Aki screamed, backing away—

  But light flooded the entire bus, blinding, burning.

  “What’s happening?!” she cried.

  When the light faded, he was still there — hammer raised again.

  And as it came down—

  Hands shot out from beneath her shawl.

  One caught his wrist.

  Another gripped his leg.

  A third pressed against her own trembling throat.

  He was shocked — so shocked — but still couldn’t free himself from the grip. Soon, somebody came to the bus. It was Dr. Nicolas.

  Aki now felt even more scared. Then, a light flashed again—blinding— and she disappeared.

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  The next second, she felt like she was trapped inside a bubble, with only a little oxygen to breathe.

  It could burst any moment, but what could she do except breathe? She would die either way.

  *Where am I?*

  “…Oh, we meet again. Happy to see me?”

  Aki flinched. “Huh— you?!”

  Dr. Nicolas’s voice echoed faintly from the outside.

  “Where did she go?”

  Taiga’s voice followed, casual as ever. “Hmm, I don’t know.”

  “What do you mean by that?” Nicolas snapped. “She was here a second ago—now she’s gone! You do know what will happen if the Chancellor finds out, right?”

  Taiga shrugged. “Nothing?”

  Nicolas groaned, grabbing at his hair. “Get out of the bus.”

  Moments later, Aki floated in that deep, hollow space.

  Was it her imagination? Or was this real?

  She couldn’t find the words to describe it.

  It was a bubble—was she protecting herself, making a barrier no one could cross? Nobody knew.

  *Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.*

  “Is that… a clock?” Aki muttered, looking around. The sound echoed in the emptiness.

  “…A clock? Yes.”

  Aki flinched again. “Who—who even are you? Why do you keep showing up wherever I am?”

  “…No,” the voice replied calmly. “It’s you who keeps coming to my sacred area.”

  Aki stared into the empty space, then sat down on what felt like a white pavement—if it could even be called that.

  They both sat there—one who couldn’t be seen, and the other who didn’t want to be.

  They shared a silence that felt almost… warm.

  Neither knew how much they needed it.

  “…I think you’ve had your rest,” the voice said at last. “It’s time for you to go back.”

  “Wh—what?” Aki blinked.

  Before she could speak again, she saw herself back in the medical room.

  She couldn’t move.

  She wasn’t tied down, yet her body refused to obey.

  “Ahh… who’s here?” Nicolas muttered, entering the room. Then he froze.

  “Aki? What are you doing wearing this?”

  His voice was oddly calm—too calm, considering he had just found the person he’d been searching for all this time.

  Without further explanation, she was told to stay in a room.

  Aki obeyed, still confused, still trembling—still unsure what any of this truly meant.