"Raia. Raia," someone whispers, a voice all too familiar to Raia.

Raia's eyes remain closed as she awakens from her slumber. She's waiting for that person to call her name again. She needs to hear that voice again to make sure it isn't from her dream. Because that voice... she can't be mistaken. Why is she hearing the voice of that person?

Hot, humid air covers Raia in a layer of sweat. Her dress and the bedsheet she's sleeping on cling to her clammy skin, making her feel uneasy. She gulps, moistening her chapped lips with her tongue. Cold water. Raia needs something cold to wash down her parched throat, something to help her clear her mind.

She hasn't heard that voice in a long time and hearing it brings back buried memories and, in some ways, guilt.

Guilt. Is she finally capable of feeling such strong emotions?

She remains motionless, waiting, but that person does not speak again. Maybe that voice was just a figment of her imagination. Instead, she hears distant footsteps and children speaking in low murmurs somewhere nearby.

There are kids?

Raia opens her eyes. And blinks. She finds herself staring at a familiar dusty and stained ceiling. With a deep frown on her face, she turns her head and stares. A row of metal-framed beds with white mattresses greets her sight. She lowers her gaze and notices another row of beds lined up against a wall. They are occupied by kids dressed in white who are staring at Raia with wide eyes.

Raia's heart skips a beat. She sits up abruptly and looks around, alarmed. She's in a large room. Apart from the beds and two wooden wardrobes in opposite corners, there isn't much else in the room. Golden rays of sunlight stream through the arch windows that run along the opposite wall from her.

A shiver runs the length of her spine. The surrounding looks so awfully familiar. She'll never forget this place. She looks down at herself, her jaw tightening. She's clad in a white tunic dress, just like the kids. It falls above her knees, exposing her pale legs. Her feet are also exposed, leaving her defenseless in the absence of the comfort of her combat boots. She can feel how tight and small the piece of clothing is when she moves her arms. She even has trouble breathing. It feels that she has already grown out of it.

Realizing what is happening, she feels a wave of dread and her heartbeat quickens.

It can't be, she thinks, a sense of horror rising within her. Raia has returned to the orphanage, the cruel and lonely dwelling from her childhood before Simon rescued her. The place from which she had already escaped. The root of her long-forgotten despair.

She moves her head from side to side, her eyes scanning the bed for her uniform, but it's nowhere to be found. She isn't wearing her necklace either.

What's going on?

Something warm wraps around her arm. Then a high-pitched voice filled with relief enters her ears.

"Raia!"

That voice again.

Raia turns her head, her heart pounding. A pair of dark, worried eyes meet her gaze.

"Kaylee?" Raia gasps. Her blood runs cold as she stares at the person in front of her.

Kaylee is a petite girl. She has fair skin and short brown hair. Freckles spill across her nose and cheeks. She's dressed in the same white dress like the other kids. Just like Raia. But, unlike Raia, hers fits her perfectly. That's because her appearance hasn't changed since Raia last saw her.

Kaylee, the first person Raia healed, is still an eight-year-old girl.

Impossible.

"Raia, I'm so happy to see you again!" Kaylee exclaims, squeezing Raia's arm with a bright smile on her face. "Where did you go? I really missed you. I felt so sad when you were gone."

Kaylee's eyes glisten with tears.

A cold wave sweeps over Raia. She yanks her arm from the girl's small hands and scrambles away, horrors reflected in her eyes. Unaware that she has already reached the edge of the bed, she tumbles on the hard surface.

"Raia!" Kaylee shrieks and rushes towards her. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

Raia remains unresponsive, lying on the floor and staring at the ceiling. Kaylee kneels next to her, puzzled, blinking and tilting her head. Confused murmurs fill the room again. All of the kids' attention is focused on Raia, but none of them dares to approach her.

"You look so different, Raia," Kaylee remarks after what seemed like an eternity.

Raia narrows her eyes. "And you look exactly the same."

Kaylee raises her eyebrows. She blinks and scans Raia's face, scrutinizing her appearance. She takes Raia's hand and says, "Raia, you've grown so much. Even your hair has grown in length, but it is more beautiful than before."

She lays Raia's hand down with utmost care as if were a delicate glass, and then she takes a few strands of her purple hair.

Kaylee's appearance and demeanor remain those of a child. Everything is strange. Raia is in the wrong time period.

It can't be happening, Raia thinks as she stares at the girl. She isn't supposed to be in the orphanage, and Kaylee isn't supposed to look like that. Something is definitely wrong here. Perhaps she's still in a dream?

Raia finally opens her mouth and asks the question she's been wanting to ask since she awoke in this place.

"What happened? How did I end up here?"

Kaylee squats down, letting go of Raia's hair. "I heard from the caretakers that you were found unconscious outside." She props her chin in her hands and rests her elbows on her knees. "I'm curious as well; what happened? How did you end up here?"

It's definitely a dream, Raia reminds herself as if those words are the only thing keeping her sane. Because if she believes everything that is happening right now, she may never be able to wake up from this nightmare.

Kaylee's face softens, and her small lips curl into a childish smile. "I'm so happy to see you, Raia. I truly missed you. But . . . I'm a little sad to see you back here. You finally got your freedom, didn't you? So, what brings you back? Is the outside world more cruel?"

Raia balls her fists. She avoids Kaylee's gaze with a lump in her throat. She's not sure why she suddenly feels guilty. Kaylee, the only kid she ever spoke to in this orphanage, has been abandoned in this lonely place. But why is she still worried about Raia?

Raia didn't even think of her once.

I'm the worst. A tingle of guilt rises from Raia's thought.

She sits up and looks at Kaylee. "Let's escape."

Kaylee tilts her head. "Escape? What do you mean?"

Raia pulls herself to her feet and grabs Kaylee's tiny wrist, dragging her along with her. The murmur of voices has died down, but the kids are still staring at Raia with intent curiosity.

"Raia, what's going on? Where are we going?" Kaylee asks in a whisper as if she is afraid someone will hear her.

"I don't care if this is a dream or not," Raia murmurs as they make their way barefoot toward the wooden arch door. "Let's get out of here. I will not abandon you this time."

They stop in front of the door.

Kaylee looks up at her, her eyes round and innocent. "Dream? What do you mean?"

Even if Raia is certain that she is in a dream, she will escape from this place. She doesn't want to be here because it brings back unpleasant memories for her. And even if Kaylee is only a part of this dream, she'll still take her with her. They'll get out of here together. And once Raia has destroyed all of the demons, found the Core, and restored the balance of the world, she will show Kaylee what true freedom is all about.

"You're longing for freedom too, right?" Raia asks in a quiet voice.

Kaylee's face brightens, that typical expression that kids have when they are excited about something. She nods enthusiastically. "I want to see the world Raia saw outside. I'd like to escape with Raia."

Raia's chest tightens as she looks at her excited face, and her mouth twists into a soft smile.

"Let's go," Raia whispers.

The door bursts open just as she reaches out a hand to turn the knob, causing them to take a step back.

Three women, dressed in black gowns with white aprons and high collars, stand in front of them. The two have charcoal gray hair, while the other has nut-brown hair, and both have their hair tied in a bun. Their brows are merged into a savage line as their intimidating dark eyes pierce them.

Caretakers.

Kaylee tightens her grip on Raia's hand and gulps, not taking her gaze away from the women for fear of being chastised if she does.

Raia squeezes Kaylee's tiny hand back, pressing her lips together in a thin line and putting on the same threatening expression. She meets their menacing stares with an unwavering gaze.

She's no longer afraid of them. She's no longer afraid of anyone.

Raia's sudden and unexpected display of boldness causes the women to widen their eyes slightly and purse their lips. They quickly regain their composure.

"Raia," the one with the nut-brown hair says. "We're glad you're now awake. Your patients have been waiting for you."

Raia's eyes widen, and a chill runs down her spine. Patients. The caretakers told her that patients were waiting for her, which could only mean one thing. Raia is not only back in the orphanage, but she has also returned to being their little tool.

She is once again their healer in order to profit from her power and pain.

Raia sucks in her breath as the tall woman with black hair yanks her hand. She then starts dragging Raia down the corridor. The kids swarm around the doorway, staring at her until she disappears into another room.

A stinging smell assaults Raia's nose as soon as she walks through the doorway-the smell of blood and sweat. She shivers as cold air creeps around her barely covered skin. She can't help but wonder why the temperature is so different here. She takes in her surroundings, which are all too familiar to her. The room is smaller than the previous one, but it is large enough to accommodate twenty beds on both sides of the room. People with bloodstained bandages wrapped around their bodies occupy all of them. There are no windows in the room. The walls and ceiling are stained and dusty, just like the other room.

Her stomach twists as she scans the injured patients. More patients equal more agony. She lets the cold air embrace her as she organizes her thoughts and finally comes to a decision. Everything around here has to be a dream because it can't be true.

The black-haired caretaker releases her hand and pushes her deeper into the room. Raia looks at the patients with a firm expression on her face.

They're no patients. They're just another unfortunate victim of this deceitful orphanage. They dupe them into handing over their wealth in exchange for Raia's miracle. They will not be treated if they do not have enough gold to meet the needs of the orphanage's owner.

The unfortunate victims would then direct their rage and hatred toward Raia, cursing her existence with their last breath. And Raia would watch those she couldn't save lose their lives.

It terrorized her at first, being blamed, powerless, and a healer. She wasn't able to save everyone. She was someone's tool and puppet. She was suffering from someone else's pain. Every day, every hour, and every second, she was haunted by a flood of emotions. Until she felt nothing but rage and hatred for those she healed and those who cursed her.

Until a monster was born.

Humans' pain and hatred are always hers to bear.

Raia was always the one who had to suffer, but not any longer. She will never again be a victim.

I don't know these people and I don't care about them. I'm not going to sacrifice another piece of myself just to heal them. This power is mine, and I get to decide who I want to use it on.

"Raia," someone says, stern and cold in tone.

Perhaps Raia is too preoccupied with her thoughts to notice the elderly woman standing a few meters in front of her.

The woman is dressed in the same outfit as the caretakers. She has smokey gray hair tied in a bun, a wrinkled face, and a lean figure that only emphasizes her height. Behind the rimless spectacle, her brown eyes are small and piercing, matching the deep scowl on her face. For someone who exudes such a forbidding aura, Raia can only think of one person.

The head of the orphanage.

"Miss Alvarado," Raia says flatly, returning the woman's cold and menacing gaze.

Miss Alvarado frowns as she observes Raia's cold demeanor. She places her hands on her hips and orders brusquely, "Why are you just standing there? Start healing them! Or perhaps you've decided to go a week without eating?"

Raia's expression remains firm. She will not be used as a tool again. She will not let anyone else take control of her life again. "No."

It could all be a dream, but she wants to defy the person who has made half of her life miserable. She wants to overcome her fear of her former self. She wants to fail the beast who transformed her into the monster she is now.

But as Raia turns around, she collides with something hard and slumps to the cold floor. She groans, lifts her head, and then freezes. A well-built man in a long black coat with silver trim stands before her. His short blond hair gleams in the dim light, and his deep blue eyes are locked on her.

"Master," Raia breathes. There's no denying the relief in her voice.

Simon's expression remains stoic. Raia's eyes narrow with suspicion. Why is her master looking at her like that? He'd never looked at her in that way before. Simon's demeanor was never like this.

"M-master?" Raia stammers, her eyes blazed with confusion.

Simon reaches for the silver cross bracelet he wears on his left wrist and summons his Blessing. A bright light bursts forth, revealing an enormous sword in his hand. It has a single-edged large blade, and the hilt is intricately worked with gold. It is adorned with a silver cross.

A halo glows white on his forehead - the Mark of an Angel.

Raia stiffens and her heartbeat slows as Simon points the sword in her direction, his face expressionless. "I will free you."

Before Raia can gather her thoughts and realize what's happening, Simon thrusts the blade into her chest, plunging her into a deep well of darkness.

***

Nathan wakes up with the brightness of the sun on his face. He groans and sits up, rubbing his eyes with his fists. For a brief moment, he just stares out the window beside him, a gentle breeze ruffling the curtains, before realization strikes him like a blow. He curses and takes a look around him. The room is larger than the one he had at the headquarters, and there are three windows where there should be none. A rosewood nightstand table sits beside his bed. There's even a polished wooden wardrobe in the corner.

"How?" he whispers, his voice laden with confusion once he recognizes the place.

As if to confirm his notion, his eyes land on the necklace dangling from the metal hook attached to the top of the door. Even from a distance, Nathan can make out the details of the pendant: a Garter circlet draped over a demi-lion holding a sword in its dexter paw.

The Farquharson crest. Nathan is inside the Farquharson manor, a place where he is no longer welcome.

His home.

"What the hell is going on?" he hisses, staring at his Aragon uniform, which is strewn on the edge of his bed.

He looks down at himself. He is dressed in a crimson waistcoat and trousers. With his heart pounding, he taps his chest, searching for the three necklaces he always wears. The charms his sister made for him before betraying him are also gone.

"What?" He blurts out.

Frowning, he racks his brain. The last scrap of memory he can recall is the carriage incident and meeting a strange girl who resembled a doll. Everything went black before he could even summon his Blessing.

But what happened after that? Where is his team, and why is he in this place? Nathan is certain that the doll-like girl is a demon, but he has no idea what kind of demon she is. However, it seems that she possesses a powerful Black Art that attacked him from behind. Or it's possible she wasn't alone.

Since Nathan is safe, this means that Sunshine and Raiden have defeated her. But why is he here?

A creaking sound breaks his reverie. He turns his head in agitation as the door opens and a girl enters. Dressed in a pale blue shirtdress, she has vibrant red hair that reaches her hips. Her head is bowed, and she fidgets with her hands clasped behind her back. Her gaze darts around, unable to meet his.

"Judith," Nathan says in a soft voice as he takes in his sister's appearance.

She's grown a little taller and her hair has gotten a little longer, he thinks. She was still so young the last time Nathan saw her, which was two years ago. And now she's a lady, and she's so beautiful that Nathan wants to smile proudly at her, but he doesn't. He must first need to figure out what's going on. Because everything is confusing.

"Judith," he repeats.

Judith lifts her head and looks at Nathan before averting her gaze again. She closes the door and leans against it.

"Brother," she mutters, lowering her head once more.

Nathan looks at her, waiting for her to say something more. His sister may have grown, but she hasn't changed at all. She's still as timid as she was before. He can still remember how she avoided meeting his gaze before he left.

"H-how . . . How are you?" Judith fumbles for words.

"I'm fine?" Nathan responds with a tremor of uncertainty. Then he repeats in a convincing voice, "I'm fine. But I'm kinda confused. What am I doing here?"

Judith raises her head, a puzzled expression on her face. "What do you mean, brother?

Nathan arches an eyebrow, prodding her to continue.

"We found you by the porch, looking messed up," Judith says, shifting her gaze to the floor. "You were unconscious, so Mom and Dad had no choice but to take you inside. We were so confused that they sought advice from the Pope, who informed us that you and your team were involved in a fight." Judith pauses and gulps. "A fight that only you survived."

Nathan stiffens and stares at her, wide-eyed. He holds his breath and asks her again, unable to comprehend what she has just told him. It's as if his sister stabbed him in the chest, piercing his heart.

"What did you just say?" Nathan can't help but doubt his own hearing. "We were defeated? My friends are . . . They're all dead?"

His heart races inside his chest as his mind replays the memories he shared with them.

No, it can't be.

He stands up abruptly. "That's nonsense!"

Judith flinches at the sound of her brother's voice. She lowers her head yet again. "I'm sorry, but that's what I've heard."

Nathan shuffles toward her, a lump in his throat. "My friends are dead?" His voice is almost a whisper, as if it's about to break, like his heart.

Judith bites her lower lip. "I'm sorry." She wraps her arms around Nathan and sobs as if she can no longer contain her emotions. "I'm deeply sorry for your loss, brother. But I really missed you. You could call me selfish, but I was relieved to see you again. I'm so glad you're still alive."

Nathan clenches his teeth, fighting back tears that threaten to fall. He wishes he could wrap his arms around her sister, comfort her, and tell her how much he misses her, but his arms remain useless at his sides. He can't accept this reality. He can't accept the fact that his comrades have died. He won't believe her words. Because if he does, they might become real, and he knows that everything that is happening right now isn't real. He won't believe anything until he hears it from the Order itself.

Kara, Sunshine, and Raia can't be dead. They can't die just like that.

Nathan knows his comrades are strong, and they can't be dead if he's still alive. If Nathan is still alive, his team must be as well. Because he believes they are as tough as he is.

"They might look like a bunch of weaklings," Nathan mumbles, and Judith stops sobbing. "But my comrades are tough. My . . . friends are tough."

Judith bites her lower lip and hugs him tight, burying her wet face in his chest, close enough to hear the man's heart pounding.

Nathan takes a deep breath and opens his mouth to say something, but Judith speaks first.

"The Pope also said you could stay here again now that you're no longer an Aragon," Judith says.

Nathan freezes as a wave of dread sweeps over him. Judith has unintentionally thrust another blade into his chest.

He pulls away from her and looks her in the eyes."What? I'm no longer an Aragon? What do you mean by that?"

He reaches out a hand and touches his left ear without waiting for a response. No earring. Panic grips him as he searches his other ear, which is also devoid of such jewelry.

His Blessing is gone.

He rushes over to the bed and rummages around, scattering the sheets and pillows and even searching through his uniform. But the silver cross earring is nowhere to be found.

He looks at Judith. "Have you seen my earring? A silver cross one?"

Judith shakes her head. "Brother, the Church said your weapon was destroyed, which is why you can no longer be an Aragon."

A sense of dread washes over Nathan. He feels as if his sister slapped him across the face. He's lost not only his friends but also the only thing that connects him to his God.

Nathan has lost the mark of Azarios. He's no longer a worthy disciple.

He opens his mouth, but no words escape, so he closes it again. When he looks down at his uniform on the floor, his jaw tightens. He gulps back his tears and digs his fingernails into his palms to keep himself from trembling. Why is this happening to him? Did he fail Azarios?

Nathan begins to doubt himself. Is everything I have done for him not enough that I have to suffer?

No, Nathan shakes his head. Azarios can't fail me because I've never failed him.

Regardless of how much this breaks Nathan's heart, he must remind himself not to believe everything his sister has told him. He at least wants to convince himself that the angels and the Light are still with him at this time. Because they have to. Because if they aren't, the Light is the one who failed him.

"You're lying," Nathan whispers, staring at the marble floor. His chest rises and falls as pain strangles his frail heart. "You're lying! Maybe this is just retaliation for what I did to the family. You're telling me lies as a way of punishing me for leaving you."

Judith's body goes rigid. She chews her lower lip to prevent more tears from falling. "Brother . . . " Her voice falters when they hear footsteps growing closer. Judith moves away from the door on instinct.

Nathan keeps his gaze fixed on the floor even as the door creaks open and their parents enter. Their mother marches up to him and comes to a halt a few feet away from him. She's only an inch smaller than her son. She wears a blue dress coat and has shoulder-length copper hair. Her intimidating raven eyes sit beneath her arched brows, fitting her menacing appearance.

"Mother," Nathan says in a flat voice as he lifts his head. His mother stares at him.

Someone clears his throat. Nathan's gaze shifts to the man leaning against the door.

"Father," Nathan speaks in the same tone of voice, returning his father's cold gaze.

His father is a tall man with a sturdy, muscular physique. He has slicked-back red hair and a goatee. He's dressed in a beige trench coat and trousers. His arms are folded across his chest and his rugged features were drawn into a troubled frown. Unlike the rest of the family, his eyes are brown hazel.

Nathan still remembers how his father revoked his badge and title as a Farquharson. He didn't force Nathan to leave, but he also didn't give him much of a choice.

"Nathaniel Boaz Farquharson," his father speaks in a deep voice. "After losing your title as one of the world's so-called heroes, are you now attempting to reclaim your name as a Farquharson?" He snorts and leans out the doorway. "Is that why you've come here? To become a part of a family you didn't think twice about leaving?"

Nathan's jaw clenches as he stares at his father with unblinking eyes. He will not cower in the face of his unsettling gaze.

***

Sunshine's eyes flutter open, and she finds herself in the middle of a vast land shrouded in mist. The thick silver vapor obscures her vision, and the only sound she can hear is a whistling wind. She quivers as coldness seeps through her coat and into her flesh.

Where am I?

Her hand is clutching something cold and solid, something that is sucking mana from her. She frowns and looks down at her hand, where a gleaming longbow greets her gaze.

"Ciana?" she says, her voice croak and loud in the silence. She closes her eyes and thinks back on what happened before she came here.

She recalls riding in a carriage when, for some reason, the horses began behaving aggressively, resulting in an accident. There was a girl who looked like a doll. A scary one. But as she summoned her Blessing, something hard struck the back of her head, knocking her out. And now she's in an isolated area, surrounded by mist. She has no idea how she got here or why she is holding her weapon. Is she in the midst of a fight? Where is her team?

She takes a deep breath and yells out their names. "Kara! Raia! Stupid Nathan!"

But all she gets is silence.

"Dammit! Where are they? What is this place?" she mutters under her breath, her lips pursed.

Did they abandon me? She shakes her head immediately after having that thought.

"No, they wouldn't do that," she murmurs. "Don't tell me we're defeated?"

She can't help but be concerned. They've just fought two Cimmerians, so she's aware that Raiden and Nathan's mana hasn't fully replenished, and they might not last more than a half-hour in a fight. Raia, on the other hand, is currently unconscious. And knowing Sunshine had been hit from behind, it is clear that the doll-like demon wasn't alone.

"No," Sunshine says, shaking her head, refusing to accept her notion. "They're fine. I shouldn't be concerned, and I shouldn't underestimate them."

The coldness intensifies and she shivers, wrapping one arm around herself and rubbing her skin to warm up.

It's freaking cold, despite wearing this thick clothing, she thinks, referring to her uniform.

She purses her lips and trudges blindly through the mist, clutching her weapon tightly. "Maybe I'm in Frozen Land? Or am I dead already? Maybe this is the Elysium."

She gulps. Now that she thinks about it, didn't she just die? She was knocked out in the presence of a threatening being. Maybe that doll-like girl isn't alone.

Sunshine shakes her head frantically, pushing the thoughts away.

That's impossible, she thinks, wanting to laugh at her own foolishness. She keeps having strange thoughts that make her want to slap herself. But what is she doing here, and what is she doing with her longbow right now?

Her face hardens, and she looks around in alarm. She can't let her guard down; there's a reason she summoned her Blessing in the first place.

A powerful gust of wind blows, accompanied by a deafening howl. She grimaces and closes her eyes as she waits for the wind to die down, clutching her skirt to keep it from blowing up.

She blinks open her eyes when the wind has finally shushed. The mist around her has dissipated, and she can now see her surroundings. She's in the middle of a vast expanse of grassland. The sun shines brightly in the clear blue sky, bathing the green field with its warm rays. The wind blows with gentleness, inviting the grasses to sway as it sweeps across them. At this precise moment, Sunshine can only think of one thing.

Peace.

It's so peaceful. Nothing feels perilous or suggests a recent threat. Except for the odd mist from earlier. Sunshine, on the other hand, is in the land of tranquillity at the moment, a priceless experience she has never had before.

Maybe she's in the Elysium after all.

I died, how pitiful. I haven't even successfully made a contract yet. Does this mean I lost to Nathan? How annoying!

But everything comes to a halt when she looks down. Two people in long coats are crumpled on the grassy ground a few feet away from her. One of them is a woman with long white-blonde hair. Next to her is a man with raven hair, a pointed beard, and a mustache framing his jawline.

Her mother and father.

Half of their faces are stained with black.

Tainted. Her parents are tainted.

Sunshine lets out a shrill scream. Her knees buckle. She sags to the ground and stares open-mouthed at the two people, both of whom are supposed to be dead.

"It can't be," she gasps, her voice trembling with disbelief.

She clenches her fists and realizes she's still holding her Blessing in her hands. Her eyes dilate with horror as she stares at the gleaming weapon, the sound of her heart pounding loud in her ears.

Her parents are tainted; therefore they are now weapons of the Darkness, and she is an Aragon, a disciple of the God of Light.

Dread creeps over her when they rise to their feet, their faces expressionless. Sunshine staggers backward, her hands trembling. She is once again put in a situation where she must purify her beloved parents. She must raise her weapon and kill them a second time.

***

Raiden opens his eyes, but he still sees the same thing.

Blackness.

He's in the same dream as before, falling endlessly and slowly into perpetual darkness. A never-ending abyss. He blinks, then reaches out a hand, hoping to touch something solid, but he only meets empty air-just like before. Disappointed, he lets his arms dangle limply at his sides and stares at nothing. He closes his eyes and listens to the deafening silence that becomes a lullaby for him in this black void of space.

Darkness. Silence. He can't even hear her heartbeat or his own breathing. Is he still alive?

After what seemed like an eternity, Raiden hears a faint sound . . . No. He can hear a faint voice calling his name.

"Raiden."

He opens his eyes and listens. The voice has stopped speaking, and he is back to hearing the same silence. He's still falling, and he knows that if he doesn't wake up from this supposed dream, he'll keep falling deeper and deeper into this eternal emptiness.

Let me wake up already, he thinks. His feet yearn to touch down on something solid, and his eyes yearn to see something vibrant. Light. He needs light to guide him through this darkness.

"Raiden."

There's that voice again, but Raiden can hear it clearly this time. It sounds so close to him, but he can't pinpoint the source. But there is one thing that he finds strange: the voice sounds all too familiar.

It's his voice.

"Raiden."

This time, it is spoken in hushed tones because the speaker is hovering over him, right in front of his eyes.

Raiden is looking at himself.

A mirror?

At first, he believes he is looking in the mirror, but nothing in front of him reflects his current appearance. Raiden is aware of his perplexed expression, but the image in front of him shows him otherwise. The Raiden above him wears a soft smile that matches the gentleness of his golden eyes. He's clad in a long pale blue robe over a white cloak. His waist is cinched with a black sash belt.

A warm glow of light surrounds him, radiating from his body as if it were a part of him and purposefully making him sparkle in the midst of the darkness. This other person exudes a completely different aura than Raiden.

"So pure," Raiden breathes, dumbfounded.

His reflection is like a completely different person. He's not even sure if Raiden is looking at himself at all. He has no idea what's going on. Is this even his reflection? Why is there a second him in this place? Perhaps he has already lost his mind and is hallucinating. Everything around here could be a mere figment of his imagination.

Nonetheless, he is relieved. He's no longer alone.

"Who are you?" Raiden asks when he has finally found his voice.

His reflection simply smiles at him.

Raiden frowns. Something is odd. He feels like a feather, light and weightless, and time seems to stop. It's as if he's floating in the water, but without the sensation of water on his skin. His jaw almost drops when he realizes he's no longer falling. He's suspended in midair as if he's being held up by something intangible. They're both floating, but Raiden remains horizontal in the air, staring at his reflection.

It's not even a mirror, so he's not my reflection.

The Raiden above pulls something from his cloak, revealing a red rose with two leaves on either side of its stem. It's the same flower Raiden saw in his previous dream, but the stem is thornless this time. He shifts his gaze away from the rose and toward his duplicate, whose face still bears a gentle smile. He extends his hand to Raiden, offering him the flower.

Raiden takes it from him, a puzzled expression on his face.

"Don't be afraid, Raiden," his replica says, his voice deep and mellow, it's soothing and comforting. "Continue to explore this new life of yours until you find out who you want to be. Let go of your nonexistent past. Find yourself, little fellow."

Before Raiden can respond, the invisible wings supporting him vanish and he plummets, feeling the weightlessness of free fall. He screams and stretches out his hand, attempting to reach his replica, but the young man remains suspended in the air above him. He can barely see him now - he's nothing more than a faint light miles away, like the only star in the dark sky.

"Who are you?" Raiden whispers, unsure whether the question is directed at himself or the one above.

He falls deeper and deeper, and the light above him dims and dims until he is once again engulfed by darkness.

"Kara!"

Raiden's eyelids pop open, and a pair of amber eyes behind rimless rectangle glasses greets him.

"Bishop Galbraith?" Raiden blurts out, confused.

Cyrus blinks, then his face softens into a smile. "You're awake."

Raiden creases his forehead. He stands up, and his bed creaks. The white blanket around him falls, exposing his upper body. He's dressed in a loose black shirt and has bandages all over his body. He lifts his head to survey his surroundings. A large room with gray cement walls, rows of empty white beds, and no windows.

They're in the headquarters' infirmary.

Raiden narrows his eyes and regards Cyrus with a quizzical look. "What happened? Why am I here?"

Cyrus straightens his back and adjusts his glasses. He's dressed in his Bishop attire, and his caramel hair has grown to a small length, falling above his round brows and reaching the nape of his neck.

Something's off.

"How long have I been sleeping?" Raiden asks.

Cyrus averts his eyes. "Almost a month."

Raiden's eyes grow wide. His body tingles as a rush of adrenaline rushes through it.

"Almost a month?" he blurts out with a look of disbelief.

When a memory rushes back at him like a tidal wave, his heart skips a beat. His team was involved in a car accident. A strange girl descended from above and assaulted him. He didn't even have time to call on his Blessing. What happened to Raia? He was carrying her at the time. What about Nathan and Sunshine?

Raiden's heartbeat quickens as he scans the room for familiar faces, but he and Cyrus are the only ones there.

"Where are the others?" he asks, alarmed.

Cyrus frowns. "Others?"

Raiden's face flushes as he vents his frustration at Cyrus. "The others! Raia, Nathan, and Sunshine. Jeez!"

Raiden's patience has worn thin. He's been dormant for nearly a month, and his comrades are nowhere to be found. They may have awoken earlier than him, but Raiden must still ensure that they are in good shape. He must confirm that nothing bad happened to them.

Cyrus stares at him with narrowed eyes. He lowers his head. "So you don't remember."

"I don't remember what?"

Cyrus raises his head and meets his gaze, an indescribable expression on his face. "You had to kill them because they were tainted."