Silence felt different here.
It wasn't heavy like the world she stood in.
It was… empty.
The night stretched quietly over the city, untouched, unchanged. Streetlights flickered softly, cars passed in the distance, and life continued as if nothing had ever happened.
As if the sky had never broken.
As if she had never existed.
Danny Yui stood alone on the rooftop.
The same place.
The same height.
The same view.
But nothing felt the same.
The wind brushed past him gently, carrying the distant sounds of the city below but he didn't react. His eyes remained fixed on the sky above, dark and endless, giving him nothing in return.
No crimson light.
No Rift.
No sign.
Just emptiness.
His hand tightened slightly at his side.
"…Yeah," he muttered under his breath, almost as if answering something that wasn't there.
His appearance had changed.
Not drastically—but enough.
His once soft expression had sharpened, his gaze steadier, deeper. There was a quiet strength in the way he stood now, something unshakable beneath the calm surface.
And yet…
There was something missing.
Something only he could feel.
He stepped forward slightly, stopping near the edge of the rooftop.
Memories flickered.
A girl falling from the sky.
A chaotic smile.
A voice that never stayed quiet.
A presence that turned his normal life into something unforgettable.
His chest tightened.
"…You really just left like that, huh…"
No anger.
No blame.
Just truth.
For a moment, he closed his eyes.
And in that darkness—
He could almost hear her again.
Teasing him.
Laughing at him.
Calling him boring.
A faint, almost invisible smile touched his lips.
"…You were never boring," he said quietly.
The wind shifted.
Just slightly.
His eyes opened.
And for a split second—
The sky flickered.
A thin, almost imperceptible crack of crimson light appeared… then vanished.
Danny froze.
His gaze sharpened instantly.
"…So you're still there."
Not a question.
A realization.
Slowly, he lifted his hand, faint traces of energy flickering around his fingers—unstable, incomplete, but real.
The connection hadn't disappeared.
It never did.
His expression hardened—not with anger, but with resolve.
A quiet, unbreakable determination.
"Just wait."
The city lights reflected faintly in his eyes as he stared into the empty sky.
"I'll find you."
The wind passed again.
The sky remained silent.
But somewhere—
Far beyond what he could see—
Something responded.
---
To Be Continued.