After school let out, Nozomi and Yoshino walked side by side, just like the previous day. This time, however, they were joined by Seiza, who asked to be let out of Nozomi's school bag once they were far enough from campus. The puppy trotted alongside them, enjoying his newfound freedom.

As Nozomi hummed a familiar jingle to herself, a thought crossed her mind. Scanning their surroundings to ensure they were alone, she turned her attention to Yoshino and Seiza. "Hey... I was thinking, do you guys know a place where I could learn to use these powers? Preferably somewhere without people."

Yoshino shook her head. "I… don't think so. Everywhere I know has at least a few people around at this hour. What about you, Seiza?"

Seiza paused to consider. "I think I might know a place. There's an abandoned building not too far from here. No one will bother us there."

Nozomi's face lit up with excitement. "Okay, so it's decided. Lead the way, Seiza!"

With chuckles at Nozomi's enthusiasm, Seiza took the lead. The trio walked quietly for a while until they arrived at their destination—a decrepit three-story building perched on a grassy hill, isolated from the bustle of the city.

Nozomi and Yoshino stared in apprehension. The building exuded an aura of neglect, with overgrown vegetation clinging to its cracked walls. The entrance, guarded by broken glass doors, was littered with shards. A rusted metal sign above the doors had lost most of its letters, rendering its former name unreadable.

Worry crept into Nozomi and Yoshino. They exchanged glances before Nozomi looked down at Seiza. "Hmm, Seiza... I know an abandoned building would likely be run-down, but are you sure this place is..." She trailed off as the old sign fell to the ground with a loud crash, causing both girls to recoil. "...safe?"

Seiza sighed deeply. "I admit, this place doesn't give the best first impression… but I assure you, it's safe." He turned his attention to the doors. Concentrating, his eyes closed, and the glass shards floated inside an open window on the third floor. The doors creaked open as if guided by an invisible hand. With a weary sigh, Seiza opened his eyes. "Phew... there. Shall we?" He gestured for the girls to follow him inside.

Nozomi decided to trust Seiza's assurance, stepping forward with tentative excitement, while Yoshino hesitated, battling the alarm bells ringing in her head. Finally, steeling herself, she followed Nozomi inside, a few steps behind.

Just a few meters away, a cicada watched them enter the building before flying off.

Inside, the girls found themselves stepping into what must have once been the building's reception area. The floor was a jagged mosaic of cracked tiles, the ravages of time evident in every fissure. Patches of grass stubbornly sprouted through the larger cracks, nature reclaiming what had long been neglected. The air was thick with the scent of dampness and decay, a testament to the years of abandonment.

Rusted metal chairs lined the walls, their frames corroded and fragile. They looked as though they would collapse with the slightest touch, their fabric seats tattered and stained. Each chair bore the weight of years of disuse, their once vibrant colors faded to a uniform drabness. On a closer look, some were tilted at precarious angles, legs uneven or entirely missing, a depressing contrast to the neat rows they once formed.

In the left corner of the room, a steady line of industrious ants marched in and out of a wall crevice. The tiny hole had become their hive, a bustling microcosm amidst the dereliction. The ants moved with purpose, their tiny bodies scurrying to and fro, a stark reminder of nature's relentless march forward, even in places forgotten by humans.

The reception counter stood remarkably intact, an island of relative solidity amidst the ruin. Its wooden surface was scarred with scratches and the wear of countless hands, but it held firm. Behind the counter, on the wall, were the faded remnants of a logo that had once been painted with pride. Now, barely discernible, it lingered like a ghost of the building's past, flaking and obscured by layers of dust and grime. Only the borders of the logo remained identifiable, hinting at a time when this place had been alive with activity and purpose.

Ceiling tiles had fallen in places, leaving gaping holes that exposed rusted metal beams. Overhead lights hung at odd angles, most bulbs shattered or missing entirely. Those that remained were encrusted with grime. Cobwebs draped from the corners, their fragile threads shimmering slightly in the muted light that filtered through the dirty windows.

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The air was still, almost suffocating in its silence, broken only by the occasional drip of water from some unseen leak and the faint rustle of the ants at work. It was a place suspended in time, haunted by echoes of its former life.

Yoshino tried not to let her nerves show. "Huh, this sure is... something…" Her attempt to stay positive was evident, though her tone betrayed her unease. Nozomi was similarly silent, her apprehension mirrored in her expression.

Seiza walked behind the counter and pressed something. A loud click followed, and the counter split in half, revealing an electronic keypad-locked trapdoor. Both girls watched in stunned silence as Seiza pressed the keypad with deliberate slowness, relishing the moment.

After the fourth press, the trapdoor clicked open, revealing a metal staircase descending into darkness. Seiza turned to the girls, a smug smile on his face as he saw their awe. "Shall we?" he offered.

Nozomi's shock turned to sheer excitement, all her prior worry evaporating with the discovery of a secret passage. She turned to her best friend, eyes sparkling. "Yoshino! Do you see what I see?!"

Yoshino nodded slowly, her concern unwavering as she stared into the shadowy depths. "Yep, and I'm not sure if I want to see it," she admitted.

Nozomi seemed not to hear her, enthusiasm bubbling over. "A secret passage! This is an actual secret passage, Yoshino!" She turned to Seiza, eyes wide with delight. "Seiza, this is so cool!"

Seiza tried to play it cool. "Y-yeah, I... suppose it is," he said, though his wagging tail betrayed his excitement.

Yoshino smirked despite herself. "Alright, I admit it's kind of cool... but can we hurry? We only have so much time before we need to head home."

Seiza composed himself and nodded. "Very well then, follow me," he said, starting down the stairs. Halfway down, he paused and glanced back. "Oh, I almost forgot. Do you have a flashlight?"

Yoshino retrieved her smartphone with a pink back cover, shaking it until a light emerged from the back. "Will this do?"

Seiza nodded approvingly. "Yes, that will do just fine." He continued down with Nozomi close behind, and Yoshino hesitated a moment, then followed.

As they descended into the secret passage, the girls noticed a striking contrast with what lay above. The stairway walls of the passage were surprisingly well-maintained, composed of sleek, metallic panels that gleamed faintly in the dim light from Yoshino's phone. Unlike the dilapidated, crumbling structure they had left behind, these walls were smooth and unblemished, exuding an air of modernity and precision.

The metal surfaces were meticulously intact, free from the rust and decay that plagued the building above. Each panel fit snugly against the next, the joins seamless and precise, suggesting a level of craftsmanship and maintenance that was entirely unexpected given the state of disrepair above. There was no sign of the overgrown vegetation or the encroaching elements that had settled in upstairs. Here, everything was pristine and sterile, almost as if sealed off from the forces of time and nature.

The air was notably different too—cool, dry, and devoid of the musty, damp smell that had pervaded the entrance above. It had a crispness that hinted at controlled ventilation, perhaps even air purification, as if this hidden area were designed to preserve its integrity against intrusions from the outside world.

Handrails on either side of the stairway were polished and sturdy, their metal gleaming under the soft lights. They provided a reassuring grip as the girls descended further, their hands finding comfort in the solid, unmarred surface.

"What... is this place?" Yoshino couldn't hold back her curiosity.

"Oh... this is where I was born," Seiza said casually, continuing his descent.

Both girls blinked in surprise. Nozomi was the first to ask, "W-wait, by born you mean…"

He nodded, still moving. "Yes. Although, to be honest, that's only a guess. Besides a few echoes, I don't have memories before waking up here. For all intents and purposes, I was born here. Actually, given recent memory echoes, it's more accurate to say I was reborn."

Yoshino noticed the worried look on Nozomi's face. Taking a breath, she confronted Seiza. "Seiza, you seem indifferent to your past. Why?"

After a pause, Seiza responded. "It's not that I don't care. It's just... I've been here for years. I've become my own person. Whoever I was before is irrelevant unless it offers useful knowledge. Recently, I've begun recalling things beyond my name and basic information."

He glanced back at them. "The first important memory was encountering a darkspawn about a year ago. If memory serves, my past self's mission was to find people like Nozomi to fight them."

Yoshino hesitated, then asked, "What happened with that darkspawn?"

Seiza's voice grew somber. "I couldn't find anyone to help at the time. When I tried to fight it myself, well... it's not hard to guess how that ended." His tone carried a hint of shame.

"Oh," was all Yoshino could manage, struggling with the revelation. Nozomi's urge to comfort Seiza was evident.

"And... we are here," Seiza announced, business-like. Clearly trying to move away from the subject.

The girls stood at the entrance to a vast room, so large that Yoshino's phone light couldn't reach its end. "Let me turn on the lights." Seiza walked ahead, and moments later, the space flooded with illumination, causing Yoshino to shield her eyes.

As their eyes adjusted, they took in the room more clearly. What... is this place? Yoshino wondered, the significance of the building and their journey there becoming more profound with each step.