Silver.
It was the first thing Anny noticed.
Not the gentle silver of moonlight that filtered through her bedroom window.
Not the silver glow of her pendant.
This silver was different.
Ancient.
Boundless.
The endless hall stretched farther than her eyes could follow. Towering crystal pillars reached toward a sky that did not exist, disappearing into glowing mist. Strange symbols pulsed beneath her feet like living veins, illuminating the polished floor with an ethereal radiance.
The air was calm.
Yet unbearably heavy.
Every breath felt as though it carried the weight of centuries.
Anny stood frozen.
At the far end of the hall rested an enormous throne carved from a single piece of crystal. Embedded throughout it were countless shimmering stones, each emitting a gentle pulse like the heartbeat of a sleeping world.
The Life Ocean Stone.
Although she had never seen it before...
Somehow...
She knew its name.
"...Why do I know that?" she whispered.
Her own voice echoed through the palace.
Then—
A pair of silver eyes slowly lifted.
The Silver-Haired Prince stood from his throne.
Neither hurried.
Neither spoke.
For several long moments, silence ruled the palace.
The prince observed her with an unreadable expression.
She looked exactly as he had seen through the System.
The same dark hair tied into a high ponytail.
The same silver pendant resting against her chest.
The same confused eyes.
Yet...
There was something painfully familiar about those eyes.
Something he had not seen in centuries.
He slowly descended the throne's steps.
Each footstep echoed throughout the vast palace.
Anny instinctively stepped backward.
"W-Who are you?"
The prince stopped.
Instead of answering, he looked directly into her eyes.
"...Anita Xandra Deshmuck."
Her heartbeat skipped.
"There it is again..."
She clenched her fists.
"Why does everyone keep calling me that?"
"I am Anita Zedrack."
For the first time...
The prince's expression changed.
Not anger.
Not surprise.
Sadness.
A sadness so deep it seemed to belong to someone who had spent centuries mourning.
"So..."
He spoke quietly.
"You truly don't remember."
Anny frowned.
"Remember what?"
The prince remained silent.
Instead, he raised one hand.
A silver screen materialized between them.
DING.
══════════════════════
Dream Connection Active
Connection Stability: Stable
Synchronization Rate: 7%
══════════════════════
Anny's eyes widened.
"You can see my System?!"
The prince nodded once.
"It isn't your System alone."
"What does that mean?"
Before he could answer—
DING!
══════════════════════
WARNING
External Entity attempting to access Host Memory.
Permission...
Denied.
══════════════════════
The notification hung in the air.
The prince stared at it.
Then slowly closed his eyes.
"...So they've sealed everything."
"They?"
Anny asked immediately.
"Who are they?"
He opened his eyes again.
"I cannot answer that."
"Why not?"
"Because I do not know who performed the seal."
Anny bit her lip.
Every answer only created more questions.
She took a deep breath.
"Fine."
"If you won't answer me..."
"I'll ask something else."
The prince folded his arms.
"What is it?"
"...How do you know my name?"
He remained silent.
Then—
"I know many names."
"But yours..."
He paused.
"...was one history tried to erase."
A chill traveled down Anny's spine.
"Erase?"
"What do you mean erase?"
The prince looked toward the endless silver horizon.
"There were once names that carried power."
"Names kingdoms feared."
"Names capable of changing the balance between realms."
His gaze slowly returned to her.
"Xandra..."
The single word echoed through the palace.
"...was one of them."
Anny's breathing became uneven.
"What is Xandra?"
The prince looked at her for several seconds.
Finally...
He answered.
"Not what."
"Who."
Before he could continue—
The palace trembled violently.
BOOM!
The crystal pillars shook.
Silver light flickered across the floor.
The prince immediately looked upward.
"...Someone is interfering."
Far beyond the Dream Connection...
Inside her hidden laboratory...
Lorette Xandra Deshmuck stood before a massive magical formation.
Countless ancient runes floated around her.
Her gloved hands moved rapidly.
"No..."
She whispered.
"Not yet..."
"If he tells her now..."
"It'll all fall apart."
She slammed both palms onto the glowing formation.
Thousands of symbols erupted into the sky.
The Dream Connection began to crack.
---
Elsewhere...
Duckan watched everything from within the shadows.
Invisible.
Silent.
His deep voice echoed through the darkness.
"So..."
"It has begun."
A figure knelt before him.
"My Lord."
"Should we stop them?"
Duckan slowly shook his head.
"No."
"Why?"
"Because destiny has already taken its first step."
He looked toward the silver palace.
"Besides..."
"The girl deserves at least one truth."
---
Meanwhile...
Far beyond both realms...
Darkness stirred.
A crimson eye slowly opened.
Then another.
Ezerus smiled.
"They've finally met."
One of the twisted creatures surrounding him lowered its head.
"My Lord..."
"Shall we eliminate the Prince?"
Ezerus chuckled.
"No."
His scarred face turned toward the Mortal Realm.
"Let him remember."
"The greater the hope..."
"...the sweeter the despair."
Thousands of monsters immediately bowed.
"Yes, Lord Ezerus."
---
Back inside the Dream Connection...
The cracks spreading across the palace became larger.
The prince frowned.
"We don't have much time."
He stepped closer to Anny.
She instinctively stayed where she was.
"Listen carefully."
"There is something I need to ask you."
"What?"
"When you hear the name Xandra..."
"What do you feel?"
Anny frowned.
"I don't know."
The prince shook his head.
"No."
"Don't think."
"Feel."
The moment those words left his mouth—
A sharp pain exploded inside Anny's head.
"Ahhh!"
She clutched her temples.
Images flashed before her eyes.
A woman with flowing black hair smiling warmly.
A little girl running through endless white flowers.
A silver throne.
Blood.
Fire.
Someone crying.
"...Anita..."
The voice sounded so gentle.
So familiar.
A tear rolled down Anny's cheek.
She froze.
"...Why..."
She touched the tear with trembling fingers.
"...am I crying?"
The prince's silver eyes softened.
"I knew it..."
"You remember her."
Before Anny could ask who—
CRACK!!
The Dream Connection shattered.
The entire palace dissolved into fragments of silver light.
The prince instinctively reached toward her.
Anny reached back.
Their fingertips stopped barely an inch apart.
Then—
Everything vanished.
---
Anny's eyes snapped open.
She was back in her bedroom.
Her breathing was uneven.
Sweat covered her forehead.
The pendant around her neck glowed brighter than ever before.
DING!
══════════════════════
Synchronization Rate Increased
7% → 8%
New Function Unlocked
Shared Memories (Locked)
Requirement: Reach 15% Synchronization.
══════════════════════
"What..."
Anny whispered.
"...just happened?"
Far away, inside the Silver Palace, the prince slowly lowered his outstretched hand.
His expression was calm once more.
But inside...
His heart was anything but.
He looked at his glowing pendant.
Then quietly murmured:
"You're still the same..."
"...Anita."
And hidden in the shadows beyond the throne room, Duckan opened his eyes.
For the first time in centuries...
He smiled.
End of Episode 13.