Kazuki sat on his couch, enjoying a rare moment of peace, when the door burst open.

"Yo! Kazuki!" Sonnet called, barging in without hesitation. "Get dressed. We're going out!"

Andreas followed close behind, holding what looked like an oversized flag. "Yeah, we're hitting the Echelon Trials today. Can't miss it. It's the event of the decade!"

Kazuki blinked, setting his cup down. "Wait, the Echelon Trials? The hero tournament?"

"You bet!" Sonnet grinned. "We've got front-row spots for all the chaos. Come on, you're not staying here all day, right?"

Before Kazuki could answer, Lumi walked in, still rubbing her eyes and munching on a snack.

"Hey, Kazuki, did you—" Lumi froze mid-step, her eyes locking on Sonnet and Andreas. She nearly dropped her food.

Her pupils dilated. "What… what are you two doing here?"

Kazuki frowned. "What's the big deal? They're my neighbors. We've been hanging out. Why?"

Lumi looked like she'd just seen a ghost. "Hanging out?! Wait… did they tell you anything? About—" She stopped herself, eyes darting between Sonnet and Andreas, who were both staring at the ceiling, whistling in unison like two badly trained liars.

"Uh… no, they didn't tell me anything weird," Kazuki said, giving Lumi a suspicious glance. "Why?"

"Nothing!" Lumi said a little too quickly, waving her hands. "Totally nothing! It's fine! You're fine! Everyone's fine!"

Kazuki arched an eyebrow. "Okay…"

Sonnet clapped her hands. "Well, enough awkward silences! Let's get moving before we miss the best part of the tournament!"

The group made their way through the winding streets of Eidolon. The city seemed livelier than usual, with crowds flocking toward the massive arena in the distance.

"Shortcut this way," Andreas said, leading them into a narrow alley that cut directly toward the arena. "Trust me, it's faster."

Kazuki followed, his footsteps echoing in the quiet lane. At first, everything seemed normal. Then… the smell hit him.

It was faint but unmistakable—the metallic tang of blood.

Kazuki stopped, his eyes narrowing as the alley stretched ahead of them. He took a step forward, and that's when he saw it.

Bodies. Dozens of them, scattered across the alley floor. Their eyes were wide open, faces frozen in shock, their skin unnaturally pale.

"Whoa…" Sonnet whispered, her playful tone gone in an instant.

Andreas stood still, his usual carefree expression replaced with a grim look. "What the hell happened here?"

Kazuki's heart pounded. He took a shaky breath, stepping closer. "Are they… dead?"

"Yeah," Lumi said softly, her usual energy replaced by a quiet dread. "They're dead. Every single one of them."

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Then, at the far end of the alley, a figure caught Kazuki's eye.

A girl stood among the bodies, her long black hair falling over her face, a soft breeze stirring the hem of her dress. She looked calm, eerily so, as if death itself was nothing more than a gentle lullaby.

It was Hotaru.

Kazuki's breath caught in his throat. "Hotaru…?"

Her eyes met his—deep, dark, and empty. A chilling smile played on her lips, but before he could say a word, her body collapsed to the ground.

Lumi's voice trembled. "She's… gone."

Kazuki ran to her side, but it was too late. Her skin was ice-cold, her pulse nonexistent.

"Why?" Kazuki whispered, his hands trembling. "What happened to her?"

Lumi knelt beside him, her eyes widening as she recognized something else. "Kazuki… look."

A faint black mark glowed on Hotaru's wrist—a symbol Kazuki had never seen before, but Lumi knew all too well.

"The gaze of the Primis of Death," Lumi whispered. "Hotaru… was blessed by Death."

Kazuki froze as he knelt beside Hotaru's lifeless body. His hand trembled as he gently touched her shoulder, half-expecting her to suddenly sit up and tell him this was all a bad joke. But she didn't move.

His heart felt like it had stopped beating. His breath hitched, a lump rising in his throat.

"Hotaru…" he whispered, his voice cracking.

Sonnet and Andreas stood silently behind him, uncharacteristically serious. Lumi bit her lip, her usual playful demeanor replaced by a grim silence.

Kazuki's mind spiraled, memories flashing through his thoughts—their quiet strolls through the streets, her soft laughter, the way her eyes lit up when she talked about the smallest, silliest things. Just hours ago, they had been laughing together.

And now…

He leaned in closer, staring at her pale face. Something about her features tugged at his memory. Slowly, like a puzzle falling into place, realization dawned on him.

His eyes widened.

"She's… she's the girl," Kazuki whispered, his breath catching. "The girl I saved back then… back in the real world."

It hit him like a punch to the gut. He remembered it clearly now—her face, her terrified expression as the truck bore down on her. He had pushed her out of the way, thinking he had saved her life.

But here she was, lying cold and lifeless before him.

"I… I saved her," Kazuki muttered, his voice trembling. "I saved her… so why is she…?"

Lumi placed a hand on his shoulder, her expression softening. "Kazuki…"

He clenched his fists, his body shaking. For the first time since arriving in Eidolon, the weight of this strange world truly sank in. This wasn't some dream. This wasn't a game.

Hotaru was gone.

And no one could tell him why.

Kazuki stayed by Hotaru's side, his head lowered, thoughts swirling. He hadn't known her for long, but in such a short time, she had left a mark on him—her kindness, her quiet strength, and that unspoken sadness in her eyes that now made sense.

Andreas knelt down, his usual goofy expression replaced with something calmer, more serious. He rested a hand on Kazuki's shoulder.

"Let's give her a proper send-off," Andreas said quietly. "We owe her that much."

Sonnet crouched beside him, her silver hair catching the faint light in the narrow alley. She looked at Hotaru's peaceful face and sighed softly. "She deserves more than being left here." Without another word, she gently removed her jacket and laid it over Hotaru's body.

Kazuki's eyes burned, but no tears came. He nodded, his throat too tight to speak.

Together, they gathered a few scattered flowers nearby—wild blooms that grew even in the forgotten corners of Eidolon. Andreas arranged them carefully around Hotaru's body.

Sonnet stood back, her usual teasing nature gone, replaced with something deeply respectful. "May your next path be kind to you, Hotaru," she whispered.

Kazuki closed his eyes, whispering a quiet thanks to her for everything—her warmth, her kindness, her courage.

Lumi stayed back, watching them in silence. Her face was unreadable, but her hands were clenched tightly by her sides. She wanted to say something, anything, but nothing seemed right. For once, she was quiet.

When they were done, Kazuki stood, his legs feeling like lead. His heart ached, but there was no time to linger.

"Let's… keep going," Kazuki finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. He looked at Hotaru one last time, his chest tightening. "I'll figure this out. I'll make sure it wasn't for nothing."

Andreas nodded and gave him a small, reassuring smile. "You've got us. Let's stick together."

"Yeah," Sonnet agreed, trying to inject some of her usual energy back into her tone. "We've got your back, Kazuki. No more sad faces, okay?"

Kazuki gave a faint nod. He wasn't sure if he believed it yet, but at least he wasn't walking this path alone.

They turned toward the end of the alleyway, the distant hum of the city calling them back to the living world.

The Echelon Trials awaited them.