Kazuki found himself awkwardly standing beside Hotaru, unsure of what to say. One moment, Lumi had been guiding him through this surreal dreamscape, and the next, she had simply vanished. Not a word. Not a goodbye. Just gone.
Hotaru, on the other hand, seemed completely unfazed. She smiled warmly at Kazuki, her soft presence somehow making the bizarre city feel less overwhelming.
"Looks like it's just us now," Hotaru said, her voice gentle but playful. "You look like you could use a tour guide, and lucky for you, I'm the best in town!"
Kazuki raised an eyebrow. "Best in town, huh? How many other tourists have you shown around?"
Hotaru giggled. "Oh, wouldn't you like to know?" She motioned for him to follow. "Come on, you've barely seen anything yet. This place is… different from what you're used to."
They strolled through winding streets that defied logic—buildings stood on their sides, gravity seemed optional, and shimmering lights flickered across the sky like golden fireflies. Flying trains zipped past overhead, while floating islands drifted lazily in the distance. Despite the strangeness, there was something oddly peaceful about it.
Hotaru led Kazuki toward a glowing fountain at the center of a plaza, its waters cascading upward into the sky.
"So, what do you think?" she asked, tilting her head. "It's not quite home, but it's not bad, right?"
Kazuki took a moment to absorb it all. "It's… a lot. I'm still trying to figure out how I even got here. One second, I was in my room, and the next—"
"—you were falling through the sky?" Hotaru finished for him, a knowing sparkle in her eyes.
He nodded. "Yeah, something like that."
Hotaru laughed softly. "That's how it starts for most of us. Eidolon has a way of pulling people in when they least expect it." She paused for a second, then looked at him with a more serious expression. "But once you're here, you can't leave… not until it's ready to let you go."
Kazuki frowned, his curiosity piqued. "What do you mean by that?"
Before she could answer, Hotaru's playful demeanor returned. "You'll figure it out soon enough. For now, let's just enjoy the moment."
She reached for his hand and pulled him toward a nearby street filled with glowing market stalls. Vendors sold strange fruits that sparkled like stars and trinkets that hummed with soft energy.
"Come on, let's see what kind of trouble we can get into!"
Kazuki couldn't help but smile. For the first time since his accident, things felt lighter—almost normal. And with Hotaru by his side, he found himself wanting to explore more of this strange, golden world.
As they wandered deeper into the heart of Eidolon, neither of them noticed the shadow watching from afar.