Shina stood amidst the ruins, the rain pouring down and soaking her. The sound of the communicator in her hand snapped her out of her thoughts. Commander Rayden's stern voice came through.
"Shina, report the situation."
Shina sighed, her eyes still fixed on the endless destruction around her. "Touka managed to escape. Xaldark has been defeated. The area is secure."
There was a brief silence from Commander Rayden before he responded. "Tch... Damn, that creature managed to escape. But at least you defeated Xaldark. Leave the rest to me for the next strategy, to capture that damn creature. I'm heading there now to clean up and secure the area."
Shina remained silent, no emotion showing even though she was praised. It wasn't her who defeated Xaldark—it was all thanks to Touka. But she chose not to mention that.
Soon, members of the Aether Corps arrived, quickly moving to clean up the aftermath of the battle. Shina stayed silent, her gaze distant, lost in thought. Her mind drifted to Laura, who was now confined in a holding cell.
Without saying a word, Shina turned and walked towards Laura's detention room.
When she arrived, she entered quietly. Laura was sitting in the corner, looking at Shina with an unreadable expression.
Shina approached and stood before Laura, her face as expressionless as ever. "So you're still alive," she said flatly. "I thought you were no longer of any use to Touka."
Laura looked at her, a small, cynical smile forming. "Oh, so now you care about him? Why are you asking about Touka? What do you want to know about him?"
Shina wasn't bothered by Laura's sarcasm, her eyes sharp and unwavering. "Tch... What's Touka's next move after defeating Xaldark?"
Laura laughed softly, her words laced with mockery. "Why do you care, Shina? You've hurt Touka's heart for so long, haven't you? Why do you feel the need to know about him now? Hahaha..."
Shina remained silent, her face like stone. Without answering, she turned and left the room, leaving Laura alone with her unspoken questions.
After leaving the room, Shina decided to return to her private quarters. She sat on the edge of her bed, her face blank, as if lost in thought. The sound of the rain still pounded against the window, creating a lonely atmosphere in her room.
In front of her was a game console, something she and Touka used to play together. Now it only showed the main menu, but memories of their childhood together suddenly flooded her mind.
In her memories, she saw herself as a child, frustrated from losing repeatedly in the game they played together. Touka, who was usually serious, smiled when he saw her lose and get upset.
"Come on, don't get mad, Shina. It's just a game," Touka said casually, even though he knew Shina hated losing.
Shina, who often got angry when she lost, turned away and huffed. "You can't always win. Let me win just once."
Touka laughed lightly, teasing her with a small smile. "Yeah, yeah, I'll let you win. But don't cry if you lose again, okay?"
Shina could feel the sincerity in his words. Back then, there was a deep bond between them, something that now felt distant and faint.
In her private room, Shina let out a long sigh. The desire to feel that closeness again, to play together without worries, was overwhelming. But it was long gone, she didn't know when it had vanished.
Slowly, Shina lay down on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Before she fell asleep, she whispered to herself.
"Why am I so naive?" her voice almost inaudible.
____
On the other side, when Touka regained consciousness, he woke in an endless darkness. There was no sound, no light—only an empty space stretching infinitely. A dizzying, overwhelming fatigue clouded his body. It felt as though he had just survived a brutal battle, yet his body felt foreign, as though it were not his own.
"What is this?" he thought, trying to move, but it felt as though he was trapped in a confined space, unable to escape the darkness.
In front of him, a large shadow appeared. Slowly, the figure became clearer. A massive monster stood before him, its terrifying body and eyes glowing red like fire, its purple aura overwhelmingly strong. This was the parasite that had taken over his body—the creature that controlled him, now appearing larger and stronger than ever.
The parasite opened its mouth, a rumbling sound pouring out, shaking Touka's ears. "Finally, you wake up," it whispered, its voice low and trembling. "I've been waiting for you."
Touka stared at the creature in confusion. "Who are you? Where am I? What is this? What's happening?"
The parasite chuckled softly, its voice like the roar of an eternal storm. "I am the true form of the parasite inside you. This is not a world you know. This is a space inside you, where I reside, where I control everything."
Touka tried to rise, his body heavy, as though something was pressing down on every movement. "Why am I here? What is your goal after defeating Xaldark?"
The parasite grinned, its terrifying face getting closer. "Xaldark?" Its voice sounded dismissive. "He's not our greatest enemy, Touka. He was just a pawn, a small part of a bigger picture."
Touka fell silent, the words sinking into his mind. "What do you mean? If Xaldark isn't our greatest enemy, then who is?"
The parasite laughed lowly, its voice echoing through the darkness. "There's something bigger than Xaldark, stronger than anything you can imagine. He was just carrying out orders from someone higher. And that... is a mission far greater than just destroying this world."
Touka stared at the parasite, confusion and shock beginning to fill him. "A greater mission? What do you mean? Who's controlling all of this?"
The parasite growled, its red eyes glowing even brighter. "I can't tell you all the details, Touka. Even I've only been given a small part of the plan. But I can tell you this: Xaldark was just the beginning. I know where he came from. I know who sent him. But I won't tell you more than that. I won't give you any more clues about the master."
Touka felt his heart race. "Tell me more! What should I do? Who do I face next?"
The parasite only smiled wickedly, its eyes glowing with malice. "You'll know when the time comes. When the time arrives, you'll understand."
---
With a greater threat still lurking in the shadows, and Touka trapped in a body he couldn't fully control, this was just the beginning of a dangerous journey. Would they be ready to face the deeper darkness that awaited them?
Volume 1 ends -