The dark sky was thick with the scent of destruction. Craters scarred the ground in every direction—it was hard to imagine what could have caused such devastation.
In the midst of this ruin, many people lay motionless, completely stripped of the ability to move.
Finn, the Level 6 Pallum, was collapsed on the ground, missing an arm and unable to get up.
"Elgarm" Gareth had a gaping hole in his abdomen, blood steadily seeping from the grisly wound.
Tsubaki, Ais, Bete, Tiona, Tione, Raul, and Riveria were all down as well, showing no signs of life.
And Haruhime... was nowhere to be seen.
Only one person remained standing beyond the circle of fallen warriors.
That person suddenly whipped their head around, eyes locking directly with hers.
"Cassandra, I know you're watching!"
"!?"
Cassandra jolted awake from her sleep with a gasp.
"Haa... haa..."
Her heavy breathing did nothing to calm her nerves. Cold sweat clung to her back.
'The captain and the others... how could they...'
She couldn't fathom the sight she'd just seen. The Familia known as the second strongest in all of Orario, wiped out—completely.
And the last person who looked her in the eyes, she recognized him clearly.
'That was Bell-kun...'
'But how did Bell-kun know I was watching him?'
It was just a prophetic dream. She wasn't actually there. So how could someone notice her peering into the future?
Cassandra didn't understand. But one thing was clear—she had to get up.
She needed to tell the captain what she'd seen, or that nightmare might just become reality.
It wasn't yet time to wake and break camp. Everyone not on guard duty was still resting.
But Cassandra was already dressed and leaving her tent.
She rushed to the entrance of the large tent where Finn and the others slept.
"Captain! Captain!"
Inside, Finn opened his eyes the moment he heard her voice.
Gareth and Bete, who were resting nearby, also woke immediately.
It only took a few seconds for Finn to shake off his drowsiness. When he recognized the voice outside, his expression shifted sharply.
"Up. We've got a problem."
Gareth and Bete snapped to attention, the tension hitting them like a splash of cold water.
They hadn't even dressed properly before stepping out of the tent.
When Bete saw Cassandra waiting outside, he instantly understood what kind of "trouble" Finn meant.
Finn noticed her pale face and the sweat on her forehead—and he immediately grasped how serious this was.
"Cassandra, did you see something?"
"Yes."
Cassandra didn't hide anything, but a heavy gloom still clouded her expression and heart.
"It wasn't like anything you've ever described before, Captain. The sky was an eerie, dim color. I saw you with one arm missing, Mr. Gareth with a hole through his abdomen, and everyone else lying on the ground, their fates unknown."
The image Cassandra painted played out in the minds of the three men, and yet something about it felt... off.
"If it's a scene we haven't seen before, then it must be a floor we haven't reached yet."
"But according to Zeus Familia's records, everything past the 58th floor is supposed to be a frozen wasteland."
"Cassandra, did you see any glaciers?"
"No."
Cassandra shook her head slightly. The dream had left a vivid impression—there was definitely no sign of a frozen landscape.
However, there was one thing that stood out. Or rather, one person.
The one who had truly shaken her.
"Captain… aside from you all, there was someone else on that floor."
Finn noticed her hesitation, and his eyes narrowed slightly as he guessed who she meant.
"Was it Bell-kun?"
"!?"
"…So it was."
Seeing Cassandra's shocked reaction, Finn knew he'd guessed right.
If she had only seen their group, it would've meant they were simply exploring an unfamiliar floor.
But Bell appearing there changed everything.
'Looks like I've been underestimating Bell-kun's strength.'
'He must already be well beyond Level 4 now.'
But that raised another question for Finn.
Why would Bell be on the same floor with them?
Was it just to record footage of their expedition into unknown territory?
If that were the case, there was no need to take such a huge risk. He could've done what the Guild does.
'So… is this the real reason Loki had Bell-kun join the expedition?'
Finn couldn't figure out what kind of plan Loki was running behind the scenes, but Bell joining the expedition was clearly connected to her intentions.
"Cassandra, what was Bell-kun like in the dream?"
Cassandra tried to recall the final moments of the vision.
"He... wasn't injured at all. He didn't look like someone who had just been in a fight."
"And just as I tried to keep watching, Bell-kun suddenly turned and looked right at me, like he knew I was watching him."
Even now, the memory sent a chill down her spine.
It was the first time in all her prophetic dreams that she had been scared awake like that.
"Bell-kun saw you?"
That was far too strange.
Finn knew Cassandra's ability, and Bell was aware of it too. Cassandra's visions were glimpses of the future, not actual time travel.
So how could someone in the future notice being watched through a dream?
Could someone actually sense when the future was being spied on?
Finn had no answer. It was simply beyond his understanding. The idea that someone could detect a glimpse from the past felt absurd.
But now they knew—something serious was waiting for them on an unexplored floor.
"Bete, go get Ais and the others."
Understanding the urgency, Bete nodded and quickly went to alert the rest.
Finn turned to Cassandra, who was still visibly shaken.
"Cassandra, take a moment to steady yourself. We'll need you to describe everything you saw in detail."
"Okay."