Kazuki stood in silence, his eyes fixed on Lumi as she continued to munch on her snacks. Her carefree attitude was both comforting and infuriating at times, especially now when he had questions that needed answers.
"Lumi…" Kazuki's voice broke through the casual atmosphere.
Lumi looked up, her mouth full, trying to form words but only managing a few muffled sounds. She quickly swallowed. "Huh? What's up?"
Kazuki took a deep breath. "About Hotaru… You didn't tell me she's a Trailblazer. Why didn't you say anything?"
Lumi's hand froze mid-reach toward the snack bag. For a split second, she looked guilty—eyes darting around, trying to find a way out. But Kazuki wasn't going to let this slide.
"I—uh—well, I thought I'd leave that to her to say, you know? She's… special, Kazuki. Really special," Lumi stammered, avoiding his gaze. "I didn't know how to explain it."
Kazuki's frown deepened. "What do you mean by that?"
Lumi sighed, putting the snack bag down on the table. She knew she couldn't avoid this forever. "Hotaru… she's a Trailblazer, alright? But not like you or the others." Her expression darkened for a moment. "She wasn't chosen, Kazuki. She wasn't invited. She was… teleported here. Just like that."
Kazuki blinked in surprise. "Teleported? What does that mean?"
Lumi hesitated, glancing at Kazuki. "I can't explain everything. Some things about Eidolon… they don't make sense, even to me. But Hotaru… she's here for a reason. I just don't know what that reason is. She's been here a long time, and she knows a lot more than she's letting on. Just be careful with her."
Kazuki's mind raced. He didn't understand everything, but one thing was clear—Hotaru wasn't like the others. Something about her was different.
Before Kazuki could ask more, there was a sudden shift in the air, and the conversation was interrupted by a familiar voice.
"You two done talking?" Hotaru asked casually, her tone nonchalant.
Kazuki turned to see that, once again, Hotaru had appeared beside them—this time standing just a few feet away, watching them with her usual gentle smile.
But this time, there was something about her smile that sent a chill down Kazuki's spine. It wasn't the same carefree smile from before. There was a subtle darkness to it, a strange sense of distance that didn't belong in her usually innocent demeanor.
Hotaru blinked as she looked at Kazuki, her expression neutral. "You look confused. Did Lumi say something that caught your attention?"
Kazuki stiffened. There it was again—the sense that something was off, like he was missing a piece of a puzzle.
Lumi, sensing the tension, quickly grabbed Kazuki's arm and tugged him toward the inn they had been heading to earlier. "Come on! Let's go inside. No need to stand around here forever."
Kazuki wanted to ask more, but Lumi's grip was firm, and Hotaru remained silent as they entered the inn. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was walking deeper into something he didn't understand. Something dangerous.