It was bright.
Too bright.
There was no pain.
No shock.
Just...
Empty.
It didn't feel like waking up.
It felt like… being put back together.
Haruto couldn't tell how much time had passed.
Or if time even existed where he was.
There was no ground.
No sky.
Just a dim, endless space that didn't seem to go anywhere.
"…yeah," he muttered.
"…this is new."
His voice echoed.
But not far.
Like the space didn't care enough to carry it.
He looked down at his hands.
Still there.
Still solid.
"…so I'm not gone yet," he said quietly.
For a moment—
nothing happened.
Then something moved.
Not in front of him.
Not behind him.
Around him.
Like the space itself shifted slightly.
Haruto frowned.
"…you're here, right?"
No answer.
But the feeling didn't go away.
"…figured."
He exhaled slowly.
Then started walking.
There was no direction.
No destination.
But standing still felt worse.
"…Sakura…"
He said her name without thinking.
And that's when it happened.
A flicker.
Far ahead.
Haruto stopped.
"…wait."
Something appeared.
Faint.
Unstable.
A figure.
He stepped forward immediately.
"…Sakura?"
The image sharpened for just a second.
It was her.
Standing in a field he didn't recognize.
Bright.
Peaceful.
Too peaceful.
She was smiling.
Haruto's chest tightened.
"…hey," he said, stepping closer.
"…can you hear me?"
No reaction.
She didn't look at him.
Didn't move toward him.
She just… stood there.
Like he wasn't part of that world.
"…yeah," he muttered.
"…of course."
He kept walking anyway.
Faster this time.
The distance didn't change.
"…don't do that," he said under his breath.
"…don't show me something I can't reach."
The image flickered again.
For a moment—
her expression changed.
Not fully.
Just slightly.
Like she felt something.
Haruto stopped.
"…Sakura?"
Her head tilted.
Just a little.
Not toward him.
But… not away either.
Then—
the image shattered.
Gone.
Silence returned instantly.
Haruto stood there.
Not moving.
"…right," he said quietly.
His hand lowered slowly.
He didn't remember raising it.
"…you're already somewhere else."
"HEY."
Haruto flinched slightly.
"…what?"
"YOU LOOK LIKE YOU JUST GOT DUMPED."
He blinked.
Then looked down.
A goat was staring at him.
"…I'm sorry," Haruto said slowly.
"…what?"
The goat stomped one of its foot..or hooves in this peculiar situation.
"I SAID YOU LOOK SAD."
"…you don't have to yell."
"I DO ACTUALLY. YOU WEREN'T RESPONDING."
Haruto stared at it for a second.
"…this is a lot to process," he muttered.
"OH GOOD, YOU'RE TALKING NOW."
The goat walked in a small circle around him.
Looking him up and down.
"YOU'RE A HUMAN, RIGHT?"
"…yeah."
"YOU LOOK WORSE THAN I EXPECTED."
"…thanks."
A pause.
"…why are you talking?" Haruto asked.
The goat stopped.
Then tilted its head.
"…why AREN'T you screaming?"
Haruto thought about that.
"…I think I'm past that point."
"…wow," the goat said.
"THAT'S ACTUALLY KIND OF CONCERNING."
"…I'll keep that in mind."
Silence settled again.
But it wasn't empty this time.
Haruto glanced forward.
Where Sakura had been.
"…you saw that too?" he asked.
The goat followed his gaze.
"…the girl?"
Haruto's expression shifted slightly.
"…yeah."
A pause.
"…you couldn't reach her," the goat said.
"…obviously."
"…that sucks."
"…yeah."
Another pause.
"…are you gonna cry?"
Haruto looked at it.
Flat.
"…no."
"…okay, just checking."
The goat sat down.
Like this was normal.
"…what's your name?" Haruto asked.
"BELIAL."
"…of course it is."
"WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?"
"…nothing."
Haruto looked ahead again.
"…Belial," he said after a moment.
"YEAH?"
"…do you know what this place is?"
A pause.
The goat didn't answer immediately.
Then—
for the first time—
its voice lowered slightly.
"…not really."
Silence.
"…but something's watching," Belial added.
Haruto didn't react outwardly.
"…yeah," he said quietly.
"…I noticed."
The space around them felt still.
Too still.
Like something was waiting for the next move.
Haruto exhaled slowly.
"…guess we're not done yet."
Nothing answered.
But the space didn't stay the same.
It shifted.
Not visibly.
Just enough for Haruto to notice something was… off.
"…hey," Belial said.
Haruto didn't look at him.
"…yeah."
"…you're still there, right?"
Haruto frowned slightly.
"…what kind of question is that?"
The goat didn't reply immediately.
"…you looked like…."
A pause.
Haruto blinked once.
Then looked down at his hand again.
Still there.
Still solid.
But—
He flexed his fingers.
Something felt delayed.
Not physically.
Just… slightly out of sync.
"…that's new," he muttered.
Belial stood up.
"…yeah. I don't think that's supposed to happen."
Haruto didn't answer.
His gaze drifted forward.
The place where Sakura had been.
Empty now.
Completely.
"…say her name again," Belial said.
Haruto's eyes shifted slightly.
"…why?"
"JUST DO IT."
A pause.
"…Sakura."
Nothing happened.
No flicker.
No distortion.
No reaction at all.
The space remained still.
Too still.
Belial clicked his tongue.
"…okay, that's worse."
"…what is?"
"…before, something responded."
The goat looked around.
Slowly.
"…now it's pretending nothing was there at all."
Haruto didn't speak.
"…so?" he asked after a moment.
Belial looked at him.
"…so either that was never real—"
A pause.
"…or something decided you weren't allowed to see it twice."
Silence.
Haruto lowered his gaze slightly.
"…makes sense."
"NO, IT DOESN'T."
"…it does."
He turned his hand over.
Watching it carefully.
"…if this place is choosing what I can and can't see…"
A pause.
"…then it already decided something about me."
Belial didn't joke this time.
"…yeah."
Haruto exhaled quietly.
"…then I don't need to guess anymore."
"…about what?"
A small pause.
"…I'm not supposed to be here."
The space didn't react.
But the stillness deepened.
Like something had settled into place.
Belial stared at him.
"…you're taking that really well."
"…not really."
Haruto lowered his hand.
"…I just don't see the point in panicking."
A pause.
"…doesn't change anything."
Belial was quiet.
Then:
"…you're weird."
"…I've been told that."
Silence returned.
But this time—
it felt heavier.
Not empty.
Not waiting.
Just… observing.
Haruto looked forward again.
At nothing.
"…we're moving, right?" he asked.
Belial blinked.
"…moving where?"
Haruto didn't hesitate.
"…somewhere that actually reacts."
A pause.
Then—
for the first time—
Belial grinned slightly.
"…yeah."
"GOOD IDEA."
The space ahead didn't open.
Didn't change.
But—
it felt like it could.
And that was enough.
Haruto took a step forward.
And this time—
the space noticed.