Aevum

by Tales of a Legend

Kasumi shouldn't be alive. On that day, she clearly remembers pushing her sister out of the way of that truck. And yet, in some strange twist of fate, she awakens to a world where she is the only one who holds that memory. Left behind by the one she tried to save, Kasumi is now left stumbling. This is the story where Kasumi lives - as well as what it takes to make things right.

6. Choices, and Fate

"…"

Upon hearing her conclusion, Joker and Mona looked at each other, as if to mentally confirm that they had heard the same thing.

...Well, that was odd. Violet was expecting a variety of reactions, but among them, dumbfoundedness was not one of them. She knew that she had some pretty ridiculous ideas sometimes, but she didn't think that any of them were particularly outrageous.

...Well, to be fair, her idea of what was outrageous or not was probably pretty skewed at this point.

"Uhm…but is that even possible?" Joker asked, after a long pause. "I mean, we're talking about time travel here…"

"Remember - as a rule of thumb, a lot of things can get distorted in the cognitive world, but that doesn't really have an effect in the real world," Mona pointed out. "Especially dealing with physics like that - even if you did have that kind of distorted desire to reverse time or whatever, there's no way you could actually do that."

"Agh...look, I know it sounds crazy, and I don't know how it works either - but if somehow, Sumire actually managed to do it, it would explain the things we saw in the memories," Violet insisted.

"Such as?" Joker asked.

"Well, for example - the memory in these Palaces were of ones where I died, and Sumire lived, right? Wouldn't it make sense that those memories are from a different timeline than the one we're in now, where the outcome was different?"

"Hmm...I guess? Assuming that these memories actually happened, and weren't just dreamt up in the first place."

"Right - and!" Violet eagerly continued, trying to convince them of her theory, "that might explain why there's a Palace even though Sumire has passed away. They could be the memories and desires of a Sumire from a different timeline - in other words, this Palace doesn't belong to this time's Sumire."

Mona crossed his paws together in thought, still a little skeptical.

"True, that would partially explain the discrepancies between the memories and the fact that this Palace exists in the first place. But the biggest problem is still that it's almost virtually impossible for these things to happen. In the first place, how would her memories and desires even 'transcend time'? That just seems like a crazy concept to me..."

"Well…I mean...yeah..."

Unfortunately, Violet didn't have a good response to that.

Joker, for his part, though, gave Violet a small smile.

"Cheer up, Violet," he said reassuringly. "I think there's probably some truth to what you're saying. It does present a nice explanation to all of the bizarre happenings that we've experienced so far. But at the same time...it also just serves to show that there's still just so much more we need to figure out."

He turned around and gestured towards the steps they had just come up from.

"For now, how about we just go back to the treasure room? We kinda glazed over it earlier - maybe we'll find some more clues there. We can take a look and gather our thoughts there."

"Mmm...okay," Violet agreed. "I guess that's the best thing we can do right now."

Sitting around and trying to speculate the true mystery behind this Palace wouldn't help them that much more at this point, she figured.

...It was weird. It had seemed like she had taken a step forward in solving the mystery, but where did that step really lead her? If she really did take a step forward...it was a step into absolute darkness. After all, the answers she had found had really only led to more questions - could she really call that 'progress' when she was no closer to figuring things out?

With those thoughts weighing on her mind, she made her way to the stairwell that led back into the clock tower; Joker and Mona had already started going back down, discussing what the potential treasure could be. Before she followed them though, she took another look behind her.

The surrounded landscape still swirled around her, encompassing the entire world. And above it all, were the stars, which bore witness to it all. Somewhere, reflected in those stars...they must've seen all that Sumire had done. They held the truth behind the world as she knew it, yet it lied eternally out of her grasp.

"...Sumire, what is it that you're trying to tell me?" Violet murmured.

She let out a small sigh before peeling her eyes away from the scene, walking back down the steps wistfully.

---

…

"You know, this may be a treasure room, but there ain't nothing in here that remotely resembles one."

Mona let out an earnest complaint as he finished sweeping through the entire treasure room, not finding anything noteworthy that could be called a 'clue'.

"No Shadows, no noteworthy objects in the Palace to reflect the owner's mentality - just projectors that house memories...kind of an odd Palace indeed," Joker added, agreeing with that sentiment.

"Hmm...so what do we do now?" Violet asked, after they were done inspecting the room. She dusted herself off as she stood up, having finished inspecting underneath a table with nothing to show for it. "I don't really have a comparison to previous Palaces, so I don't really know what a 'normal' Palace is like. Is there something else we should be doing?"

"Well, there's really only one thing left to do, isn't there?" Mona said enthusiastically, looking at Joker. He jumped up in obvious excitement. "It's time to steal their desires! In other words - we materialize the treasure."

"You mean this hazy looking thing, right?"

Violet walked over to the grey cloud that was floating in the air, in the middle of the room. She tried poking at it with her finger, but it just went right through.

...Well, she wasn't entirely sure what she was expecting, now that she thought about it.

"Yep. Normally, we materialize the treasure so that we can steal it, taking away their distorted desires in the process. It's how we return people back to 'normal', so to speak," Joker explained. "...I wonder what would happen in this situation, though. Actually, now that I think about it…"

He scratched his head, a little uncertain now that he thought it through a little.

"Is taking the treasure even a good idea here? Normally, we just steal the treasure because the distorted desires are rather twisted. But if it's really like what Violet said, and Sumire's distorted desire was to turn back time, would taking the treasure...undo that?"

"Uhh...hmm."

Mona let out a series of grunts as he, too, pondered the implications of the question.

"Well for now, let's try to materialize the treasure and then we'll see what happens from there," he offered. "After all, I don't really see any other possible ways forward at this point. We can always decide if we want to steal the treasure or not after we do that."

"Alright - let's go with that, then," Joker agreed. "It's true that we don't know what will happen, but it's probably better than sitting around doing nothing."

At this point, Violet, who was barely following the conversation considering she didn't really know what they were talking about, decided to chime in.

"Ok, great...so...how do we materialize it?"

"Oh, that's easy!" Mona interjected enthusiastically. "We'll just need to make a calling card in the real world...and…"

But he didn't finish that sentence - and as he slowly trailed off, a ghastly expression took over his face.

"Oh…"

Joker, too, apparently caught on. His face looked just as equally troubled.

"...? Guys?" Violet asked, not understanding. "Is there a problem?"

"There is - a very big one," Mona replied ominously.

"Which is?"

"...In order to materialize the treasure, we need to give a calling card to the person in the real world," Joker explained. "The only problem is...how do we give a calling card to a dead person...?"

---

...

"Soo, let me get this straight…"

Presently, all three were sitting on the floor, one on each side of the floating treasure, if only just to rest their legs while figuring out what to do next.

"In order to make the treasure materialize, you have to make the Palace owner conscious of their distorted desire," Violet summarized. "Only then will it take on a form that will allow you to steal it, which would let you take it out of the Palace, thus taking away said desire in the real world."

"That's usually how it's done," Joker nodded. "I'm not sure how much that applies to this situation, though."

"Hmm...actually, Joker, I had a question."

"What's up?"

"How do you know all of this?" Violet asked out of curiosity. "I can understand Mona, but you've never stolen a treasure before, right?"

"Eh? Well Mona taught me, of course."

"Even though you've never needed that knowledge up until this point?"

"Uhm...hmm."

Joker blinked for a brief moment, running a hand through his bangs. "Now that you mention it…Mona, did you teach me that?"

"Mreow? Of course I did...didn't I?" Mona questioned, slightly unsure himself.

Violet looked at the other two who now had puzzled faces, trying to recall their hazy memories.

"A-ah, anyway," she chimed in, getting their attention to try to change the subject, "that's irrelevant right now - sorry for bringing it up. I guess, the more important thing to figure out is...what now?"

"Well...good question," Joker said.

Uncharacteristically, he didn't say anything more, or offer any suggestions. ...It seemed that even he was stumped.

"..."

Everyone fell silent as they tried to think of something, but to no avail.

"...If only we had a clue, or a lead, somewhere…" Mona expressed exasperatedly.

"But what…?" Joker asked rhetorically. "All we have in this Palace are Sumire's old memories. And those memories are of a different time, maybe even a different world."

"Mmm…"

Across from Violet, Mona racked his large head exaggeratedly for some ideas.

"Maybe a common thread that we could link from her memories to our reality?" Mona offered. "...But then again, I guess there aren't any."

"..."

A common thread...huh?

Violet dug through the memories that she saw earlier. But quite frankly, Mona was right - there wasn't much commonality, given the different futures that unfolded. The only real common thing that connected the memories to this reality were probably just the locations at which the memories occurred at.

Maybe visiting Shibuya, the scene of the accident, would help? ...But no, realistically, there wouldn't be anything odd left there after so long.

The funeral procession? It was the same church, both Sumire's funeral and her own. ...No, there wouldn't be anything there either.

Then, what about the counseling session? Well, she didn't even know where that took place, so it's not like she could visit it in the first place…

...Wait.

"...There is one," Violet said out loud.

"Huh?"

The other two, not following the conversation, asked out of confusion.

"There is a common thread - between our world, and Sumire's memories," she repeated.

That's right - in the heat of the moment, she had totally forgotten that he showed up in her memories. And the other two probably never even met him, so they wouldn't know about him either…

'Come to think of it, when we first met, he was awfully adamant and invested in Sumire's death…' Violet thought.

"There is?" Joker asked. "What is it?"

...It was possible that it could've been a complete coincidence - after all, if time really did get reversed, then there was no guarantee that they even knew who Sumire was. But it was the only lead they had at the moment - she had to be confident that it would lead to some answers.

Violet looked at the other two, who were staring her down with anticipation.

"...How do you guys feel about a counseling session?"

---

...

"...So this is how, with technological advancements, the industrial revolution was born…"

One Kasumi Yoshizawa, with her seat next to the window during the social studies lecture, looked out the window aimlessly as the teacher, Mr. Ushimaru, droned on about history that had something to do with Europe, a place she had never even been to before.

To be perfectly honest, Kasumi wasn't that interested. History had always been one of her least favorite subjects.

Well, it wasn't like she wasn't listening. The words were still registering in her head, and she hadn't tuned him out entirely - class was class after all, and she had always been taught to pay attention in school, come what may. But it was more of a 'in one ear, out the other' mentality - she just wasn't really paying attention to the words that were coming in. So in other words, it was like a 'last line of defense' kinda thing - she wasn't paying attention, but in this way, she could still hold onto her pride for being a diligent student by using this sorry excuse for 'listening' as a compromise.

...For some reason, she was awfully adamant about upholding this kind of standard for herself, even if she really knew that she was just half-assing it.

While in this state of 'listening but not really listening', a half-hearted thought surfaced in her mind where she questioned when she had become so negligent in her studies.

But to be fair, she did have an excuse this time - after all, her mind couldn't help but wander back to the conversation she had with Ren-senpai and Morgana yesterday…

...

"Dr. Maruki?" Ren asked, taking a bite out of his Big Bang burger.

"Yeah - I met him on the first day of school," Kasumi nodded, taking a large bite out of her third one herself. "Apparently, he's a counselor that works at our school."

"Hmm, the fact that he's so close to us, and easy to locate - could that really be a coincidence? Do convenient things like that even happen?"

"I don't really know about that," Kasumi gave a light shrug. She picked up her cup from the restaurant table, and took a sip of water before continuing. "But it was definitely him - the therapist we saw in Sumire's third memory, I mean. So he has some connection with Sumire somehow."

"In the other timeline, maybe," Ren quickly corrected. "If we really are in a different timeline, as you theorized, it's very possible that he has no recollection of that. It's likely that he's never heard of Sumire before, much less met her." He broke off a bit of his burger, and discreetly held it next to his school bag. Without warning, a pair of black paws emerged from inside the bag and snatched it out of his hand.

"Ahhh, that's good!" Morgana said satisfyingly, popping his head out of the bag and chewing the bit of food that Ren handed to him. "It's no fatty tuna, but after that grueling hike up the tower earlier this afternoon, any food is good food."

"Hey, quiet down!" Ren said suddenly, forcefully pushing Morgana's head back into the bag. "Why do you think you're in there in the first place? Just because other people can't understand you, doesn't mean that they can't hear you meow - and if they find out we have a cat, they'll kick us out."

"Mreow…"

From inside the bag, Morgana made a small, whimpering mewl, but didn't say anything more.

Kasumi couldn't help but giggle a little at the sight.

"Hehe, Ren-senpai, you say that, but you still considerately hand him food. You guys are actually pretty close, huh?"

"Wha?" Ren waved his hand in front of his face. "Nah - he's just my pet cat."

Ren's handbag jerked a bit in protest.

"It's nice though - having that kind of simple friendship, I mean," Kasumi said, with just the slightest bit of jealousy.

Upon hearing that, Ren stopped fussing with his magically moving bag, and slowly straightened his back.

"You say that as if you're not friends with us," he replied. "Morgana and I - we're just as much your friends as we are friends with each other, you know."

"Oh, no, I didn't mean it like that," Kasumi corrected, putting a hand in front of her. "Of course I know that. You guys are my friends, and I'm beyond thankful that you guys are helping me through this entire ordeal."

She twirled her hair with her index finger, a little embarrassed to continue divulging her inner feelings.

"But I meant more like just having a simple, high school friendship, you know? No timeline mumbo jumbo or Palace stuff...just going to school with my friends, where the biggest things we stress about are exams, or gossip, or something. Ever since Sumire died, I haven't really had anyone to just talk to or experience these normal, everyday things together, I guess."

"Oh…"

Ren trailed off, not saying anything more.

"A-ah, sorry," Kasumi quickly followed up. "I didn't mean to bring that up so suddenly. Really though - I really am thankful that I met you two, and that you guys helped me explore the Palace. I wouldn't even know what or where I would be if it weren't for you two right now."

"Heh - well, I'm glad to hear that, at least," Ren said, flashing a little bit of his all knowing smirk. "Though, that being said, let's not celebrate quite yet. We may have helped you explore the Palace, but we haven't quite gotten the answer we're looking for yet."

"Yeah...it may be like you said - the Dr. Maruki of this time may not know anything about Sumire whatsoever." She took another bite of her burger, before continuing. "But it's a potential lead - we should explore it, if we can."

"Agreed," Ren nodded. "So you said he works at Shujin, right? Should we try to see him tomorrow then?"

"Yeah, sounds good. After school?"

"Works for me," Ren nodded again - but soon after, his eyebrows crumpled in thought. "Uh...but…"

"Hm?" Kasumi asked, as she finished her third burger, while Ren was still working on his first. "Something wrong?"

"Well, I was just wondering what we were going to ask him. Let's assume that he did know something about this entire situation, or that he retained his memories - but he hasn't said anything, right? There would be no reason to keep quiet or act like nothing happened unless he was hiding something."

"...Oh."

That...made a lot of sense.

...

In the classroom, Kasumi propped her head on her left hand as she stared out the window, the lazy afternoon lecture whistling by over her head.

She had slept on that question, but still didn't have an easy answer.

The way she saw it, there were two possibilities.

The first possibility was that Dr. Maruki had no recollection or memory of the events that Sumire saw - which was entirely possible. In that case, they wouldn't be able to get any useful information out of him anyways.

The other possibility was that he did know, but he didn't say anything. That was the case that they were banking on...but it was also a lot trickier. After all, if he did have some memory of Sumire, and had some reason to hide it, it would be easy to conceal. And in that same vein, it would be hard to discern if he was actively trying to hide something, or if he truly just didn't know anything about it in the first place.

Either way, saying something like 'Hey, ever met my dead sister when she was actually alive and I was dead?' probably wouldn't be something that you would want to say to a therapist.

...Or anyone, for that matter.

'But then what would be good…?' Kasumi thought to herself, as she stared aimlessly at the clouds in the sky.

"...Hey, Yoshizawa!"

"Eh?"

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted though, as she heard her name being abruptly called, followed by silence.

She turned her attention back to the front of the class, where an angry Mr. Ushimaru was glaring daggers at her.

"You! Pay attention! Is that how you listen when someone's talking to you!?"

And before she could even register the fact that he was lecturing her, she saw him chuck something straight at her.

...The next thing she knew, she got hit smack in the forehead by a piece of chalk.

"! Agh, my head…" Kasumi grumbled.

"Ooh, that looked like it hurt…" a voice to her right mumbled.

"She got hit right in the forehead…"

"Hmph - that's what you get for daydreaming!" Ushimaru retorted. "You're in school - pay attention to what's being taught to you in class! I swear, if you guys don't end up getting accepted to a good college, that's just the fate you deserve. And don't even get me started on…"

...He kept on going, rambling on about how kids don't really respect their elders these days, nor do they understand the value of education.

In her window seat, Kasumi could feel her cheeks glow hot from embarrassment.

Caught red handed by the strict teacher...just her luck. Kasumi silently chided herself for getting caught and chewed out like that. Maybe she should pay attention for the rest of the day…

"...Hm?"

But then, just as she started to steel herself to get through one more hour of history, a certain word that Ushimaru had said earlier latched onto her mind.

'Fate'?

---

...

"Pfft, hahah!"

"...What? Got something to say?"

Kasumi put on a pout as she walked down the stairs, an amused Ren right behind her. Even among the bustle of the after school crowd, she could hear her annoying senpai's laugh as they made their way down to the second floor. They had agreed for Ren to meet her outside of her own classroom after school, but she didn't recall that including a laughing session where she was the butt end of the joke...

"Hah - I was wondering what you were gonna say when I saw your upset face as you walked out of your classroom," Ren laughed, "...but I wouldn't have ever thought that Ushimaru would throw chalk at you too."

"Okay look, I admit that it was my fault for not paying attention in class, but he didn't have to go that...wait. 'Too'?"

"Eh?" Ren said, still chuckling a little. "Oh, yeah - he threw chalk at me on the first day of school too."

"Seriously…? Ren-senpai, what did you do?"

"Nothing, honest. I guess my face is just that unlikeable?"

"Well, Ren-senpai, somehow I don't blame him for reaching that conclusion," Kasumi teased, not missing that easy invitation at a jab.

"And since he threw chalk at you too, that must mean he thinks the same thing for you as well, right?"

...Should've seen that one coming. She fell for it - hook, line, and sinker.

Kasumi stepped down on the second floor and took a left, taking the time to also pivot the conversation.

"W-well, whatever. In any case, that's not important right now; were you able to come up with a good plan on what to ask Dr. Maruki?"

Ren, who was walking behind Kasumi as they navigated the hallway, scratched his head a little.

"Not really, to be honest," he admitted. "But also, I've never met him before, so it would be kind of difficult to know what would be best. I was hoping you could take the lead for this one."

"Ah...well, I guess that's to be expected," Kasumi lamented. "Oh - and did you finish preparations on your end?"

"Yeah, I have it with me - but did we really need to rush it? I thought we reached the conclusion that it was pointless since Sumire isn't alive in this world anyways."

"It's just in case," Kasumi replied, not elaborating further.

Before long, the room where she had met Dr. Maruki just two days ago came into view; but as she was about to walk up to the door and knock, it suddenly dawned on her that it was actually the vice-principal's room.

'Oh, yeah - last time, Dr. Maruki just so happened to be in the vice principal's room because he called him there…'

Kasumi came here on autopilot because this was where they had met last time, but there was no more reason for him to be in this particular room specifically.

Well, it didn't matter at this point. It's not like she would know where else to go - maybe the vice principal would know where she could find him.

Speaking of the vice principal, the last time she talked to him, he seemed like a completely different person - at least, he seemed much more friendly and approachable…

Hoping that he would decide to wear that amiable personality today as well, Kasumi went up and gave a light knock on the door.

...Her concerns were unfounded, however, when none other than Dr. Maruki answered the door.

"Hm? Oh, Yoshizawa-san!" he said with a friendly smile. "Hope you had a good day at school today. Can I help you with something?"

"E-eh? Oh, yeah, I did, thank you," Kasumi replied, with an almost scripted and automatic response. "I was actually looking for you, Dr. Maruki - but is the vice principal not in?"

"Ah, yes, I can see why you might be confused about that - you see, the vice president actually let me borrow this room temporarily as my counseling room! So for now, this is my main base of operations, I guess you could say," he laughed. "Oh, but you said you were looking for me?"

"Yeah," Kasumi nodded. "And…"

She stepped aside to reveal Ren behind her, gesturing to him.

"This is my friend - he was hoping to meet you as well."

Ren, not missing his cue, took a step forward and gave a polite bow.

"I'm Ren Amamiya, a second year," he said with a formal tone. "Nice to meet you, Dr. Maruki."

"Oh, no, pleasure is all mine," Maruki warmly returned the gesture. "And please, no need for formalities - treat me as you would a friend, or one of your confidants, if you will."

In response, Ren gave a small smile as he lifted his bow.

"Well anyways, let's not stand out here and chat," Maruki continued, making a quick motion to fully open the door. "Please, come in. It's not the most organized or hospitable of places, but I have some snacks and candy, if you would like."

Following his invitation, the two walked into the room and promptly sat down at the couch closest to the door, making themselves comfortable. Dr. Maruki took his seat at the couch across the table and opposite of them, so that he faced the two of them.

"So, what can I help you with today?" Maruki said openly.

Kasumi shot a brief glance at Ren, who gave a nod of affirmation in response.

"Right, about that..." Kasumi said, looking back at the counselor in front of her. "Do you remember when I talked to you about my sister a couple of days ago?"

"...I do," he replied empathetically. "How are you feeling? Did you want another counseling session? I know firsthand just how painful the death of a loved one is."

"I'm doing a little better, thank you for asking - but actually, today, I wanted to ask about your relation to her."

"My...relation, you say?"

"Yes," Kasumi nodded. "Have you ever met my sister - Sumire Yoshizawa - before?"

"?"

Dr. Maruki scratched his head in thought for a second, but quickly gave an answer in the negative.

"Mmm, no," Maruki said, shaking his head. "Can't say that I have."

"Are you sure?" Kasumi insisted, pushing the issue a little further. "Sometime within the last month, maybe, for a counseling session?"

"Err, no, it doesn't ring a bell," he said in an understandably confused tone. "Why do you ask?"

'Hmm...he genuinely looks like he doesn't know,' Kasumi thought, as she observed his facial reactions.

But the real question was: was he just good at hiding it?

"Uhm...we recently found out that Sumire experienced something traumatic before her death, and that she saw a counselor," Kasumi bluffed. "We were wondering if that person might've been you, as the description of the counselor resembles your features."

"Ah, I see," Maruki nodded, as if he now understood the situation. "That makes sense - unfortunately, however, I didn't start officially counseling people until my first day at Shujin two days ago, so it couldn't have been me."

"Oh...I see…"

'So his first counseling job is at the school? Is that how it worked…?'

"If you don't mind me asking, Yoshizawa-san," Maruki said with a neutral tone, continuing the conversation, "what's the reason you're trying to seek out Sumire's counselor?"

"Eh?! Uhm…"

Crap - she hadn't thought this far ahead…

"...Kasumi wanted to find out more about Sumire and her mental state prior to when she passed," Ren suddenly piped up beside her. "It's for giving herself some closure regarding her sister."

Across the table, Dr. Maruki seemed to accept this answer.

"Gotcha," he nodded again. "That is indeed important for closure."

Internally, Kasumi breathed a sigh of relief. He seemed to accept that answer.

'Whew...good save, Ren-senpai…' she thought.

"Well, either way, I'm sorry that I couldn't help you answer your question," Maruki apologized. "Is that all you came to ask today?"

"..."

"Uhm...yes, I think so," Ren spoke up hesitantly, after Kasumi didn't answer for a couple of seconds. "Sorry for taking up your-"

"Wait."

...But before Ren could finish excusing them from the room, Kasumi interrupted him.

"I have one last question," she said adamantly.

"Oh? What is it?" Maruki smiled.

Now that they had been pushed back this far, there was only one thing that Kasumi could think of that might work.

So far, Dr. Maruki hadn't shown any indication that he knew anything regarding the timeline situation. It could've been a combination of him truly not knowing about it, the timeline theory being entirely wrong in the first place, or even both.

...But if he truly did know something and was hiding it, then she needed to elicit a reaction that would betray his intentions. And to do that...she needed to catch him completely off guard.

Kasumi took a deep breath as she formed the question on her tongue that she heard him ask Sumire.

"Dr. Maruki...do you believe in fate?"

"...!"

It was just for a brief moment - just a second or two - but in that moment, Dr. Maruki's first expression was one of slight surprise.

But no sooner did that look of surprise appear on his face, did it quickly disappear, replaced by his normal, whimsical smile.

He chose his next words very carefully, as if to not reveal any more than necessary.

"...Where did you hear that from?" Maruki asked cautiously.

...But regardless of how careful he was being, this was it. She had to keep on pushing him, until he finally admitted his connection to these weird events. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the issue even further.

"We heard it at Sumire's Palace," she said unflinchingly, telling him the honest truth. "There was a memory of her in a counseling session with you, and you said those words to her."

"!"

"Wha?! Kasumi, you…"

At the mention of the word 'Palace', Dr. Maruki's eyes betrayed his utter surprise. Ren, too, clearly wasn't expecting her to just lay out the truth so upfront.

For a couple of seconds, Dr. Maruki said nothing. Kasumi could practically see his mind debating on what words he should be saying next.

"Then...you know what a Palace is?" Maruki finally settled on. "Both of you?"

"Yes," Kasumi nodded. "I do."

Ren had this look on his face that said he wasn't too happy with the way that things were unfolding, but he, too, reluctantly nodded his head.

"...I see," he said slowly, leaning back into the couch. "But wait, you said 'Sumire's Palace'? How is that possible? After all, isn't Sumire-san…"

"Right - we thought you might know something about it, seeing as how you're in her memories," Ren countered. It seemed that at this point, since they were this deep in, Ren had no choice but to follow through.

"Hmm, I wasn't even aware that Sumire-san even had a Palace, to be honest," Maruki admitted. "...But that is indeed odd. Maybe her thoughts and desires are leaking over…"

He put his hands together in thought, as if he was debating what his next move should be.

"...How much of the situation do you two currently know about?" Maruki turned the question over, asking them out of genuine curiosity.

"Uhm…"

Kasumi looked to Ren, a question of permission evident on her face. She had caught Ren off guard by exposing part of the truth already, and felt slightly guilty for that; she figured the least she could do was make sure they were on the same page for everything else.

"Haah, honestly…"

Ren, upon seeing her face, gave a light sigh, but still nodded nevertheless.

Given the go ahead, she turned back to Dr. Maruki.

"We know that Sumire reversed time," she said with the utmost confidence. "...That she changed fate."

At this point, there was still no definitive proof supporting that claim - but she had to talk like she knew if they wanted to get anywhere with Dr. Maruki, who clearly was withholding something they didn't know about.

"I see - well, no use in hiding it then."

...And luckily, Dr. Maruki confirmed it.

"Dr. Maruki, we don't hold any ill will," Kasumi preemptively said. "We just want some answers. ...I just want to know what happened to my sister."

"Of course," he replied gently, standing up. "And I intend to tell you everything, now that you know this much. In the first place, I never really meant to leave you in the dark anyways, but…"

"But?" Kasumi asked.

"...Well, I just wanted to respect Sumire-san's feelings, that's all," Maruki said, not elaborating any further. "I must admit, I am a little curious about Sumire-san's Palace, but in any case, this is no place to discuss these matters. Let's go somewhere more appropriate."

"...Somewhere appropriate?" Ren asked, starting to stand up himself. "Where?"

Dr. Maruki walked to the door, before looking back at them with a reassuring smile.

Unfortunately, the words that came out of his mouth were anything but.

"Where else? My own Palace, of course."

---

...

"...No...way…"

As she took a step forward in the cognitive world into Dr. Maruki's Palace, those words couldn't help but slip out of her mouth.

It had only been two days.

But even if it had been two years - two decades, even - Kasumi didn't think she would have ever forgotten a place this bizarre and unsettling.

White, as far as the eye could see. That ticket booth in the middle, and the grand elevator in the back flanked by stairs that wrapped around it.

But most of all, this stifling feeling of artificial purity, and the incessant background chatter about eternal happiness that seemingly drowned out the silence put forth by this empty, white void.

"Dr. Maruki...this is your Palace?" Kasumi asked hesitantly.

In front of her, the man known as Maruki turned around, the same smile that he always wore ever present on his face. However, his appearance was slightly different - he had lost the lab coat and glasses, and his hair was now slickly combed back.

"That's right," he nodded, his arms wide open as if inviting them in. "Welcome to my Palace; I consider it a research laboratory - for now, at least."

"But this is where I…"

'Where I met 'Sumire'...' she finished in her head.

Dr. Maruki, however, seemed to understand what she was talking about.

"Ah, right," he scratched his cheek, almost sheepishly. "I'm really sorry about that, by the way. I don't usually resort to such...brute methods. I'll explain that too - don't worry."

"...Wait."

A voice called out to Kasumi's right, and it was none other than Ren, in his rebel's outfit.

"The Shadow that Kasumi encountered in this Palace that day was trying to harm her," he said tentatively, an edge to his voice. "...Dr. Maruki, did you try to…"

"W-wait, no!" Maruki quickly replied, shaking his hand in front of him. "I meant her no physical harm - honest! After Yoshizawa-san rejected my projection, I was only going to temporarily knock her out so that I could return her to the real world. She was never in any real danger."

"..."

Joker said nothing in response, but under his mask, Kasumi could still see his glowering expression. ...He wasn't fully buying it.

"...It's okay, Ren-senpai," Kasumi said gently, lightly touching his arm to calm him down. "I believe him."

"But, Kasumi…" he objected, lowering his voice ever so slightly. "...Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I don't think Dr. Maruki is that kind of person."

"He has a Palace, Kasumi - and is aware of it. That should tell you where his mental state is at."

"Even so," Kasumi insisted, tugging on him just a little harder. "I don't think he holds any malice. I don't have any proof, but...I just feel it."

"..."

For a few seconds, Joker held Kasumi's gaze, as if to gauge whether he should really be listening to her or not.

"Haah…"

...But soon after, he let out a light huff in resignation, and relaxed his shoulders.

"I expect a good explanation for this," he simply said, looking towards Dr. Maruki.

"Right," Maruki frantically nodded. "...And you will - I promise. But also, if I may ask..."

"?"

"Who is that, err...cat?"

He pointed to Ren's right, and when Kasumi looked over and down, there Mona stood, in his two legged form.

"I'm not a cat!" Mona objected. "Well, I mean, I may look like a cat, but…"

"Ah, that's Mona," Joker explained. "He's like my pet cat - but he's also our guide in the cognitive world."

"He can talk too?" Maruki asked, quite surprised. "Talking cats...I must say, there really is a lot to see over on this side…"

"Like I said, I'm not a...oh, never mind!"

Mona crossed his paws together, an upset pout clearly forming on his feline cheeks. Dr. Maruki couldn't help but chuckle a little at the sight.

"Well, pleased to meet you, Mona," he greeted lightheartedly. "...Now then, I'm sure you all have many questions for me, which is definitely understandable. But let's get to the main pavilion first. It'll be easier to talk there."

Without saying anything more, he turned around and started leading the way in, inviting them deeper into his own Palace.

Mona, despite the warm temperature, shivered a little uncharacteristically.

"Ugh, this place gives me the creeps," he said shakily. "Let's try not to stay here for longer than we have to."

"...Agreed," Joker nodded cautiously. "He might seem friendly at the moment, but there's no telling what he might try to pull. For now, it seems like our only option is to follow him...but regardless - stay on your toes. If he has a Palace...then something must be twisted."

He and Mona started walking towards Maruki to catch up, but before he could walk too far, Kasumi tugged on Joker's arm again.

"Hm? Kasumi?" he asked, looking back at her. "What's up?"

"A-ah, nothing important," Kasumi replied, blushing ever so slightly.

"...?"

"Ah, uhm, how do I say this…" Kasumi tried again. "I just wanted to say...thanks. For getting mad on my behalf, I mean."

"Eh? O-oh, yeah...no problem," he said.

Seeing the normally upfront Kasumi being so shy, Joker became slightly embarrassed himself, before turning back forward.

"...You know, Kasumi, you resemble your sister more than you think," he added.

"Really?" Kasumi blinked, unsure of where that was coming from. "How so?"

"Well, you said your sister was too nice to the point where you had to make sure she wasn't getting taken advantage of, right? I was just thinking that, in the same vein, you're too forgiving that I have to be the one to get mad for you."

"...Pfft! ...True enough, I suppose," Kasumi said lightheartedly, stifling a laugh. "Then seeing as how I'm incapable of doing it on my own, will you continue to get mad on my behalf?"

"Is that even a question? I'll continue to watch over you, and continue to do so...for as long as you need."

"W-wow, strong words," Kasumi said, a little surprised that he took her half-joking question so seriously. "Are you sure you can follow through with that?"

Upon hearing that remark, Joker turned his face back around to face her, and Kasumi could see the gentle smile on his lips that presumably were there the entire time.

"Isn't that what friends are for?" he simply responded.

"!"

'That look and those words…'

She could feel her heart slightly skip a beat upon bearing witness to that borderline illegal combo.

He definitely didn't play fair sometimes.

Still though - maybe it wasn't so bad to feel like this once in a while.

"Then, I'll be counting on you...Ren-senpai," Kasumi smiled earnestly.

Joker nodded with a mirrored smile, satisfied with that response.

"Ooyyy! Are you guys coming or what?"

From up ahead further in the Palace, Mona called back to them, questioning why they hadn't moved.

Joker gestured with his head towards Mona, indicating they should probably get a move on.

"Guess it's time to go then," he said simply, no rush apparent in his voice. "You ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, I guess," Kasumi replied honestly. "Let's go - Dr. Maruki's waiting."

---

...

The walk to wherever Dr. Maruki was leading them to was mostly silent and uneventful. Contrary to where she initially thought they were going to go, they didn't end up going up the elevator or spiral stairs. ...Kasumi couldn't help but be kind of curious at what sat at the top.

Instead, however, he took a door on the side of the main reception room, leading them through other expansive rooms and hallways. Like Dr. Maruki said, the Palace did resemble a research laboratory in certain aspects; they passed by rooms that looked like testing sites, or areas with sophisticated machinery that Kasumi would probably never figure out how to use no matter how long she worked on it.

In one section, they walked through a hallway that had a mirror on one side - it was there that Kasumi noticed something odd in her reflection.

"Hey, guys?" Kasumi asked the other two in front of her, out of earshot of Dr. Maruki.

"Hm?" Mona turned around briefly. "What is it?"

"Uhm, well…" she looked down at her outfit, unsure of how she didn't even notice until now.

"Is there a reason why I'm still in my normal clothes? ...Where's my rebel's outfit?"

"I noticed that too, actually," Joker said, a little puzzled himself. "Any ideas, Mona?"

"Well, the easiest explanation would just be that you don't see Dr. Maruki as a threat, or feel the need to resist the wills of the Palace owner," Mona explained thoroughly. "Think of your transformation as a reflection of your mentality and resistance at the current moment."

"Then, you're saying I don't view Dr. Maruki as hostile? Hmm…will that be a problem?"

"Only if we have to fight," Mona reassured. "Otherwise, it shouldn't make a big difference."

"Well, worst case, if we do end up fighting, Mona and I got it covered. We're used to it at this point," Joker added. "Don't worry about it too much."

"Right...okay…"

She nodded reassuringly to the other two, and with nothing more to say, they all started moving forward again, navigating through the Palace interior.

After a certain point though, the entire Palace sort of became a blur. They would wander into different areas, walk through different structures, but to Kasumi...they were all kind of the same. It was the same scene no matter where she went - the endless coat of white, and the borderline euphoric looking patients claiming 'eternal happiness'.

That one phrase in particular bothered her. 'Eternal happiness'. If Dr. Maruki really was the ruler of this Palace, as he claimed, did that mean he granted all of his patients this 'eternal happiness'?

'But that's…'

Kasumi didn't know what kind of relation that Sumire had with Dr. Maruki, but if she was his patient...then was this Sumire's idea of 'happiness'?

'...Don't be ridiculous. What part of this could be happy?'

Looking at Dr. Maruki's back as he led them through this maze of a Palace, she couldn't help but feel a sense of dread for what was to come. That man...he potentially held all of the answers.

And Kasumi, though she didn't fully know the situation, got the feeling that some of those answers would not be pleasant ones that she would want to hear.

---

...

After what felt like an eternity winding through the Palace, Dr. Maruki finally led them to a large, wide-open stadium type room. Surrounded on all sides by the empty seats and bleachers, as if presenting to a non-existent audience, he walked to the middle of the oval, unperturbed by the large, open space.

"...Here should be good," he said, turning around and facing them openly.

"Why this room, in particular?" Joker asked suspiciously.

"Oh, well, you know…" Maruki said a little sheepishly. "The main reason was so we could have a private place to chat. But I also considered that you all may not quite like the answers or reasoning I give; so I just wanted to be prepared in case things...escalated, if you will."

"!"

Joker quickly bent his knees and hunched down, putting his hand on his dagger.

"W-wait, relax!" Maruki quickly said, putting both of his hands in front of him. "Please, be at ease. My intention is not to fight."

"But…?" Joker's eyes narrowed.

Dr. Maruki took a deep breath, as if he needed to steel himself to keep on pushing forward.

"I simply recognize the fact that you may resent me for my actions and methods. And if the only way to settle things is by trading blows...then I am prepared to fight for my ideologies, " he said, determination flickering in his eyes. "But please know that that is the last thing that I would want to do, nor do I hold you any ill will - if possible, I wish for us to talk things through, not fight."

"..."

After a few seconds, Joker relaxed his stance, but still held his wary gaze.

"...Okay," he finally settled on. "I don't wish to fight as well, if we can help it."

Dr. Maruki breathed a sigh of relief, apparently relieved that it had not escalated to the point of conflict.

"Whew...okay. Now then, let's see...where to start?" he pondered.

"How about you reintroduce yourself?" Joker suggested warily. "Not Dr. Maruki, the counselor, but Dr. Maruki, the Palace ruler."

"Hmm - I suppose we will have to start from there, huh?" Maruki commented. "Very well."

He looked at Mona, then at Joker - and finally, he looked straight into the eyes of Kasumi.

"...Tell me," he asked, a serious expression on his face. "Do you all believe in fate?"

"You keep on asking that question," Kasumi noted. "But what exactly do you mean by 'fate'?"

Dr. Maruki nodded, as if he expected this question.

"This world...is cruel," he said very simply. "We - humans - are weak creatures, bound to the whims of the fate that the universe decides for us. We walk our path, our own life, but we hold no control over anything that happens to us. It is all for fate to decide. ...And where does that leave us? A place full of suffering, captive to things beyond our control.

"...The pain of losing a loved one. The anguish you feel when nothing goes your way. The despair that traps you until you have no way out. All of those feelings, and so much more - how can we truly be the writer's of our own destinies when such pain and sorrow can, at any moment, uproot our lives, seemingly out of nowhere?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Kasumi caught Dr. Maruki clenching the bottom of his coat, a pained expression on his face.

"I know that feeling...all too well. There was one point in my life where it felt like everything was going well - but then Rumi, she...she got into that accident. In an instant...it all came tumbling down.

"I had felt like all was lost - and I cursed this world, for being so unfair," Maruki continued, lamenting his fate. "I wished, from the bottom of my heart, that things could've unfolded differently. And that's when...I stumbled upon it."

"It…?" Kasumi asked.

"An ideal world, Yoshizawa-san," he clarified. "The power to change fate.

"You see, fate is cruel and relentless - it cares not about your feelings, nor can you do anything but accept whatever it throws at you, as tough as it may be.

"...But what if you could change your fate?" Maruki questioned. "...What if you could turn your dreams into a reality?"

He made a grand, sweeping gesture with both of his arms, bringing attention to the stadium where he, and he alone, stood firmly in the middle.

"A world where nobody suffers!" he exclaimed loudly. "A world where everybody can be happy, and their inner-most desires can come true - wouldn't that really, truly, be ideal?"

"..."

"That - the power to grant people their desires - is the power that has been afforded to me," Maruki continued. "And now that I have the power to do so...I want to do exactly that. I understand that that sort of desire might be crazy, but even then - I still want to create that ideal world for anyone and everyone, as idealistic and selfish as it might be. All so that the suffering will end with me. ...So that I will be the last person to ever feel this pain."

"Then, your own Palace formed as a result of your twisted desire to create an ideal world for everyone…" Kasumi interpreted.

"Wait...now it makes sense why he's aware of his own Palace!" Mona realized all of a sudden. "Under normal circumstances, people aren't even aware that the cognitive world even exists. But if his power comes from the cognitive world itself, and he uses his own Palace to exert influence onto the real world…"

"'Exert influence'? You mean, he's making physical changes in the real world from here?" Joker asked.

"Not quite," Dr. Maruki clarified. "It's true, this Palace is my 'base of operations', so to speak. But rather than exerting my influence, it's more like I'm merging the cognitive and the physical world together."

"Merging?" Kasumi asked.

"Correct. The desires of humans are manifested here, in the cognitive world. All I am doing is simply merging it into the physical reality in a tangible form. Don't you see? In this way, everyone will be able to get what they want - whatever their heart desires. Your wildest dreams - born in this land where anything goes - I can make it real. Everyone can be happy."

"...That's just crazy talk," Joker shook his head. "A utopia like that - it doesn't exist. You're simply handing out their 'happiness' - a happiness that you artificially created for them, no less. How can you still say they're 'happy' when it's not even their own?"

"But that's where you're wrong, Amamiya-san."

"Wha?"

"Perhaps in our current world, it doesn't exist," Maruki countered. "But in this new world that I am creating, with entirely different rules, a concept such as 'ideal happiness for everyone' would not be anything as fancy as a utopia - it would simply be a rule of life. A given, something as natural as eating and breathing. And in the first place, I am not creating or dictating what people's happiness should be - I'm simply giving them what they themselves wish for. Even if I am simply handing it to them, at the end of the day, it still is their own - who are you to deny that happiness for others?"

"!"

Joker clicked his tongue in slight irritation. Clearly, that logic didn't sit well with him - but he didn't have a good response to that question.

"...I understand that it can be difficult to accept, at first," Maruki empathized. "But in my eyes, if you look at it objectively, clinging to what you have now, out of familiarity, would be what is truly 'crazy talk'. The current world, where people are tormented to an uncertain future and fate - or the new world, where I can grant everyone's happiness and desires; it should be obvious which one people would choose, no?"

"People deserve to make that choice on their own - not you!"

"Very true," Maruki said, nodding knowingly. "Which is why I will not force you to comply with my methods. But know this, Amamiya-san - not everyone is as strong as you as to have the confidence to carve out their own future. Even I..."

For just the slightest of moments, his voice faltered.

"Even I am not that strong," he continued. "But those people - the people who cannot stand up by themselves - they need a guiding light for when they are lost. I am not so bold as to claim that I can be their salvation - but with this power, I will do what I must, and I will do what I can, so that nobody suffers any more. And besides..."

He paused for a second, looking directly at Kasumi with heavy eyes.

"Those that are close to you may not feel the same way. Can you still, with the utmost conviction, still tell me that I am wrong, when they fall into despair and there is nothing you can do to help them?"

"Sumire...you're talking about Sumire!" Kasumi exclaimed, her eyes widening. "Then, Dr. Maruki...do you mean to say that you granted Sumire her 'desire' as well?"

"Right - of course you would be curious about that," Maruki said. "But first, let me just make this clear. I, in this current timeline, have never met Sumire-san."

"In this current timeline?" Mona gingerly picked out.

Dr. Maruki gave a slight nod of affirmation in response.

"You mentioned back at Shujin that you saw a memory of a counseling session between Sumire-san and I, correct? The truth of the matter is that I met Sumire-san after the car accident at the beginning of this month. However, in this timeline, she passes away during that same car accident - thus, it would've been impossible for me to have ever met her."

"So then like we thought, those memories were from a different timeline…" Kasumi murmured.

"Correct - that was the original timeline. Hmm...I guess the easiest way to explain it is that I'm a time traveler of sorts. I experienced a different world where you and Sumire-san held different fates, if you will. In that original timeline...Kasumi Yoshizawa dies on April 4th, in a car accident at the Shibuya intersection."

"..."

"You don't seem surprised," Maruki noted, after Kasumi's expression didn't change.

"Well...yeah," she replied glumly. "I mean, I already knew that. My memories from that day are from the original timeline, as you would put it. Where I'm the one who dies as I push Sumire out of the way."

"Eh? Really?" Maruki said, seemingly surprised.

"Yeah?" Kasumi questioned, a little surprised herself. "Why is that so surprising?"

"Well, I retained my memories from the original timeline because the power originated from my Palace - and even then, it was only because I was aware that Sumire's desire actively involved moving across time," Maruki explained. "But outside of myself, no-one should have retained their memory after the timeline shift. Hmm, but for you of all people, who should've been the last person to keep them...maybe the timeline shift was imperfect?"

"Hold on," Joker interjected. "You said that the power originated from your Palace - does that mean that you can control time as well?"

"Oh goodness, no," Maruki quickly denied, moving away from his previous train of thought. "I simply manifest people's desires into reality. I may have retained my memories across time, but I am not the one who manipulated it. Sumire-san was the one who reversed time - not me. If you saw the counseling session between her and I, then I'm sure you can make an educated guess as to why."

"..."

...Kasumi had already guessed most of it already, but to hear it directly from Dr. Maruki in the open like that - it still stung a little. There were still cracks here and there, but slowly, everything was falling into place.

Sumire, with her misguided and desperate wish, hoping to make everything right. And Dr. Maruki, with the power to turn those deepest, most buried desires in one's heart into reality.

"...To die," Kasumi said dejectedly, heartbroken at the fact that she was right. "Her desire was to take my place in the car accident."

Dr. Maruki just gave a solemn nod in response.

But even then, something didn't quite add up.

"...Dr. Maruki...you knew that Sumire's desire was to go back and die in my place, right?" she asked.

"Yes, I did," he affirmed. "In the original timeline, I met Sumire-san about two weeks after that accident. Let's see...it must've been right before school started. There, I discovered that her survivor's guilt ran much deeper than what I had originally feared. 'I should've been the one who died instead of Kasumi' - I think that thought was what gave birth to her desire to have switched places with you on that day."

Slowly, Kasumi's hands balled into a fist.

"So you knew that...and you still granted that wish?"

"...Yes. ...I did."

"!"

At this point, it took all of her willpower to calm herself down and not let the anger that was slowly building up within her overflow.

"...Why?" she barely managed to get out of her gritted teeth. "How could you possibly in good conscience grant her desire, knowing she wished for her own death?"

"..."

Faced with this confrontation, Dr. Maruki fell silent, his eyes slightly crestfallen.

"Answer me, Maruki!"

"It's...it's not like I wanted this to happen, either!" Maruki spoke out. "...After I found out what her desire was, I tried to search for a better way. I tried to improve Sumire-san's condition and work with her as a normal counselor for multiple sessions, but her survivor's guilt and inferiority complex ran deep. I could tell by the way that she vehemently blamed herself for Kasumi's death; she was deeply traumatized, and the incident left a deep scar on her heart - a scar and a burden that she would likely carry for the rest of her life. Her psychology was deeply unstable as a result - it was at this point that I realized conventional methods wouldn't work. Instead...I pivoted to try to find a possible solution where both of you might live."

"And...you couldn't find one?" Mona inquired hesitantly.

"...Time is not something that can be overturned so easily," Maruki shook his head. "In the original timeline, Kasumi's death had already been preordained - it was impossible to change that outcome. And I cannot manipulate reality freely - I can only grant the wishes of others who are lost. So in the end, I could only choose between the original timeline, where Kasumi died, or the timeline that manifested Sumire's desires, where she took your place."

"But…" Kasumi tried to object.

"...I know," Maruki said empathetically. "I know, Yoshizawa-san, I know. ...I know what I did, and I fully accept the consequences of my actions - I'll even understand if you hate me for the decision I made, because I deserve all of the resentment and hatred that you throw at me. In the end, it was a selfish decision on my end to honor Sumire-san's request and her desire. …I just didn't want her to suffer for the rest of her life like that."

"..."

The entire situation felt wrong. So, so wrong. She resented Dr. Maruki. She resented him for giving Sumire that choice, and she resented him for letting her follow through with it.

But somehow...she couldn't bring herself to hate him.

However much pain Kasumi felt towards the accident, Sumire must've felt ten times worse. An emotional outburst, becoming a direct cause for her sister's death. That guilt, coupled with the idea that she would never accomplish as much as her...Kasumi couldn't even begin to imagine.

In Sumire's Palace, Kasumi saw how the lights had spiraled up to the treasure room - to her innermost desire. Sumire had lost all hope, but clung onto that one small glimmer, hoping it would lead her to salvation. And that salvation...was the impossible dream that she could make amends - that she could go back in time, and make things right.

She still didn't agree with his decision, but all he did was grant her that thread of hope. Could she really find fault with him trying to alleviate her pain by granting her wish?

...But as if he had heard her thoughts, Joker angrily spoke out against that logic.

"...I still don't buy it," he expressed defiantly on Kasumi's behalf, taking a step forward. "Maybe Sumire really wanted that, as you say. But then, what about Kasumi? What of her happiness? Is the trauma that she'll face as a result of the accident less important than Sumire's?"

"You're right," Maruki agreed. "It's like you say. That's why in this new timeline, I enlisted as a counselor at Shujin, so that I could monitor Kasumi's condition and try to help her through the loss as her therapist."

"Oh...so that's why you called me in on the first day of school," Kasumi realized.

"Correct," he nodded. "More than anything, I wanted to help; since I let Sumire-san change the timeline, I figured the least I could do was be responsible for the events that would follow as a result. But...things didn't go as expected during our talk."

"You didn't know that I had kept my memories - and that I was rejecting this world as a result," she surmised.

"I must admit, I panicked a little," Maruki said sheepishly. "I had come in with the intention of trying to help you through any potential traumas you might've had from the incident. But not only were those not present, I realized you were, as you said, rejecting the new timeline that Sumire-san had created for you. More than anything, I wanted you to accept this world; Sumire-san had sacrificed a lot to get you to this point, and I didn't want it all to be for naught."

"I see…I didn't know."

"Oh, I'm not saying it's your fault or anything!" Maruki assured. "I was just shocked at how different your reaction to Sumire-san's death was compared to her reaction to yours. I didn't think you would be so utterly stubborn, refusing to believe that Sumire-san was truly dead, as you had put it."

"Ah, well...sorry for being stubborn," Kasumi grumbled.

"But seeing you so stubborn, Yoshizawa-san, searching for the truth - it made me realize."

He brought both of his hands in front of him, emphasizing his most important point.

"You see, I finally found it, after all this time. The solution. There is another way. A way for the both of you to live."

"...Explain," Joker said suspiciously, not quite believing it.

"Right. This timeline, and the results of it, are Sumire-san's desires," Dr. Maruki started. "But Yoshizawa-san, if you don't like it...then all you have to do is change it! Don't you see? You just have to shift the timeline again!"

"! You don't mean…"

"If your deepest desire is a world where you and Sumire can live together happily, Ican make that happen. I can turn that desire into a reality," Maruki said excitedly.

All of a sudden, the memories from Kasumi's first time in this Palace came flooding back to her. Sumire, with her outstretched hand, echoing the words that, if she had just simply accepted at the time, would have propelled them both to Paradise.

"...Choose me," Kasumi said, only just now realizing what those words meant.

Dr. Maruki nodded in response, confirming Kasumi's realization.

"Again, I do apologize for abruptly bringing you into my Palace and using Sumire's likeness; I realize that it was done in poor taste," Maruki apologized. "But I felt like it was the easiest way to try to convince you. And I know that you rejected it the first time, but Yoshizawa-san - it's still possible! If you desire a world where Sumire is alive...I can make it come true. All you have to do is choose her - choose a world where you both live."

He extended a hand to Kasumi, as if asking her to join him.

"...So please, Yoshizawa-san. The bright and happy future that you are looking for is right here. ...You don't have to live alone. ...You can be happy."

"..."

Inside of her head, multiple thoughts raced around at light speed

...What was the right thing to do here? But more importantly, rather than focus on what was 'right'...what did she want?

"Kasumi? Hey, Kasumi?!" Joker said worriedly, after she didn't immediately respond.

...She didn't even know herself.

She had spent these past two weeks, and especially these past two days, agonizing, struggling - all because she wasn't content with the reality she lived in. She wasn't satisfied with the world that Sumire had recreated. And at the end of this painful trek of a path that she willingly chose for herself, she finally had the answers that she sought after. But...what were those answers telling her?

The first time she rejected Sumire's projection when Dr. Maruki dragged her in here, it was because she wanted to find out the truth. And now, the truth was presented right in front of her; the truth was, Dr. Maruki could literally rewrite reality so that Sumire could be alive and well, right next to her. There was no more reason to resist that offer. Like he said, the decision should be simple...right?

Even at this current moment, Kasumi wished for nothing more than to be reunited and happy with her dear sister. It was the one thing, from the bottom of her heart, that she wanted the most. And the solution to reach that point was right in front of her.

And yet…

And yet - why wouldn't her legs move? Why were her legs shaking, as if resisting the very thought at taking a step forward?

She looked at Dr. Maruki's outstretched hand, his invitation still left open and hanging.

The things that she wanted so desperately lied on the other side. All she had to do...was walk over there. Kasumi, logically, knew that in her head.

But for some reason...her heart refused.

"Isn't that what friends are for?"

"!"

...And then, the cheesy line that Ren said to her just moments earlier popped into her mind.

All of a sudden, her vision refocused - back to what had been standing next to her the entire time. She looked away from Dr. Maruki's outstretched promise, and instead looked to her left and right.

She looked at Ren and Morgana, their concerned and worried looks ever present on their faces.

'Ah...I see now.'

She took a deep breath, calming herself down and composing herself.

"It's okay now," she assured the two next to her. "...I'm okay."

Her clothes started to transform - first her school uniform started to change color, and then they morphed into a leotard - until she turned into Violet, the one who rejected Maruki's will.

In the end, she couldn't accept his methods after all.

"Sorry, Dr. Maruki…but I can't accept that offer."

"...I see," he said, slowly lowering his hand. "I can't say I'm surprised, but...may I ask why?"

Violet nodded firmly, no longer uncertain.

"To be honest, Dr. Maruki, the first time I met 'Sumire', I was at the brink of accepting your offer," Violet admitted. "But do you know what brought me to my senses?"

"...What was it?" Maruki asked curiously.

"It was actually your words, Dr. Maruki," Violet smiled. "You told me that my only choice was to move forward. That I had to persevere, if I wanted to carry their hopes and dreams. Then, and now, I realize just how important those words are."

With her left hand, she grabbed Joker's hand, and with her right, she picked up Mona (he was surprisingly light).

"All the anguish I felt these past two weeks as I stumbled - it was painful, but ultimately I think it was necessary. It's a part of who I am now," Violet said with resolve. "It wasn't easy, but here I am standing before you, today. I can look back and proudly say, "these are the choices I made", not because it was easy - but precisely because it was hard. Don't you see, Dr. Maruki? These paths that I choose to walk - the ones where I struggle - they define who I am, because I, Kasumi Yoshizawa, decided to trek them even knowing how painful it would be."

"But you don't need to have to make that difficult choice in the first place!" Maruki tried. "If you lived in an ideal world…"

"...Then I would never be able to be the person I am today," Violet finished for him. "And that's precisely what your world can't offer, Dr. Maruki. People grow when they are faced with adversity. They find strength in the experiences to overcome those hurdles. And me, who I am now...those same experiences have brought me to where I am today. I don't want to invalidate the person that is standing before you right now."

She gripped Joker's hand just a little bit tighter.

"...I don't want to invalidate the people and friends that I have met along the way. All of my valuable experiences and companions...I would regret throwing them away, and they're something that an ideal world can't give me. So...I'm sorry, Dr. Maruki. What you are offering is what I so desperately want. But even if it's all I ever wanted, and more...I can't accept it."

With her companions by her side, Violet stood her ground, her reality against the ideals of another.

For a while, Dr. Maruki eyed Violet, her companions, and her resolve.

...But eventually, he could do nothing except take a deep breath, and exhale slowly.

"...I see. You're strong, Yoshizawa-san," he eventually said. "I must admit, I'm a little jealous."

"Not really," Violet shook her head. "I simply have friends who will support me - that's all."

"Heh - fair enough," Maruki conceded. He put his hands in his pockets, admitting defeat. "And how ironic, considering the very words that I told you would be the words that would ultimately turn you against my offer…"

"Especially so, since in the end, I can't even follow my own advice…" he finished under his breath.

"? What did you say?" Violet asked, not hearing the past part.

"Nothing - don't worry about it," Maruki reassured. "Well...I suppose this discussion is over then. But if you ever change your mind, let me know. My offer will always be on the table."

"Thanks," Violet bowed sincerely, "but no thanks. I'll try to deal with this my own way."

Dr. Maruki nodded, but it was clear that he was still a little disappointed.

"Alright. Anything else you guys would like to discuss? If not, I can show you guys out."

"Oh, no need for that, we can find our own way out," Violet said politely. "Oh, but there is one other thing…"

She let go of Joker's hand, and then promptly let Mona back onto the ground after.

"Ren-senpai, do you still have it?" she asked.

"Eh?" Joker let out, a little confused. "You mean, you're gonna give it to him?"

"Well, it was his power that created this world, right? If we can't give it to Sumire, he would be the next best candidate."

"I mean, I guess…"

Fumbling around in his coat pocket, Joker, after a couple of seconds, produced the calling card that he had prepared for Sumire's Palace, and gave it to Violet.

Violet then took it and walked towards Dr. Maruki - not to shake his hand, but to give him the calling card.

"Eh? For me?" Dr. Maruki asked. "What's this?"

"Err, not exactly," Violet said sheepishly. "...It's for Sumire. Do you mind delivering this to her?"

"...'Deliver'? What do you mean?"

"Ah, uhm…"

To be honest, Violet wasn't even quite sure of what exactly she was doing. She just thought that this might've worked...maybe?

"If you can just read it, and accept it on Sumire-san's behalf, I think that would be good," Mona piped up from behind her. "So that she can acknowledge the calling card."

"Uhm, I'm not sure I quite follow...but okay," Maruki finalized. He flipped the calling card over, and read it outloud.

"Sumire Yoshizawa - you have been unable to continue to tread your path after suffering a loved one's death. With no way out, you have spiraled further and further into depression, until the only thing saving you is a lonely wish that deeply wounds the very one you are trying to save.

"You are suffering from the sin of despair.

"And we will, without fail, take your distorted desires and change your heart.

"From, your beloved sister and her companions."

After finishing reading it, Dr. Maruki looked back up, still as confused as before.

"Uhm...is that all I need to do?" he asked.

"Acknowledge the calling card on Sumire's behalf as well!" Mona reminded.

"Oh, okay. Then, representing Sumire Yoshizawa...I have heard and acknowledged your call. ...How about that?"

"That should be good - uhm, I guess…" Mona groaned a little. "Man, this situation is just too weird for me…"

"Thank you for accepting it," Violet bowed. "Then, if you'll excuse us, we'll be on our way."

"Eh? Oh, okay..."

Violet turned around and started to make her way back to her friends...when all of a sudden, Dr. Maruki called back to her.

"Hm…? Oh, Yoshizawa-san, just a moment!"

"? What is it?" she said, turning back around.

"Ah, it's nothing that important...but seeing your outfit up close, it reminded me of something. I only saw it briefly, but I swear, your rebel's outfit looks exactly like Sumire-san's…"

"Eh? Sumire's outfit?"

"Yeah - like I said, I only saw it for an instant, mind you, but the resemblance is definitely uncanny...ah, sorry. Maybe I'm just imagining things?"

"Oh…"

'Sumire's outfit...huh?'

"Well, regardless, thank you for letting me know," Violet thanked. "...I hope to see you at school."

"!"

His surprised reaction betrayed his lonely assumption that she wouldn't have wanted to see him again after all that had happened.

But after a couple of seconds, Dr. Maruki put up the biggest smile that Kasumi had ever seen him wear.

"...Me as well, Yoshizawa-san. You're welcome to visit anytime."

And with that, Violet made her way back to her friends, and she and Mona started to retrace their steps, exiting the room.

Joker, however, took a little longer, facing Dr. Maruki for a couple more seconds.

"...Amamiya-san," Maruki addressed, after realizing he hadn't left with his companions yet. "Is something the matter?"

"...I just have one question, Dr. Maruki," Joker declared. "Creating this ideal world of yours, this Palace - are you satisfied with it?"

"Satisfied?" Maruki asked. "I don't quite follow."

"In other words, are you yourself happy?"

"Happy, you say…?"

Maruki took a couple of seconds to ponder this question.

"...I would say I'm happy," Maruki finally settled on. "As long as I can continue delivering happiness to others - that is all that I could wish for."

"...I see," Joker simply responded.

He turned around, ready to catch up with the others, but Maruki called out after him as well.

"Ah, Amamiya-san!"

"Hm? Something else to say?" he asked.

"Uhm, how do I put it…?" Maruki hesitated a little bit. "I want you to accept this world and my methodologies too, if you can. I know we haven't known each other for that long, but I sense a sort of...kindred spirit within you. I'll be waiting for that day - when you'll hopefully come around."

"Heh - then I'm sorry to say, Dr. Maruki, that you'll be waiting for the rest of your life," Joker replied simply. "But don't worry - I'll be back to see you."

"Oh?" Maruki raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. One day...I'll come steal your desires as well. I'll come and take that loneliness from your heart."

"...I'm not quite sure I follow."

"Hah, don't worry about it too much," Joker waved a hand in front of him. "Then, until next we meet...Dr. Maruki."

"...Indeed. I'll be looking forward to it."

---

...

"Geez, what took you so long?" Violet complained, her slight pout hidden behind her mask as they walked down the pure white hallway. "Mona and I waited out here for you for forever, you know."

"Ahah, sorry, sorry," Joker apologized, chuckling a little. "Just saying my goodbyes to Dr. Maruki, that's all. More importantly, do you know the way out of here? He did take us quite deep into the Palace…"

"Hehe, leave it to me!" Mona said proudly, puffing out his chest a little. "Navigation is my specialty, after all. I can get us back to the entrance, no sweat."

"Alright - then the only question left would be: what now?" Joker asked. "We may have found out the truth behind everything, but what do we do with it?"

"Right - about that!" Violet interjected.

"Hm? What's up?"

"Well, I was hoping we could go to Sumire's Palace again…you know, now that we delivered the calling card to Dr. Maruki, maybe the treasure will have materialized?"

"Ah, right, there is that…but..."

"Those thirty flights of stairs!" Mona finished, bemoaning the climb. "All for a big, fat maybe…"

...Oh, yeah. There was no guarantee that her plan even worked, huh? Well, they would have to go up and see for themselves eventually, but maybe they should save it for another day?

Agh, but Violet had to know. After all, there was no way she would be able to sleep, much less pay attention in class, when that was just hanging above her head.

Running in front of the other two, she turned around and bowed her head.

"Please, you guys!" Violet pleaded passionately. "I just need to know. I know it's selfish of me to ask, after all that we've been through today...but would you guys still be willing to accompany me to her Palace, despite that?"

Upon seeing her sincere self, Ren put a hand behind her back, letting out a little huff in resignation.

"Haah...good grief," he said with a smile, despite the words coming out of his mouth. "Looks like you better prepare your calves, Mona. The day's not over yet."

"Ugh...agh...you so owe me some fatty tuna later!" Mona demanded, yet still reluctantly agreeing.

"Right! Don't worry, I'll treat you to a whole sushi buffet later!" Violet beamed, lifting herself up a little bit.

"Oooh, a sushi buffet!" Mona marveled, his eyes twinkling. "You sure know how to thank someone!"

"Let it be known that Mona can be easily bribed with fish," Joker said, shaking his head jokingly.

"Wha - hey!" Mona objected. "That's not true! Not just any fish! It has to be…"

...Mona began to lecture Joker about the superiority of specific types of fish, while Joker half listened and half joked at the absurdity of Mona's argument.

Despite the situation, Violet couldn't help but take a small step back, and appreciate the scene before her, before joining in and laughing along with them as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

...In the end, she had made the right choice, after all.

---

...

"To be honest, I didn't think we'd be back so soon. My legs are gonna be so sore tomorrow…"

"Not like you even walk anywhere. You just sit in my bag all day," Ren objected.

Presently they found themselves back in the empty town square, where the only landmark in sight was the ever imposing clock tower that stood over all of them. The only thing different was…

"Hey, it's not just me this time," Kasumi noted. "None of us have our rebel's outfits."

It was true. Kasumi and Ren were in their school uniforms, and despite Morgana still being in his two legged form, the sword that he normally kept next to him was gone.

"Hmm - that's odd," Morgana agreed. "I had thought it was simply something on our end...but maybe it has to do with the Palace as well?"

"Well, either way it shouldn't matter," Ren said. "As long as there aren't any Shadows in the tower like last time. Hope you guys are prepared for the long climb."

"Not really," Morgana complained again, "but there's no helping it I guess. Let's just go slow, if we can…"

The three of them slowly made their way towards the clock tower, anticipating the long trek upwards to come.

When they were halfway to the entrance though, Ren made another comment.

"Hey, look at the clock again," Ren pointed to the top. "The time's changed."

"Hm? Is it still going backwards?" Kasumi asked.

She looked at the top of the clock face, which presently read '12:01'. If it was like last time, and it went in reverse, then the clock would go back a minute and read '12:00'…

"Eh?"

...But it didn't.

The minute hand ticked, but even though it made a ticking motion backwards, it still settled and stayed at the 1 minute mark. ...It was stuck at '12:01'.

"Is it...stuck?" Kasumi asked.

"Uhh, does that mean the clock tower is broken?" Morgana followed up. "...But no, this is a Palace after all. There's probably a deeper meaning to it."

"Hm…"

12:01...that was such a specific number…

"We can think about it as we climb," Ren settled on, leading them forward. "We'll have a long time to think about it, after all. If we stay here to try to figure it out, we're never gonna get home."

"Yeah, I guess," Kasumi said, following his lead. "Let's go then."

...But even saying that, she couldn't help but be slightly concerned about that small change.

---

...

The way up was mostly the same as when they had climbed up yesterday. The spiral stairs were still the same, and the lights leading the way up were all unchanged. For all intents and purposes, it didn't look like anything had changed.

'Had the treasure really materialized?' Kasumi wondered. She felt like there had to be at least some change to the inside if it did…

But for the most part, their climb was uneventful and undisturbed, save for the occasional complaint from Morgana, or the side conversations that she would have with Ren about pointless, mundane things. All in all, it was mostly simple and uninteresting, but Kasumi didn't dislike it. It felt...homely, in a way.

...

...After what felt like an eternity of stairs, the trio finally made their way to the third section, where they viewed the third memory - in other words, the treasure room wasn't far.

"Hah, hah…"

Kasumi, uncharacteristically however, was a little out of breath.

"You okay?" Ren said, checking up on her. "You seem a little more tired than usual."

"Ah, yeah, I'm okay," she reassured. "The school uniform is just a little restrictive, that's all. You guys go first. I'll be right behind you guys."

"Hmm...alright," he said, a little unsure, but still agreeing. "We're almost there - no need to rush things. C'mon, Morgana."

The other two started making their way up, and after they had climbed their first flight, Kasumi started to climb the final stretch of stairs as well.

As she was climbing, thoughts of whether the treasure had actually materialized or not started to pop up in her mind again.

...She didn't have to think about that for too long, though.

Right as she was about to reach the top, she heard Ren and Morgana's voices, who were already in the treasure room already.

"Eh? This is the treasure? This is...uh, what is this?"

"C'mon, Morgana, you've never seen this before? This is a medal. You know, like ones you get for winning competitions and stuff."

"Oh I see, that makes sense...Wait, like hell it does! I don't really get it - this is that person's greatest desire?"

"Hmm...I kind of have an idea, but yeah honestly, I'm not too sure either."

At that moment, Kasumi finally reached the treasure room, and Ren turned around to face her.

"Hey, Kasumi! I'm guessing this is a gymnastics medal, but...do you know if this holds any significance?"

Kasumi looked to the middle of the room, where Ren was gesturing. There, floating in mid air, was a single award medal, taking the place of the hazy cloud that was sitting there just yesterday.

So it looked like the calling card had worked after all.

She made her way to the middle, getting a closer look.

"! This is…"

She recalled Sumire's memory of the funeral. That day...her mom had put in the first medal that she had ever won into her casket.

"...I see," Kasumi acknowledged. "So this is the origin of Sumire's desire to reverse time…"

When Sumire broke down on the day of the funeral, seeing the medal and realizing just what exactly she had robbed from this world...that was when that idea was born. The idea that 'it should've been her to die in the accident'.

Almost out of instinct, Kasumi gingerly reached out and touched the medal floating in the air.

...But the moment that she touched it, the medal reacted instantly, sending shockwaves through her body.

"Wha?!"

Bright light poured forth from the treasure, as Kasumi felt a surge of power emerge from within. Rapidly, she pulled back her hand, and the light started to fade soon after.

But it was already too late.

In that moment, in that single instance of touching Sumire's treasure...she obtained the power of this Palace. And in that same instance, she realized.

...She realized just what this power meant.

Kasumi could do nothing but bite down on her lip, hard, lest she start to lament at how cruel this situation was.

"Kasumi!" Ren said in a panic, seeing the light. "Are you okay?! What happened?"

...In this situation - should she feel happy? Or sad?

"..."

Why had it come down to this?

Just when she had started to feel that small semblance of happiness...

It gave her that choice.

But simply providing the option of choice...was cruel.

"...It gave me the power," she simply told the other two.

"Eh? Power?" Ren said, his eyebrows crumpled in apparent concern. "What do you mean?"

A tear rolled down the side of her face as she looked back at her companions, unsure of how to react.

"...What else? The power to change fate."

---

A/N: This chapter was quite long considering most of it consisted of just dialogue between Maruki, but I decided to take my time with it and expand on the exposition and clash of ideals (hah) between Maruki and Kasumi. Hopefully the themes and viewpoints of both were conveyed effectively as a result.

On the note of Maruki, I find him to be a fascinating character, and have written about his ideologies extensively in my previous work. I delved into it a little bit here, but as I wanted to keep this fic more centered around Kasumi in general, I cut it a bit short.

Finally, and I know this might be a bit of a shock considering the entire story has just been buildup so far, but the next chapter will be the last. It's the entire culmination of these past six chapters I've written so far, and I've had the ending in mind since the very first word I've written for this story - so I hope you will stick around to read it.