This world and every heartbeat of life within it filled the mind, drawing all attention. No action was without purpose other than to reach and preserve it. The sun above shone warmly. The scent of spring filled the foggy meadow where she stood. How many seconds had passed and she could not resist entering it, a radiant world just within arm's reach. It was to this place that she had decided to go.

Hikaru took a deep breath. Her bare feet felt the prickling, dew-wet grass. As far as the eye could see, peace filled the sky. Her eyes glistened with tears, and she thought, maybe this was paradise. The green field and the vast blue sky merged at the horizon. Everything swayed with the cooling wind. Birds flew freely, carried by it, just like the flower petals scattered into the air.

Beautiful towers in the distance rose, adorning the prosperous human cities. This was a magnificent civilization, built with long, blood-soaked struggles and floods of tears. Truly, many things could be born from ashes or dust when human determination became unwavering. Had there been wounds here? Yes. Always. But the world kept turning, and people moved forward, leaving behind all that had to be left behind. Did that include herself? Hikaru wondered. Yes, surely. One day.

She then found a large group of unfamiliar people and stepped forward to become part of them. Somehow, the noise didn't reach her ears. She saw the expressions on each face, showing happiness, chatting with one another. They seemed to be waiting for something big to happen and she felt her heart leaning towards that undefined thing. She felt her chest about to burst with longing to soon find out what it was. Now she half-ran, pushing through the people.

She ran further into the vast whirlpool of people. Tears now streamed down her face, and she felt desperate, unable to find what she was looking for. Fear crept into her heart, the fear that this thing would soon disappear, leaving her with eternal regret. She ran, directionless, knowing she was losing, unable to escape this pain. She began to question why she was going through this, a long search filled with unbearable longing. The people ignored her, making her realize she was a sad paradox, the only unlucky one.

Save me, she pleaded desperately. Suddenly, one of the people noticed her and looked her straight in the eyes for the first time. The person's face lit up with happiness. They seemed to say something beautiful, but Hikaru didn't understand. The others turned as well and immediately celebrated her presence. They welcomed her, reaching out their hands, offering the rescue she desired. Their hands extended, and Hikaru knew they would take her to that distant place.

No regrets... When I look back, there are no regrets, right? Hikaru asked herself. Her eyes became unfocused, blinded as everything blurred, and everything became brighter. She was enveloped in light coming from beneath her feet, losing her foothold, floating in the radiant world. Half-conscious, she delved deeper into the luminous world. She sank into it, wrapped in warmth, curling up like a fetus in the womb of eternity. She closed her eyes, feeling it. It was so silent, and it was more than enough for her tired soul and body.

The time had come. The end of this journey.

Hikaru asked herself. Can I close this chapter now?

Instead of an answer, she heard a roar of chaotic human voices and broken music, hitting her, waking her up. Half of her consciousness rebelled, pulling her back to the world that gave her no answers. Her hands and feet felt shackled, preventing her from rebelling. She couldn't hear it, but her heart screamed.

Something wouldn't let her go, and she asked again, isn't it over? The people turning their backs on her gave no answer. She finally managed to push through them all, breaking free, finding another place.

The sun above shone warmly... The scent of spring filled the foggy meadow where she stood, transfixed... Her bare feet felt the prickling, dew-wet grass. As far as the eye could see, the field glistened, a world that offered no answers, only dreams. Tears streamed down her face. Shouldn't it have been over?

And then the answer came...

"Not yet."

Hikaru slowly opened her eyes and found only darkness. For a while, she didn't dare to move, just lay there listening to her own ragged breathing. Before her awareness fully returned, it took some time to recognize that this was her room, a place she knew well. She felt very uncomfortable with the lingering emotions. She tried to sit up and reach for the table lamp, turning it on. The yellow light hurt her eyes. Seeing the light, she remembered what she had seen, in her head, in her dream.

"Dream?" Hikaru lay back down, hugging herself. Restless. She clutched her chest and felt her heart still racing. Her body was drenched and felt so cold. "A dream... Just a dream?" she sighed.

But no, what I saw didn't seem like a dream... Everything felt so real, and this feeling... Hikaru thought. Why am I feel such deep sadness? What is the reason? Everything looked so beautiful. That was the world of Cephiro, she recognized it. It was the world I had dreamed of. A world united in peace. But what had betrayed me, causing this tightness in my chest?

And the voice that had woken me... So deep and cold, so faint as if carried by the wind from a far away place, yet so powerful, gripping, not letting go, echoing, unwilling to fade. It terrorized me, guiding me in a certain direction... Who said it?

"Not yet...?"

Hikaru asked, why is not yet? What is still left unfinished? That radiant world, she finally knew it wasn't just a story. She knew it was real. What she saw with her eyes, heard with her ears, and felt with her whole body... all were real. She witnessed it. That was where she chose to go.

A path so long seemed endless. Someone at the far end, Hikaru knew, hoped she would traverse it. And she realized that she was starting to follow. But wait. Why was she seeking them? Why was she trying to reach them? Why was she heading towards them?

Why did all of this become a question? And, those two words shattered so many things. Hikaru clutched her head, trying to remember everything she had seen and capture every detail. All her questions went unanswered. A burden of curiosity slowly crept into her heart, preventing her from closing her eyes again. Those two words had seized her so intensely, pulling her away from reaching that radiant world, distancing her more and more.

Whoever said it, why did they say it? Why did they make me feel this way? Hikaru wondered. She looked out the window, got up, and drew back the curtain. The moon outside stood alone in the sky. She sat down. So much, she wanted to see Cephiro. She wanted to know if everything was alright while she was having this vision. She wanted Clef by her side to explain everything she saw and felt. She didn't want to experience this alone. Her premonition was so bad.