Kosma jolted upright from the chaos, his mind jarringly clear.
He was still lingering in the afterglow of waking from a dream when he suddenly felt a soft warmth pressed against his chest.
Kosma instinctively looked down and found Dystopia lying quietly in his arms…
That familiar cascade of orange hair was spilled all over him.
Memories from before the Herrscher's attack slowly flooded back, wave after wave.
Back then, the base was in utter chaos. The Herrscher's influence was spreading, and many had already fallen under its sway.
Frantically, he had raced through the base, managing to help restrain some of the afflicted.
Finally, he had found Dystopia, only to see her collapsed on the ground, her face twisted in agony.
Kosma rushed over, desperate to help her up…
But the moment he lifted Dystopia, it felt like something sharp had stabbed violently into his mind…
A searing pain shot through him, his vision went dark, and he too lost consciousness.
And so, the two of them lay together, utterly unaware, before all that Kosma experienced within that "dream" began.
In the dream, he had seen through the beautiful yet illusory facade, resolutely transformed into the Vishnu, and used its power to shatter a part of that dreamspace…
Kosma emerged fully from his recollections, the lingering softness in his arms a constant reminder of his current situation.
He looked down at Dystopia again. The expression that had been contorted in pain now seemed much more peaceful.
Her brow was no longer furrowed, her breathing even and steady.
He suddenly found himself reluctant to move…
This feeling of being so close to Dystopia stirred a peculiar sense of tranquility within him.
However, Kosma, being the upstanding young man he was, would naturally never take advantage of someone in a vulnerable state.
He let out a soft sigh, carefully rose to his feet, and then gently gathered Dystopia into his arms.
His mind was set: first, get her settled somewhere safe, then head back to the base to help deal with the mess.
…
Not long before.
Dystopia slowly regained consciousness, only to find herself standing in a vast, empty plaza.
A deathly silence surrounded her. Not a soul in sight, the quiet so profound it sent chills down her spine.
A jolt of alarm shot through Dystopia. 'Where is this? Wasn't I just…?'
But as she tried to grasp the thought, she found she couldn't remember what she had been doing just moments before, as if a chunk of her memory had been forcibly erased.
A bizarre, creeping feeling instantly coiled around her heart, making it beat faster against her will.
Suddenly, a hand tapped her lightly on the shoulder from behind.
"!"
Dystopia jumped, her whole body shuddering. She whipped her head around to find a familiar figure—Kosma.
She let out a sigh of relief…
Yet she failed to realize that Kosma was never one to play such startling jokes on her.
"...Kosma, what are you doing? You scared me," Dystopia chided, a hint of reproach in her voice.
But the boy before her didn't seem to react.
His expression was chillingly indifferent, his eyes empty, devoid of their usual vitality.
"Kosma?"
A sense of foreboding rose in Dystopia's heart. "What's wrong with you? Don't scare me like this," she asked, her voice trembling slightly as an inexplicable dread began to seep into her.
"Dystopia."
The boy finally spoke, but his face remained shadowed and grim.
He reached out his hand. Lying on his palm was the harmonica Dystopia had given to Kosma.
That harmonica, the one she had picked out so carefully…
"Kosma, what do you mean by this?"
Dystopia stared at the harmonica, her mind full of confusion.
"What's the point of giving things like this?"
The boy said coldly, his tone dripping with disdain.
"Pointless."
He added another icy statement.
"But I just thought it suited you…"
Dystopia explained anxiously, her voice thick with hurt, "And you seemed to…"
She wanted to say more…
But the boy gave her no chance. He simply tossed the harmonica to the ground. The crisp clatter as it hit the floor seemed to shatter something within Dystopia's heart as well.
Then, the boy turned and walked away without a backward glance.
Dystopia looked at the harmonica on the ground, her eyes instantly stinging.
She quickly crouched down, snatched up the harmonica, and clutched it in her hand. Without a second thought, she tried to get up and run after him, to demand an explanation.
But her foot caught on something. Dystopia stumbled and fell hard.
As she tried to rise, a wave of terror washed over her. Countless grey shadows, like phantoms, had surrounded her, trapping her in a tight circle.
These grey shadows seemed to radiate malice, and a torrent of vicious taunts began to swirl around her.
"Hypocrite!"
"Useless…!"
"What meaning and Farue? It's just your own wishful thinking!"
"Who are you trying to fool with that act?"
…
The harsh words pierced Dystopia's heart like so many knives.
"Ah…"
Dystopia covered her ears, shaking her head desperately. "No, that's not it…"
"I really just wanted everyone to be happy…"
Tears spilled uncontrollably from her eyes.
Quietly, Dystopia stopped struggling. All her strength, all her means, had left her.
'I wish for every person I know to hold a weighty, significant place in my heart…'
This was the true reason Dystopia loved giving gifts.
And yet…
Beauty will come in the end. And even those lost in inescapable illusions will be roused by the voice of their own heart…
La la la la ♪~
Sleep now, sleep…
After goodnight, you'll see the morning light.
When dawn pierces the night, the dream must end.
Whether it's a sweet dream or a nightmare.
You will wake up…
"Heya~ Dystopia, big sis! This is no place to sleep, come on, get up~"
A pair of small hands gently patted Dystopia's cheeks.
But the tone seemed rather dissatisfied with her current state.
"Ah…?"
Dystopia blearily opened her eyes, traces of dried tears still at their corners.
"Huh… Vya?"
Dystopia looked at the adorable child patting her face. It was Vya.
And behind her seemed to be Kosma and Griseo, smiling… those familiar figures like beams of warm light…
Illuminating everything around them…
"You're awake, good~ Dystopia, big sis, hurry back now, someone's waiting for you!"
Vya said with a smile, her eyes full of anticipation.
What…
was going on…?
Splash!
Before Dystopia could think further, she felt herself plunging headlong into seawater.
In that instant, it was as if she had traversed countless worlds at once. A whirlwind of complex emotions crashed over her like a tidal wave, causing tears to stream madly from her eyes.
Instinctively, she clung tightly to the warm, reassuring chest beside her…
(A/N: Honestly, I feel like writing a whole book just for Kosma and Dystopia... This is the third time I'm writing their relationship arc, I really do love them.)
…
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