[A few moments ago]
"Dang, I shouldn't have left him like that," Kaia whispered, her breath ragged as she ran through the desolate streets. Her steps slowed when she reached an urban area left to decay—half-renovated and wholly abandoned. The silence pressed down on her, heavy and suffocating.
Kaia scanned the skeletal framework of the buildings, her eyes drawn upward. "I saw him… I know I saw him flying above here," she murmured, doubt already creeping into her voice.
A sudden warmth pulsed against her chest. Her fingers fumbled for the two lockets resting against her skin, each adorned with three delicate feathers. The glow emerging from them was faint but insistent, its aura tugging her toward a specific direction—an old, moss-covered building looming ahead.
The sight of it sent an uneasy shiver through her. It looked too much like the Nexus building she had encountered at Syzygy.
Her feet moved without thinking, drawn forward. But something on the ground near it caught her eye—a feather. She bent down, brushing her fingertips over it. It was rougher than the ones attached to her locket, weathered and worn. Yet it was unmistakably similar.
Her throat tightened. She knew who it belonged to.
Kaia closed her hand around the feather, squeezing until it crumbled. The shards slipped through her fingers, scattering at her feet. The image of that figure on the balcony flashed through her mind—those wings, stark and otherworldly. She had seen them. She hadn't imagined it.
"Why does he have wings?" she whispered. "Is he even human? Or… is it a spell?"
Her questions spun endlessly, each more desperate than the last. But there were no answers. Just this endless chase.
She pushed forward, climbing the broken staircase inside the building. But halfway up, her steps faltered. She clutched the railing, her grip so tight her knuckles turned white.
What am I doing?
The cold weight of realization crashed over her. She was doing it again—running off after something unknown while leaving the person who mattered most behind. The memory of her past failures pressed in, suffocating.
Kiaan… I left him, again.
What if something happened to him? What if this time, she was too late?
Her heart pounded against her ribs. She wanted to turn back. She needed to. But a bitter voice inside her whispered the truth.
And what can you even do? He's a Splinter. He's strong. He doesn't need you.
But that didn't stop the fear. It never did.
The air shifted. The sensation prickled along her skin—someone was watching her. The presence felt distant but unmistakable.
She turned, ready to leave—
[You can't go back.]
The voice slipped into her mind like ice, familiar and unwelcome. The blonde woman.
What do you mean? Kaia's thoughts lashed out.
[Just follow my instructions for now.]
The hesitation in the woman's voice only deepened Kaia's mistrust.
Why should I trust you?
[Because there's still time—time to save him. But right now, there's someone else who needs you more. If you stop here, you'll regret it.]
Kaia's heart twisted painfully. So Kiaan is in danger. And this 'other person'… why do they matter to you?
[You'll understand when you gather all the feathers. Then you'll know why saving this person matters—to both of us.]
The woman's words dripped with satisfaction, and Kaia's blood boiled.
I'll believe you for now, Kaia thought, the bitterness clawing at her throat, but if anything happens to him…
Far away, behind a crystal ball, a hooded figure observed her with quiet amusement.
"Both of these sisters noticed me… truly remarkable," he murmured.
[Don't worry,] the woman's voice purred into Kaia's mind. [If anything happened to him, I wouldn't gain—or lose—anything. But I do need you to collect those feathers. And the person currently trapped… well, they're essential to my plans.]
Kaia's fists tightened until her nails dug into her palms. Once again, she was a pawn in someone else's game.
But not for long, she vowed. And when the time came, there would be a reckoning.
Suddenly, another voice rang in her mind — this time, a man's voice. One Kaia didn't recognize.
[Mysterious Guy: Mic testing, mic testing… hello?]
Kaia didn't respond and kept walking up the stairs. Why was there a second voice now?
[Blonde Lady: Huh? Who's that? Who's speaking besides me?]
"So you're still here? I thought you just changed your voice," Kaia muttered as she finally reached a door after what felt like an eternity of climbing.
[Mysterious Guy: Hey, you! Kaia, right? Did I connect to the right brain, or did I mess it up again?]
[Blonde Lady: Again? You've been dialling into the wrong heads this whole time?!]
[Mysterious Guy: Hey! That mocking tone… I know exactly who you are.]
[Blonde Lady: Oh? Then say my name.]
[Mysterious Guy: You're—wait, why's my voice cutting off?! You're—]
[Blonde Lady: Don't even try it. Sounds like you're about to curse me.]
[Mysterious Guy: You—!]
He sounded furious.
"My brain isn't some public communication line!" Kaia snapped, rubbing her temples. "Who even are you?!"
[Mysterious Guy: Me? I am, of course… hehe… Cosmic Hollow!]
"Don't lie. Cosmic Hollow speaks way more maturely than you," Kaia said, her eyes narrowing as she spotted the familiar building ahead — Nexus.
[Mysterious Guy: Stupid girl! You—huh… never mind. Just show some respect to your elders!]
"What do you want, anyway, gramps?" Kaia asked, glancing around. The familiar scent of the night city, was buzzing with its usual life.
[Mysterious Guy: Gramps?! Never in my entire existence has anyone called me Gramps! You… ugh… fine. Just listen — I can see what Cosmic Hollow sees. And I'm telling you now, your friend's gonna die. They're planning to use her as a sacrificial lamb.]
[Blonde Lady: I already told her that, Gramps.]
[Mysterious Guy: You did?! Cunning bitch! And did you just call me Gramps too?! Give me a break — you're older than me, you hag!]
[Blonde Lady: Aw, poor baby. You get offended so easily… (giggles)]
I wish I could just throw my whole mind away, Kaia thought, clutching her head. "So, am I supposed to go in now?"
[Blonde Lady: Not so fast, darling. Go in unprepared, and you'll just die.]
"I won't die — you're the one who said that," Kaia shot back, rolling her eyes.
[Mysterious Guy: And what makes you trust her so much?!]
"I… I don't know. I just… feel like I can't ignore what she says," Kaia muttered under her breath.
[Mysterious Guy: Well, I won't argue with that.]
[Blonde Lady: Remember Mishi's Inn? There's something you need to know before you head into Nexus.]
"Oh? Now you're giving me orders? What if I just ignore you and—y'know—my friend dies?"
[Blonde Lady: I didn't help much last time because you weren't alone. But this time, it's an emergency. Trust me — this will help you. You may be immortal, but you're not invincible yet. You're still far from your full power. You can absolutely die.]
"Guess I don't have much of a choice then," Kaia sighed.
[Mysterious Guy: And I guess I'm just here for the ride. Great.]