Three months had passed since Abigail returned to her world.
Earth had healed faster than Danny expected.
The shattered skies were gone. The strange distortions had disappeared. People returned to their normal lives as if reality itself had quietly erased the memory of chaos. Morning trains still arrived late. Teachers still overloaded students with assignments. Crowded streets still buzzed with noise and routine.
Everything continued forward.
That was the cruelest part.
Danny sat beside the classroom window with his chin resting against his hand, staring absentmindedly at the pale afternoon sky. The spring sunlight spilled across the desks, warm and ordinary, but the seat beside him remained painfully empty.
Abby's seat.
Even after three months, his eyes still drifted toward it instinctively.
"Man, you look tragic."
Ren dropped into the chair in front of him and spun a pen between his fingers. "Like one of those depressed male leads from romance anime."
Danny barely reacted. "You say that like you watch those."
"I absolutely do," Ren replied proudly. "Peak fiction."
Danny sighed and looked away again.
The classroom noise faded into the background. Laughter echoed from the back of the room. Someone argued about test scores. A group near the door discussed weekend plans.
Normal conversations.
Normal people.
A normal world.
Yet somehow Danny felt more disconnected from it than ever before.
Ren studied him for a moment before his expression softened slightly. "You still thinking about her?"
Danny let out a quiet breath. "There hasn't really been a moment where I wasn't."
For once, Ren didn't joke.
He leaned back in his chair and glanced toward the empty seat beside Danny. "Long-distance relationships across dimensions sound rough."
Danny laughed weakly despite himself. "Pretty sure we're beyond long-distance."
The bell rang before Ren could respond. Their teacher entered the classroom carrying a stack of papers, immediately draining the remaining life from the students.
As class began, Danny tried to focus.
Tried being the important word.
Every now and then, he still remembered Abby's voice clearly enough to feel like she was nearby. The sarcastic comments. The annoyed looks she gave him whenever he acted reckless. The way she always crossed her arms when pretending not to care.
And somehow those memories only became sharper with time.
His fingers tightened slightly beneath the desk.
Far away, beneath another sky, Abigail Shunku stood before a throne forged from crimson crystal.
The Crimson Palace towered over an endless silver landscape illuminated by scarlet moons. Massive banners drifted in the cold wind while armored guards lined the palace halls in complete silence.
This world no longer saw Abby as a girl.
It saw her as a future queen.
She walked through the throne chamber wearing dark crimson royal attire lined with silver markings that glowed faintly with energy. Her long hair flowed behind her as servants and knights bowed their heads the moment she passed.
"Your Highness."
The title still felt unnatural.
Heavy.
Like chains hidden beneath beautiful fabric.
At the end of the chamber stood Queen Seraphine.
Elegant. Composed. Untouchable.
Abby slowed slightly when their eyes met.
"You returned," the Queen said calmly.
"I didn't really have a choice."
Seraphine's gaze lingered on her daughter for a moment longer than usual. "And yet your heart remains elsewhere."
Abby's expression faltered almost invisibly.
Unfortunately, that was enough for her mother to understand.
The Queen turned toward the massive windows overlooking the kingdom below. "This world nearly collapsed during your absence."
"I know."
"You are the Crimson Heir, Abigail. This realm responds to your existence itself."
Abby looked down at her hands silently. Crimson energy flickered faintly around her fingertips before fading away.
Three months here felt different from Earth. Colder. Heavier.
Lonelier.
Seraphine spoke again, quieter this time. "You formed a bond with someone from another reality."
Abby's chest tightened immediately.
Danny's face appeared in her mind before she could stop it.
"…Yeah."
The Queen closed her eyes briefly. "Then your suffering has only begun."
Abby frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Seraphine looked directly at her.
"Rulers do not belong to themselves."
The words struck harder than Abby expected.
Because deep down—
She already understood them.
Night fell over Earth.
The city lights stretched endlessly beneath Danny as he stood alone on the rooftop of his apartment building. Wind moved softly through his dark hair while traffic hummed far below.
The stars above looked ordinary.
But Danny knew better now.
There were countless worlds beyond those stars. Countless realities layered across existence itself.
And somewhere beyond all of them—
Abby was staring at another sky.
"You know," Ren said while stepping onto the rooftop carrying two canned drinks, "most people cope with heartbreak by listening to music."
Danny accepted the drink with a tired sigh. "I'm not heartbroken."
Ren stared at him blankly. "Danny, you literally came up here to stare at the moon dramatically."
"…Okay, maybe a little."
Ren laughed and leaned beside him against the railing. Silence settled between them for a while before he spoke again.
"You're planning to see her again eventually, aren't you?"
Danny didn't answer immediately.
Because the truth was obvious.
"…Yeah."
His voice came out quieter than expected.
Ren nodded slowly, though concern flickered briefly across his face. "That's what I thought."
Danny looked toward the stars again.
Not hopeless.
Not broken.
Determined.
Because despite the distance between worlds—
Some connections refused to disappear.
Far away in the Crimson Kingdom, Abby stood alone on a massive balcony overlooking her sleeping empire. Cold wind swept through the palace heights as silver lights shimmered beneath the crimson night sky.
She closed her eyes slowly.
And for the first time in months—
A small, genuine smile appeared on her face.
"…Idiot."
But the softness in her voice carried no irritation at all.
Only longing.
Only affection.
And somewhere deep inside her heart—
The connection between their worlds still quietly remained.