Still in the Past
Before the Slowed World
Near Landlady Luci's House
In That Same Forest
It was possible to see that scene: the young Karl, his body slowed in time, beside Miss Luci, who was in the same condition. Yet it was noticeable that the center of Karl's chest, beneath his clothes, seemed to gain a certain glow, taking on an incandescent appearance.
A few moments later, it began to release malleable and translucent flames forward.
They surrounded his body without damaging his clothes at any moment, having been launched from the center of his chest outward, gently circling and enveloping all of Karl's body.
It was perceptible that the young girl seemed to move her fingers as if she were "playing a piano" with subtle motions in the air while watching what was coming out of Karl's chest without him realizing it, with Luci still at his side.
After a few seconds, she raised her right hand toward the sky, pointing upward with only a single finger, her index finger.
Immediately, the flames that had once enveloped Karl began to partially take on the appearance of a beautiful, long, embroidered cord that seemed to dance in the air with its movements.
It was swiftly launched toward the sky, many meters above even where the young girl stood in the tree. Thus, one could see that cord, still bearing faint aspects of incandescent and translucent flames.
It appeared to be made of two types of intertwined threads, one white and the other black, in its luminous construction, shining before the slowed world with negative-toned colors. The young girl watched it, creating a spectacle in the sky with its gentle motion.
In only a few moments, it easily reached almost fifty meters in height relative to the young girl who looked upward at the sky.
She observed what was nearly a kilometer of that embroidered cord flying across the sky of that region, its movements resembling a serpent gliding smoothly through the air.
The young girl, showing through her posture and the swinging of her legs that she was excited for some reason, looked at it.
Her voice echoed with a tone that revealed na?veté and innocence, implying that Karl, rather than his younger sister Karla, had possibly, at that moment, finally become one of the necessary pieces for her side-more specifically, for her side in relation to who would be her "opponent" on the board in a future that was now closer.
After such a mysterious statement, that long cord flying through the skies above the entire region began to glow softly from the very point where it had emerged from Karl's chest on the ground.
It created a luminous effect that seemed to expand from the cord in all directions, bringing color to the entire world that had previously been in negative tones.
Her voice echoed again, affirming that Karl was someone different, and that different people tend to be special in the eyes of someone like the young girl, who saw the world in a more complete way and not in a limited manner like a mortal.
Quickly, at the end of her words, the cord seemed to react, and its tip advanced toward the young girl's direction-more precisely, toward her right hand, which was raised and stretched toward the sky. It was visible that the cord, still extended, shone and illuminated the entire forest beneath it.
As it advanced, the cord ended up wrapping itself in overlapping coils around several parts of her entire arm, forcibly creating a connection between the young girl and Karl.
This connection was extremely profound, where she connected not with his existence, but with something more essential than that for any living being.
This deep bond connected the young girl to the essence behind Karl's physical existence, something visible through her unique eyes, which showed she was impressed.
All of this was imperceptible to Karl, since the young girl was doing everything in a different temporal flow. For him, seconds passed, not microseconds, while she moved normally without being perceived.
After visualizing in her mind the most important memories of Karl alongside his middle sister Karla and his deceased youngest sister, Suzi, the young girl gradually seemed to gain nothing less than a human appearance.
Before the intensity of the feelings and emotions of each of those memories carved deep within Karl's heart, related to his past with his sisters until that moment, the young girl no longer bore only the spectral appearance formed of pure negative flames.
It became possible to perceive, almost majestically in her posture, layer by layer of organic skin forming over her body, which had previously been only spectral and made of pure negative flames.
At the same time, her hair, which had once been made of flames, gave way to organic strands, long and beautifully shaped, swaying with the gentle touch of the breeze that emanated from the young girl herself.
For a few moments, it was evident that, as a specter, she had not needed clothes. When her body finally completed its metamorphosis and became fully tangible and organic, she decided to change that.
With a snap of the fingers of her other hand, the one free from the cord, a beautiful long black dress with golden borders appeared over her previously unclothed body.
Thus, that young girl, now so beautiful in appearance, gained a face that was sweet and innocent, yet at the same time emotionally empty.
Her face subtly conveyed a kind of hollow excitement. At the same time, her lips expressed an amused smile at what was about to come from that moment onward.
It referred to the decisive conflict between humans and the Oculi, which would converge with the beginning of the Unitatem in that reality. Then came a new, unfamiliar snap of fingers.
It was from someone other than the young girl, echoing in that place consumed by complete silence. It was seen that the luminous cord that had originated from Karl's chest was forcibly cut into thousands of pieces by this second mysterious person who had appeared and snapped their fingers.
This resulted in the forced interruption of the young girl's deep connection with Karl's essence, and the entire world around that place returned to normal, along with time flowing in its usual manner.
[(Young Girl - Curious & Intrigued Thought)] This presence... So it was true, in this reality as in some that no longer exist. (Subtle, excited laugh)
[Unknown Female Voice - whispering with deep mercilessness] "...Who gave you permission to touch the essence of my dear older brother, Karl?" [Deep breath & firm resolve] -
[(Young Girl - Curious & Intrigued Thought)] There may also exist living beings who returned after death as 'awakened angels.' (A restrained, amused laugh)
Returning to the Normalized World
Near Luci's House
In That Same Forest
After the return to normality had been forced by a second person who was also close to the young girl, she still kept her eyes closed, her face turned in the direction where Karl was sitting and talking with Luci.
The two of them were a few meters away from the young girl, positioned on the balcony of Luci's family country house, unaware of what had happened moments before.
For Karl, none of it was noticed, neither by his mind nor by his body, even though the young girl had connected to his essence in such a deep and invasive way.
Then another voice echoed, a feminine one, unknown until that moment, and clearly younger. It revealed itself to be nothing less than the faintly luminous specter of Karl's beloved little sister, Suzi.
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[(Young Girl - Thought, Cheerful & Intriguing) This is going to be very fun...]
She still visually retained the age of seven, even though her death had occurred two months earlier. Young Suzi was sitting on a tree closer to where Karl and Luci were, looking at the mysterious young girl in front of her.
Her white hair swayed along with her beautiful white dress, and her completely white eyes reflected an unshakable confidence and determination.
She directed her gaze toward the only person she knew she had to keep away from her older brother, Karl. The young girl noticed Suzi's presence.
But she chose not to give it enough importance to even open her eyes or look at her, despite being only a few meters away, seated on a higher branch compared to Suzi.
Suzi was there to protect her brother and Karla, for as long as necessary, until the moment she would be forced to stop being their "guardian angel."
She had received permission from a certain "person" who had found her at the threshold between "existence and the void." That person, upon perceiving Suzi's essence even at such a young age, saw that she still had a purpose to fulfill after her death.
Thus, Suzi was once again allowed to return to the existential plane, even though no one else could see her after she spoke with that mysterious "person" in a forest of white flowers.
Two months had passed since her death and her return beside Karl and Karla. Instinctively, Suzi realized that by being noticed by that young girl, who moments before had tried to forge a deep connection with her brother, she was facing someone from whom she needed to protect Karl.
The young girl then gradually opened her eyes, completely black, like a universe empty of life or hope within her gaze.
Young Suzi's eyes, entirely white, contrasted with those of the girl in front of her, who looked down from a higher position on the branch above.
Karl and Luci kept talking on the balcony, unaware of what was happening above their heads, in the nearby trees. The young girl, in a gentle voice, addressed Karl's little sister, Suzi.
She stated that Suzi was an anomaly and that, if she were allowed to act, Suzi would be destroyed for still being bound to the physical world.
Even after her death, Suzi should not remain, being ordered to follow, like everything that has essence, toward the eternal "void."
With a firm posture, Suzi looked upward toward the young girl on the higher branch, revealing an absence of fear as she met her black eyes.
Only the two of them heard what echoed at that moment: Suzi's response to the young girl. She stated that, upon reaching the threshold of eternity, she had been given two choices.
And she chose the one that kept her close to those she loved most in her physical existence: her family, who were still in mourning after two months since her departure.
The only thing that would make her leave toward the eternal void would be the forbidden use of her spectral abilities to physically interfere in the world of the living.
Even in the worst situation involving her brother and sister, Suzi could not intervene directly. However, if the threat to Karl and Karla's safety was something similar to herself-something spiritual.
Like the young girl, Suzi would stand before that threat, protecting the essence of those she loved most. At present, Suzi was only a specter, intangible and invisible to everyone's eyes.
The young girl formed a pleased smile on her lips as a stronger breeze shook the branches of the surrounding trees. Leaves broke free and flew with the wind, revealing, for a single moment, a vision of the past.
That young girl advancing rapidly toward little Suzi, who was taken by surprise by the abrupt closeness of the girl's face to hers, as the soft breeze brushed against Suzi's entire form.
Suzi felt a surreal presence, extremely dense and heavy, throughout the environment around her, as she looked more closely into the depths of the mysterious girl's completely black eyes.
Instinctively, Suzi began to lose control of her own eyes, which gradually stopped being completely white and returned to normal, revealing her irises.
Suzi's face showed shock and disbelief before that young girl, whose face was only a few centimeters away from hers.
Echoing only in the mind of the mysterious young girl were what seemed to be fragments of a future still under construction, yet ever closer to becoming real.
[Little Suzi from the Future] - [Distant & Muffled, Confident Whisper] I will never accept that you die like this, sister... [Breath, ragged] -
The young girl's black dress, with golden edges, swayed softly, as did her long black hair, while she floated before Suzi.
[Little Suzi from the Future] - [Distant & Muffled, Confident Whisper] I will make any sacrifice to save you or our beloved brother!!!! [Painful & Determined Breathing] -
At the same time, Suzi's white dress and her long white hair also moved gently in the air. The young girl then said something to Suzi, smiling.
Her final words echoed with an empty tone: Karl and Karla would, at some point, lose the "protection" of their deceased little sister, Suzi, who was trying to be their "guardian angel."
[Little Suzi from the Future] - [Muffled & Distant, Furious Shout] TOGETHER! BROTHER!!! [Sound of a Sharp & Intense Sonic Pulse] -
For the two of them, without realizing it, after her death two months earlier. And when that happened, Karl and Karla would be destined to become opposing pieces on a bloodstained board,
[Little Suzi - Incredulous Whisper] You're lying, I... [Breath of Denial & Trembling] -
Where the survival of human reality would be tested and guided either toward harmony or toward definitive disharmony. When "Unitatem" finally occurred in that reality, still awaiting its moment of drastic change.
[Little Suzi - Confident Voice] ...I will not allow this to happen, NEVER TO MY SIBLINGS!!! -
Returning to the Present
Still in the Center of Tokyo
Kogana no Douragon Restaurant - Rooftop
The scream of Miss Luci (20 years old) resulted in what would be, from her body, nothing less than a pulse imperceptible to almost everyone present in that city.
The only person able to see it expanding and spreading throughout the entire city was Karl (18 years old).
He clearly saw the pulse expanding in all directions, as if it were leaving the city of Tokyo with less opaque light. Karl watched the world, once devoid of color, gradually regain its colors wherever that pulse passed.
He realized that this mysterious pulse, in a matter of only a few moments, had traveled through the entire city of Tokyo, while time still seemed slowed down for him.
Soon after, before his incredulous eyes, he saw Luci appear to descend, floating toward him, her long hair, once artificially dyed black, returning to its natural color.
The black dye seemed to peel away strand by strand, revealing, in just a few moments, her beautiful red hair, which danced in the wind. Karl, without understanding what was happening, watched Luci's abilities manifest in a visible way, something he could not comprehend.
The colors around them became more vivid for some reason that escaped Karl, while Luci approached, opening her arms and pulling him into a tight embrace, with an expression that mixed pain and fear.
Momentarily, Karl saw Luci as a being of light in his world, which was almost completely dominated by darkness. That embrace made his heart, once weak and heavy with the accumulation of frustrations and hopelessness, beat stronger, dissipating his negative feelings.
On the rooftop of the building where Karl and Luci were, one could see a pulse faster than sound expanding in all directions, without damaging any part of the city of Tokyo. This made the slowed flow of time return to normal.
The clouds that had announced a storm over Tokyo dissipated beautifully, originating not from Karl's body nor from Luci's, but from the deep synchronization between their essences.
That synchronization opened a single breach in the clouds, allowing the light of the moon, now at its peak, to illuminate the city below.
The moonlight reached the buildings on that once-dark dawn, centering itself on the building where Karl was being embraced by Luci. The moon's glow gradually expanded, while the clouds were carried away by the wind, dissipating more and more.
Back on the rooftop, Luci finally held Karl tightly, and he, still not understanding what was happening, realized that she did not want him to leave. He felt Luci's tears as she cried in silence, a silence that was painful to Karl.
Moments before, Karl had been on the verge of losing himself to his inner darkness, with almost no hope of a future beyond the pain he carried in his struggle against the Oculi.
Luci's embrace made Karl remember the few times he had felt such safety with his sister, Karla, still alive by his side, and with his younger little sister, Suzi, who had passed away years earlier.
In the silence of that unique and special moment, Karl, with his hands lowered, felt his body move instinctively toward Luci, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer.
Unconsciously, he made Luci feel that it was the best embrace of her life, even though she did not know why. Karl, also instinctively, began to gently stroke Luci's head with care and affection, something that left her without reaction, while her tears still flowed.
She kept her face hidden against Karl's chest, holding him tightly. Karl felt the abilities previously released by Luci burn like translucent flames around the two of them, enveloping them without pain.
The translucent flames, burning over both of them, softly dissipated into the wind, while the moonlight illuminated the rooftop, which no longer held any shadows. The colors of the city below began to shine on the horizon, pulsing before Karl's eyes.
And as he embraced Luci, he looked at the world in a new and unique way. That embrace, which brought him back to sanity, prevented him from succumbing to the inner darkness that tried to consume him.
Without realizing it, Karl and Luci, locked in each other's arms, shared a connection so deep that Karl's inner darkness, manifested as black flames, began to transform into white flames, aided by Luci's essence.
That sense of safety Luci transmitted while crying and embracing Karl intensified even more when she whispered his name with an emotional and heartfelt voice, begging him not to succumb to the darkness.
To her, Karl was more than a friend; he was someone deeply important, not only as an ally against the Oculi.
[Luci - Deeply Emotional Whisper] I don't want to... [Trembling and tearful breath] -
Karl formed a slight, tender, and grateful smile on his trembling lips as he looked up at the sky, no longer at the city before him.
[Luci - Deeply Emotional Whisper] ...to lose anyone else to the darkness... [Trembling and tearful breath] -
Karl, still holding Luci and stroking her head, tried to calm her with affectionate and attentive gestures. Without realizing it, he whispered tenderly and emotionally.
Thanking Luci for having reached him in time with her embrace, before he succumbed to his own inner darkness. After his sincere words, it was possible to see the moonlight reflecting on the black clothes of both Karl and Luci.
[Karl - Tender and Attentive Whisper] Miss Luci... [Slightly broken & trembling breath] -
The breeze made Luci's long hair dance softly in the air, along with Karl's short hair. He looked around the rooftop, noticing the changes in the background.
[Karl - Tender and Attentive Whisper] I... [Light, broken and trembling breath] -
The city of Tokyo, once cloudy and illuminated by artificial lights, was now bathed in moonlight, which enveloped all the buildings and structures.
[Karl - Tender and Attentive Whisper] I... I think... [Light, broken and trembling breath] -
The buildings, once dark and covered only by artificial lighting, now shone under the moonlight, dispersing the darkness that had previously dominated the stormy dawn.
[Luci - Genuinely Affectionate Whisper] Karl... [Deep and slow breath] -
For a few moments, memories surfaced like flashes in Karl's mind, making him close his eyes and dive into a part of his past he had not remembered for a long time.
[Extra Information Regarding the Chapter]
