With the mysterious figure vanishing once more, the screen flickered to life, casting a dim glow over the room. Confusion rippled through the crowd—students and staff alike exchanged glances, murmurs rising as they tried to make sense of the unexpected continuation."Wasn't it over?" Nagumo muttered, leaning forward in his seat. "What else could there be to show?"Before the screen fully illuminated, a voice resonated through the air, clear and commanding, silencing the growing whispers."We will continue," the voice declared, its tone calm yet imbued with undeniable authority. "But before we proceed, let me ease your concerns. Within this space I have crafted, time stands still. Your bodies do not age, nor will you experience physical needs such as hunger, thirst, or fatigue. However, for those who find joy in indulgence, anything you desire will manifest."The audience sat in stunned silence, absorbing the implications of the mysterious figure's power. Time itself was manipulated, physical needs nullified—this was beyond anything they could comprehend.The voice continued, resonating with a faint hum that seemed to emanate from the very walls of the cinema. "When this viewing ends, you will retain all memories of what you have witnessed. You will be returned to the precise moment you were taken, and nothing in your surroundings will have changed."The gravity of those words settled over the room. Students exchanged wide-eyed glances, while teachers looked visibly unsettled. Chabashira Sae folded her arms, her gaze narrowing in suspicion. "Just what kind of being has this level of control?"From the staff section, Hoshinomiya whispered nervously to herself, "Manipulating time, space, and matter? This is... terrifyingly beyond us."Kiryūin, on the other hand, smirked and leaned back in her seat. "Now this is getting more interesting. Whoever this is, they're far more than a showman."In the student sections, reactions ranged from intrigue to apprehension. Horikita frowned, her analytical mind racing. "If this space truly operates outside time, then their capabilities far exceed anything I've ever imagined."Karuizawa, sitting nearby, clutched the edges of her seat, looking both amazed and unnerved. "This... isn't just a classroom drama anymore," she muttered, glancing toward Hirata, who offered her a reassuring smile despite his own evident unease.On the first-year side, Amasawa's grin widened mischievously. "Now this is my kind of show. Let's see what else they're hiding."Ryuen leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand. "So, they're messing with time itself, huh? Just who the hell are we dealing with here?"The voice resumed, cutting through the crowd's reactions. "Let us continue. What you are about to witness may challenge your perceptions and reveal truths previously obscured. Watch, learn, and remember."The screen blazed to life, its brilliance capturing every gaze in the room. The murmurs ceased, and a tense silence filled the space as the audience prepared for the next chapter of the enigmatic tale. What could possibly remain to be shown? What revelations still awaited them?And so the room watched, suspended in time, yet brimming with anticipation for the truths yet to unfold.157,784,755..."Huh? We are still watching Ayanokoji-kun? I thought it was over! And what is he counting?" Shibata from Ichinose's class asked.
"Is he... counting seconds?" Ichinose whispered, her voice trembling. Her wide eyes darted across the screen. "How many months or even years is this? How could anyone survive that long in darkness?!"
Nagumo leaned back in his seat, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Counting seconds for so long... That takes a kind of discipline I can't even imagine. This guy really isn't normal, is he?"Ryuen smirked, though his expression held an undertone of unease. "What'd I tell you? A monster. Who else could hold onto their sanity in a place like that?"157,784,756...157,784,757...157,784,758...157,784,759...157,784,760Since regaining consciousness in this endless void, I've been counting the seconds in my head.Five years have passed in this dark, boundless expanse.Kushida's hands clenched tightly in her lap, her carefully maintained composure beginning to slip. "Counting seconds just to stay sane? That's... horrifying. And so lonely."Ike, pale and visibly disturbed, muttered, "I can't even sit through a five-minute lecture without feeling like I'm going to die of boredom. Five years? In the dark? No way."From the first-year section, Amasawa tilted her head, her mischievous grin fading. "Senpai... you've really been through hell, haven't you?" Her usual confident demeanor gave way to a faint flicker of concern.Horikita's expression remained stoic, though her clenched fists betrayed her turmoil. "He endured this alone. All this time... alone." Her mind raced to comprehend the scale of such an ordeal.Beside her, Sudo's face darkened. "I wouldn't last a day in a place like that. Five years? How the hell did he not go crazy?"From the Ayanokoji Group's section, Hasebe sat stiffly, her usual playful demeanor gone. Though her gaze was fixed on the screen, her mind raced with memories of the past—of the bond they once shared and the rift that had torn it apart. "Five years of counting seconds... that's not living. That's just existing. And he did it all alone." Her voice was quieter than usual, almost hollow.Yukimura adjusted his glasses, his jaw tightening as he processed what he'd seen. "Five years in an environment like that would strip anyone of their humanity. To come out of it even remotely sane... it shouldn't be possible. And yet, he managed it." Despite their estrangement, a flicker of admiration and concern lingered in his tone.Akito, seated with his arms crossed, shifted uncomfortably. "That's just who he is, isn't it? He's always been different. Unshakable. But this..." He trailed off, his stoic exterior cracking as he struggled to find the right words.Koenji chuckled, breaking the heavy atmosphere. "A place of total isolation, void of distraction or imperfection? A perfect environment for refining oneself. But even I, the paragon of human perfection, would find it tedious after a week or two."The room collectively shot him a disbelieving glare.The mental fortitude I once prided myself on has eroded, weakened by the state I was in. Counting has become my sole tether to reality, a monotonous rhythm to stave off complete detachment.Matsushita's voice was barely audible as she whispered to Karuizawa. "Even he... even someone like Ayanokoji couldn't handle it forever. That's terrifying."Karuizawa didn't respond immediately, her eyes fixed on the screen. Finally, she muttered, "He always acted like nothing could break him. I thought nothing could. But now... it's like I'm seeing a completely different side of him."From the staff section, Chabashira's usually sharp gaze softened. "I knew he was different. But to think he went through something like this... The school barely scratched the surface of his capabilities—or his struggles."Days—perhaps weeks—would slip by without a single star gracing the black abyss. And when one did appear, it vanished almost instantly, a fleeting reminder of what lay beyond this emptiness.Shiina placed a hand over her chest, her expression one of visible distress. "The stars... Even something so small, so fleeting, must have meant so much to him."Ryuen's smirk faltered for a moment. "Even he clung to something, huh? The guy's human after all, I guess." His voice lacked its usual edge.Nagumo's confident demeanor cracked, his brows furrowing. "Five years... A fleeting star would feel like salvation. I can't imagine what it's like to live without hope for that long."I haven't encountered another existence since the moment I collapsed. But even if I had, my dulled senses likely wouldn't have registered it. My mind has grown sluggish, and perception itself feels alien.Sakayanagi twirled her cane thoughtfully, her gaze unusually somber. "A mind like his, dulled to this extent? It's as if his very humanity was being stripped away. What kind of fate is this for someone who was trained to be perfect?"Kushida's usual smile was nowhere to be seen. "Even his thoughts... it's like he's losing himself. This isn't fair. Why would anyone deserve this?"160,378,480...160,378,481...160,378,482A sense of foreboding settled over the room. "More counting?" Amasawa muttered, her brow furrowing. "Just how long does this go on for?"A month slipped by in my counting when, for the first time in five years, I saw light.The room collectively held its breath at the sudden shift."Light? After five years?" Shiina whispered, her voice soft with awe. "I can't imagine what that must feel like..."It wasn't much at first—just a flicker, an indistinct glow moving too fast for me to make sense of it. Yet, as the moments passed, the speed at which my soul traversed the void began to slow. Shapes emerged from the blur, faint but tangible. Stars and planets."Stars and planets?" Horikita murmured, leaning slightly forward. "Is this a new world he's heading toward?"Karuizawa clutched her seat. "This is insane... What even is this place?"And then, my gaze fell upon it.A sphere suspended in the infinite black, radiating an otherworldly presence. It was unlike anything I had ever seen. Split cleanly down the middle, it seemed to embody two opposing forces.One half shimmered with a warm, golden glow, soft and serene, as if it cradled the last rays of a setting sun. Swirls of amber and white danced along its surface, revealing vast lands that pulsed faintly, as though the terrain itself breathed with life. It was a vision of vitality and tranquility, a world where time seemed to pause in reverence.The other half was its shadowed twin, dark and foreboding. Gray and black hues consumed its surface, interrupted only by faint, silvery streams that rippled like veins across its vast expanse. The land seemed ancient, shrouded in mist and heavy with an enigmatic silence. It felt like the shadows themselves had weight, pressing against the fabric of existence, holding secrets too profound to grasp.As the description of the planet unfolded, the theater was filled with stunned silence."What kind of place is this?" Ichinose said, her voice trembling. "It looks like something out of a myth."Sakayanagi tapped her cane lightly, her tone thoughtful. "Light and shadow... A balance so precise it defies logic."Encircling the planet's equator was a luminous band, a shimmering veil that pulsed with soft light. Silver bled into blue, amber into gold, creating an ever-shifting bridge between the two halves. It didn't separate them—it bound them, a thread of harmony stitching light and shadow into a delicate, eternal balance."That's beautiful," Shiina whispered, her gaze fixed on the screen. "It feels like it's alive... like it's more than just a planet."Students could only agree with her opinion.The planet seemed to defy understanding. Its glowing side radiated serenity, while the shadowed half exuded an almost magnetic pull, its mysteries reaching out to ensnare my thoughts. The contrast was both awe-inspiring and unsettling, like a battle of opposites frozen in perfect equilibrium.I couldn't tear my gaze away. This was no mere world; it was an enigma, a challenge to everything I had known. Every swirl of light, every ridge cloaked in shadow, seemed to whisper of boundless wonder and unfathomable danger.Suddenly, I felt it—a force pulling me toward the planet. Faster and faster, I descended, my soul drawn inexorably to the shadowed side. The gray and black terrain rushed toward me, and before I could take in more, the ground was mere meters away.Asahina gasped, clutching her armrest. "He's going to crash! What's pulling him? Is he not in control?"Karuizawa muttered under her breath, "Of course, it's the shadowed side. It's like he can't stay away from danger..."Sakayanagi remarked, her voice carrying its usual air of sophistication. "Drawn to the shadows, as if by fate. How fitting for someone like him."I braced for impact, but my soul halted abruptly, hovering above the surface. The stillness lasted only a breath before something impossible began to unfold.Threads of light, faint and silvery, emerged from the air itself, weaving together into shapes. Bones, sinew, and flesh began to form, spinning into existence from nothingness. A body—a human body—took shape before me, each strand of its creation vibrating with an energy I couldn't comprehend.Ryuen blinked rapidly, as if trying to confirm he wasn't imagining things. "He's being... rebuilt? What kind of place is this?"Amasawa leaned forward, her lips curling into a mischievous grin. "A complete reconstruction? That's insane! It's like he's getting a new body made for this world."Chabashira, sitting among the staff, shook her head slowly. "To survive something like this... it's beyond comprehension. What is this place turning him into?"My soul was pulled toward it, merging with the growing vessel. I couldn't resist, nor did I try. As the final threads of flesh coalesced, my consciousness collided with the form, and in that instant, the world plunged into darkness.Kanzaki frowned, his tone low but clear. "He accepted it... whatever this transformation is, he didn't fight it."Shiina whispered, "Does that mean he's alive again? Or is this something else entirely?"Silence.And then—nothing.▬▬ι═══════ﺤ