"Traveler, what's wrong?"
Seeing the terrified expression on Lumine's face, Paimon quickly flew in front of her, her voice filled with concern.
"Traveler, are you okay? Don't scare Paimon like this!"
"Your expression is so scary right now!"
"Did you have a nightmare last night?"
A dream?
Paimon's words jolted Lumine back to her senses.
That's right. Although I was trapped in a looping dream before, that was the Akademiya's doing.
In other words, what I just experienced was the dream I was supposed to have tonight anyway. It just happened to connect to the previous one.
Yes, that's it. That must be it.
Lumine let out a sigh of relief, and a smile returned to her face. She then turned to comfort the panicked Paimon.
Seeing how worried Paimon was, Lumine felt a warmth spread through her chest.
I'll treat Paimon to a big feast today as a reward.
When Lumine told Paimon her plan, Paimon erupted in excited cheers.
"Traveler, you're the best!"
"We're the bestest friends ever!"
Hearing Paimon's words, Lumine smiled again before leading her out of the room.
Dehya and Faruzan were resting in bed, having suffered some minor health issues.
Before Lumine arrived at Dr. Edward's room, the doctor had already examined both of them and prescribed medication.
Learning this, Lumine felt a sense of relief. The previous outcome had been too perfect—so perfect it felt utterly unreal. This situation, however, was exactly what she had initially expected.
"Dr. Edward, are Dehya and Madam Faruzan going to be okay?" Paimon asked worriedly.
"Miss Dehya is in relatively good health. She should be back to normal after a couple of days of rest."
"However, Miss Faruzan's body is somewhat weaker due to her long nights spent studying ancient texts."
"But don't worry. After taking my medicine, she'll make a full recovery within a week at most."
Hearing Dr. Edward's words, both Lumine and Paimon breathed a sigh of relief.
But soon, their mood grew heavy again. If even Dehya and Faruzan, who possessed Visions, were pushed to such limits, how were the ordinary people in the [Restricted Zone] faring?
Lumine and Paimon quickly left the Homayani household and hurried toward the [Restricted Zone].
As soon as they entered, a wave of sorrow washed over them.
The streets were sparsely populated, and every face they saw was etched with grief. Lumine and Paimon immediately realized their worst fears had come true.
Following the newly appointed administrator, they arrived at an open area where they saw a familiar green figure.
"Nahida?" Paimon exclaimed in surprise.
Lumine was equally shocked to see her there.
"You've arrived, Traveler and Paimon."
Hearing Paimon's call, Nahida slowly turned, her face filled with sorrow.
"This is our first true meeting, isn't it? I'm glad to finally meet you in the real world."
"We owe you our thanks for everything you've done. But... hundreds of people still died from mental exhaustion..."
"How could this happen...?"
Lumine and Paimon struggled to accept Nahida's words.
"Weren't they citizens of Sumeru? Why would the Akademiya do something like this?!" Paimon cried out.
At Paimon's words, expressions of intense fury appeared on the faces of everyone present.
"The Akademiya! It was all the Akademiya's doing!"
"Damn the Akademiya! They never intended to let us live!"
"If we don't avenge this, we'll never be able to face those who died!"
"Revenge! Revenge!"
-
"Everyone, calm down!"
Sensing the crowd's agitation, Paimon frantically tried to calm them down.
Just then, Nahida walked up to Lumine and spoke.
"Traveler, there's something I need your help with."
"I hope you can help me overthrow the Akademiya's regime. This time, I can no longer tolerate their actions!"
"Oh, and I'm sure you've already guessed—I'm Lesser Lord Kusanali, the one you've been searching for."
Lumine's body jolted violently at Nahida's words, and a cold sweat broke out on her forehead.
Her eyes were locked on Nahida's face, her body trembling slightly.
Nahida's words were almost identical to what she'd heard in her previous dream!
The realization sent a wave of terror through Lumine.
"Of course, I won't ask you to help for free," Nahida continued.
"I'll give you the answers you seek."
"I'll hold off Dottore for now. The rest is up to you."
With each word Nahida spoke, Lumine's trembling intensified. How could this scene be so similar to her dream?
A terrifying thought suddenly surfaced in Lumine's mind: What if she was still dreaming?!
What if all her efforts had only thrown her from one loop into another?
"Traveler, what's wrong?"
At Nahida's concerned question, Lumine shook her head, forcing herself to calm down.
I can't jump to conclusions yet. It might just be a coincidence.
Lumine decided to test her theory. She drew her Dull Blade, called out to Paimon, and charged toward the Akademiya...
-
Lumine's eyes snapped open. Staring at the familiar ceiling above, her spirit broke.
"Good morning, Traveler."
Paimon yawned as she flew toward Lumine.
But the next second, an incredibly terrifying aura erupted from Lumine, instantly sending Paimon flying.
"Traveler—"
Paimon clung desperately to the doorframe with both hands, barely managing to avoid being blown out of the room. She let out a miserable shriek.
The sudden shock completely jolted her awake.
"Traveler, what are you doing?! Stop—"
Lumine seemed utterly deaf to Paimon's pleas, instead channeling her Elemental Power to unleash an even more terrifying force.
Among the elements, her Dendro Elemental Power surged far beyond the others, reaching a level that could only be matched by the combined strength of her Anemo, Geo, and Electro abilities.
As Lumine pushed her power to its absolute limit, she finally felt herself touch the threshold of an Archon.
But her goal wasn't to increase her strength. It was to break free from this endless loop.
Unlike before, this loop belonged to her alone. To break it, she would have to find a way on her own.
Lumine's first idea was to push her power to its absolute limit, hoping to awaken herself through the resonance of her Elemental Power.
Crack!
Nearby, the immense force tore a gaping hole in space itself. After a moment's hesitation, Lumine leaped into the void.
Just as most of her body passed through, she felt her arm being yanked back. She whipped her head around to see what had caught her.
"Traveler, don't leave me!"
"Don't leave Paimon behind!"
Lumine stared in utter horror. It was Paimon, holding her back.
But this Paimon looked terrifyingly wrong. Her skin had turned a deathly gray and was covered in cracks, like an improperly fired porcelain doll.
"Traveler, aren't we best friends?"
"Why are you leaving Paimon?!"
Paimon's voice thundered in Lumine's ears, making her head buzz.
At that moment, Lumine felt herself being relentlessly pulled back by Paimon, her heart trembling violently.
Lumine stared at this Paimon, her face contorted with conflict.
Finally, Lumine steeled herself and swung her Dull Blade, slashing at the arms Paimon used to grip her.
A flash of crimson erupted. Lumine, still clutching Paimon's severed arms, plummeted into the pitch-black abyss below.
"Traveler..."
Paimon cried out again, her voice laced with urgency. Then, it twisted into something venomous.
"You can't escape!"
Lumine's eyes snapped open. She stared blankly at the familiar ceiling above, lost in a daze.
"Traveler, you're awake?"
Paimon yawned, floating over to Lumine's side, then chirped happily.
"Our memories are intact! Looks like we finally broke out of the loop!"
"This is great!"
Lumine didn't respond. Even now, she couldn't be sure if she had truly woken from the dream.
"What's wrong, Traveler?"
A small hand touched Lumine's forehead. She flinched, instinctively reaching for her Dull Blade, but managed to restrain herself.
"No fever..."
Paimon withdrew her hand, then stared in confusion at Lumine, who was still lying motionless on the bed.
"Alright, Traveler, get up! We still need to check on Dehya and Madam Faruzan."
Hearing Paimon's urging, Lumine hesitated for a moment before slowly sitting up.
She's right. To know if this is a dream, I have to go outside and verify it.
With that thought, Lumine led Paimon out the door.
The moment she stepped outside, however, Lumine froze, a wave of horror washing over her.
The ground before her was blood-red!
No, it's not the ground... it's... the sky!
Lumine looked up and easily saw the sun, glowing with a blood-red light, dominating most of the sky.
Not only that, but within the dazzling crimson were gray, decaying patches, like blemishes. Lumine recognized them instantly as Withering Zones, though they were far smaller than the ones she had seen with Dr. Edward.
Lumine couldn't help but stumble back two steps, bumping into something behind her.
"Ouch!"
Hearing Paimon's cry of pain, Lumine's mind finally snapped back to reality, and a look of utter despair washed over her face.
She felt like giving up. She had tried so many ways to escape, but nothing had worked. The things she was seeing were only growing more and more absurd.
With that thought, Lumine retreated back inside and shut the door.
She turned around, about to comfort Paimon, but when she saw her companion's appearance, her pupils constricted in horror.
Paimon's entire body was covered in cracks. Her eyes were unfocused, and a sinister, unstable aura radiated from her.
A shiver ran down Lumine's spine, a chill spreading through her entire body, raising goosebumps on her skin.
"Traveler!"
Paimon's unfocused eyes fixed on Lumine's grim face, and her lips twisted into a grotesque smile.
"I told you... you can't escape!"
-
Opening her eyes again, Lumine stared blankly at the ceiling. Though fully awake, she had no intention of getting out of bed, her body remaining completely still.
After an unknown amount of time, a rustling sound broke the silence in the room. Paimon flew toward Lumine, yawning widely.
"So sleepy!"
"I feel like I didn't sleep well at all last night."
"First, a Coconut Charcoal Cake to recharge!"
"I remember the Traveler put the food... Found it! Ehe!"
Listening to the constant chatter beside her and smelling the aroma of food, everything felt so real. Yet, none of it could stir Lumine's completely numb heart.
"So yummy!"
Soon, Paimon finished her snack, smacking her lips as if wanting more.
"Speaking of which, I think I did something big with the Traveler yesterday."
"Oh, right! I helped the Traveler save everyone!"
"Hehehe, the Traveler and I are so amazing!"
Finally recalling her previous actions, Paimon shamelessly sang her own praises.
But it was then that Paimon suddenly realized Lumine hadn't made a sound yet. She hurriedly flew over.
"Strange, how come the Traveler still isn't awake... AHHH!!!"
As Paimon muttered to herself, she suddenly saw Lumine lying in bed, staring straight at her with wide, unblinking eyes. Lumine didn't speak or move—it was utterly terrifying!
Paimon shrieked in fright, nearly plummeting to the floor.
"Traveler, why didn't you say you were awake?! You scared me half to death!"
Paimon patted her small chest, trying desperately to calm her wildly pounding heart.
Just then, Lumine finally moved. She sat up in bed, then, with lightning speed, delivered a massive slap across Paimon's face. The blow was so powerful it knocked Paimon senseless.
An unknown amount of time passed before Paimon's head began to clear.
The moment her head cleared, Paimon burst into tears.
"Traveler, what was that for?!"
Watching the wailing Paimon, Lumine felt a flicker of hope. She tremblingly sat up in bed, then rummaged through her Space Backpack until she found a Sweet Flower Chicken and offered it to Paimon.
Paimon sniffed the fragrant aroma, her resolve crumbling almost instantly.
"I forgive you!"
With that declaration, Paimon immediately began devouring the chicken, eating with gusto.
Seeing Paimon so easily bribed by a single Sweet Flower Chicken, a glimmer of light returned to Lumine's eyes, only to dim again moments later.
Even though this feels the most real so far, how can I be sure it isn't just another part of the dream?
Situations like this have happened before.
I can't tell... I really can't tell!