On a warship, thousands of feet above the sleeping city, the Supreme Commander had finally had enough.

The reports from the ground were done, her obligations wrapped up, and her patience long gone.

She'd ordered three escort ships to accompany her toward the bloom zone.

This bloom wasn't like the others.

The intel called it darker, more volatile, and dangerous in a way that made even the more battle-hardened whisper.

That alone was enough to pull Akio in.

Cradle was still licking its wounds from the last fight, slow to dispatch forces. That gave her time, time to get there first.

The fleet launched under the shroud of night, engines humming low, shadows gliding against the moonless sky.

Tokyo sprawled beneath them, quiet in a way Akio had never seen.

She'd grown up here. She'd fought here. But this… This dead calm wasn't natural.

Her gaze lingered on the darkened streets, the still air. Something about it itched at the back of her mind.

She didn't have long to think on it.

A soldier's voice cut through the low murmur of the bridge. "Sir, picking up another signal. Another ship. Not sure on the exact position, but it's close. Possibly right next to the bloom. Could be one of Reiden's."

Akio's jaw tightened. Her porcelain-pale fingers clenched into a fist so tight her knuckles flushed red. "Can you patch me through to them?" Her voice was sharp enough to slice.

"Yes, sir. Will you be speaking directly?" The soldier asked.

Akio's eyes narrowed. "Yes. And if it turns out to be Reiden's people..." Her eyes narrowed slightly, "let's just say my finger might slip on the fire control."

The soldier saluted without hesitation. "Understood." He and his team bent over their stations, fingers flying across consoles, linking the comm line.

The massive display at the front of the bridge blinked to life with a call signal. Akio leaned forward over the table, elbows planted, ponytail swaying as the ship's subtle movements shifted her balance. She drummed two fingers against the desk, not out of impatience, but like a predator twitching before the pounce.

The call connected.

For a heartbeat, there was nothing.

Then...

"Who is this…" The voice on the other end was cold, measured. Not Reiden.

Akio's brow furrowed, lips curving into a small, humourless smile. "Seems there's another like him. Tell me, who are you?"

The reply wasn't an answer, just a demand for her name first.

Akio's teeth caught her lower lip. She was tempted to hang up right there.

Instead, she let her smirk return, sharper now.

"Akio," she said, voice like frost and steel.

Silence. A long one.

Too long.

It wasn't hesitation, it was fear. She could hear it. That subtle, frozen pause that told her she was known and avoided.

Her smirk flattened into something far darker.

"I see. Silent treatment." Her voice curled into anger, twisting and low. "If you're part of his group, then hear me, expect to be hunted. I will find you."

She cut the line.

The nearest soldier turned from his console. "Sir, will we be pursuing? No lead except they must be nearby."

"Yes," Akio said, her voice returning to its clipped, commanding tone. "Do whatever it takes to keep them from the bloom. That's their only reason for being here. Surround it. Make it impossible to approach. And if we find them…" She let the sentence hang, the slow curl of a smirk forming again. "I'll personally tear their ship apart."

Her gaze drifted back to the massive image of the bloom on-screen, its surface writhing with dark, shifting light.

"Just try to fight," she muttered under her breath, almost to herself. "I've got too much pent-up stress that needs somewhere to go."

*

Kentaro's eyes opened, and for a moment, he thought he was back in his own apartment.

The size of the room was the same… But nothing else was.

Here, the walls were painted a warm, candy-pink that seemed to glow faintly in the light. A dozen stuffed bears sat in scattered little kingdoms, on the shelves, on the bed, even peeking out from the half-open closet. The bed itself was perfectly made, its small size somehow still feeling large enough for him, though, of course, he wasn't lying on it.

A breeze drifted through the open window beside it, carrying the crisp scent of grass and flowers. Kentaro walked over, resting his hands on the frame, and looked out.

The world outside wasn't the city.

It was a wide stretch of forest, green spilling in every direction, swaying softly under the touch of the wind. His chest tightened.

"How did I end up here?"

The last thing he remembered was Serica in the bloom… The blinding light that swallowed his vision… And now, this quiet little room.

The click of a door opening snapped him from thought.

He turned sharply, then froze.

Dark brown hair swayed into the room ahead of a small figure, humming softly to herself. His heart jolted.

"…Serica?" He shouted.

It was the same girl who was both his friend and an Alberline.

But not the Serica he knew.

This one was smaller, younger, thirteen, maybe fifteen, her frame light under a blue school blazer and grey skirt. She moved toward a drawer, rifling through it until she pulled something out.

"Lilly told me to wear something grown up," she said aloud to no one.

Kentaro's eyes went wide, a blush creeping up his cheeks as he realised exactly what she was holding.

Nope. Not watching this. Not today.

He spun away, raising his hands like he was warding off a curse. That's when it hit him: she couldn't see him. It was like he wasn't even there.

A dream…? Or a memory? What was this?

When he turned back, she was already buttoning up her blazer, now holding a small photograph. She studied it for a quiet moment before murmuring a goodbye to it and placing it gently back on the desk.

Kentaro stepped closer. In the photo was an even younger Serica, four, maybe six, flanked by a tall man on one side and a woman on the other. Both had darker hair than hers, but their features… Unmistakably family.

"Whoa. Serica's folks," Kentaro whispered. A grin tugged at him. "She looks so quiet here. Cute."

The sound of a door slamming downstairs pulled his attention.

She was leaving. For school.

Kentaro hurried after her, descending into a house that was a strange blend of the modern and the traditional. Smooth white walls and polished wood floors met with old sliding paper doors and carved lintels. It was charming, too charming to be real.

Outside, Serica skipped along the narrow dirt path, humming a tune he didn't recognise. The sunlight poured over her, catching on her hair, making her look untouched by anything bad in the world.

The way it should've been, Kentaro thought, trailing her easily, no need to hide when you didn't exist.

It turned out her house stood alone, the only structure in the middle of this green expanse, with the walk to school a straight road bordered by whispering trees.

After ten minutes, they reached the school gates. She joined her friends instantly, laughing, fixing each other's hair, and chatting about whatever girls that age cared about. Normal. So painfully normal. And yet… Kentaro couldn't shake the question:

How did she go from this to the Serica I met in the bloom?

The dream pressed on without mercy. Classes blurred past, and soon they were walking home again. This time, she cooked. And, unlike the disaster he'd witnessed in his own kitchen, she did it with skill, moving with a practised rhythm, the smell of the food filling the air until Kentaro's stomach twisted in surprise.

"She… Actually knows what she's doing," he muttered. "Guess her parents must be working late."

Dinner eaten, she cleaned up and went upstairs, curling up on her bed with a book.

Kentaro's eyes narrowed at the title. The Frozen Bond.

"I've seen that somewhere before…" His mind ticked, then froze. Back on their first date, she'd picked that exact book from the shelf.

"So this is her memory," he confirmed quietly.

He leaned in to read the blurb, curious as to what the book was about, steadying himself with one hand on the bed. Unfortunately, that meant his head was hovering dangerously close to the hem of her skirt.

One slip, and-

"This is a dangerous game…" He muttered, lowering himself just enough to squint at the tiny letters. "Who prints text this small?!"

A sneeze broke the air.

"ACHOO!"

Kentaro startled, slipping forward and straight into the exact place he'd been trying to avoid. He jerked back immediately, dropping to his knees in full prostration. "I'M SORRY, SERICA!"

She didn't react. Didn't even flinch.

"Right. She couldn't feel it here." Still, his cheeks burned as he stood, scratching at his temple.

Time passed, and the light outside dimmed as night swallowed the sun. Serica closed the book, whispering, "Time to go meet them."

Kentaro blinked. Meet who? At this hour?

She left quickly, shoes on, hair pinned into a bun as she walked away from the forest path that led to school. The trees grew denser, branches knotting overhead, the moon's pale light cutting the shadows into silver shapes.

Kentaro followed, unease settling in his chest.

The forest opened into a clearing. At its heart was a massive tree, far taller and thicker than the rest. Beneath it stood an archway, old, worn, and unmistakably human-made, like a forgotten shrine.

Serica stepped forward. The wind seemed to hold its breath.

"Hey, Marie," she called softly. "I'm here. How are you feeling?"

A voice came from the darkness within the tree. "Hey, Serica… Don't worry. I'm feeling great."

The shadows shifted. A hand appeared first, then hair, then a face, emerging from the hollow like it had always been there.

Kentaro's eyes widened, his breath caught.

That face.

He knew it...

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.