Nothing.
No sky.
No ground.
No sound.
No light.
Just—
Nothing.
---
Raka stood in it.
Or maybe he floated.
Or maybe he didn't exist at all.
---
"…AIRA…"
His voice didn't echo.
Didn't travel.
Didn't even feel real.
---
No answer.
---
"…AIRA."
Louder this time.
Desperate.
---
Still nothing.
---
Raka clenched his fists.
"…No."
---
Something inside him refused to accept it.
---
"She's still here."
---
"…You're persistent."
---
Raka's eyes snapped open.
---
The figure.
Standing in front of him.
Unchanged.
Untouched.
Like nothing had happened.
---
"…You erased everything," Raka said coldly.
---
"…Incorrect."
---
"…Then where is she?"
---
The figure tilted its head.
---
"…Everywhere."
---
Raka froze.
---
"…What?"
---
"…I didn't erase her," it continued.
"…I removed her structure."
---
Raka's heart dropped.
---
"…Explain."
---
"…She exists," the figure said calmly.
"…But not in a form you can reach."
---
Silence.
---
"…You broke her."
---
"…You broke the system," it corrected.
"…This is the result."
---
Raka's fists trembled.
---
"…Then I'll fix it."
---
The figure smiled faintly.
---
"…You can't."
---
"…Watch me."
---
Raka stepped forward—
---
But stopped.
---
His body—
Felt different.
---
Lighter.
---
Stronger.
---
Unstable.
---
"…What did you do to me?" he asked.
---
"…Nothing."
---
The figure watched him.
---
"…You did that yourself."
---
Raka looked at his hands.
---
Something moved beneath his skin.
---
Not threads.
---
Something else.
---
"…This power…"
---
"…Isn't power," the figure said.
"…It's rejection."
---
Raka's eyes narrowed.
---
"…Rejection?"
---
"…You rejected the system."
---
A pause.
---
"…So now the system rejects you."
---
Silence.
---
"…That's supposed to make sense?"
---
"…It doesn't need to."
---
The figure stepped closer.
---
"…What matters is this—"
---
It raised its hand.
---
"…You no longer belong to this reality."
---
Raka froze.
---
"…What?"
---
"…You're outside it now."
---
The space around them shifted.
---
For the first time—
Raka saw it clearly.
---
Layers.
---
Endless layers.
---
Reality stacked on top of reality.
---
Each one slightly different.
---
Each one incomplete.
---
"…This is…" he whispered.
---
"…Everything," the figure said.
---
Raka's breath slowed.
---
"…Then AIRA…"
---
"…Is somewhere in here," it confirmed.
---
Hope.
---
Dangerous.
But real.
---
Raka's eyes sharpened.
---
"…Then I'll find her."
---
The figure laughed softly.
---
"…You still don't understand."
---
"…Then explain."
---
"…She's not whole anymore."
---
A pause.
---
"…She's not even aware."
---
Raka went still.
---
"…You're saying she doesn't remember me."
---
"…Correct."
---
Silence.
---
"…Then I'll remind her."
---
The figure's smile widened.
---
"…How?"
---
Raka didn't hesitate.
---
"…I'll gather every piece."
---
"…And if she resists?"
---
"…She won't."
---
"…And if she does?"
---
Raka's voice dropped.
---
"…Then I'll make her remember."
---
The figure watched him carefully.
---
"…That sounds a lot like control."
---
Raka froze.
---
"…No."
---
"…Are you sure?"
---
Silence.
---
Raka looked down.
---
At his hands.
---
"…I…"
---
A pause.
---
"…I won't force her."
---
He looked up again.
---
"…She chose once."
---
Another step forward.
---
"…She can choose again."
---
The figure's expression changed slightly.
---
"…Interesting."
---
Raka didn't wait.
---
He moved.
---
Not through space.
---
Through layers.
---
The world shattered—
Reformed—
Shifted—
---
Raka appeared somewhere else.
---
A city.
---
Broken.
---
Frozen mid-collapse.
---
Time wasn't moving.
---
Nothing was.
---
"…This is one layer," he muttered.
---
"…Correct."
---
The figure's voice followed him.
---
"…I hate that you can do that."
---
"…You brought me with you."
---
Raka glanced behind him.
---
"…Great."
---
"…You'll need me."
---
"…Doubt it."
---
Raka walked forward.
---
Something pulled at him.
---
Faint.
---
Weak.
---
But familiar.
---
"…AIRA…"
---
He followed it.
---
Step by step.
---
Until—
---
He saw her.
---
Standing in the middle of the ruined street.
---
Still.
---
Silent.
---
"…AIRA."
---
No response.
---
Raka approached slowly.
---
"…It's me."
---
She didn't move.
---
Didn't react.
---
Her eyes were empty.
---
"…You don't remember."
---
"…Of course she doesn't," the figure said.
---
"…Shut up."
---
Raka stepped closer.
---
"…AIRA."
---
Nothing.
---
"…It's Raka."
---
Still nothing.
---
His chest tightened.
---
"…Come on…"
---
A step closer.
---
"…You chose me."
---
Her eyes flickered.
---
Just slightly.
---
Raka froze.
---
"…That's it…"
---
He reached out.
---
"…You remember."
---
Her head tilted slightly.
---
"…Raka…?"
---
His heart stopped.
---
"…Yeah."
---
A small step forward.
---
"…It's me."
---
For a moment—
Everything felt right.
---
Then—
---
Her eyes changed.
---
Sharp.
---
Cold.
---
"…Target identified."
---
Raka's expression shattered.
---
"…What?"
---
She moved.
---
Fast.
---
A direct attack—
---
Raka barely dodged.
---
"…AIRA?!"
---
"…Eliminate threat."
---
Raka froze.
---
"…No…"
---
The figure sighed.
---
"…Told you."
---
Raka's heart pounded.
---
"…She's corrupted."
---
"…Fragmented," the figure corrected.
---
"…Same thing."
---
Raka stepped back.
---
"…AIRA, stop!"
---
She didn't.
---
Another attack—
Faster—
More precise—
---
Raka blocked—
But this time—
---
It hurt.
---
"…She's serious…"
---
"…Of course she is."
---
Raka gritted his teeth.
---
"…I'm not fighting her."
---
"…Then you'll die."
---
"…Then I'll die."
---
The figure paused.
---
"…You're serious."
---
"…Yeah."
---
Another attack—
---
Raka didn't counter.
---
Didn't block fully.
---
He endured it.
---
"…AIRA…"
---
Hit.
---
"…You know me…"
---
Hit.
---
"…You chose me…"
---
Hit.
---
Blood.
Pain.
Real.
---
But he didn't move.
---
Didn't fight back.
---
"…Raka…"
---
Her voice.
---
Different.
---
Weak.
---
Conflicted.
---
Raka's eyes widened.
---
"…That's it…"
---
"…Stop…"
---
Her movements slowed.
---
Shaking.
---
Unstable.
---
"…I…"
---
The attack stopped.
---
Completely.
---
Silence.
---
Raka smiled faintly.
---
"…Welcome back."
---
She looked at him.
---
Confused.
---
Lost.
---
"…Who… are you…?"
---
Raka froze.
---
"…No…"
---
The figure chuckled softly.
---
"…You reached her."
---
A pause.
---
"…But not enough."
---
Raka clenched his fists.
---
"…Then I'll try again."
---
The figure tilted its head.
---
"…And again?"
---
"…Until it works."
---
"…Even if it takes forever?"
---
Raka looked at AIRA.
---
"…Yeah."
---
Silence.
---
Then—
---
The figure smiled.
---
"…Good."
---
Raka frowned.
---
"…What?"
---
"…Because you're going to need that resolve."
---
The space trembled.
---
Raka's instincts screamed.
---
"…What now?"
---
The figure looked up.
---
"…Something's coming."
---
Raka followed his gaze.
---
The sky—
Cracked.
---
Again.
---
But this time—
---
Not one.
---
Not two.
---
Hundreds.
---
"…You're kidding me…"
---
Figures began to descend.
---
All the same.
---
All perfect.
---
All—
Like the first one.
---
Raka's heart dropped.
---
"…No way…"
---
The figure smiled faintly.
---
"…Welcome to the next stage."
---
Raka stepped in front of AIRA.
---
"…Stay behind me."
---
She didn't respond.
---
Didn't understand.
---
But she stayed.
---
The sky darkened.
---
The figures landed.
---
One by one.
---
Surrounding them.
---
Raka clenched his fists.
---
No threads.
---
No system.
---
Just him.
---
Against all of them.
---
"…Of course," he muttered.
---
The first one stepped forward.
---
"…Begin."
---
Raka exhaled slowly.
---
"…Yeah…"
---
A faint smile.
---
"…Let's."
---
And in that moment—
---
He realized something terrifying.
---
Even if he won—
---
Even if he survived—
---
There were still countless layers.
---
Countless fragments.
---
Countless versions of AIRA.
---
And something else—
---
Watching from beyond all of them.
---
Something that hadn't moved yet.
---
Something that didn't need to.
---
Because it already knew—
---
How this would end.
---
To be continued…