Sephiroth had been standing in the center of his living room for quite a long time. His feet had turned into cement after he found Lucka had gone missing. And she didn't make me breakfast like before.

He could remember that last night, he'd double-checked all of his doors and windows. His home security was at its finest. And he'd been witnessing by his own two eyes Lucka had fallen asleep on the sofa. Today, although he'd checked the bathroom, rooftop, and every room in his house, the girl was nowhere to be seen. And there was not any single evidence of a breakout. Everything was neat and clean.

Has she actually been doing time-traveling?

Or, She was just a remarkable actress—regardless, her sole presence raised suspicion. For the last two days, he'd brought her to Shinra Headquarters. Was Shira the main target from the start instead of him? Hence, she purposely acted reluctant whenever he brought her to the Headquarters. The girl would let him drag her and would secretly spy on them. Then, after gathering all of the information, she'd execute her plan. But it didn't make any sense either. The stake was high. She'd already die if she failed to convince him in the first place.

Then he remembered yesterday's conversation.

"The suicide itself is tempting. But not worth enough because the General can quickly finish me. And I'm far from what called themselves as Silver Elite,"

She looked convincing at that time. Which one was the truth?

Sephiroth sighed. He didn't have any other clue this far. So, he decided to get ready for work and inform Tseng about her disappearance. He would also check on his CCTV later at the office.

Lucka lazily rolled on her side while her eyes made their lame effort to open, blinking out the last leftover sleep from her gaze. When they came into clear sight, her body went stiff. She caught her breath midway in her lungs. When she was shifting to a sit position, her world spun. Did it come from the sudden move or from her blood that went cold in her whole body?

The surroundings were terribly familiar. Lucka stared up at the adorned high ceiling. Then her eyes quivered to the Victorian minty-blue wallpaper, where the three archaic, tall windows faced the east. If now the middle of the day, the direction would make the room constantly bright. Her eyes trailed down and caught a vintage, dusty pink Lloyd ottoman. It had an elaborate floral print design, with several throw pillows scattered on its soft surface.

Her head snapped to another spot. There was white pair of oak baroque-style writing desks with a chair in the corner of the room. A pile of books covered the surface, with the tip of the silver iMac peeking behind them. And two feet from the desk stood a white bookshelf in the same design with some empty shelves. Her eyes didn't stop there. She glanced to the left and found a half-opened closet door with many clothes of various designs and styles lined up neatly inside. Ah. She remembered the last time she used it to change into a sleeping attire. Then finally, her wandering eyes rested on the standing mirror beside the closet. It made an illusion the entire room looked a lot bigger. The rim was carefully sculpted into an elegant shape of decorative leaves. And what made it special wasn't only its elaborated design. But because of the material that the craftsman had chosen. It was made of pure gold.

I'm in my bedroom.

She blinked in constant disbelief. Was she dreaming now? She slapped her cheek hard, and the pain was worth a wail. The ache made her remember the last time she'd hit her cheek in the General's kitchen. It was painful too. None of them was an illusion. It was so vivid for a mere dream.

Did she really do time-traveling? But how? How could she go back and forth without knowing how? Was it Minerva's doing? But Lucka couldn't ask her and didn't know how to ask. Because Minerva was on Gaia, and she was back on Earth.

Lucka got on her knee and noticed her smartphone lying beside her on the rug. The screen turned on when her hand automatically pressed the home button. It displayed Nineteenth past forty-eight on the clock. Her heart raced faster. She checked the last message she'd sent to Ryuu; it was sent in nineteen. It was only forty-eight minutes then. Didn't she stay in Gaia for two days? Zeus, my head hurts.

Lucka skimmed around with wide eyes. Her breath became erratic. She darted to each corner of the room, searching for something she'd brought to Gaia. No ice cream. Her heart was beating madly at her. She got on her feet to make a stormy beeline to the mirror. And there she was, looking at a white-haired girl. Her long wavy hair was messy, tangled with each other like an old mop strap. Her eyes rounded in horror, and her pale skin turned even paler.

And the clothes made her swallow.

It was an oversized black t-shirt that hung on her mid-thigh. On the left of her chest was printed a familiar shape of a red diamond with a logotype that arrogantly announced; Shinra Power Electric Company.

Her mouth fell open.

The General had lent it for her sleeping attire. It was valid proof. But she didn't know what to feel because it was overwhelming and confusing. She was back, but she wasn't happy or sad. Shouldn't she feel relieved, at least? What if she suddenly went back to Gaia? But why? Why in the first place did she appear in Gaia?

Before her mind fell apart, she controlled her breath slowly and tried to tame down all the emotions strangling her chest.

It was better to talk to Ryuu soon.

Ryuu was driving his way back from the hospital when the smartphone on the dashboard suddenly rang. He touched the phone screen, swiping to speaker mode.

"Hey, dear," he greeted the person on the other line.

["Ryuu, are you still far away?"]

"No. I'll be arriving in five minutes." He paused after hearing her voice waver. So he asked, "Is everything alright?"

["I don't know. See you soon. And take care."] Then she hung up.

Ryuu became alarmed. Lucka rarely sounded like that these days. It only occurred when her state went terrible. Or, something wrong happened. Her current condition hadn't been the best, but she was okay the other day, she'd been clean, and the situation was under control. But, whatever it was, he didn't like the feeling in his gut. He pushed the pedal and drove faster to their house.

He arrived soon and parked the car in their backyard garage. He barely stepped into the house from the back door when a small, warm arm grabbed him into a bear hug. Her face sank to his chest, and he smelled an unfamiliar fragrance like a mixture of flowers and vanilla coming from her hair.

He wrapped his arm around her and dragged her slowly into the dining room. He said, "Hey, what's wrong? Let's talk."

Lucka loosened the hug to look up at him. A lot of emotion crossed her glistening eyes. She sounded uncertain when she said, "Ryuu, do you trust me?"

"Of course, I do." He frowned, confused by her behavior. Let alone by her random question.

"Even if I talk about something crazy, you won't abandon me?" She batted her eyelash so fast. Her voice cracked.

"I won't leave you no matter what. It's my oath." He caressed her back lightly, giving her reassurance.

Lucka stepped back to release him, giving them an inch of space. She took a deep breath and looked at his eyes intensely, "I...I traveled to Gaia. I met Sephiroth," she whispered.

Ryuu was silent for a while. Not sure how to respond as it was clear he was in doubt. He said, "O... Kay?"

Lucka's eyes withered, her shoulder limp as she murmured, "You don't believe me," she said. Her expression became sullen. Her eyes locked to her toe. But in a blink, she stared at him again, almost chirping. "Look, It's Shinra!" Her eyes perked up as she pinched the center of her clothes for him to give a better look.

Ryuu stared at the logo. For sure, he knew what it was. They'd played the game together, but he never knew Lucka would like it so much. He said, "Hmm... are you sure you didn't buy it online somewhere?"

Lucka glared at him. Her hands swung in the air while her feet stomped at the oak floor. "Why on Earth will I buy it online? I'm not even a fan of the company!"

He leaned away, scratching the back of his neck. Lucka had always been honest, yet she could be a good liar when in need. And he had lived with her for a long time to the point he could tell if she lied. And now, there was none of that time. However, it was also hard to completely accept what she'd said. He hadn't entirely convinced himself, but he decided to distract her. "Okay, then what did you do there?"

Her eyes softened as she leaned back on the table edge. She said, "Well, I was eating my ice cream in my bedroom, and I cried. But when I rubbed my eyes, in a flash, I was already sitting in Sephiroth's kitchen. He made me his captive for the next two days. Then when I was sleeping, suddenly, I went back here."

Ryuu frowned when she said she cried. Perhaps he was mistaken to think she was in a good state. But they would talk about it later. Because he found something contradictory in her story. He said, "Two days? You're with me all the time." He raised an eyebrow, even puzzled by her explanation.

"I know, right? When I checked my phone turned out I was only gone for forty-eight minutes. It's crazy, Ryuu!" Her voice raised an octave.

Ryuu's frown deepened as he concluded his thought. "So it's like some kind of time-traveling?"

Lucka nodded weakly. "Though I don't know how and why I could end up there."

There was a stifling silence between them. After an eternity, Ryuu sighed and folded his arm in front of his chest. He couldn't stand seeing Lucka troubled. It was dangerous for her. Then he started. "The Olympians," Ryuu said, "you know, legend says they always had a contest and all that bullshit. I've heard something similar from my great grandfather. They're doing some experiments. Do you think they're related?"

Lucka's eyes lived up. It was filled with excitement and anxiety at the same time. "I never heard anything like that before. But man, I traveled to Gaia!" Lucka said, then paused. She brought her index finger to her chin. "The Temple, do you think she knows something?"

Ryuu eyed her. Somehow his stomach churned. He didn't like where this would lead them as he replied in a reluctant tone, "I guess so… she's as old as the ancients. But to get there... "

"I know, I know. I'm not easy to kill, and you got my back, right?!" Lucka grabbed Ryuu's hand and gave him that look.

Ryuu held back a curse. He knew Lucka would do this in an instant. Typical. Her impulsivity hadn't decreased yet. As he let out a frustrated sigh and patted her head, he said, "Take your weapons. We leave now."

"You're a star!" She beamed as she dashed to her bedroom.

Sephiroth put down his PHS after showing his friends the living room CCTV. He'd told how Lucka had magically disappeared while she'd literally just lay on the sofa, asleep during the night, and then vanished a few hours later. Unfortunately, he didn't put CCTV inside his kitchen. If there were any, indeed, he would have more evidence.

"So she just gone like that?" Angeal blinked in bewilderment after listening to Sephiroth's explanation and scrutinizing the CCTV with his own eyes. His hand was continuously twitching as he wore an alert expression.

"What is she, a ghost?" Genesis said flatly from behind his LOVELESS copy while he lounged on one of Sephiroth's office armchairs.

"It's so creepy..." Angeal stared at Sephiroth with a contemplative look. He said, "Has Tseng already known this? Do you give him that video too?"

"Yes, and he's on his way here."

Angeal shifted on his feet, his hand gripped into a loose fist at the armchair's backseat behind Genesis. "Do you believe she can do time-traveling?"

Sephiroth stayed still, then shook his head slowly. He said, "There must be something logical to explain this. Like using magic to teleport..."

"But there's no such thing like that." Angeal finished his words and exchanged a quizzical look with his friends. "If she went missing for more than 24 hours, she'll be classified as a threat and hunted down by Shinra."

Sephiroth hummed, then looked down, drawing a small orb from a bangle in his hand. His skeptical thought grew stronger after he noticed the orb was dull. There should be a faint golden light glowing up the last time he'd checked it. His breath turned sharp. Could it be positive that Lucka came from this Materia?

Angeal seized his friend. He didn't miss the way Sephiroth pondered at the orb. He said, "I've never known there's a gray Materia." Angeal spoke while inclining his head towards the object, wondering.

"Me too," Sephiroth admitted in the middle of trying to cover his uneasiness. He trusted Angeal, but he wouldn't insensibly spout his thoughts. Instead, he lied. "I have used it once, but nothing happened." He should assure himself before declaring something he hadn't had the proof of.

"Gray Materia?" Genesis said, putting down his books and looking at the object. He raised one of his eyebrows, some sparks gleaming in his eyes. "May I?" he stretched out his hand across the table.

Sephiroth handed it and watched him as his friend observed the orb. Genesis' eyebrow twitched as he said, "You said nothing happened? It's Materia, after all. I can feel the strong magic in it. There must be something." He stood and shuffled to the center of the room, smirking. "Well, let me try it."

Sephiroth and Angeal watched their friend in anticipation. Genesis put in his mana and read the spell out. They waited, but nothing happened. His eyebrows furrowed in wonder.

Sephiroth lowered his eyebrows as he strolled to his friend. He was curious about the fact Genesis couldn't activate the Materia. His friend was a powerful spellcaster by any means. Then he reached out to try it himself. He efficiently did the same thing as Genesis had done before. And to his awe, it was glowing bright gold. The light soon faded down into a bar of faint yellow. The three of them were bewildered.

"How can you make it work?!" Genesis said in vexed incredulity. His pride hurts.

Sephiroth ignored him. He didn't leave his eyes on the thing. Then there was a rapping knock behind the door that broke the suspension. He turned away from the orb and let whoever was outside the room come in.

Tseng barely opened the door and admitted himself when the men snapped their heads towards a crunching sound slammed upon the floor. In a split second, something black and fast fell from the ceiling. And the thing turned out to be a person's back, clad in a black oversized hoodie jacket. The intruder wielded a katana on each side of their bloody hands. She wore knee-high leather boots and a short pleated skirt. Underneath it was placed a pair of a handgun and knives. At once, everybody drew their swords, followed by Tseng, who pointed his gun and fell into unity to surround the intruder.

"Siege," Sephiroth said in a frosty authority voice, his eyes dwindling. His sword was dangerously an inch away from the intruder's throat. "Drop all of your weapons."

The intruder obediently throws the katanas, guns, and knives to the ground. There was a loud clang every time she dropped them. She raised both hands behind her head, surrendering.

"Turn around," Sephiroth commanded. She turned, and he moved closer, yanking out the hoodie from the face.

"Lucka?"

There was an inimitable silence that hung heavy in the room. The heaviness was as strenuous as Atlas' duty, who should hold Earth upon his shoulders for all eternity.

Lucka's eyes were wide like a saucer. Her breath was fast and curt in every intake she drew as she could hear her heartbeat pounding loudly in her ear. The remaining adrenaline from her last fight still ran in her blood like a flooding river.

She swept up the sight before her. Genesis and Angeal looked lost yet guarded at the same time. Tseng was a little bit shaken, but he managed to cover it almost completely. And for the General, he wore an unreadable expression on his face.

"Why the hell am I here again?!" she muttered. Her expression blatantly told she was horrified. Her jaw tightened, and her posture crooked into a defensive posture. She was just too aghast to manage a smooth mask.

Silence.

It was the General who lowered his swords first. The other followed after. The three of them exchanged a look, a knowing look. As it seemed, they had just found something. Then he unsummoned Masamune and strode the room to sit behind his desk.

"Lucka, please take a seat. We need to talk," he said in a level tone.

She followed him and rested herself on one of the armchairs. The General raised his hand. It was a rounded shape of a crystal ball. A smooth-surface orb that looked like a Materia in grayish color. The ball was hovering in his palm. Inside the things shone a thin layer of pale golden glow that was barely visible. "You came from this," he said with a collected demeanor. His eyes stared deeply into hers. She went still, so he continued, "It's a Summon Materia."

She blinked, trying to take in the information slowly, calmly before she'd expressed any reaction. She recalled her knowledge of the game. And from the books that she'd read yesterday. Eventually, she said, "Oh crap... but I'm a human. I'm not a monster. I eat, I sleep, and go to the toilet," she frowned and added, "I don't wield any magic… Do I?" She raised her right hand, concentrating on drawing something out, anything. But nothing showed up. She felt normal as ever. "Nah," she said with a shrug and waved her hand dismissively, "no ice, no fire, no lighting."

"Correct, you're a human. Usually, there was a creature inhabiting the Materia." For the first time after Lucka reappeared, Genesis spoke in the room. "I've never heard any Materia that can become some sort of teleport gate to the other world."

"It's... odd. Even the color is off." Lucka touched the orb surface. Then she continued as she averted her gaze back to the General. She went quiet for a bit longer. "Then why did you summon me?"

"I didn't intentionally summon you," he said.

Her eyes widened in astonishment, thinking his answer didn't make sense. "What?—" She stopped herself when a realization hit her. "Ah... that's why you make me a captive," she narrowed her eyes and said, "you didn't expect me to come."

"Where did you get it, General?" Tseng moved closer to them, keeping the conversation moving forward. "Considering the circumstances, I believe there must be a special encounter."

The General stayed still before answering like he was weighing a subtle answer for the Turk. Knowing this conversation might lead to the dangerous ground if he was caught off guard. He said calmly, "Back to my latest mission to Modeoheim. After I cleansed the monsters inside a vast cave, it turned out there was a dragon king also inhabiting the area. It slept inside a clear ice crystal. But when I touched the barrier to have a good look, the ice shattered and released the dragon. It had a hundred heads—",

"Did you actually count them?" Genesis sneered at him, carelessly ignoring the fact they were in the middle of a serious conversation.

"No. And let me finish." General chimed in a short and sharp tone. "It was the strongest dragon I've ever encountered, but in the end, I could overcome it and found the Materia inside its gut."

Lucka's eyes widened while she swallowed hard. She couldn't believe what she'd heard. A tattered shiver crawled down her spine, and her head became dizzy. She lowered her gaze to the floor while she massaged her throbbing temple unconsciously. She counted her breath with a rhythm. Inhaled and exhaled.

This terror sensation was way more tremendous than the feeling from the first time she'd met the General. Yes, she'd admit he was fearsome. But, he was a human. And at a certain level, she could manage to stay calm under his intimidation. But what he'd said was a thousand more terrifying. Various kinds of unpredictable scenarios played in her mind.

It wasn't the story she would anticipated, not in a million times. Suddenly a staggering wave washed over her, and all of the world's burdens weighed down her shoulders. Ryuu, I partly get the answer. But it's beyond my comprehension.

She might doze off for a long time because she found a hand grab on her upper arm and drew her back into reality. A deep voice from the hand's owner said, "Lucka, are you okay?" Genesis bent down at her side. His eyebrows furrowed, and a flash of concern crossed his eyes.

She cleared her throat and nodded. Her expression was grim. She opened her mouth a couple more times, trying to speak. And eventually, her words could only flow into a whisper, "I... I… believe, there's no such coincidence in this world... and in my world, I could say," she said with a frown, "that Ladon, the one who discovered, and the one who killed it. At a certain cave and time was General Sephiroth." Lucka addressed the man and looked him right in the eyes. "It seems this planet... is trying to say something." She gulped down the next second, her voice wavering a little. She said, "something related to you, but I don't know what it is. Because..."

She trailed off as she made a poor attempt to remove the necklace under her t-shirt and extended her hand before the General's face. The hanging pendant was created by a bronzed embossed coin, neatly carved into the shape of a creature dragon-like with many heads.

"They called it Ladon… Though, in my world, he died more than a thousand centuries ago." Her eyebrows furrowed as if to show she was deep in thought when she continued, "I don't know if in Gaia there would be some resemblance or a spirit manifest from the real one. He was The guard of the Golden Apple in the Garden of the Hesperides, owned by the Goddess Hera..." Lucka trailed off before continuing. She drew a deep breath. Her eyes were far away. "... it's a long story of our ancestors. It didn't matter. What matters the most now is the reason why it connected us."

And by the end of her last words, the room became bloody quiet.