Chapter 15: Journey to Paradise: Dreams and Hope

Night descended over the dead city like a silent curtain.
The moon’s pale glow seeped through broken skyscrapers, illuminating the ruins with a ghostly silver.
There were no living voices—only the distant whisper of restless souls drifting through the air.

Kamito and Sera Amanai finally halted inside an abandoned building, its windows shattered and its floors cracked by time.
They were exhausted, bruised, and painfully aware that Gouma Gyuryū was still hunting them somewhere in the dark.

Kamito kneeled beside Sera.

“Amanai-san, are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?”

“I’m fine. I just… tripped on those roots earlier.”

To break the suffocating cold, Kamito ignited a small campfire using broken pieces of wood.
The orange glow flickered across their faces, casting long shadows on the ruined walls.

Meanwhile, Sera kept trying her radio—over and over.

Static.
Silence.
Nothing.

“Damn it—no signal at all. We’re completely stranded.”
She gripped the device tightly, frustration tightening her voice.

Kamito looked into the flames, eyes narrowing.
Something bothered him deeply.

Why did Gouma Gyuryū know exactly where we were?
It felt too precise. Too intentional. As if someone was luring it toward us…

He didn’t voice it yet, but suspicion coiled in his chest.

Sera exhaled sharply.

“No signal… no backup… we really are on our own.”

She finally sat beside him, letting the fire warm her hands.

After a long silence, she spoke again.

“Kamito-kun… why did you join the Magical Academy? You could’ve joined T.U.A.D.F instead.”

Kamito blinked, surprised by the sudden question.

“Maybe because of my mother.”
He sighed.
“She hates the military. After my father died fighting monsters alone, no soldier came to help. She never forgave them for that. And she refused to let me join.”

Sera frowned.

“That’s it?”

Kamito looked away, avoiding her eyes.

She pressed on gently.

“Kamito-kun… T.U.A.D.F welcomes anyone with talent. Especially someone like you. You’d fit perfectly.”

He scratched his cheek awkwardly.

“I don’t know… I’ll think about it.”

Then, gathering her courage, Sera shifted closer.

“Kamito-kun… may I ask you something more personal?”

“What is it?”

Her eyes glimmered in the firelight.

“What do you think dreams and hope are?”

Kamito inhaled quietly, then answered with rare sincerity.

“A dream… is something that keeps you moving even when the world stops paying attention to you.”
“And hope… is the reason you stand back up when everything feels meaningless.”

Sera stared into the flames.

“Then… do I have a dream?” she asked softly.

Kamito didn’t respond immediately.

He looked at her—really looked at her—before answering.

“Everyone has a dream. But not everyone recognizes it.”

Sera’s expression trembled slightly.

“My mother once said I’d find mine someday… but after she died, it feels like there’s nothing left to search for.”

Kamito lowered his head, voice deep and gentle.

“That’s exactly when hope appears.”
“Hope is the small voice that speaks when you feel empty. The one that tells you… ‘I want to live a little longer. I want to see tomorrow.’”

Sera swallowed.

“…What if I don’t have that voice?”

Kamito turned to her instantly.

“Then until you find it… my voice will be your hope.”

Sera froze—speechless.

The firelight quivered against her cheeks, which were now flushing red.
Slowly, without realizing it, she placed her hand on Kamito’s right hand…
and gently leaned her head against his shoulder.

Kamito’s face turned crimson.

“…Why?” she whispered.

Kamito gave a faint, fragile smile—one belonging to someone who had tasted loss.

“Because someone once became my hope when I had nothing.”
“And I won’t let you wander without purpose like I once did.”

Sera’s eyes softened.

“So dreams… are something I must find myself?”

“Yes.”
Kamito nodded.
“But hope… is something that can be shared, Sera.”

She finally closed her eyes.

“…Thank you, Kamito.”

Within seconds, she fell asleep on his shoulder, breathing softly.
Kamito, unable to move without waking her, stayed still—unsure if he should be embarrassed or touched.

Light seeped through a broken ceiling panel.

Kamito woke slowly… and felt something strange on his cheek.
A faint warmth.
A soft imprint.

He blinked, confused.

Sera stood at the entrance, staring toward the city.

“Amanai? What is it?”

She pointed forward.

“Kamito… look.”

Beyond the crumbled walls, the city shifted.

Ghostly figures—translucent blue silhouettes—moved across the streets, repeating their final actions from when they were alive.

Souls.

Trapped in endless loops.

“What… what kind of scene is this?” Kamito whispered.

Before Sera could answer, Ark’s voice echoed inside his mind.

“Kamito. Be careful. Gouma Gyuryū is regenerating.”

Kamito’s eyes widened.

“What do you mean? Don’t tell me… it’s getting stronger?”

Sera looked back, confused.

“Kamito-kun, are you talking to someone?”

Kamito cleared his throat.

“I’ll explain later. But Gouma Gyuryū… it’s either regenerating or evolving.”

Sera’s face paled.

“So the stories were true… that thing really is the terror of this island.”

Then a voice—unfamiliar yet strangely elegant—cut through the air.

“You’re correct, sweet girl. The beast is feeding on these poor souls.”

Kamito and Sera spun around.

A woman stood there—calm, smiling faintly, and holding a violin case.
Her blue hair fluttered gently in the lifeless wind.

Kamito’s eyes widened.

“You… the violinist from Tokyo…!”

She placed a hand on her chest and bowed gracefully.

“My name is Sonobe Kirigaya. I am a member of The Grand Resonance Order.”
“And I am here to prevent you from uncovering the truth about this island.”

Sera tightened her stance immediately.
Kamito stepped slightly forward, ready to draw Ark if needed.

Meanwhile, far across the ruins, Gouma Gyuryū’s roar split the sky—
deeper, louder, far more monstrous than before.

Its evolution had begun.

Airi and Mikoto heard the roar echo across the coastline.
Realizing the danger, they sprinted toward the city center, knowing Kamito and Amanai might be in mortal peril.

And the nightmare of Kuronami-jima was only just beginning.