'Test? What test?' she asked, confused.
'The test of the Angel, the one that lets you see souls and everything.'
'I could see souls the moment I arrived here,' she explained.
'No... maybe it's because I Awakened once before.' Jin concluded.
This time, Jin's thoughts were not audible to her. He had learned to control what thoughts to share, keeping others private.
'At least I won't embarrass myself now,' he thought.
'What's wrong?' she asked, sensing something was off.
'Nothing, really... I was just wondering...'
'Umm... why are we out in the open? Isn't it dangerous? The Eye is about to spot us.'
The second psyche entered their mental zone.
'What do you mean 'out in the open'?' she asked, confused. 'The buildings are covering us.'
She was surprised by his concern. It was obvious they were sheltered.
'Hey, you need to run! Now!' Jin shouted at the second psyche. 'Run or you'll die! Find somewhere you can hide!'
'But... it's a barren land. There's nothing here!' the second psyche replied in panic.
'What?! But we're surrounded by buildings!' she questioned.
'No time!' Jin warned, seeing the Eye shifting in their direction. 'Quick, cover him with your psyche!'
Without hesitation, she moved, shielding the second psyche alongside Jin. But her mind raced—what was happening? How could formless psyches even act as a shield? They weren't physical objects, after all.
'Focus! Think hard about covering him. If I'm right, our thoughts can influence our psyche, making us a shield.'
She shot Jin a questioning look but decided to trust him. She concentrated, standing as a protective barrier for the second psyche, shielding him from the destructive gaze of the Eye.
The Eye scanned the area, its presence palpable despite the buildings obscuring their view. She held on to the belief that they would be alright.
Moments later, Jin stirred.
'It's gone now.'
She let out a deep breath of relief.
'Come on, we need to find another place.'
Jin turned to the second psyche. 'Can you see anywhere to hide?'
The second psyche glanced around. 'Umm... yes, there's a tree.'
The three of them hurried towards the tree. When they reached it, she frowned.
'That's not a tree... it's a plant.'
'To us, yes,' Jin replied. 'But to him, it's a full-grown tree.'
Jin stared at the small plant, recalling the second psyche's words about the barren land.
'It must have mutated into a spiritual tree to survive,' he thought.
'Wait, I'm confused. Why can't he see the buildings?' she asked, puzzled.
'Probably because the city didn't exist in his time,' Jin explained.
'What do you mean 'in his time'?' she asked, shocked.
'Isn't it obvious by now? They're from the future.'
'They are?!' She blinked in surprise. 'Now that you mention it... that makes sense.'
Jin knelt beside the second psyche. 'So, what year are you from?'
'Umm... I don't know...'
Jin observed the childlike psyche and realized it was just a kid.
'How old are you then?'
'I'm... umm... Eleven and a half...' the kid's voice trailed off shyly.
'And how did you get here?'
'I... I... ummm...' The child began to cry softly.
'Hey, stop that! You're making the kid cry,' she scolded Jin.
'What? I didn't do anything!'
She knelt beside the child, her voice softening. 'Hey, it's okay now. You're safe. I promise, we'll help you get home.'
'I... I just wanted to be a hero...' the child said, sniffling. Though there were no tears, his trembling voice revealed his fear.
'Oh, you want to be a hero?' she encouraged gently.
'Yes, like her. The Hero of Justice, Gaya Raphael.'
'What? But that's m—'
'So... I wanted to Awaken... so... I... I...'
'You commit suic—' Jin began to ask, but she interrupted.
'Hey, don't say things like that in front of a child!'
At Jin's slip, the kid began sobbing uncontrollably.
Jin glanced at the Eye and quickly told the girl to move to a hiding spot. For them, the sky was wide open, but luckily, a large tree stood nearby, offering cover.
They both hurried toward the tree.
'So, what do you know about this world?' she asked as they settled in.
'Not much,' Jin sighed. 'But because of our deal, I'll tell you. Not that it matters—you won't remember any of it anyway.'
Jin began explaining the Unseen Realm.
The Unseen Realm was a parallel world to the human one, created by an unknown being that had once stolen all human souls.
'But I think it's more of a test and punishment,' he added.
Time didn't flow here in the usual sense. It passed, but differently for each person. As a result, humans from various timelines could enter this world either at the same moment or at completely different times.
'Depending on when you came from, the structure of the world changes.'
For Jin and the girl, the capital city was still intact. But for the child, it had long since vanished.
'You're right,' she agreed.
'What timeline are you from?' Jin asked.
'I'm not sure how to answer that.'
'What's the most recent news you heard?'
She thought for a moment. 'The Council of Elders is set to convene in three months.'
'I see.'
Jin recalled learning about this event in class just a few days ago.
'It seems you're from the past, but only by a few days.'
'Oh, that's such a relief! I thought we might never meet again. To be honest, I thought you were from centuries ago.'
'Centuries?' Jin's nonexistent veins throbbed in irritation.
She giggled softly, 'Hehehe...'
She glanced at the Eye, noticing its gaze had shifted in a different direction.
'Is it safe to go now?' she asked.
Jin studied the Eye. 'I believe so, but don't take too long.'
'I won't. I'll just help him calm down and come right back.'
She sprinted toward the kid, while Jin sat—or maybe stood; even he wasn't sure sometimes. His thoughts drifted.
'What a strange girl,' Jin sighed, watching her unseen psyche shimmer in the distance. As he gazed, he found himself humming softly, then began to sing:
'In the depths of despair, I found a girl unseen,
No face, no voice, no body formed, yet everywhere serene.
She moved within the quiet space, a breathless, whispered stream,
Filling all the hollow voids, as if born from a dream.
A girl unseen, like starlit mist, yet all of her was there,
A shadow spun of silence, soft as secrets in the air.
Our thoughts entwined like ancient roots beneath a frozen sea,
I met a girl unseen, yet she felt everything to me.'
Jin chuckled to himself. 'How strange, I can talk to her so easily. After two decades in the Forgotten Land, I thought I'd never speak to anyone again. But with her, it feels different.'
When he returned from the Forgotten Land, he had felt hollow, like a man without identity.
'I was just playing a role, feeling like someone else.'
When Jin first met Luke, he had acted tough, trying to seem powerful and arrogant.
'I even challenged him to a fight... so embarrassing.'
The memory of that incident brought a wave of shame over him.
Then, the three Awakened from O.R.D.E.R. had come to capture him.
'Those three were jerks... well, except for that pretty girl.'
Jin remembered how unusually angry he'd gotten, to the point of nearly beating them half to death.
'They literally killed me twice. Luke was there too, but he was polite... not rude like the others.'
Then he had met Albedo, a figure who intrigued him deeply.
'Albedo… something about him was mysterious, yet I never felt uncomfortable around him. It was warm, almost comforting.'
Jin recalled Albedo's appearance—unearthly beautiful, unlike anyone he had ever met.
'No, no, no... I'm not— I am a guy, I am a guy.' Jin shook his head, as if trying to shake off the thought. 'It's just… after seeing nothing but ugliness for two decades, it's good to finally see something beautiful.'
Still thinking about beauty, Jin's gaze shifted toward the girl.
'Something tells me she's beautiful too… maybe it's my enhanced senses.'
Though Jin wasn't certain. For all he knew, she could be an old hag. After all, he hadn't seen her face.
While Jin was lost in thought, she returned.
'He's alright now,' she said.
'So, he's a boy then?'
'Yeah, he's missing his mom.'
'So, he's been separated from his mother,' Jin thought, quietly reflecting on the boy's situation but keeping the thought to himself.
'It's time to go,' she announced.
'Are you going to use your blessing?' Jin asked.
'Yes. Let's help the kid return to his mom.'
They both looked at the Eye, waiting for the right moment. Then she activated her blessing.
[Holy Blessing: Blessing of Path]
Three golden threads of light unfurled from her, glowing softly as they stretched in the same direction, pure and bright, guiding them forward together.
'Lucky us,' she said. 'It looks like all our souls are headed the same way.'
'Yes,' he nodded. 'It'll be easier than chasing them one by one.'
She sighed. 'I guess I won't be lonely after you two are gone.'