountain, telling impossible stories of broken timelines and lost souls.And for reasons she still didn't understand.
She watched him as he rummaged through his coat pocket.
"Oh, yeah. Before I forget…"
From the folds of his sleeve, he pulled something out — a faint purple glow lighting up in his palm.A small, star-shaped stone, shimmering like a dying ember but pulsing with soft, steady warmth.
"Made this while you were… 'absent.'"He held it out to her.
She hesitated, then reached out carefully and took it in her palm.
It was surprisingly warm.Faintly humming.Almost like it was alive.
"It's a little thing I call aShinelocket.Let's you watch the past without me being around.Complicated thing, but I'll explain it proper next time we meet."
His voice dropped a little then.A thoughtful tone woven into the sunset air.
"Wouldn't wanna bother you if you've got something else planned for your evening, kid."
She gave a tiny shake of her head — no, she had no plans.And for a flicker of a moment, she thought she might even smile.
The man's face was still hidden beneath his hood.Not a single glimpse of skin or shadow.A stranger from nowhere.
But somehow… she felt like she knew him.
The sun dipped lower, bleeding red and gold across the clouds.The dying fire glimmered once, and the last light of day clung to the Shinelocket in her hand.
And she realized then —The story wasn't done.Not even close.
The first ACT… was only beginning.