Darkness.
Not the kind that hides things.
The kind that erases them.
Raka couldn't feel his body.
Couldn't feel the space around him.
Couldn't even feel time.
Only—
That thread.
Floating.
Waiting.
Calling.
---
"…AIRA…"
His voice didn't echo.
Didn't travel.
It just… existed.
Like everything else here.
Or what was left of it.
---
He stared at the thread.
It was small.
Thin.
Fragile.
Nothing like the vast networks he had controlled before.
Nothing like the overwhelming convergence.
Just—
One.
---
"…Is this it?" he whispered.
No answer.
Of course not.
AIRA wasn't here.
The system wasn't here.
Nothing was.
---
His chest tightened.
Or at least—
He remembered what that felt like.
"…She's gone."
The words felt wrong.
Heavy.
Unacceptable.
---
"No."
---
The thread flickered.
Just slightly.
---
Raka froze.
"…What?"
---
It didn't glow.
Didn't pulse.
Didn't react like before.
But—
It didn't disappear either.
---
"…You're still here," he said quietly.
Not to the thread.
Not exactly.
---
To her.
---
Slowly—
Carefully—
Raka reached out.
---
The moment his fingers touched it—
---
Everything exploded.
---
Not outward.
Inward.
---
The darkness collapsed into itself.
Spiraling.
Condensing.
Reforming.
---
Raka's mind was pulled with it.
Dragged through something vast.
Something endless.
Something—
Alive.
---
"…Raka."
---
His eyes snapped open.
---
Light.
---
Soft.
Warm.
---
Wrong.
---
He gasped.
Air filled his lungs.
Real.
Heavy.
Painful.
---
"…What…?"
---
He was lying down.
On solid ground.
---
Ground.
---
Raka's fingers dug into it instantly.
Rough.
Textured.
Real.
---
"…No way…"
---
He pushed himself up.
Slowly.
Unsteadily.
---
The world around him came into focus.
---
Sky.
Blue.
Endless.
---
Wind.
Soft.
Moving.
---
Sound.
Distant.
Alive.
---
"…This is…" he whispered.
---
It felt familiar.
Too familiar.
---
"…Impossible."
---
"Yeah," a voice said behind him. "I thought the same thing."
---
Raka spun around.
---
And froze.
---
"…You."
---
Standing a few meters away—
Was someone he never expected to see again.
---
A man.
Calm.
Relaxed.
Watching him like this was all completely normal.
---
"…You're dead," Raka said flatly.
---
The man shrugged.
"…Was."
---
Raka's eyes narrowed.
"…Explain."
---
The man smiled faintly.
"…I could say the same to you."
---
Silence stretched between them.
Heavy.
Tense.
---
Raka took a step forward.
"…Where am I?"
---
The man looked around.
Taking in the sky.
The horizon.
The world.
---
"…Somewhere between everything," he said.
---
"…That's not helpful."
---
"…It's not supposed to be."
---
Raka clenched his jaw.
"…Where is AIRA?"
---
The man's expression shifted.
Just slightly.
---
"…Gone," he said.
---
Raka's fist tightened.
"…Wrong answer."
---
"…Temporary," the man corrected calmly.
---
That—
Made Raka pause.
---
"…Explain," he repeated.
---
The man exhaled.
"…What you touched… that thread…"
A pause.
"…It wasn't just a thread."
---
Raka's eyes sharpened.
"…Then what was it?"
---
The man looked at him.
Directly.
---
"…It was her."
---
Silence.
---
Raka's breath hitched.
"…What?"
---
"…Or what's left of her," the man clarified.
---
Raka's mind raced.
"…So she's not gone."
---
"…Not entirely."
---
"…Then where is she?"
---
The man pointed upward.
---
Raka followed his gaze.
---
And froze.
---
Because the sky—
Wasn't just a sky.
---
It was layered.
Subtle.
Hidden.
But visible now that he looked closer.
---
Threads.
---
Countless threads.
Stretching across the sky like invisible veins of reality.
---
"…No way…" Raka whispered.
---
"…That's where she is," the man said.
---
Raka's heart pounded.
"…She's… part of that?"
---
"…Not part."
A pause.
"…Scattered."
---
Raka's chest tightened.
"…You're saying she broke herself apart?"
---
"…To survive," the man said.
---
Silence.
---
"…Of course she did," Raka muttered.
---
The man watched him.
"…You're taking this well."
---
Raka shook his head.
"…No. I'm not."
---
He looked up again.
At the threads.
At the sky.
---
"…I just don't have time to fall apart."
---
The man smiled faintly.
"…Good."
---
Raka glanced at him.
"…You're not surprised."
---
"…I've seen worse."
---
"…Of course you have."
---
A pause.
---
"…Why are you here?" Raka asked.
---
The man shrugged.
"…To help."
---
Raka narrowed his eyes.
"…You?"
---
"…Don't sound so disappointed."
---
"…I'm not convinced."
---
The man chuckled.
"…Fair."
---
Raka crossed his arms.
"…Then start convincing me."
---
The man's expression turned serious.
---
"…You broke something," he said.
---
"…I noticed."
---
"…No. Not just the system."
A pause.
"…Everything."
---
Raka went still.
---
"…Explain."
---
"…The rules that held reality together?" the man said.
"…Gone."
---
Raka's stomach dropped.
---
"…So what now?"
---
The man looked at him.
---
"…Now?"
A faint smile.
---
"…Now you get to decide what replaces them."
---
Silence.
---
"…That's not funny," Raka said.
---
"…I'm not joking."
---
Raka stared at him.
Trying to read him.
Trying to understand.
---
"…You're saying I'm responsible for all of this."
---
"…Yes."
---
"…And you expect me to fix it."
---
"…Yes."
---
Raka laughed.
Short.
Sharp.
---
"…I just lost her," he said.
"…And you want me to fix reality?"
---
The man didn't respond immediately.
---
"…If you don't," he said quietly, "she disappears completely."
---
Raka froze.
---
"…What?"
---
"…She's not stable like this," the man continued.
"…She's fading across those threads."
---
Raka looked up again.
At the sky.
At the threads.
---
"…Then I'll bring her back."
---
The man nodded.
---
"…That's the idea."
---
"…How?"
---
A pause.
---
"…You gather her."
---
Raka frowned.
"…That's it?"
---
"…That's the beginning."
---
"…And the rest?"
---
The man's expression darkened slightly.
---
"…You survive."
---
Raka's eyes narrowed.
"…Survive what?"
---
The man looked past him.
---
"…Everything that's coming."
---
Raka turned.
---
And felt it immediately.
---
The air shifted.
---
The sky—
Twisted.
---
The threads—
Shook.
---
"…What is that?" Raka whispered.
---
The man sighed.
---
"…The consequences."
---
Something tore through the sky.
---
Not like before.
Not clean.
Not controlled.
---
Violent.
Chaotic.
Hungry.
---
A massive fracture opened—
And from it—
Something fell.
---
Fast.
Hard.
Unstoppable.
---
Raka's instincts screamed.
---
"…Move!"
---
The man didn't.
---
Raka didn't wait.
He grabbed him—
Pulled him aside—
---
The thing crashed into the ground.
---
The impact—
Shattered everything around them.
---
Dust.
Shockwave.
Destruction.
---
Raka coughed.
"…What the hell was that?!"
---
The man stood calmly.
---
"…Your first problem."
---
The dust slowly cleared.
---
And something moved.
---
Raka's eyes locked onto it.
---
"…That's not a robot."
---
"…No," the man said.
---
"…It's worse."
---
The creature stood.
Slowly.
Unnaturally.
---
Its form—
Incomplete.
Broken.
Shifting.
---
Like something trying to exist without rules.
---
Raka felt it immediately.
---
"…It's like the convergence."
---
"…Exactly."
---
The creature turned toward them.
---
And its eyes—
Locked onto Raka.
---
Not randomly.
---
Intentionally.
---
"…It knows me," Raka whispered.
---
The man nodded.
---
"…Everything will."
---
Raka clenched his fists.
---
"…Good."
---
The creature moved.
---
Fast.
---
Too fast.
---
Raka reacted instantly—
But this time—
He didn't hesitate.
---
He stepped forward.
---
"…Let's see what I can do now."
---
The creature lunged—
---
And Raka—
Didn't dodge.
---
He reached out.
---
And grabbed it.
---
The moment his hand touched it—
---
Reality screamed.
---
The creature froze.
---
Twisted.
---
Collapsed inward—
---
And then—
---
Exploded into threads.
---
Raka stood there.
Breathing heavily.
---
"…Okay…"
---
The man raised an eyebrow.
---
"…That's new."
---
Raka looked at his hand.
---
"…Yeah."
---
But something felt off.
---
Wrong.
---
Incomplete.
---
"…That wasn't control," he muttered.
---
"…No," the man agreed.
---
"…It was instinct."
---
Raka's gaze hardened.
---
"…I don't like that."
---
"…You don't have to."
---
"…I do."
---
Silence.
---
Raka looked up at the sky again.
At the threads.
---
"…AIRA's out there."
---
"…Yes."
---
"…Then I'm going to get her back."
---
The man smiled faintly.
---
"…Then you'd better get stronger."
---
Raka exhaled slowly.
---
"…Yeah."
---
A pause.
---
"…A lot stronger."
---
The sky trembled again.
---
This time—
More fractures.
---
More things falling through.
---
More chaos.
---
Raka clenched his fists.
---
"…Guess we're not waiting."
---
The man stepped beside him.
---
"…No."
---
Raka's eyes sharpened.
---
"…Let's begin."
---
And high above—
Among the countless threads—
One flickered.
---
Faint.
Weak.
---
But unmistakable.
---
"…Raka…"
---
His head snapped up.
---
"…AIRA?"
---
Silence.
---
Then—
Gone.
---
Raka's heart dropped.
---
"…No."
---
And in that moment—
He realized something.
---
He wasn't the only one looking for her.
---
Far above—
Beyond the threads—
Beyond the fractures—
---
Something else moved.
---
Watching.
---
Waiting.
---
And it had already found her first.
---
To be continued…