The Eternal Stillness of Lost Silences
The air grows thick. Edenfall begins to throb, not with movement, but with a stillness that envelops everything in an invisible layer. Every street, every corner seems to be waiting for something to happen, but without urgency. The city itself seems to stand still, as if, having reached its limit, it is ready to vanish into empty space. Akihiko watches the shadows as evening falls, wondering if at some point all the elements that make up his life have come together, so that they can finally exist in a state of non-being.
Lirea and the Suspense of the Unshown Image
Lirea stands before a blank mural, placed in the center of the Plaza of Echoes. The piece is empty, yet its lines suggest an unseen image. Thousands of people have paused before it, tracing their own thoughts in the void. There is no form, but everyone sees something. In her mind, Lirea feels that the wall speaks, but in the language of absence. It is a field of revealing silence . In the end, she leaves a single word written at its base: "Nothing." But that word resonates in the minds of all observers.
III. Akihiko and the Reflection That Doesn't Return
Akihiko faces the last body of water that still reflects his image. For the past few days, he has avoided all mirrors and reflective surfaces. Now, seeing the stillness of his own face, there is neither recognition nor surprise. Only the certainty that he no longer depends on his image to exist. In that moment, his body ceases its quest to correct its form, and for the first time, he feels whole without being defined by an image. At that moment, Sael, observing from afar, understands: "The reflection is no longer necessary. Form is only the beginning, not the end."
The Suspended Existence of Veils
Velos has disappeared for days. No one knows what he has been doing or where he has gone. His silence is not empty, but a space filled with reflection. In the stillness of the void, he finds that every movement is unnecessary. In this way, he creates an even deeper technique: Suspended Existence , which consists of being without expecting anything from the moment, without seeking change or resolution. It is the technique of one who is completely present without needing to move forward. For days, the inhabitants of Edenfall practice without moving a finger, remaining suspended among their thoughts, in pure being.
The Revelation of Unexpected Signs
A group of young people, known as the Reflectors , begin to share their experiences with the inexplicable. Some speak of unheard sounds. Others of shadows that move without being touched. The Reflectors are those who have experienced the vision of the Uninhabited Void , a state in which space and time cease to have relevance. Akihiko and Lirea observe them, understanding that they are approaching a new stage of existence, where the boundaries between the physical and the intangible are no longer clear.
The Shadows That Are Forgotten
While Edenfall is in this limbo, Yoru begins to see strange shadows that vanish before she can touch them. They are images of people she knows, but when she tries to recall their faces, all that remains is emptiness. The problem is that these shadows aren't memories, but presences that haven't yet been erased. The city is filled with what no longer exists, yet it can't stop resonating. Yoru tries to touch a shadow, but upon contact, it dissolves into thin air. And with it, a part of her memory is taken away.
VII. Time Spilled on the City
The feeling of being trapped in the present intensifies as the clocks of Edenfall begin to crumble. Each passing minute is no longer part of a continuum. It has become a series of isolated points. Lirea realizes there is no longer a tomorrow to fear, but neither is there a yesterday to remember. In Reconciliation Square, the clock tower stops, but strangely, no one notices. There is no fear of the passage of time, only the certainty that something has ceased to matter.
VIII. Velos' Last Message
Velos appears in the center of the Plaza of Remembrance, carrying with him a jumble of scattered thoughts. He has journeyed into the Void to seek the answer to the question everyone fears: What happens when everything has been understood? His answer is simple, yet profound: "What we have known fades away, but what is to come is all that matters." Velos dissolves into the mist. He leaves nothing behind. No one moves, because no one needs to move.
The Encounter in the Zone of Detachment
Akihiko, gazing at the horizon, encounters Riva in the Zone of Detachment, a space where the city ceases to be a physical place and becomes a field of unconscious thoughts. Riva says, "We have become what we no longer sought. Now, we are merely fragments of a shared existence." Akihiko finally understands that struggle, resistance, and the definition of being no longer have a place in this new cycle. The world may continue, but they remain in an eternal state of transition.
The Endless Road of Despair
The chapter ends with the final sunrise in Edenfall. Day and night, wakefulness and sleep, are no longer distinguishable. The city remains in a constant state of transition, where memories of the past do not interfere with the present. As Akihiko walks through the empty streets, he feels that there is nothing left to resolve, yet everything continues unabated . It is a state of peace, not because of resolution, but because of the acceptance that there is no need for an ending.