"Yo," said Akira over the line. Her voice was grainy and distorted. "What, ass-dialed me earlier? What's up?"

  "I was accosted," said Erina. After changing lines for a solid hour to get away from her intended destination, she finally decided to make that call to her patriarch. "A group of men approached me, claiming to be Akanaga Family. They wanted me to come with them. I escaped. They lost me."

  "Shook 'em off, huh? Not bad."

  "Who were they? Who sent them? What did they want?"

  "How should I know? Did they give any names? Wear any crests?"

  "No, sir. They didn't."

  "You able to get your hands on any of 'em? I got a few minutes to spare. Can walk you through wringing info outta them."

  In other words, torture. "No, thank you," said Erina. "They don't know where I am. But I don't know where they are, either."

  "Erina. You calling from the Reverse right now?"

  "I am. Why?"

  "No wonder the connection's shot to shit. Stick to the Surface for travel. Don't wanna end up on a ghost train to nowhere, do you?"

  "No, sir. But won't I be attacked again?"

  "Did they bug you? Take detours and make sure they're not tracking you some way or another. If you've already done all that, they shouldn't be on you again."

  "Still… who were they?"

  "Who can say? Could be Kirigami goons. Could be the Association. Could be someone else. Hell if I know."

  Erina lapsed into silence. Akira must have picked up on that doubt, because she spoke up first.

  "Hey. You made a name for yourself! Not surprising to get some attention because of it. Par for the course. You'll get used to it with time. If they come back around and find you again, that's a chance for you to figure out what's going on. Otherwise, don't fuss your pretty little head over them. Focus on what you came out to do. That sound good?"

  Maybe not the part where she was attacked to the point of desensitization… but Erina said, "Yes, sir."

  Erina scanned herself a good dozen times and confirmed there was nothing tracking her. She spent another hour changing lines on the subway before boarding a train after the sun had gone down. Not long after, she stopped by a hotel and booked for the night. After thoroughly searching her room from top to bottom for hidden cameras, Erina got ready to sleep for the night.

  She pulled her pillow out of her suitcase and flopped onto the soft bed in her pajamas. Rolling over, Erina opened her phone.

  ? she texted to Akira. For the trouble you had to leave at the airport for.

  Kirigami goons stirring the shit, Akira texted back. Not everyone's happy to roll over for the new boss when some punk rolls in claiming their old one poofed into thin air. Only problem is they went straight to Shinjuku. Causing me trouble right where it matters, the fuckers. Still need to find the rest of them overnight.

  That sounds hard. You're not sleeping?

  Sleep is a bonus for us, not a necessity. I'll be fine. Akira sent a surprisingly cute cat sticker to go with it. How about you?

  I'm on schedule. I'll make it there tomorrow morning.

  Good to hear. Sleep tight. Another cute cat sticker.

  Thank you. Good night.

  That was that out of the way. Erina flicked through her apps without really knowing what she was looking for. She noticed she still had some unread messages.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  Are you okay? It was from Yuuta. There were almost a dozen more just like it.

  I am, texted Erina. Please don't worry about me.

  I can't help it. You haven't been answering my texts. I wouldn't push normally, but…

  I'm sorry. I've been busy. I'll answer them when I can. But I assure you I'm okay.

  Are you really okay? She's not forcing you to do anything, is she?

  I know you two had a rough meeting, but I really am okay.

  Hmm. If you say so, I guess. What about your work?

  That has to be a secret. I'm sorry.

  Right. I don't know your circumstances, but is there anything I can do to help you? I want to, I really do.

  Erina smiled slightly. Thank you. Hearing you offer is enough.

  There was a long pause before he started typing again. Just… stay safe, okay?

  I will. I promise. Good night.

  Good night.

  Erina put her phone away. The television was on. The channel defaulted to a news report.

  "…still investigating the eruption at Mount Hakusan," said the reporter. "There were no casualties reported, though the national park has been closed. In other news, there has been an incident on the Oedo Line. A passenger is believed to have fallen onto the tracks while a train was passing through the station. Police are investigating, though they have not confirmed the nature of the incident or whether anyone was injured…"

  Erina turned off the television, rolled over, and went to sleep.

  Her alarm went off and she dragged herself out of bed before the sun came up, continuing her trip early in the morning. She arrived at her destination just as dawn broke. It was a small town by the coastline. Waves lapped at the shore. Dozens of small boats were moored at a pier extending out over the water's surface. There were buildings and lodges made of wood. It was a small quiet place, nothing like the bustling city.

  The sun had only just crested the horizon, peeking over the mountains in the distance. Somebody's dog had woken up early, watching her curiously from the other side of a fence. Erina went to the pier, looked around one more time to ensure nobody was watching, and then dived off the pier into the Reverse using the water's surface.

  She landed on the other side's pier and dusted off her skirt. Morning dew clung to the grass as she made her way down the road and then strayed to a side path. The pavement gave way to packed earth in the unmaintained forest. Erina found the well she was looking for and peered over its edge. Nothing but darkness greeted her back.

  Erina jumped into the water far below.

  She emerged back into the Surface, her momentum carrying her nearly out of the well on its own. A spell circle caught her before she began falling again. Erina hopped once, twice, and then found enough purchase with her hands to climb back out.

  There were no black spires in the sky, but the dark blue expanse was still shimmering. She was on the right path.

  Erina was completely alone as she returned to the town. The dog was gone. Not a single soul walked the streets but her. The wind didn't blow. No birds chirped and no insects buzzed. In this strange, liminal space that should have been the Surface, only Erina existed.

  She went into an onsen and borrowed their mirror to cross the boundary again. What she entered was not the Reverse. It was a dark world, cast in an unnatural purplish light that barely illuminated everything around her. When she stepped outside, the sun was the same dim purple against a black sky.

  Erina returned to the water's edge. The ocean was completely still. There were no waves crashing against the rocks, no tide washing up on the shore, no ripples across its surface. It was completely and utterly motionless. This was the dead world left behind by the march of time, lingering just one second behind the true world, temporarily invaded in the gap between planes on this esoteric path.

  Erina didn't belong here.

  Nothing belonged here.

  Fighting the urge to break into a mad sprint, Erina walked across the pier. She double-checked her notes on her phone to make sure this was the right place. A sensation like pins and needles prickled her from every side. Invisible eyes watched the intruder. She could not acknowledge them under any circumstances.

  The wind began to howl as she stepped off the pier—

  Erina emerged into darkness. Blue lights pulsed along the rim of a steel door before her, casting a dim glow on the room. Indeed, she was in a small metal room with one entrance. A wave of relief came over her. This was the right place.

  She grasped the handle of the door. A mechanism turned inside it with a deep thunk. The lock disengaged, and Erina opened the door.

  It was the laboratory—or rather, the same style as the laboratory. It had the same bright lights shining on the same sterile white walls and the same tiled floor. Erina recognized the same machines, the same tables, the same pipes channeling the same fluids. The rooms and hallways were assembled differently, but everything about them felt like…

  Home.

  She found her in the engine room. It was a large, expansive unit with catwalks along the walls. Massive cables centered on the pedestal in the center of the room. In its heart, suspended by a powerful magnetic field, was a gigantic violet gem that crackled with energy as it spun slowly. Claw-like extensions above and below surrounded the gem in a field of light, containing the violent discharge as it pulsed. Terminals surrounded the base, providing readouts on its output and state.

  There, looking up from the monitor, was a woman in a simple, professional blouse and dark dress pants. Her hands were covered by gloves. She wore a modified lab coat, once taken up for utility but now for style.

  And her hair was long and white, streaked with blue lightning.

  "…Erina," she breathed. Her silver eyes were wide with shock.

  "Yes." Erina walked closer, her shoes clacking quietly on the tiled floor. She felt a faint smile form on her lips as she looked up at the face that already felt so familiar. "…I'm home."