Kurumi's breath hitched sharply, chest heaving beneath the thin hospital blanket. The dim light of the infirmary flickered from the worn-out fluorescent tubes, casting long shadows that danced over her pale face. She was barely conscious, eyelids fluttering like fragile wings trying to hold onto the last fragments of waking reality.
Akira sat close, clutching her hand with desperate warmth. His forehead was pressed against hers, the coolness of his skin a stark contrast to the feverish flush creeping across Kurumi's cheeks. "Stay with me," he whispered, voice trembling.
Inside Kurumi, something churned—a storm trapped between two halves of her soul. The Queen's ancient glyphs pulsed faintly beneath her skin, warring with the nascent Crestella core that bloomed like a fragile flower in spring. She felt herself slipping, the edges of her consciousness fraying like a worn tapestry.
Suddenly, the hospital room dissolved.
She found herself standing in an endless field of silver grass under a violet sky, where stars burned like fires close enough to touch. The air shimmered with power, crisp and electric. There, at the horizon, stood a small girl—a child with silver eyes like molten moonlight and hair that rippled like liquid starlight.
The girl's voice was soft yet carried the weight of eternity. "You carry a burden not meant for any one soul."
Kurumi stepped forward, feeling the weight of the Queen's presence pressing behind her. "Who are you?"
"I am the First," the child replied. "The original bearer of the Crestella. I was made to contain the Sky, not wield it."
Kurumi's heart clenched. "Contain the Sky? But… what does that mean for me? For us?"
The child's eyes darkened. "The Crestella is a seal as much as a power. It binds the forces of the heavens, but it demands balance. When the seal cracks, the Sky bleeds into the world, and the bearer's soul fractures."
A wave of despair washed over Kurumi. "I don't want to lose myself. I don't want to become a vessel."
The girl knelt, placing a gentle hand over Kurumi's heart. "Then learn to separate your will from the Crown you bear. You must bind your soul, not let it be bound."
The dreamscape shimmered and faded.
---
Kurumi awoke abruptly, coughing violently as the hospital room rushed back into focus. Akira's eyes widened with relief, but concern etched deep lines across his face. "Kurumi! You scared me."
She tried to speak but her throat was dry. She only managed a weak nod before succumbing to exhaustion again.
Ayaka Shirosawa entered quietly, her presence calm but commanding. She approached the bedside, laying a hand on Kurumi's forehead. "The dream you had… it is more than a vision."
Kurumi blinked up at her, confusion flickering in her gaze. "Who was she?"
Ayaka sighed, pulling up a chair. "The First Crestella bearer. Legends say she was the source—the seed—from which all Crestella stones were born. She was not just a wielder but a guardian."
Kurumi swallowed hard. "So, I'm not just fighting myself… I'm fighting that too?"
Ayaka nodded. "Your bond with the Queen's soul makes you unique. You're both vessel and seal. But the Queen's essence in you is corrupting your mind and body. This is Crescence Syndrome."
Kurumi shuddered at the unfamiliar term.
Ayaka continued, "If you don't learn to separate your will from hers, you will lose yourself entirely. The Queen's memories, her pain, her desires—they will drown out yours."
Akira reached over, squeezing Kurumi's hand gently. "We'll get through this. Together."
---
Days passed, and Kurumi's strength fluctuated wildly. Sometimes she was fierce, the thunder surging at her fingertips like a wild stallion; other times she was pale and trembling, whispering fragments of the Queen's ancient lament.
Training became an ordeal of body and mind. Ayaka pushed her relentlessly, guiding her to meditate, to hone her glyph control and learn to speak to the Queen's spirit without surrendering.
"You are not her," Ayaka repeated, her voice firm but kind. "You are Kurumi Ogino. You are your own soul."
But during one session, when Kurumi's concentration faltered, the Queen's voice flooded her mind, sharp and cold.
"You cannot escape me. You were born from my sacrifice."
Kurumi's eyes flashed silver-blue, lightning crackling involuntarily from her fingertips. She gasped, dropping to her knees.
Akira rushed in, steadying her. "Kurumi! Focus!"
Her mind was a battlefield.
---
Just when despair threatened to overwhelm her, a new figure entered their lives.
Varan.
He appeared one rainy evening at the gate of their hideout—a tall, slender monk clad in muted saffron robes, his eyes like dark pools reflecting centuries of knowledge and pain. His calm aura held an unsettling intensity, as if he carried secrets too heavy for any one man.
"I heard of your plight," Varan said quietly. "The Crestella's burden is not new, but your fusion with the Queen's essence… that is a dangerous path."
Ayaka studied him warily. "Who are you?"
Varan bowed slightly. "Once, I was a servant of Queen Fresha. A keeper of ancient rites. But I left when I saw the cruelty of her court, and the cost of the war she waged."
Kurumi felt a flicker of hope. "Can you help me? Can you cleanse the corruption?"
Varan's gaze darkened. "The cleansing is a double-edged sword. It could free you… or sever your bond entirely, risking death or worse. But there may be a way to separate the Queen's will from yours without destruction."
Akira frowned. "What's the catch?"
Varan smiled faintly, almost sadly. "You must walk through the Flames of Purity—an ancient trial lost to many. It will test not just your power, but your soul."
Kurumi swallowed her fear. "I'll do it."
---
The following days were a whirlwind of preparation.
Under Varan's guidance, Kurumi learned to enter a meditative trance that allowed her to glimpse the shifting realms of her own mind. She faced memories that were not hers, fragments of Fresha's past—love, betrayal, regret—and the crushing weight of the Crown.
Akira trained alongside her, pushing his own Crestella powers to new limits, desperate to support her.
Sera remained a constant pillar, reminding Kurumi that her true strength lay in their bond, in friendship and love—not just the glyphs etched into their souls.
---
One night, as Kurumi sat alone beneath the stars, her body humming with unstable energy, the Queen's voice returned.
"You are stronger than I. But do you have the will to break free?"
Kurumi's silver-blue eyes met the night sky. "I will."
The battle within was far from over, but the first cracks of hope shone bright.
---