Until they began to realize something was not real.
The reality they were seeing was nothing more than a mirage of the actual world.They walked through every floor and every room of the castle, yet it never seemed to end.It felt like an infinite loophole—endless, repeating, suffocating.
After all that, a majestic figure appeared, levitating in front of them.
"Catia?" Joshen said.
"Kame—"
But doubt lingered in both of them. Panicking, they ran away from the witch.
"Wait—Catia?"
Yes. The witch was Catia's older sister—someone who looked almost identical to her.
Catia explained it, but Kame didn't look surprised. Instead, he felt as if this had already happened before.A strange tingling sensation crept through him
The same feeling stirred inside Joshen's mind.
Catia then began to explain everything.
There existed a special kind of element found only in this village—and in just one other place on the entire planet: Crombus Compound.
It granted its user terrifying abilities—the power to mimic someone's entire existence,to create basic mirages,and one more ability…
When Kame asked about the last one, Catia didn't answer.
Or perhaps she couldn't.
She vanished right in front of their eyes.
The tingling sensation from before intensified, spreading like poison through their minds.
The building began to collapse.
"The building—" Kame said.
Joshen nodded. "Yeah… this was a fort."
"A fort?" Joshen whispered suddenly, his voice eerie."Wasn't this a monument? Or… the inside of a statue?"
Then he froze.
"It was all along… that paper."
Confusion swallowed them whole. Things were happening ridiculously fast.It felt like a strange, luxurious dream—
And then—
Kame woke up on a bed.
Joshen was beside him.
Catia stood there and finally explained what had truly happened.
It all started much earlier—when the guards were smiling at them.
Those were not guards.
They were Catia's older sister, using the final and most terrifying power of Crombus Compound.
The ability to show someone the worst possible future—a future that should never come to pass.
It was Catia's doctor who pulled them out of that vision early.
Otherwise…
They would have seen the FINAL WAY.
Catia then brought out a teleporter—a device she had been working on for two years.
"I know where you both came from," she said."It was Sun Morbious… He was the first to alter realities."
Kame frowned."Who is this Sun Morbious guy? And isn't that a weird name to begin with?"
Catia looked away, frightened."You don't need to know that right now."
"Get off with that crap already," Joshen laughed."Hey Catia, that teleporter will really take us hoooome, right?"
He swayed in bliss.
They prepared to leave.
Then Catia spoke softly in her mind—I'm going with them.
Tears welled up. Her father was her only parent.He had given her everything.
Mr. Henry was sad—but also proud.
She had always loved adventure since childhood.This was a chance she couldn't ignore.
Kame stepped forward."Don't worry, sir. I'll take care of her. Personally."
They entered the teleporter together.
The trio was officially established.