Light came back slowly.
Not all at once.
Not gently either.
---
It forced itself into existence.
Like the world was being rebuilt from memory—
but not the right one.
---
Sakura's vision cleared in fragments.
Sky first.
---
Not the sky she knew.
---
Too wide.
Too deep.
A color that didn't feel like it belonged to Earth.
---
"…yeah…" she muttered under her breath.
"…this is definitely not home."
---
Her voice sounded normal again.
Grounded.
Present.
---
That alone told her everything she needed to know.
---
She pushed herself up slowly.
The ground beneath her felt real.
Solid.
Not fading.
Not rejecting her.
---
"…okay…"
She exhaled.
"…so I picked this one."
---
A small pause.
Then—
"…no take-backs, huh…"
---
"Not really."
---
She froze.
Then turned.
---
Haruto stood a few steps away.
---
Fully there.
Not flickering.
Not breaking apart.
---
Just… there.
---
Sakura stared at him for a second.
Then narrowed her eyes slightly.
"…you look better."
---
He let out a small breath.
"…yeah."
---
A pause.
---
"…that's probably not a good sign."
---
She huffed lightly.
"…figures."
---
Silence settled between them.
But not the heavy kind from before.
---
This one felt… stable.
---
Sakura looked around.
---
The world had finished forming.
---
A wide open field stretched endlessly in front of them.
Tall grass moving slowly with the wind.
Mountains far in the distance.
A sky that felt too big for one world to hold.
---
"…fantasy world confirmed," she said quietly.
---
Haruto glanced at her.
"…you're taking this surprisingly well."
---
She shrugged slightly.
"…I had a few hours to process it."
A pause.
"…also I'm choosing not to panic right now."
---
"…fair."
---
She looked at him again.
Longer this time.
---
"…you're really not fading," she said.
---
He shook his head slightly.
"…not here."
---
"…so this is your side."
---
"…looks like it."
---
Sakura crossed her arms slightly.
"…and you were just gonna let me get erased back there?"
---
Haruto frowned.
"…that's not—"
---
"…I'm kidding," she cut in.
---
A small pause.
Then—
"…mostly."
---
He exhaled quietly.
"…you shouldn't joke about that."
---
"…you shouldn't disappear without explaining things either."
---
Silence.
---
Not tense.
Just honest.
---
Then Sakura looked away slightly.
"…I didn't understand anything," she said.
"…still don't."
---
A pause.
---
"…but I understood enough."
---
Haruto didn't respond immediately.
---
"…which part?" he asked finally.
---
She glanced back at him.
---
"…that if I let go…"
"…you'd be gone for real this time."
---
Silence.
---
That answer didn't need anything else added to it.
---
Haruto looked down slightly.
Then back at her.
---
"…you always make the hardest choice sound simple."
---
Sakura let out a quiet breath.
"…it's not simple."
A pause.
"…I'm just pretending it is."
---
For a second—
he almost smiled.
---
The wind passed through the field again.
Stronger this time.
---
And then—
the world reacted.
---
The air shifted.
Subtly.
But enough.
---
Sakura noticed immediately.
"…okay…" she muttered.
"…that doesn't feel friendly."
---
Haruto's expression changed.
---
"…yeah," he said quietly.
"…here comes the part we weren't told about."
---
The sky above them rippled slightly.
Like something massive had just moved beyond it.
---
A presence descended.
---
Not visible.
But undeniable.
---
Sakura's body tensed instinctively.
"…please tell me that's normal here."
---
"…it's not."
---
A pause.
---
"…great."
---
The pressure grew heavier.
Like the world itself was focusing on them now.
---
Then—
a voice.
---
Not heard with ears.
Felt directly.
---
**"…two contradictions."**
---
Sakura blinked.
"…wow, that's a new one."
---
Haruto didn't react.
Not outwardly.
But his posture tightened slightly.
---
**"…a fading existence… and one who refused correction."**
---
Sakura frowned.
"…that's a really rude way to describe me."
---
A pause.
---
"…I just didn't like your options."
---
Silence.
---
Then—
the presence shifted.
---
**"…you chose displacement over erasure."**
---
"…yeah," Sakura said.
"…no regrets so far."
---
Haruto glanced at her slightly.
"…you might want to wait a bit before saying that."
---
She ignored him.
---
"…so what now?" she asked.
---
The world seemed to hold still for a moment.
---
Then—
---
**"…you will remain."**
---
A pause.
---
**"…but not as you were."**
---
The ground beneath them pulsed faintly.
---
Sakura looked down.
"…yeah… that part I expected."
---
Haruto stepped slightly closer.
Not touching.
But close enough.
---
"…Sakura," he said quietly.
"…this is where it gets worse."
---
She let out a small breath.
---
"…yeah," she said.
"…I figured."
---
A pause.
---
Then—
softer.
---
"…you're still here though."
---
He looked at her.
---
"…for now."
---
Sakura nodded slightly.
---
"…then we'll deal with the rest later."
---
The presence above them shifted again.
---
**"…designation will be assigned."**
---
The air tightened.
Like something was about to mark them permanently.
---
Sakura glanced up.
Then back at Haruto.
---
"…hey," she said.
---
"…yeah?"
---
A small pause.
---
"…if this gets worse…"
---
He didn't interrupt.
---
"…don't disappear again without telling me."
---
Silence.
---
Then—
quietly.
---
"…I'll try."
---
She narrowed her eyes slightly.
"…that's not reassuring."
---
"…it's honest."
---
A pause.
---
"…fine," she said.
"…I'll take it."
---
The sky above them fractured slightly.
Light gathering into something unseen.
---
The world had accepted them.
---
But not gently.
---
And not completely.
---
Far away—
beyond the horizon—
something else had already begun moving.
---
Not toward them.
---
But because of them.
---
Sakura looked out at the unfamiliar world.
Then at the one person still standing beside her.
---
"…so this is our honeymoon, huh…" she muttered.
---
Haruto let out a quiet breath.
---
"…yeah," he said.
"…something like that."
---
The wind carried their voices across a world that did not yet know what to do with them.
---
And somewhere deep within it—
something had already decided they did not belong.
---
**Volume 1 End.**