The "Forgotten Forest" behind Eiji's house was no longer just a cluster of ancient trees; through Akira's dark pulses, it had transformed into a "Mindscape" that embodied the victim's psyche. Fog crawled between the trunks like the cold breath of a dead entity. With every step Eiji took, he felt his childhood memories materialize before his eyes, only to fade away like a mirage.
**Yukari (through the comms, her voice trembling):** "Eiji… Be careful! You are now inside your mother's consciousness. Akira didn't just kidnap her; he bound her soul to the **Void Gate**. The forest acts as a closed time loop; any ripple in your emotional stability will reset you to square one. Don't fight the forest… understand its rhythm."
**Eiji (clenching his fist, his Eternal Mark flickering erratically):** "My mother is here somewhere… I can feel her pulse drowning in this darkness."
Suddenly, from behind a massive tree, a figure emerged. It wore Eiji's clothes and bore his exact features, but its eyes were as empty as a pit of tar. It was the **Abomination**—the dark reflection of Eiji's own doubts.
**The Abomination (voice dripping with venom):** "Why did you come? Wasn't it enough that you shattered her peace? Your very existence, Eiji, turned Miyoko from a happy mother into a fugitive of death. You are no guardian… you are the curse that invited disaster upon your family."
A searing rage boiled within Eiji. He lunged at the creature, hardening his sand into the **Solid State (Rock)** to deliver a crushing blow. But the sand blade passed through the Abomination like smoke. In an instant, Eiji found himself standing at the forest entrance once more. The time loop had reset him because he allowed anger to break his rhythm.
**Yukari:** "Eiji, stop! The monster feeds on your anger. Apply the Three States technique to your *emotions*. Don't be the rock that collides; be the dust that ignores!"
Eiji took a deep breath. When the Abomination reappeared, he didn't strike. He shifted his emotions into the **Dust State (Paper)**, letting the venomous words pass through his soul without taking root. Instead of attacking, he used the **Liquid State (Scissors)** to slip between the trees of memory, flowing toward the "Tree of Consciousness" at the center. There, Miyoko was trapped within a black cocoon. He began emitting soft sand pulses, carefully absorbing the Void's toxins and slowly repairing his mother's rhythm.
---
While Eiji fought his spiritual battle, the Celestial Etherion Palace witnessed the beginning of the end. In the Great Throne Hall, under golden domes that were losing their luster, a storm broke between Ruler Sekai and Ruler Hoshimi.
**Hoshimi (voice full of plea):** "Sekai, please… Why this rejection? Eiji is the boy the System foretold. His Eternal Mark is not a curse; it's the bridge to our safety. I feel a deep peace regarding him. Why do you insist on casting him out?"
**Sekai (slamming his throne in fury):** "Peace?! You are delusional, Hoshimi! That mark is the same one Taiso bore, and remember what he did to us… he nearly erased the temporal universe with his arrogance! I will not allow a human boy who knows nothing of responsibility to repeat that tragedy. My decision is final: the boy is a danger, and he shall never set foot in this palace!"
**Hoshimi (breaking into tears):** "Your faith in time is broken, Sekai. You fear the past more than you fear for our future! Why won't you trust my vision for once?"
**Sekai (shouting sharply):** "Because your vision is emotional and weak! I am the Ruler, and I decide who is friend and who is foe!"
Sekai stormed out of the hall, leaving a silence that shook the walls. Hoshimi stood alone, her body trembling with grief and humiliation. In that moment of absolute brokenness, where sorrow met the thirst for revenge, a distorted shadow appeared behind the marble pillars.
It was **Akira, the High Commander of Echoes**, taking a translucent form that danced like black smoke. He approached the weeping Hoshimi, whispering the venom of the "Void Rhythm" into her ear.
**Akira (distorted whisper):** "Look at him… he rules you with fear and rejects your vision because it defies his pride. Why must you always be the submissive one? This broken rhythm is the cause of your pain. Do you want everyone to respect you? Do you want the power to achieve the 'Hope' you see, without anyone daring to say 'No' to your face?"
**Hoshimi (lifting her head, her eyes clouded with a black film):** "Who are you?"
**Akira:** "I am the truth Sekai refuses to see. Surrender to the Void Rhythm, and I will make you the 'Mirror' that reflects their fear and shatters their pride. Choose a new name that reflects your coming power."
Hoshimi screamed as a dense black aura swallowed her white robes, turning them into a gown of pure darkness. "**I shall be… Meira!** No one will reject my path ever again!"
---
Moments later, Ruler Sekai returned to the hall, feeling a sting of guilt. He wanted to apologize for his outburst, but he froze. It wasn't Hoshimi standing there. It was a dark entity overflowing with terrifying energy.
**Sekai (shocked):** "Hoshimi? What is this appearance? What is this demonic energy surrounding you?"
**Meira (turning with a cold, terrifying smile):** "Hoshimi died with the rejection you threw in my face, Sekai. I am now **Meira**… and I will teach you the meaning of absolute obedience."
**Sekai (trying to gather his strength):** "No! I will not let the Void control my palace!"
Sekai raised his hand to release the Etherion Light, but Meira was faster. She raised a slender hand, creating a small, dense black orb pulsing with the Void Rhythm. The orb wasn't meant to kill; it was a "key" to enslave consciousness.
**Meira:** "The whispers of the Void are irresistible, my dear. Surrender to my new rhythm."
She launched the orb, piercing Sekai's shield, which had weakened from emotional shock. Upon touching his heart, black veins spread under his skin, and the light in his eyes died, replaced by an obedient void.
**Meira (leaning in, whispering coldly):** "Tell me, Sekai… will you tell anyone about the Dimensional Guardian?"
**Sekai (monotone, soulless voice):** "No… I will warn no one… I will do as you command…"
**Meira:** "Good. Now, go to the depths of the catacombs. Hide in the darkness and show yourself to no one. Do not speak of me, or Eiji. You are now just a pawn in my grand game."
The Great Ruler withdrew with broken steps, leaving the throne to Meira, who looked toward the distant horizon—where Eiji was still trying to save his mother—with a cold smile of victory.