Fading Time and Unseen Fates

Haru slowly opened the door to the room he had been given. It was warmer and more organized than he had expected. Wooden walls, a bookshelf filled with slightly faded but pleasantly scented old books, a small desk, and a dimly lit lamp beside the bed…

Despite its modest size, the room carried a sense of comfort. But to Haru, it was nothing more than a temporary refuge in an unfamiliar world, surrounded by people he barely knew. He stepped inside, closed the door behind him, and removed his shoes. As he approached the bed and sat down, he realized his muscles were trembling from exhaustion. The events of the day rushed through his mind all at once.

This bed didn’t belong to him. This room, this world, none of it was his.

He tilted his head up, staring at the ceiling. For the first time, he would sleep under a different roof, far from everything he had ever known. The city lights of Tokyo, the golden rays of the morning sun streaming into his room, everything familiar had been left behind. Now, nothing felt the same.

A strange emptiness spread through him. It was as if he no longer belonged to his own body. Not fitting in, not having a place… He felt like he was fading, his connection to reality slowly unraveling.

Maybe he really was an anomaly.

His eyelids grew heavy as his mind started shutting down. Everything he had seen, everything he had heard, weighed on him like a nightmare pressing down on his chest. He lay down slowly, trying to steady his breath as he closed his eyes. A heavy sensation settled over his chest, but he no longer had the strength to fight it.

He took a deep breath…

And fell into darkness.

Darkness.

At first, there was only darkness. An endless, shapeless void, untouchable and vast. No up, no down, no sense of direction. Haru felt as if he had just become aware of his own existence. Was he breathing? Or did this place not require breath?

Then, a sound.

A whisper, light as the wind, fleeting as an echo.

"Haru..."

His name rippled through the space, spreading like waves on water. Haru turned his head, if he even had a body to move. He wanted to walk toward the voice. Or at least, it felt like he did.

A step.

Something in the void shifted, trembled, curled. A blurry silhouette appeared before him. But it had no face, no discernible shape. It was a shadow, yet a shadow that was watching him.

"Do you remember me?"

Haru froze. That voice… It stirred something warm inside him, yet it also brought a sharp pain to his chest. It was familiar. He could feel it. But he couldn’t answer.

"You cannot forget us..."

The silhouette seemed to move closer for a moment, but then the entire world suddenly began to fracture.

The void cracked.

Haru watched as everything shattered like a mirror splitting into a million pieces around him. In the reflections, he saw different faces, yet they were all blurred. No matter how hard he tried to focus, his eyes slipped away, unable to clearly see any of them.

He took another step, and the world shattered with a scream.

"ERROR DETECTED."

Haru woke up gasping for breath, his body drenched in sweat. His heart was pounding wildly against his ribs. That wasn’t just a dream. He couldn’t be sure, but the voice, the feeling… something was wrong.

But who was he supposed to remember? Who was that shadow?

And more importantly, why did the emptiness inside him feel even greater now?

As he struggled to make sense of it all, his exhausted body and overwhelmed mind slowly pulled him back into unconsciousness, dragging him into sleep once more.

                                                                                    ***

Haru… Haru…

A muffled voice echoed from the depths of his mind, slowly growing clearer. It was familiar yet distant, like something half-forgotten. His name… Someone was calling him.

“Come on, wake up! Breakfast is ready!”

When Haru opened his eyes, he found himself staring at the ceiling of his room, momentarily trapped between past and present. He had been so used to waking up to his mother’s voice, but the one he had just heard didn’t belong to her. Slowly, he sat up and rubbed his eyes. 

Standing at the door was Riven.

                                                                                   ***

“What’s with the silence? Still not awake?” Riven teased, throwing an arm around Haru’s shoulder and shaking him slightly before bursting into laughter.

Haru, still groggy, mumbled, “Huh? No… I’m fine.” He tried to collect himself, but in truth, he didn’t feel fine at all.

Riven narrowed his eyes, scanning the room quickly, then leaned in with a mischievous smirk. “Listen, friendly advice… Don’t get too close to that witch Luna. She’s unpredictable. After all, she’s Azael’s right hand. And wherever Azael is, uncertainty follows.”

Haru turned to him, curiosity piqued. “Azael? Who’s that?”

Riven’s playful expression hardened slightly. “Azael wants to completely destroy the Fate Eye and tear the system apart. But he has no real plan for what comes after. Sure, we want to break free from Orbis’ chains, but that doesn’t mean we have to take everyone in Ethereon down with us. While we search for a way out, all he thinks about is destruction.”

Riven tilted his head slightly. “You’ll understand when you see him. Always dressed in a suit, his very presence sends chills down your spine. The guy just oozes gloom. That’s why you should steer clear of Luna, too. She’s not much different.”

Just then, a cold voice rang out behind them. “Oh? Is that so, Riven?”

Haru flinched and turned around, locking eyes with Luna. Riven smirked, but it was clear he was looking for an escape. Without a second thought, he grabbed Haru’s arm and bolted.

But Luna wasn’t going to let him off so easily.

With a swift motion, she reached for the strap on her thigh and pulled out a sleek, intricately designed metallic device. It shimmered in her hand before unraveling into a glowing whip of energy. The light flickered as it cracked through the air, striking Riven squarely on the back.

“AHH!” Riven yelped as the force sent him lurching forward. His footing wavered as he stumbled over the edge of a step, arms flailing wildly in an attempt to regain balance. His boots scraped against the wooden stairs, and for a heart-stopping second, he teetered on the brink of disaster. Just as gravity threatened to claim him, he twisted his body mid-fall, using sheer agility to pivot and land in a crouch at the base of the staircase. A low chuckle escaped his lips as he straightened, brushing imaginary dust off his coat. 

Looking up at Luna from below, he smirked. “Nice move, but I still got away!” he quipped, his voice laced with mischief.

Luna clenched her teeth, her eyes flashing dangerously as if she was ready to jump down after him. But before she could, Seraphis’ voice rang out. “Alright, kids, enough playing around! Breakfast is ready.”

Luna hesitated at his words before finally retracting the energy whip and securing it back on her belt. Riven let out a relieved sigh and turned to Haru with a grin. “See? We made it out alive today too!”

Haru watched the playful banter unfold with an amused smile as he followed them down the stairs. A strange sense of warmth filled his chest.

For the first time in a long while, he felt… at peace.

                                                                                     ***

Everyone sat around the table, enjoying their meal. The steam rising from the plates added to the warm and welcoming atmosphere. Laughter and lighthearted teasing filled the air. it was a peaceful breakfast. Except for one person…

A young man sitting at the table, his eyes brimming with anger and frustration, suddenly slammed his spoon down. "What exactly are you all so happy about?!" he burst out. The room fell into instant silence.

Seraphis turned toward him, his voice calm. "Lyon…"

Lyon gritted his teeth, scanning the faces at the table. "You all still have time, don’t you? You have something to hope for! But my time is almost up! I’m going to be erased! And you’re sitting here, laughing and enjoying your food?!"

The tension in the room thickened. No one knew how to respond. Lyon pushed his chair back roughly and stood up in anger. "You can’t give me hope. All you’re doing is running away!"

Just as he was about to storm off, Seraphis’ voice rang out again, gentle, but firm. "Lyon."

Lyon stopped but didn’t turn back. Seraphis continued. "I understand your anger. We all carry the same fear inside us. But everyone here is holding onto each other to endure this reality. It’s easy to let despair consume you. The real challenge is finding meaning in the chaos. No one sits here because they’re happy. But as long as we stand together, we can face this emptiness head-on. You don’t have to go through this alone."

Lyon’s fists clenched. His voice trembled with frustration. "You don’t understand me," he muttered before walking away.

Silence filled the room once again.

Seraphis sighed deeply before turning back to the others. "I’ll talk to him later. But please, don’t forget: No one here is alone."

Haru watched Lyon’s retreating figure. The peace he had felt earlier vanished in an instant. The word “erasure” meant nothing to him, but for Lyon, it was a looming, inescapable fate. And what if… what if it was all true?

Just then

A loud clang echoed through the hall as the iron doors swung open, drawing everyone’s attention. A thick mist rolled in, casting eerie shadows across the room. Two figures emerged through the haze.

One was a tall, elegant yet ominous man, clad in a tailored suit with two pink rose emblems embroidered on the left side of his jacket. Beside him was another man, his long blonde hair neatly braided behind him, his sharp features exuding an undeniable sense of authority.

Riven’s eyes widened. "Nihilos…"

At the same time, Luna sucked in a sharp breath and whispered, "Azael…"