Lucid stirred, consciousness dragging him slowly out of sleep. His body felt... warm. Softer than he remembered. As his eyes blinked open, he found himself not on the hard wooden floor, but wrapped snugly in a thin blanket. He sat up abruptly, his vision blurry with sleep.
A face was close—too close.
"You're finally awake," Alice said, her dark green eyes inspecting him with almost clinical precision. Her face was only inches from his own.
"Gah!" Lucid flinched and started to rub his eyes.
Alice tilted her head, unfazed. "You were mumbling a lot in your sleep. Something about Kaori, I think?"
Lucid paused. The name still echoed softly in his head. He glanced away. "You... heard that?"
"Mm-hmm. You said her name with a really dopey expression too," she said with a teasing grin. "Was she your girlfriend or something?"
Lucid groaned and stood up, brushing past her toward the window. The same soft purple light filtered through. The village was still there, calm and strangely elegant.
"HEY DONT IGNORE ALICE" she yelled with a poutful expression
They dressed quickly—Lucid in the new clothes he had bought with the mawler's remains, it was a long black coat that seemed to blend with his compressed sweater and cargo pants. Alice in a simple yet elegant cloak and tunic. Outside, the village had begun to stir with life. Children trained in swordplay under the watchful eyes of their elders, and merchant stalls opened one by one.
But something felt different.
As they moved through the village, whispers followed them. Townspeople gave subtle nods, some pointed in their direction and spoke in hushed voices. Their tale—the tale of how they escaped the Mawler—had spread.
A robed elder approached them in the square. His presence demanded silence. "The Council would like to speak with you. Follow me."
They exchanged glances but followed without protest.
The Council chamber was carved from smooth stone and wood, blending the old with the natural world. Five elders sat in a semicircle, their robes decorated with ancient embroidery and small charms. A massive map of the world hung on the far wall.
One elder, a woman with silver hair and a stern gaze, stood. "We have heard of your encounter with the Mawler, and the rumors you've stirred among our people."
Lucid shifted slightly. "Rumors? They're just... facts."
The woman continued. "Indeed. And it is because of this encounter that we must share with you a danger far greater than a monster in the forest."
She pointed to the map. A particular spot glowed faintly. "Do you see this village here—Arayune? It was once our sister village, and it fell. Not to monsters... but to betrayal."
Another elder spoke, his voice heavier, like thunder from beneath the earth. "The one who betrayed it was once our own. His name is Yu Sakamoto. He was meant to become the chief of this village, but his ambition and ideals consumed him. He sought forbidden knowledge and rejected our council. He left in the night, and soon after, Arayune burned."
Lucid crossed his arms, tense. "What does this have to do with us?"
"Sakamoto was last seen crossing into a neighboring world—Andorrea. We have reason to believe he is amassing power to disrupt the harmony of this realm and beyond."
The first elder leaned forward. "Your bravery in surviving the Mawler has earned you trust in this village. We would ask you both to pursue Yu Sakamoto. Bring him back—alive if possible, but dead if necessary."
Alice's eyes widened. She gripped Lucid's sleeve. "Wait, you want us to kill someone? That's too much."
Lucid was quiet. The idea of killing someone, even a traitor, made his stomach churn—but something about the name stirred something inside him. A sense of familiarity. An itch he couldn't scratch.
"We're not assassins," he finally said. "But if he's a threat to others, I want to see for myself what kind of man he's become. Maybe I can stop him without bloodshed."
Alice didn't speak, but her hand didn't leave his sleeve.
"You will be handsomely rewarded if you succeed," the elder added.
"It's true—I don't fully trust their actions because I don't know their intentions. But the truth is, I'm lost. I don't know where to go from here."
It was true—Lucid didn't know what path to take next. For lack of a better word, he was lost. He couldn't bring himself to trust their actions; their intentions remained a mystery. Yet, with no clear direction and no better option, he found himself accepting their offer. Not out of belief—but out of a lack of options.
Later that day, they were brought to the village's outer edge where the ground sloped into endless lavender mist. A structure like a long metallic rail extended into the clouds—floating, infinite, and ethereal. Pale purple clouds twisted beneath it like rolling waves.
"This is the Astral Track," said the guide. "An ancient transit system connecting realms. The carriage will arrive shortly to take you to Andorrea. It is a thriving civilization where magic shapes every facet of life. You will find Sakamoto there."
Lucid stared at the track. It shimmered like glass, seemingly without end. He could barely make out the outline of a small, single-car train in the distance, riding smoothly toward them.
"What kind of place is Andorrea?" Alice asked, stepping close to the edge.
"A place of flying cities, floating gardens, and sky-faring ships. Magic is not only a weapon—it is a way of life."
Lucid squinted at the rail. "Sounds... complicated."
The carriage arrived. It was sleek and round, made of a silvery metal with magical runes softly glowing at the seams. The door slid open without a sound.
Alice stepped in first, eyes wide with awe. Lucid hesitated before following, his hand brushing against his mask subconsciously. The door closed behind them, and the carriage lifted slightly off the rail.
There was no engine. No driver. Only silence and the hum of ethereal energy as the world began to blur.
Lucid sat back, arms crossed. The next world awaited. And somewhere in it, the traitor Yu Sakamoto.
He didn't know what he would say when he found him.
But he would find him.
And maybe—just maybe—that would bring him closer to understanding himself.