𝕯𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖐 𝖋𝖗𝖔𝖒 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖋𝖔𝖚𝖓𝖙𝖆𝖎𝖓—𝕯𝖊𝖆𝖙𝖍'𝖘 𝖍𝖔𝖑𝖞 𝖜𝖆𝖙𝖊𝖗. 𝖂𝖆𝖙𝖈𝖍 𝖆𝖘 𝖞𝖔𝖚'𝖗𝖊 𝖕𝖚𝖙 𝖙𝖔 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖙𝖊𝖘𝖙

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"Tri-colour dango tastes good on a regular day. But when it's bought for you by other people, well—I'd say it tastes even better."

Thoma laughed. "And just where do you get your sense of taste from, Y/n?"

I offered a sly grin. "Oh, you know. Here. There. Everywhere. Inazuma is such a fascinating place. I can't help but pick things up." My smile faltered and I waved my dango stick out in front of me. "It's just a shame that my overseas studies as an exchange student will be over soon..."

"Can't you apply for a longer stay?"

I sighed a little. "No... I'd have to go back and talk it out with the Amurta's current sage." Thoma gave me an awkward smile, signalling he had no idea what I was talking about. "The biology section's leader," I explained.

Thoma nodded, then added with a smile, "You Sumeru people have a very confusing system."

"It's not confusing if you study it, idiot," I said with a teasing tone, gently pushing my finger against the bridge of his nose—a little playful gesture that had become our thing.

"Hey!" he protested—either at the gesture, nickname, or quite possibly both—even as his eyes gleamed with amusement. He settled, the gleam fading slightly as he added, "In all seriousness, I'm... I'm going to be sad to see you go, Y/n." He chewed on his lip, clutching the dango in his hands as if unsure of what to say next.

"I know I said my education is important to me but... I don't know if I want to leave now... now that I've met you." I watched as colour blossomed on his cheeks and I revelled in his flustered expression. "You've been the one to guide me through this past year in Inazuma—always there for me when I needed help. I'm gonna miss you, buddy." I punched him lightly in the arm as I said that.

"Ow! Well, that sentiment doesn't really shine through in your gestures."

I laughed as I watched him rub his arm, trying to look mad but only making himself look cuter in the process. I quickly finished the last of my dango, tossing the wooden stick into the nearby bin, before standing and offering a hand out to my friend. "Come. Let's go do something special."

Thoma took my hand without hesitation, as he often did. It had surprised me at first—how he trusted me like no one else had. Of course, this worked in my favour, as it paved the way for the best of pranks—or the best of moments. I smiled as I interlocked our fingers. Our final moments together would be our best.

I pulled him to his feet as he somehow gracefully ate the last of his dango, dropping the stick in the bin as I hauled him passed. On we ran, a pair of young people temporarily freed from life's stresses in each other's company, laughing as if we had not a care in the world.

As we made it to the outskirts of Inazuma City, our pace slowed to a walk as we were presented with the peacefulness of nature. I heaved another laugh as I smiled at him, out of breath.

Thoma smiled back as he ran a hand through his hair, brushing his fringe out of his face. "And where, pray tell, is this fair lady that now holds tightly to my hand taking me?"

"On an adventure!" I replied, again tapping him on the nose. No, I did not have a particular destination in mind—until I saw it. The slime balloon in the distance escorted by a small entourage of Hilichurls. I grinned at Thoma. "Wanna go see what they're up to?"

"You mean... sabotage the slime balloon?"

I nodded, my grin turning feral. "Race you there!" I shouted excitedly, my hand slipping out of his grasp as I sprinted.

"Hey, no fair!"

It didn't take the Hilichurls long to notice my presence. As the Hilichurl Shooters aimed, I cartwheeled in bizarre patterns, making it hard for them to strike me. As I moved fluidly between them as if in a dance, my Electro Catalyst worked its way around them like a long purple ribbon, stunning them long enough for Thoma to appear with the final blow. As Pyro met Electro, the Hilichurls were blown into the air, the slime balloon halting as it broke down.

I met Thoma's expression with a crazed smile. It had been a while since I had fought, but it was the same as ever, wielding Electro like a dancer's ribbon. His stern gaze softened as he met mine—saw the happiness within it. "Still as insane with your Vision as ever."

I laughed. "We make a good duo, dancing around the battlefield like that."

"Only you could see this all as a dance."

"It's more fun that way." I then motioned to the slime balloon. "Let's check it out." He nodded and followed me, watching me rummage around its contents. "What could the Hilichurls be transporting this time..." I muttered to no one in particular.

"Y/n, here." I looked up as Thoma passed me something—a stone tablet with some unintelligible markings on it. Or so it would seem. "This seems to be an object of interest." He laughed a little. "At least, that's how you Akademiya people say it, right?"

I looked up at him and smirked. "Little late to pretend to be smart, Thoma."

He pouted, feigning hurt. "Rude."

I tapped his nose in response, letting him know I didn't really mean it, to which he gripped my hand and rubbed his fingers against mine in reply. I kept my eyes trained on the stone tablet, trying to make out the writing practically scribbled all over it—not that I would be able to read it anyway, I realised. I was not fluent in Hilichurlian. No way I could decipher anything on this tablet.

I turned it, looking at the thing from different angles, before I noticed something. "Hey, Thoma, look at this." He stopped rummaging through the balloon's contents to look over my shoulder. "Doesn't this look kind of like... a map?"

His gaze flittered all over the tablet, before he replied, "Yeah... That's Ritou over there." He pointed, then traced his finger down the main road that led to—"Inazuma City."

"What do you think the map's for?"

"Well... they were following this road here," he said, running his finger along another line, leading to what looked like some sort of peak. Mount Yougou. His finger stopped on a particular marking. "This looks like... a marker of some sort. Maybe they were following the map here."

"Then let's follow it instead!" I said, eyes brightening up. "One final adventure before I return to the books of the Akademiya!"

Thoma's gaze met mine and he lowered his hand. There was something serious in his eyes that made my smile falter. "Are you sure?"

"What do you mean? Of course, I'm sure! I—"

"Mount Yougou is dangerous, Y/n. You've never been—you wouldn't know as I do. You are on another level of insanity, of course"—I offered a wry smile at the subtle jab—"so this isn't out of character. So am I. I'd follow you anywhere—but only if you know the risks."

".. Of course, I know the risks, Thoma. Every researcher has to weigh the outcomes before starting anything remotely reckless." His mouth twitched to the side in contemplation, likely weighing not only the risks but also my words. "You believe me... don't you, Thoma?"

He loosed a small sigh and nodded, a tiny crescent on his lips. "I believe you. Let's go."

I extended my hand to him, which he grasped tightly. I could feel the worry in his gaze, the protectiveness in his hold—all things I had seen before but not... not from him. Not like this. "Lead the way?" I said, offering what little control I could grant him over the situation in an attempt to make him feel at least slightly more at ease.

He nodded, his hold growing firmer as he led me down the path the slime balloon was to take. Every now and then, I glimpsed at the stone tablet, commenting on our trajectory and direction—to which he would listen closely every time, weighing my remarks. I found myself marvelling at it—not at the way he processed my comments but at the way he listened carefully to every one of them. I had given him the control and authority to dismiss everything I said—which is what I thought he would do given how seriously he took the situation—but he would not. He listened. Closely. Every time.

A smile crept onto my face as I looked at him, his gaze cast forward onto our surroundings. And I came to a realisation. It was a given that I would miss Inazuma once I left for Sumeru—the culture, the food, the nature—but out of all those wonderful things... it would be him I missed the most. Thoma. My friend—and more.

"More than a friend..." I murmured to myself. Him to me? Or me to him? Or... both?

"What was that?" Thoma asked, turning his head to me.

"Huh? O—oh, nothing." Perhaps an investigation was in order. Did Thoma... love me?

"Ah... Never mind, we're here now."

I turned my gaze to look ahead, finding the entrance to a cave etched on the side of the mountain. "You think... whatever the Hilichurls were looking for... is in there?"

Thoma nodded. The cave was devoid of light, the shadows in the entrance darker than the blackest of black. They beckoned me inside—inside to the depths of the gloom. I dared a step forward, as if being pulled towards it, curiosity overtaking my being. The shadows and the silence... called to me. Come inside, they whispered, a deceptively gentle voice laced with venom. See for yourself what it is you seek. Play with us. Stay forever. I took another step, then another. Play with us. Stay forever. Follow the tunnel—

"Y/n!" I snapped out of whatever daze I was trapped in, a hand clamped down on my shoulder. Thoma loosed a breath as he saw me turn my head to him. "Sorry for yelling. You just... weren't responding, so I got worried."

My expression softened. "I'm alright. I promise." I inclined my head to the cave—to the darkness and shadows. "Shall we enter?"

"Are you absolutely 100% certain you want to go in?"

I nodded, gripping his arm. "I have you with me, Thoma. There's nothing to be afraid of with you by my side." Colour bloomed on his face—at my words, at my touch. But he nodded and bravely led us forward—into the deathly silence.

The shadows consumed our figures, clawing and pulling at us with invisible hands. My grip tightened on Thoma's arms the deeper we ventured into the cavern. Before it was purely a display to win him over but now... now I was beginning to feel fear—real fear. Not the thrill I would normally feel in experiments and expeditions such as these—real bone-chilling spine-shivering fear.

"How are you feeling?" Thoma murmured into the black, almost making me jump. "Sorry sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"I'm... fine..." I replied, leaning closer to his warmth—a stark contrast to the cold of the shadows. Still, they beckoned to me. Whispered to me the sweetest of songs and the most tempting of offers. Come to the deep, child. Let us lull you with our sweet lullabies. "Come to the deep..." I echoed, my voice barely more than a breath. I shook my head, ignoring their plights and promises. I massaged my forehead as they continued to try to enter my mind. "My head hurts a little..."

Follow the tunnel into the portal...

"I'm... also feeling a little heavy. Like there's... something... weighing me down. Like—"

"Like temptation?"

"Yeah," he breathed, observing our surroundings with slightly less alertness than before.

Lay all your burdens to rest.

I loosed another breath, trying to control myself as the shadows raced through my thoughts, finding the most tempting offer to give me, singing me sweet songs full of desirable things. But there was nothing that I wanted or needed that I didn't already have.

Don't leave us.

Right?

Come and play with the shadows.

But they were oh so tempting... So desirable... But no, the one thing I wanted was—

My breath hitched as I realised I had given myself away. Immediately, the shadows gripped onto that thought and tugged and I was lost, mind swept clean of all other thoughts and feelings, like a tide washing away lines on the shore.

You don't want to leave.

The world faded away at that and I was alone—alone with the shadows as my friends. No, I didn't want to leave. I didn't want to go back home. It was Inazuma where I belonged—where I felt at ease.

You don't want to leave. You want to stay. Come and play with us... forever. Bathe in our depths, sleep to our songs, forever and ever. Dance in our endless shadows, forever and ever and ever.

"Dance... alone?"

Dance with the shadows. Listen to our lullabies. Forever.

"Your song... is tempting... Your infinite depths... your eternal dance... It goes on and on and on..." And I found myself in a dance—enthralled, entranced. Why would I leave? The shadows offered such release from my duties of the world. It gave me what I wanted—served it in a box, wrapped it in a ribbon. And the warmth I felt on my arm...

My eyes widened slightly and my dance slowed. The warmth I felt... it was gone. The endless shadows... were cold.

No, we are friendly. We are all you need, forever and ever and ever and—

"It's too quiet... Why did I want to stay in Inazuma?"

The shadows beseech you, child! Inazuma is all you need! Stay with the shadows—

I wanted to be here... not Sumeru. But why? When a whole career awaited me in Sumeru, why stay in Inazuma? What was here that mattered so much? 

And then I remembered.

I turned, my eyes finally opened to the world around me. "Thoma!"

Arms closed around me, hauling me towards the figure—and away from the edge. My breath hitched as I saw the bright glow at the end of the cavern—the drop that would most likely have been my end. I gripped the figure tightly in answer, knowing exactly whose hands encompassed me. I dug my head into his chest. "Oh, gods..."

"You're ok..." Thoma murmured to me, still backing slowly away from the drop. "It's ok..."

I loosed a shuddering breath before looking up to meet his eyes. I could feel—could hear—the shadows still calling to me, trying to tempt me back to my fate. But the sight of those piercing green eyes brought me back every time I was pulled away. Eyes on me, he seemed to say. Stay with me. You're going to be ok.

I nodded, keeping a hold on him. "What happened?"

"I'm not... sure. You just suddenly... entered a trance. You couldn't see me, couldn't hear me, couldn't—couldn't feel me... And you were muttering to yourself and then you just... started dancing. I follow you here, trying to get you to respond."

"And then you saved me."

"Ahaha... I guess I did."

I slipped my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly, one hand cupping the back of his head, and I murmured onto his shoulder, "Thank you..." I could feel his cheeks heat up in answer and I guess... I was blushing, too. And I knew then that I really did love him—and that when I left on that boat from Ritou to Sumeru, I would return. Return to him—to home. "Thank you so much..."

Thoma rested his chin on the top of my head. "I couldn't... couldn't bear to lose you like that. Lose you to Sumeru, sure—but not to..." He paused. "What was controlling you?"

My calculating mind was set into motion. I had heard of Tatarigami energy in the area, but I wasn't aware it could do that sort of thing to people—unless... it was being controlled by something. Tatarigami energy was capable of strange things (I had heard once that it had taken over swords and brought them to life via the swordsmith's ambitions) but there was no precedent for... this. "Perhaps it was whatever was... whispering to us earlier."

"Ah... that. I..." He turned a slightly darker shade of red as he admitted, "I couldn't hear that anymore when you started moving. I guess I was just... too afraid... and whatever temptations were being offered suddenly didn't matter anymore."

I smiled, tapping Thoma on the bridge of his nose. "You're strong. I hope you realise that." Thoma beamed at me in response.

"But is he strong enough to beat the Abyss?" a voice drawled from behind us. We turned, clutching each other instinctively, our eyes narrowing as an Abyss Mage floated into view. It cried in rage. "Damn you! Damn you both, putrid human filth!"

I loosed another breath, feeling Thoma's grip around me tighten protectively. "The Abyss?" he questioned, voice laced with a harsh tone I had never heard from him before. "What are you doing here?"

"Dammit, dammit!" the Abyss Mage continued to curse. "We were so close! If only you—detestable, loathsome, repulsive humans didn't intrude we could've—" It again screamed in rage. "Die! Die, all of you!"

".. So it was you who controlled the Tatarigami energy in this area," I pieced together.

"Of course! Who else has the brains to do something like this?" Many people, I was sure, but I let the Abyss Mage continue. "We were so close to creating a weapon—a weapon that would have you all our slaves with the threat of Tatarigami energy bending to our will! But the mountain grew unstable. The final piece that would stabilise the mountain was on its way but it never arrived, so you! You must've been the ones who stopped the slime balloon and doomed our project!"

The Abyss Mage then chuckled, low and dangerously. "But then... your coming here presented us with an opportunity. If the final piece could not plug up the uncontrolled Tatarigami energy leaking from the mountain—then you could!"

Thoma's lips peeled back into a snarl and a low growl rippled from the back of my throat. They were going to use us to progress their plans—to stabilise the mountain they had tried to utilise for their own benefits. They had ripped through my mind and into my thoughts. That alone was unforgivable, but to try and do that to Thoma... I seethed. The situation was already almost out of hand—and by the time we called the Tenryou Commission for help, it would be too late.

The only thing I found comfort in was the fact that Tatarigami energy was not so easily harnessed. No doubt Mount Yougou disagreed with every modification they had made and was trying to revert back to its original state, hence the instability.

".. That's it."

"What's it?" Thoma asked, his expression immediately softening as he turned back to me. The Abyss Mage looked on with suspicion.

"We don't have to do anything special to stop their plans. We just need to escape and the mountain will take care of the rest."

Thoma nodded, thinking. "Yeah... yeah that sounds about right."

The Abyss Mage growled. "Escape? Unfortunately for you, that seems like an unlikely event! Forward troops, advance!" At its command, Hilichurls, Mitachurls and Samachurls stepped forward. Thoma and I pushed apart to assume our battle stances. The Abyss Mage moved to the side to let us see that the tunnel had been filled with monsters, fading into the darkness of the cavern. It laughed once again. "Enjoy your final precious moments!" As it began to move back towards the cave's entrance, the troops slowly advanced.

But I smiled. It wasn't exactly the adventure I had in mind but... I looked at Thoma and found him smiling back at me, determination glittering in his eyes. It didn't matter where I was—where he was. Nothing mattered—as long as we were together.

I stepped back, extending a hand to Thoma in a curtsy. "Care to dance with me, Thoma?"

He smiled in a most gentleman-like manner, taking my hand in his usual fashion: without hesitation. He read the plan in my eyes, and as our fingers interlaced we ran forward towards