Peace and quiet wrapped around me.
A soft, steady rhythm pulsed through everything—
Like a distant drumbeat.
Slow.
Calm.
Comforting.
This bliss…
I knew it wouldn't last.
Soon, I'd have to wake up.
Soon…
…but not yet.
I'm taking a nap.
For once, I didn't feel like doing anything.
No urgency.
No pressure.
Just rest.
That alone made it rare.
Dreamless sleep still surrounded me, but—
Something was there.
Something large.
And yet…
Younger than me.
(I'm still a teenager… so younger than me must be the kids on the shuttle… right?)
"…Chuckle."
A deep sound rippled through everything.
Not from one direction—
From all directions.
I tried to open my eyes.
Nothing changed.
It was like something…
Didn't want me to wake up yet.
I moved to stretch—
Resistance.
Liquid.
Weightless.
Warm.
Like I was floating inside breathable water.
Currents shifted as I moved.
Strange…
…but kind of fun.
The chuckling came again.
Closer now.
Louder.
"What's so funny?" I asked.
"Multiple things…"
The voice was deep.
Ancient.
Soft.
"…but it has been a very long time since I've seen you like this."
A pause.
A sigh.
"It's… refreshing."
"?..?"
"Can I see you?" I asked.
"…You are not ready to comprehend who I am just yet."
The voice lowered slightly.
Almost… disappointed.
"…-…"
"…Maybe someday."
A softer tone.
"But not now."
"…^•^…"
Above me—
Something changed.
The endless garden—
Green.
Peaceful.
Was burning.
Red and blue flames crept inward from the edges.
Slowly consuming everything.
"I think I need to wake up now…"
I pouted slightly.
"How do I do that?"
"Simple."
A pause.
"…and difficult. Until you learn."
"Does that mean I can come back here?"
Hope crept into my voice.
"Yes."
"This is a Time Mind Link Space."
"You may return whenever you are in a safe state to do so."
Relief flooded through me.
"…Okay…"
A pause.
"…What do I call you?"
Silence.
It stretched.
Long enough to feel… strange.
I forced my eyes open.
Slowly.
Dark blue liquid surrounded me.
Blurry.
Distorted.
Above—
A massive shadow loomed beyond the surface.
I tried to focus.
Failed.
Something about him—
Familiar.
I looked down at myself.
Bad idea.
The world spun instantly.
"—Oh sh—"
"…Pfft…"
"…HAHAHA—!"
"HELP—I CAN'T STOP!"
—Different POV—
I watched her.
My Mistress.
Amnesiac.
Spinning.
Of all the outcomes I expected—
This was not one of them.
She was the one who named things.
Creations.
Concepts.
Beings.
Before…
She was forced back.
A fatal wound.
A forced regression.
Her body encased itself in layered crystal—
Returning her to infancy.
When it melts—
She returns.
But damage to those layers…
Means memory loss.
Thankfully—
That crystal is nearly indestructible.
Only one material can damage it.
An emerald-green ore.
Unnamed.
Rare beyond reason.
Impossible to craft—
Unless you are something more.
A Maker.
An Original.
Or something beyond even that.
I looked back at her.
Still spinning.
Faster now.
"HELP—I CAN'T STOP!"
"…BWAHAHAHA!"
I lost composure.
Completely.
My laughter shook the space itself.
Ripples surged through the liquid.
The shield trembled—
And she spun in new directions.
That only made it worse.
"He—lp meee!"
The darkness around us began to shift.
Brightening.
Something was wrong.
I raised my hands, pressing gently against the barrier.
The spinning stopped.
Her energy pulsed.
Unstable.
She clutched her head.
Trying to refocus.
Above—
The garden burned brighter.
Red.
White.
Blue.
Unnatural.
She looked up at me.
Eyes wide.
Focused again.
"Pretty."
"…That's new."
"What do you see?" I asked.
"Abyssal blue eyes…"
She smiled.
"They're really pretty."
"…Then that will do."
"That is what you may call me for now."
"Okay!"
She beamed.
"Are you Shadow Dragon Blue Eyes?"
"…No."
(…What?)
"I am stronger than a dragon."
A pause.
"You may rely on me."
(This time… I will find you before it's too late.)
"Is it time to wake up?" she asked.
"Something feels… wrong."
"…Yes."
"It is."
"Remember my name."
"I will come… if I can."
"…^w^…"
"Now close your eyes."
She obeyed.
I brought my hands together.
Lowered my head.
And breathed—
A focused burst of energy—
Directed.
Controlled.
To wake her.
Hopefully…
She could survive what was waiting.
—Back to Reality—
"WARNING!
WARNING!
HULL INTEGRITY COMPROMISED!"
Beep.
"SHIELDING OVERLOADED!"
Beep.
"UNKNOWN ENTITY DETECTED!
UNABLE TO ANALYZE!"
Beep.
"SYSTEM CRITICAL!
IMPLOSION IMMINENT!"
Beep.
"FAIL-SAFE FAILURE!
ESCAPE CAPSULE DETACHMENT—FAILED!"
"ARRRGH—! HOLD ON—! DEAL WITH THE PAIN—RIDE IT—!"
A male voice roared through the chaos.
Strained.
Desperate.
Trying to keep the younger ones from breaking.
"HEAT SHIELD FAILURE!
INCOMING SOLAR FLARES!"
"SHIELDS REDIRECTED!"
"ENGINE OVERLOAD!
FIRE DETECTED IN MULTIPLE SECTIONS!"
"LIFE SUPPORT FAILURE IMMINENT!"
—In Space—
A star burned.
Unstable.
From a distance—
It looked like a supernova.
But it wasn't natural.
A transport vessel—
Its signal fading—
Was caught at the edge.
Mist surrounded the quadrant—
Then collapsed inward.
Pulled.
Consumed.
The star fed on it.
Collapsed faster than possible.
Minutes—
Instead of years.
Becoming something else.
Something worse.
A black hole—
Forming in real time.
And at its edge—
At the Event Horizon—
The shuttle remained.
Not destroyed.
Not escaped.
Trapped.
Somewhere far worse than death.