"Are you seriously saying we have to save Darian?" asked another member, his face hidden behind a mask, as he spoke to Vane.
They were seated in one of their hideout's common areas, which resembled a dimly lit bar. The mood was heavy, the air thick with unspoken tension.
Vane exhaled slowly, leaning back in his chair. "That's just my personal wish. But at this point... breaking him out seems impossible. That place is an agent headquarters. There's no way we're getting him out."
The masked man offered a suggestion, his voice calm but measured. "Maybe the only way to free him is tonight. They'll be busy with the Nexus Sapphire situation. We'd only need to deal with the agents stationed there. Besides, organizations like theirs don't have nearly as many members as the police divisions."
Vane's jaw tightened. "That's a good idea. But if that fool hadn't turned him into a test subject, we wouldn't be in this position," he said, casting a sharp, resentful glance toward Taylor, who was still studying data on Natsu's computer, oblivious—or indifferent—to the conversation.
The masked man stood, slipping his coat back on. With a subtle gesture, he opened a glowing portal, its edges crackling with faint energy. Before stepping through, he turned back and said, "It seems you have no choice but to try, as long as *he* remains the leader here."
He paused at the threshold. "Tonight, we'll see who gets the artifact—and who dies."
He then handed Vane a Blu-ray disc. On its front cover was a single word: *Azure*. Without another word, he stepped through the portal, which closed behind him with a soft hum.
Vane pulled the disc from its case, turning it over in his hands. *Seems I made the right choice calling him,* he thought. *He really is an excellent informant.*
He inserted the disc into a player. The screen flickered to life.
"Azure... Ariestal City's Water-type Gym Leader. He has explored the Shadow Sea, the Dream Sea, the Arthic Sea, the Time Sea, and the Darkness Sea."
Vane's eyes widened as the data scrolled across the screen. Then he saw it—Azure's age: 400 years.
*Four hundred years?* Vane stared in disbelief. *Is that real time or subjective time?* His mind raced. The Time Sea—it could have effects that de-aged a person, extended their lifespan, altered their experiences... something had to explain how someone who looked so young could possibly be four centuries old. He realized that in this world, nothing was truly impossible. A thought crept into his mind.
*Maybe if this mission fails... I'll go to the Time Sea myself.*
But then he remembered—coordinates in this world were never fixed. Chasing certainty was pointless. And that realization only deepened his frustration with Taylor's plan. They had sacrificed Darian just to gather data on the artifact, even though they already knew its abilities could vary depending on the user. And they still didn't understand *why* the user influenced the artifact in the first place.
---
Meanwhile, in another location—specifically, Alcetra City—Theo was making his way to the academy district. His goal: to determine how much had changed since the timelines had been merged.
After arriving via the Shadow Realm, he headed straight for the observation room. Inside, he found a young man in an academy uniform, black hair neatly combed. The young man was examining a pedestal—the very same kind that had once held a Blu-ray disc.
Theo's eyes narrowed. "Dragapult... come out."
From Theo's own shadow, Dragapult emerged silently, positioning itself directly behind the young man. The student turned around, revealing bright, fiery orange eyes. He raised his hand calmly, showing no sign of fear.
"I knew this would happen," the young man said. "You're here because the Blu-ray disc is missing, aren't you?"
Theo's voice was cold. "If you knew that, then you're definitely an esper."
The young man nodded. "That's right. But don't worry—I'm not your enemy. Besides, you came here to investigate the true impact of the merger, didn't you?"
Theo studied the young man's face. Something was familiar. The features reminded him of someone—Keith. He opened his mouth to ask, but the young man spoke first.
"If you're wondering who I am... I'm Keith. But I'm from a different reality. And I'm here for the same reason you are—to find out how far this merger can reach."
Theo realized immediately that this young man was important. He decided to get straight to the point.
"What do you know?"
Keith clasped his hands behind his back. "From what I've observed, two conditions have already occurred. First, a *Rewrite*—caused by the relic merging the timelines. Second, an *Extension*—because another timeline was integrated, everything has been expanded."
Theo pressed further. "And which condition do *you* fall under?"
Keith smiled faintly. "The first one. But I'm a special case—I've been an esper since my original timeline. I don't really care about the merger. Even if I've been rewritten, I can still recreate myself."
"Is there anything else you know?" Theo asked.
Keith tilted his head thoughtfully. "I doubt this is important to you, but the one most affected is my friend—a mage named Allen. He went through the merger, and because of the Rewrite, he became an esper. In my original timeline, he was a mage. Here... he's still a mage. But he's also become a woman."
Theo's eyes widened slightly. He realized then that the Rewrite was far more severe than the Extension. The changes ran deeper than he had anticipated.
Keith extended a hand. "Since we share the same goal, how about we work together? Besides, we don't have enough time to think this through forever."
Theo hesitated. "What guarantee do I have that I can trust you?"
Keith's smile didn't waver. "It's my destiny. And you know... espers can't run from their destiny."
After a long moment, Theo nodded. He reached out and shook Keith's hand.
"Alright. We'll work together."
Without another word, the two of them stepped into Dragapult's Shadow Realm, heading toward Ariestal City.
Back in the observation room, the clock on the wall ticked silently. The time now read 5:30 PM.
Time was drawing closer.