Warmth faded as Aqua stirred. Healing magic dulled the blade wound,
but the memory of it—that thing's blade—lingered like cold metal against her throat.
She blinked at the dusty ceiling of Wiz's shop.
The light filtering through thin curtains felt too gentle for the storm in her mind.
"You're awake," Wiz said softly.
Aqua pushed herself upright. Her movements were slow but controlled. Not clumsy. Not impulsive. She carried herself like someone forced to grow up.
"How long was I out?"
"An hour," Wiz answered, placing tea in her hands.
"We used everything we had. Vanfir barely got you out alive."
From the corner, Vanir scoffed.
"Luck? I don't waste effort on luck. That blade was designed to erase souls."
Aqua didn't drink the tea. She stared into it, seeing her own reflection.
"It wasn't Kazuma."
Wiz hesitated. "It looked like him."
"It used his face. His voice. Even his stupid mannerisms." Aqua's tone hardened.
"But the eyes… they weren't his."
Vanir crossed his arms. "Pandora's Box."
Aqua looked up sharply.
"You knew something?"
"I knew rumors," Vanir corrected. "A sealed artifact. Deep dungeon. Meant to remain untouched. But adventurers are idiots."
Aqua's jaw clenched.
"Megumin opened it."
Wiz flinched. "She did… what?"
Aqua's voice dropped, steady and cold.
"The moment the box opened, something ancient jumped into Kazuma."
"We watched it happen. Then— nothing. Our memories were wiped."
Silence. Heavy. Suffocating.
Aqua stood, pushing aside pain and exhaustion.
"I'm going to find Darkness."
Wiz reached for her arm. "You should rest—"
"No." Aqua pulled free.
"We don't have time. Kazuma is still in there. I felt it."
Vanir tilted his head.
"And if Darkness refuses to help?"
Aqua opened the door, cloak snapping behind her.
"She will. Or she'll give me a damn good reason not to."
The journey to Belzerg was long and bitterly cold.
Snow howled over the hills as Aqua climbed the stone steps to the palace gates.
The keep loomed above her — regal, scarred, wrapped in a pale fog that shimmered with frost.
Two guards barred her path. One squinted, recognition dawning in his eyes."…Lady Aqua?" he whispered. "You've returned."
The gates opened without another word.
Inside, the throne chamber gleamed with silver light. At its center sat a figure clad in white armor, every plate polished to a mirror sheen. A massive shield rested beside the throne — forged from the blackened scale of a wyrm slain in defense of the realm. Across her lap lay a greatsword, simple and cruel.
Aqua stopped at the base of the stairs, her breath catching. "Darkness…"
The woman looked up, gaze cold, posture perfect. Her eyes — once eager, soft, and alive with reckless courage — had hardened into steel.
"It's Queen Dustiness now," she said evenly. "You look like you've traveled far."
Aqua swallowed the ache those words carried. "I know where Kazuma is."
For a heartbeat, nothing changed. Then, a flicker — barely visible, a tremor of emotion buried under discipline.
"I see," Darkness said. "And where is he?"
Aqua's voice wavered only slightly. "Alive… but not himself. Something ancient is inside him. Possessing him."
Darkness was silent for a long time.
"Then he is already dead," she said finally. The words were soft, but they cut deep, echoing through the empty hall.
"No. He's still in there," Aqua countered, her tone firm. "I've seen it. His soul fighting back, even if only for a heartbeat."
Darkness's eyes met hers — sharp, searching. Something tightened in her grip on the sword.
"I will help," she said at last. "But before we speak further about Kazuma…"
She stood, descending the steps like judgment made flesh.
"There is something I need you to do first, Aqua."
Her gauntlet tightened on the hilt.
"Alone."
The snow outside roared against the palace walls, as if the world itself strained to hear what came next.