Chapter 4:

Rusted Timeline

Dence Unwired: Volume 2 ”Power and Rain”

[Opening Scene: 12:00 Midnight ― Sam Having A Nightmare]
Cold. Echoing. Forgotten.
A single rusted metal chair stands at the heart of the abandoned warehouse, bathed in the dying flicker of a broken light above. Sam sits in it, motionless. Her breath curls into the frozen air. Something feels off―like a memory she didn't ask to relive.
The silence shatters with the faint creak of a sliding door.
From the shadows, Ere enters. Calm. Ancient. His trunk brushes the ground gently. His eyes, those sapphire orbs of knowing, glance at something behind a column.
Then, a voice.
Judith:
"You're certain? She'll come?Ere nods.
Ere:
"Exactly 10:47 PM. She'll enter through the north side. Just like the vision said."
Judith steps forward―black boots crunching gravel, a crow feather tucked in her coat's lapel.
Judith:
"And the Vietnamese?"
Ere:
"In position. She won't make it out."

Sam's eyes widen. She tries to move, but the chair won't let her. Her voice is trapped inside her throat.
Judith reaches into her coat. A black calling card. The "#" symbol glows faint red before fading.
Ere (soft, almost a whisper):
"She has no idea."
He turns―slowly. His gaze pierces through the dim warehouse and lands directly on Sam.
And in that instant... Ere begins to shift.
The familiar small blue elephant form blurs, stretches―twisting into a towering blue mammoth, ancient and monstrous. His once-gentle eyes now burn with a terrifying clarity, filled with a sorrow that reaches across time.
Ere (his voice now a thunderous, fading echo):
"I'm sorry, Sam."

The air trembles. Then―A flash of blinding white light.
The entire world ignites―then collapses into smoke.

[3:03 AM ― Sam's Routine]
Sam bolts upright in bed, gasping. Sweat glistens on her forehead. She sits in silence, trying to remember if it was just a dream. A nightmare―or something more.
She stands. The routine begins.
Water runs. She washes her face, stares into the mirror.
Toothbrush. The bristles scrape memory off her teeth.
Hairbrush. Pulling the knots of yesterday free.
Toaster dings. Bread pops. She plates it. Jam. A little butter.

[4:15 AM ― Morning News]
She flicks on the television.
The familiar jingle of "Good Morning Toyohashi" plays. A smiling anchor in a lemon-yellow suit beams at the camera.
Anchor (in Japanese):
"Goooooooood morning, Toyohashi! A sweet surprise! The Raven Cream Puff Truck launches today at the 1st Toyohashi South Station Night Market, courtesy of the X-Spence Group of Companies. Ribbon cutting at 3:00 PM―everyone's invited!"
Sam raises an eyebrow. She takes a bite of toast.
Anchor (continued still in Japanese):
"And tonight marks the 24th evening of Voice of Tomorrow auditions. Still open to all―foreigners, too! Who will be the next voice?"
Sam's eyes dull.
She clicks the remote. TV off.
Just her, the toast, and a strange feeling in her gut.

[7:30 AM ― Saturday Morning ― AGM Church]
The church yard bustles with movement. Foldable tables. Cardboard boxes. Laughter.
Volunteers unpack old shoes, clothes, even a rice cooker from 1999. They are setting up for the Garage Sale―their way into the Night Market of Toyohashi.
Inside, a circle forms.
Ptr. Isagani, warm-voiced and steady, shares from a weathered Bible.
Ptr. Isagani:
"Zechariah 10 ― 'Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime; it is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people...'...And He will strengthen Judah and save the tribes of Joseph."
The room quiets in reflection.
Suddenly―Dence enters. Slightly out of breath, three kids in tow, all clutching mismatched jackets.
Dence (grins sheepishly):
"Sorry. The toaster rebelled."
They laugh. Ptr. Isagani nods.
They continue.

After the prayer, Dence brings out bread―sliced, steaming―and thermoses of coffee. The circle becomes a family.
In a quiet moment by the door, Dence and Ptr. Isagani sip together.
Ptr. Isagani:
"What if we do another fundraiser? But this time―a music clinic. Teach people guitar, keyboards... even drums."
Dence smiles.
Dence:
"Let's do that, pastor. I'm all in for that. Our main objective is to raise a fund for your project and let the sound of the believers rise with the rain."
He looks to the sky while sipping his coffee.
High above, barely visible in daylight―a soft pattern of stars. Faint. Familiar.
A constellation. Like a "#".
Dence's smile falters for half a second. He looks away.

[1:45 PM ― AGM Church Garage Sale Preparation ― Toyohashi South Station Square]
Tents rise like sails. Lanterns flicker. Smells of soy sauce, sweet cream, and fried batter fill the air.
The preparation of Night Market awakens.
Dence, with his kids, set up the AGM Church stall―a humble spread of second-hand treasures under a fluttering banner that read:

"Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully with a shout of joy. – Psalm 33:3"

Above them, the sky seemed restless.
The constellation shaped like a # kept trailing Dence, more insistent each time he tried to ignore it.
It wasn't new―he remembered the last time he saw it, right before meeting Sam.
Still, his heart drummed faster, as if some cosmic message was on the verge of unfolding.

Ptr. Isagani approached, smiling warmly.
Ptr. Isagani:
"Want some brewed coffee, Dence? We made just enough for everyone."
Dence:
"The smell's nice. I'd love some, Pastor"

Taking a paper cup, Dence stepped away from the noisy crowd, wandering toward the open air by the south train station ticket booth.
He sipped his coffee, eyes secretly scanning the sky, tracing the glittering symbol above him, searching for meaning.

Then―a chill.
Across the square, a familiar figure: the Peruvian man.
The same man who had once called the police during Dence's street performance at Toyohashi Station.
He was standing eerily still, staring—no, fixated—right at Dence.

Dence narrowed his eyes, muttering under his breath.

Dence:
"Now what? I'm not even doing anything. Want to call the cops again?"

But the man didn’t respond.
He simply pointed at Dence’s front pocket―which was glowing faintly.

Dence’s heart jumped.
The paper cup slipped from his fingers, splashing coffee onto the pavement.
Without a second thought, he turned and jogged back toward the AGM stall.

Kneeling down to his kids, trying to steady his voice:
Dence:
"Alright, my lalabs. Daddy needs to step away for a bit. Just have fun here, okay?"

He ruffled their hair, forcing a grin, then slipped away into the crowd―
vanishing like a ghost into the pulse of the night market.

[3:00 PM ― Raven Cream Puff Ribbon Cutting]
Across the Toyohashi South Station Square, the air hisses―fog spills from a sleek black-and-violet food truck as its service windows rise like a mechanical wings. The logo glimmers: RAVEN CREAM PUFF in silver calligraphy, accented by a violet crow's foot.
A makeshift stage stands before it.
Judith Mirano, poised and elegant in a violet blazer, stands before a silk ribbon. Scissors in hand.
Cameras click. Spotlights bloom.
A drum and lyre corps of local teenagers plays a lively march, their uniforms crisp, their performance proud.
Behind Judith, in perfect formation, stand Aiko, Ryuji, Erika, and the 12 Silent Board Members of X-Spence, their faces still, unreadable. There is no sign of Billy Spence.
Judith lifts her chin. The scissors slice clean through the ribbon.

SNIP.

Applause erupts.
Cheering. A few whistles.
On the other side of the square, Ptr. Isagani and the AGM Church volunteers watch from their humble garage sale stall. Someone passes them a tray of cream puffs―fresh, delicate, filled with velvet custard. They laugh. Bite. Smile. Sip coffee.
For a moment, the air is sweet.
Too sweet.
Everything about it gleams with perfection.
Too clean. Too smooth.
As if the entire moment were choreographed.
A celebration... with shadows beneath it.

[4:44 PM ― Magnitude 9 Earthquake]
Just as the sweetness begins to settle into the crowd's bones―The ground quivers.

A low rumble.
Metal signposts clatter. Plastic trays rattle.
In just four seconds, a magnitude 9 earthquake disrupts the illusion.
The entire Toyohashi South Station Square pauses, mid-celebration.
Laughter dies.
Cream puff freeze in midair.
Even the Raven Cream Puff speakers fall momentarily silent―one of them flickers.
Eyes widen. Mouths hold breath.
The world awaits.
Then―Aiko steps forward, still standing near the truck's serving window, her voice bright and defiant:
「気にしないで」
(”Don't mind it!")
"Let's continue to have fun!"

The music resumes―louder than before.
The square shakes off the fear, returning to the curated joy.
But amid the crowd, near the AGM Church stall, a small child begins to cry.
It's Dence's youngest daughter.
Tears fall from her cheeks as she clutches her chest―like something cold and sharp passed through her."Daddy..."
Her voice trembles like a chord struck out of tune.
The eldest sibling immediately pulls her into an embrace, wrapping the youngest and the middle child with shaking arms."It's alright," she says."It's alright..."
But she's staring into the distance.
Not at the crowd, not at the stage―but at nothing.
As if she just saw something move in the corner of a world no one else can see.
Because she didn't just feel a tremor.
She felt a blade.
Somewhere―across a veil―their father was hurt.
And they didn't know yet...but something terrible had begun in the Mirror Realm.

[7:00 PM ― Night Market Officially Opens]
The square bursts to life. Lanterns flicker overhead. The hum of conversation, sizzling food, and rhythmic shuffle of feet echo off the cement.
Still... no sign of Dence.
Atop the Raven Cream Puff truck, a mechanical white screen unfurls slowly like a curtain. A soft mechanical whir. Then―A projector fires up, casting a glowing blue beam onto the screen. The jingle of "Voice of Tomorrow" plays ― bright, hopeful, and slightly uncanny in the festive chaos.
Crowds gather to watch. Beneath the screen, two young men ― one Nepalese, one Pakistani ― stand near the cream puff window, ordering shu cream. Their voices carry through the sugar-sweet night.
Nepalese Man (dreamily, in accented Japanese):
"One day, I want to stand on the stage."
Pakistani Man (nodding):
"We could. Why not? I believe we have the spark."
Enter Aiko, passing by the clipboard. She pauses, catching their words, then steps closer with a smile.
Aiko (warm, charismatic):
"Hello, my friends. I'm Aiko ― life coach for Voice of Tomorrow."
Showing her identification card to both of them.
"If you're serious about auditioning... I can show you the studio."
The two exchange glances, eyes wide with cautious hope.
Nepalese Man:
"Do you think we have a chance?"
Aiko leans in, her voice encouraging.
Aiko:
"If you don't try, you'll never know. The studio's just a short walk from here ― in the NV Building. Come on."
The two nod, faces lit with excitement. They follow without hesitation, disappearing into the crowd with Aiko leading the way.
The projector continues to glow behind them ― a flickering dream playing for everyone, but calling only a few.

[8:32 PM ― Dence Returns]
Dence returns.
Calm... but not quite.
A thin scratch―fresh, bleeding―trails from just above his right ear down to his jaw. Not deep, but unmistakably recent.
Eldest Kid:
"Daddy... what happened?"
Dence (smiling):
"Fell off my bike."
But his smile doesn't reach his eyes.
Eldest Kid:
"And why are you wearing senior highschool's P.E. uniform?"
Dence (half-laughs, scanning the crowd):
"It's really a long, weird story. I'll tell you soon. For now, say goodbye to Ptr. Isagani and everyone―we're heading home."
One of the church volunteers spots the blood.
Volunteer:
"Bro. Dence, let my wife take your kids home. I'll clean that wound and patch you up."
By 9:00 PM, the kids are gone, ushered home quietly.
Dence stays behind―wound cleaned, bandaged, but something deeper left untouched.

[10:30 PM ― Sam Meets Dence]
Sam arrives in Toyohashi South Station Square. Hair tied. Eyes scanning. She approaches Dence behind the stall.
They speak quietly, under a canopy of fairy lights.
Dence (softly whispering):
"The four Moon Bar performers... they're all gone. Only I survived."
Sam (shocked):
"What?"
He shakes his head.
No more details.
Sam backs away. Her eyes glassy. And then―A Voice of Tomorrow staff member appears beside her.
The scene cut to black.
The voice of Sam sounded..."Where is Aiko?"

[Final Scene: 3:02 AM ― Gamagori City ― Dimensional Portal Opening]
In the dark motorboat race field in Gamagori...
A tear in reality rips open like cloth set on fire. Ere stands at the center, trunk glowing faintly.
Beside him: a man in black gloves, long haired, and a dark brown coat ― Henry "The Arranger."
They speak in tones not meant for humans.
From the portal, four wolves emerge―each with eyes that flicker with music, light, and sorrow.
The souls of the Moon Bar performers...Now bound in fur and silence.