Light bloomed.
It was soft at first, like dawn behind closed eyelids, then bright enough that Hana blinked rapidly, disoriented. Her breath caught.
She could feel the air around her with startling clarity, crisp and cool against her skin. The ground beneath her feet felt solid, real.
But she wasn't in the Castle of Contortions anymore.
Not the ancient halls.
Not the warped rooms.
Not the suffocating darkness.
Instead…
She stood before a small shop‑like stall.
It looked almost comically out of place, like someone had plucked a cheerful market booth from a festival and dropped it into a void. Bright cloth draped over the counter. Little jars and vials sparkled. And behind it…
Someone stood waiting.
Short, silvery hair.
Cyan eyes that glowed faintly.
And a smile far too bright for the situation.
"Hi! Welcome to my stall! What would you like???"
Hana stared.
He radiated a suspiciously preppy energy. So much that she could practically see imaginary flowers blooming around him. But beneath that cheerfulness, she sensed something else…
An aura.
It wasn't radioactivity.
And it didn't feel particularly dangerous.
It was something… similar to her.
Something that felt like it belonged to the same category of existence.
She narrowed her eyes, then glanced at the items displayed on the counter.
"…What is this?" she asked slowly.
The man's smile softened. His cyan eyes glowed a little brighter as he answered.
"These are ampoules made by the one and only skilled herbalist, Phytore! These are Life Rejuvenators, and these are Growth ampoules, and these," he tapped a row of swirling blue vials "are Wake‑up ampoules that reactivate your mentality and remove exhaustion."
Hana blinked.
"Woah, wait. Firstly, who is Phytore, who are you, and WHERE is this?"
He chuckled lightly.
"Eh, it's not gonna be very interesting if I tell you immediately. I'll only let you know that this place is your mind. The other questions, I'll answer once you finish clearing this whole Castle."
Hana choked on her own breath.
"What?! Are you saying you're in my mind right now? And that I have to kill everything inside this Castle before I can know more?"
He sighed dramatically.
"What does it sound like? Anyways, go ahead and choose which ampoule you're gonna buy."
He gestured toward the little capsules laid out in front of him, each filled with swirling, vibrant liquids.
Hana stared.
"…What am I supposed to use to buy these?"
He grinned, looking way too amused for her liking.
"Your life energy!"
Hana's jaw dropped, dumbfounded.
"H‑Huh?"
"Unless you have anything else worthy to offer, of course," he added, tilting his head as he studied her. His gaze sharpened, as if he could see straight through her skin. "You look like someone who's… different."
She swallowed.
All she had was her radioactivity.
Her power.
Her instability.
But what could she offer him?
What did she even have?
She looked around.
There was nothing here except her, the stall, and this guy, who looked about the same age as her. Everything else was stretched into darkness. An endless void.
"If you're having trouble with the currency you're going to use," he said casually, "I suggest trying to make something with that ability of yours."
He tapped the counter.
"Or maybe try to improve something of mine."
Hana's gaze dropped to the ampoules. And an idea sparked.
Her fingers twitched.
Her radioactivity hummed.
And she smiled.