As Tama fell unconscious in the real world during the battle, her soul, however, was drifting deeper into a void of pure darkness.
Strangely... it felt warm and welcoming. Then a voice from somewhere in the void called out to her.
"Dear child. Will you accept my power?"
The voice was neither deep nor shrill. It was musical like a lullaby sung by the stars. Then behind her, a faint glow of light came to life. She spun around, and saw a dim lantern, placed next to a figure who sat....no, not sat. He reclined sideways, one palm supporting his head, the other flipping lazily through a book spread open on the floor. A long, tattered black coat draped over his form. The man, beautiful enough to be mistaken for a woman seemed entirely unbothered by her presence.
Behind him, shadows swirled gently, almost in rhythm. The sheer beauty of the scene brought tears to Tama's eyes.
But she blinked them back, steadying herself.
"W-Who are you?" she asked, her voice cracking despite herself.
