"Am I… dead?"
"Not yet."
A soft voice drifted through the endless desert.
It felt like a cool breeze passing over burning sand.
"Not yet, Liuke. You're still far too young."
"And… you still need me."
Suddenly, air rushed back into Liuke's lungs.
He gasped, his chest heaving violently.
It felt as if he had just been pulled from drowning waters.
His vision cleared slowly… and then he saw her.
A girl stood before him.
Her entire figure was wrapped in a gentle blue glow.
It wasn't the harsh, blinding blaze of sunlight like his solar power.
This light was calm… cool… almost soothing.
She stretched out her hand toward him.
"You need a real connection, Liuke," she said softly.
"You don't want to burn to death in this heat. I know that."
Her glowing eyes met his.
"Come with me."
Confused and desperate, Liuke lifted his trembling hand toward her.
But the moment his fingers nearly touched hers—the entire world twisted.
The desert warped. The sky fractured like broken glass.
And suddenly—Liuke jolted awake.
He sat up in his bed, breathing heavily.
Sweat beads rolled down his neck.
"Man… this is bad," he muttered, rubbing his forehead.
"Looks like my mental condition is getting worse, too."
He stared blankly at the ceiling for a long time.
"Who was that girl…?"
"Why was her body glowing blue like that?"
The memory of her calm voice lingered in his mind.
"Maybe I should actually take that old man's advice seriously," he thought.
"Maybe I should try talking to someone. Otherwise, I might really lose my sanity."
He glanced toward the window.
Bright sunlight was already streaming inside.
"Huh? It's already morning? That fast?"
"It feels like I just fell asleep."
With a tired groan, Liuke got out of bed.
He stretched his stiff arms and yawned loudly.
After brushing his teeth and taking a quick shower, he dressed himself.
Then, he froze.
"…Wait."
"I don't even have a job anymore."
He scratched the back of his head.
He felt the sudden, heavy weight of his new reality.
"So where exactly am I supposed to go now?"
After a moment of thought, he sighed.
"Guess I'll just head outside… and see what happens."
A few minutes later, Liuke stepped out of the hotel.
The city was already alive with movement.
People walked past him with purpose.
Merchants shouted from their stalls.
Sunlight reflected off the tall buildings of the Sunforge District.
Liuke walked slowly along the road.
He casually whistled a soft tune to calm his nerves.
Then he saw her.
A girl was walking toward him from the opposite side of the street.
She looked to be about his age.
Liuke swallowed nervously.
His heart began to pound against his ribs.
Alright… just talk normally.
He stepped closer.
"Hey… um… the sun's really bright today, right?"
The girl blinked, looking confused.
"Excuse me, mister… who are you?"
"Do you need something from me?"
Liuke immediately panicked inside.
"Actually… uh… I just wanted to ask the time."
"Could you check your watch?"
The girl looked down at her wrist.
"It's 9:37."
She gave a polite nod.
"Alright then. Goodbye. I have to get to my cooking class."
And just like that… she walked away.
Liuke stood frozen.
"…Ugh."
He groaned quietly.
"My communication skills are terrible."
Nearby sat a small wooden bench.
Liuke slowly walked over and dropped onto it, defeated.
"What am I supposed to do to keep a conversation going…?" he muttered.
The minutes stretched into an hour.
People came and went.
The sun climbed higher in the sky.
And Liuke… simply sat there.
Two hours passed.
Finally, he stood up.
"Wow… that was a lot of time wasted."
"I should probably move."
Eventually, Liuke wandered toward the Rururu Bridge.
It was a long stone structure stretching over a wide, rushing river.
He leaned against the railing, watching the water ripple below.
"If only these waves could teach me how to talk to people properly," he murmured.
He chuckled weakly at his own desperation.
"Listen to me… talking to water. I'm definitely going crazy."
Then his eyes caught something.
Two small fish darted through the water below.
They were chasing each other through the current.
"Haha… look at that. They're racing."
For a moment, he imagined a different life.
"If things were normal… I'd probably be fighting ice monsters right now."
His smile faded instantly.
"…Mom."
His voice barely came out as a whisper.
Tears welled in his eyes.
He quickly wiped them away before anyone could notice.
A cold wind passed across the bridge.
In the distance, a group of girls walked together, laughing happily.
Liuke watched them for a moment.
Then he quietly turned away and continued walking.
Eventually, he crossed the bridge.
Near the corner of the street, he spotted a small sushi shop.
"Hmm… that works."
He entered and sat down at the counter.
"Hello, Mr. Sushi Man," Liuke said.
"Could I get a salmon sushi?"
"Of course. Please sit. I'll bring it right away."
The sushi arrived. Liuke ate it.
Then he ordered another. And another. And another.
By the sixth plate, the sushi chef raised an eyebrow.
"Looks like you haven't eaten anything since morning."
"You're right," Liuke admitted.
"I've just been wandering around all day."
He checked his phone and his eyes widened.
"…Wait. It's already 5:30 PM?"
"Mr. Sushi Man," he said.
"One last salmon sushi, please. Then I'll head out."
But just then—a shadow appeared beside him.
Someone sat down on the stool next to his.
Liuke glanced sideways. It was a girl.
His heart immediately began racing again.
"Two tuna sushi, please," the girl told the chef.
Soon, both of them received their plates.
The girl looked toward Liuke.
"You've been sitting here for quite a while, haven't you?"
Liuke chuckled awkwardly.
"Yeah… that's true. I've been eating sushi here for a long time."
"This one's my last."
"What?!"
She looked slightly disappointed.
"Then you'll leave right after finishing it?"
She smiled sheepishly.
"Would you mind staying until I finish mine?"
"I don't really like eating without talking."
Liuke forced a small smile.
His fingers trembled slightly.
"…Sure. If you insist, I'll stay a little longer."
They both began eating.
After a moment, Liuke gathered his courage.
"So… what's your name, Miss?"
"My name is Elysia," she replied.
"I live nearby, at House 12 on Sunflare Street."
Liuke blinked.
"You probably shouldn't share personal information with a stranger like that."
Elysia laughed awkwardly.
"Oh… you're right. My mouth moves faster than my brain."
"Well, I'm Liuke," he said.
"I'm staying at a hotel near the Sunforge District."
She tilted her head.
"You just said I shouldn't share personal information…"
"But you did the same."
Liuke laughed.
"I said it so you wouldn't think I'm suspicious. Now we're even."
Elysia giggled.
"I'm exhausted today," she said.
"I spent hours praying at the temple."
Liuke raised an eyebrow.
"Wait… you're a priestess of the Sun God Solaryn?"
"Yep."
"That's amazing."
She then asked, "What about you? Did you come here after work?"
Liuke hesitated.
"…No. I'm retired."
"Retired?" she repeated in surprise.
"I used to be a solar soldier," he said quietly.
"But I've been dismissed."
"Why?"
"…Because I'm useless to my commander now."
He looked down at his sushi.
His voice grew heavy.
"I'll probably die soon anyway."
Elysia froze.
"W-what do you mean die? Are you sick or something?"
"I'm in a Burnout State."
He slowly explained everything to her.
When he finished, Elysia looked genuinely worried.
"The Solar Force can be so heartless," she said.
"But how did you burn out so early?"
"Most solar soldiers reach that state at sixty or sixty-five."
She studied his face carefully.
"You're not that old at all."
Liuke sighed. "I wish I knew the answer."
A moment later, Elysia peeked into her bowl.
"…Oh. It's empty."
She laughed awkwardly.
"Looks like I finished without noticing."
Liuke stood up.
"Well then, Ms. Elysia. I should get going."
But before he could leave—
"Mr. Liuke," she said gently.
"Thank you. I really enjoyed talking with you."
Liuke smiled.
"No problem. I was just sitting here anyway."
He waved slightly.
"Time for me to head home. Thanks again."
Liuke left the shop and began walking back.
The cold evening air brushed against his face.
He didn't mind it as much this time.
I didn't expect today to turn out this nice, he thought.
A girl talked to me for that long… and we even shared sushi.
He shivered slightly.
"Man… it's getting cold."