Elena entered her home. As always, it greeted her—it understood her, for it was a part of her.
She didn't utter a single word. She simply gestured that she wanted to sleep, to escape the shards of images, memories, and pain. A door opened in the wall, leading to a familiar room: Ryo's room... a perfect simulation.
She entered slowly, weighed down by despair. Her breath was ragged, and her heart beat so violently it felt as though her body could no longer contain it. The moment she stepped inside, she collapsed into tears, addressing her home, which she had named "Zill":
"Zill… even his scent, you haven't let it fade."
Her voice broke as she ran a trembling hand over the dark brown walls, the black curtains embroidered with beige, and the bookshelves lined with titles on management, psychology, and fantasy novels. Everything was exactly as it had been... unchanged. Even the bed, with its blue and white sheets.
Slowly, she opened his wardrobe. Everything was still there—the grays, blacks, beiges, and whites. His favorite colors. And his scent.
She gasped, then collapsed again, sobbing: "Life without him is impossible."
Her words scattered with her tears. She felt trapped, with no way out. She could tell no one what she had seen. She was utterly alone. Dragging herself with heavy steps toward the bed, she threw herself upon it and buried her face in the pillow, inhaling Ryo's scent… just as it was, timeless and unchanged.
Finally, after long moments of weeping, she surrendered to sleep. Her mind sank under the weight of countless questions, and her dreams drowned in sorrow.
The long night finally faded, and dawn began to creep slowly over Azaveria. Elena was submerged in a deep, heavy sleep, burdened by dreams and grief. Her body seemed yielded to the mattress, seeking a healing that would not come.
Then, suddenly… the voice.
That voice she knew so well:
"Elena! Elena! Where are you? Come here! Are you still as tasteless as ever? But tell me… help me choose an outfit. I have a meeting with the food investors in a bit… what do you think?"
She gasped and her eyes snapped open in shock; her breath quickened and her heart hammered against her ribs. She looked ahead…
And there he was.
Ryo, standing by the wardrobe, wearing that smile that resembled the waves of the sea, looking at her as if nothing had happened. She leaped from the bed as if escaping a consuming fire and rushed toward him, wanting to embrace him… to never let him go. She held him tightly, her hands trembling on the verge of tears.
"You're alive…" she whispered, her voice cracking, her eyes searching every detail of his face—even the finest lines.
But he only smiled and said: "Come on, where are you? Still in the kitchen? Haven't you tired of smoked salmon yet? Hurry up."
Then another voice… her own voice, coming from behind, filled with light mockery: "And why would a man of such 'refined taste' want the opinion of a woman with none, according to him?"
Elena froze. She turned slowly… and there she was. Her other self, standing in the corner, a faint smile on her lips. Slowly, her mind began to grasp the truth…
This wasn't real.
She breathed slowly and whispered: "Zill… what is this?"
Zill's calm voice answered: "Elena, I saw the depth of your grief. You were never like this. So, I created a simulation… a happy memory with Ryo. Do you remember his first meeting with the investors? The day he proved to his parents that he was trustworthy, that he deserved to be the heir to the family business? You were happy that day. I thought a happy memory might give you hope… and keep you from giving up."
Elena fell silent, a strange mixture of gratitude and pain swirling within her. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and said firmly: "Thank you. But Zill… that dream—"
Shadow's voice interrupted her quickly: "Elena, what you saw might not be an ordinary dream. It could be the whispers of the Ithariun. Invisible beings… their voices are heard in dreams. What they show you is the truth… or a large part of it."
Elena froze, her eyes widening as everything became clear in one sharp moment. She screamed with all her might: "I must go! Ryo is dying… I have to save him!"
Elena bolted out of her house, her heart pounding violently, her breath quickening as if she were racing against time itself. Everything she had seen in the visions of the Nizariun was real… or at least, it felt that way. She found herself wondering about those worlds, those universes she had suddenly become entangled in.
She stopped mid-path, lost, her eyes darting in a void of confusion. Then, a sudden thought struck her:
Sinyatha.
She had to reach her. There was no more time to wait. Gathering her strength, she focused, releasing soft, transparent pulses of light—silent signals carrying a single message: I need to see you, Sinyatha.
She struggled to stabilize her energy, muttering bitterly: "Phones… wouldn't they be simpler?"
The reply came, calm and apologetic: "I am at work now. You can come for a few moments if you wish." Sinyatha then sent the resonant coordinates of her workplace.
Elena followed them immediately.
The site was hidden deep within a dense forest, its trees so tightly interwoven they felt suffocating. But the deeper she went, the stranger the place became. Laboratories… hidden facilities… structures resembling living cells. The place felt alive, breathing around her.
She turned, searching with her eyes… until she finally found her.
Sinyatha was standing among a group of people who looked much like her: red hair, elegant clothes, appearing as if they were at a sophisticated gathering. Elena hesitated. How could she penetrate this world? Where would she even begin?
But Sinyatha raised her hand in the Azaverian salute, inviting Elena forward. She was explaining to her colleagues—the developers—new ways to engineer living cells to enhance human vitality and combat disease.
Then, she turned slowly toward Elena, offered a warm smile, and closed her eyes for a moment. "Welcome."
Elena quickly signaled that she wanted to speak in private. Sinyatha excused herself from the group and stepped away with her to a quieter spot. Her voice was laced with concern: "What is it, Elena? You've worried me."
Elena took a deep breath and said in a steady, urgent voice: "I need your help with something very important. But before I speak… promise me you won't tell anyone."
Sinyatha smiled gently: "Do you ask this of me as a friend… or as the King's daughter?"
Elena frowned: "What's the difference? I am only asking you… to forget my title."
Sinyatha laughed softly: "The difference is vast. As a friend, I might share the matter with someone else for your sake. But as a Princess… I will remain silent, even if I had to watch you die."
Elena fell silent for a moment, memories flashing in her eyes. Then she said quietly: "Do what you see fit." After a pause, she added: "I heard you talking about developing living cells… why do you give this power to humans?"
Sinyatha's voice grew heavy with regret: "Because we exchange knowledge and technology with them… in return for only one thing: the sunlight that filters down to the Earth."
Elena whispered: "I wonder… have you developed anything for burns? Burns that consume the entire body… and lead to death?"
Sinyatha nodded: "Yes. Years ago."
Elena gasped: "Did you give it to the humans? Is it available?"
Sinyatha smiled bitterly: "We delivered it years ago… but no, it is not available to them. Human greed and vanity have locked it away."
Elena's eyes filled with tears as she whispered: "I want it."
"But Elena… I cannot—"
Elena interrupted her, her voice sharp and commanding: "As a Princess of Azaveria, I demand it."
Sinyatha sighed deeply: "Then… as you command, Princess."
She handed her a small device—a silver disk, vibrating as if it were alive. "Place it on the patient's body. Tap the center twice. It will release microscopic entities… and they will restore the body to its original state."
Then she asked softly: "But tell me… where are you going?"
Elena's voice broke with sorrow: "To Earth… I must save Ryo."