[Sakura Dimension – Final Day, 04:45 AM]
The night before the dimension collapsed was not silent.
There was no moon in the sky. Only the illusion of one—projected high above by the System's artificial cosmos, where constellations drifted like lost souls in a sea of pale-blue mist. The cherry blossoms remained frozen mid-bloom, but beneath them, life had returned. The lake's surface, once still, rippled with faint vibrations.
Footsteps crunched over the damp grass.
Kaito walked alone along the edge of the lake, his expression calm, but not peaceful. Something heavy sat behind his eyes. Something only he could carry.
Behind him, Aya trailed silently.
She didn't call out. She didn't ask where he was going. She just followed.
When he finally stopped near the water's edge, he didn't turn to her.
Instead, he asked quietly:
"Do you regret it?"
Aya stood beside him. The faint silver glow of the artificial dawn painted their faces in ethereal tones.
She didn't answer at first.
Then, slowly, she shook her head.
"No. Not even for a second."
Kaito's lips twitched upward.
"Even if it breaks everything later?"
She looked at him now. Directly.
"We didn't revive them out of pity. We did it because we could. Because we had to."
"We cheated the System."
"Maybe the System needed to be cheated."
He exhaled.
Aya turned toward the lake. Her reflection shimmered in the water—shattered by the ripples caused by their very presence.
She watched it for a while, then whispered:
"Look at us, Kaito. We're reflections of something that shouldn't exist. You—Unknown. Me—UR Queen. We're a mistake. A crack. But sometimes cracks let the light in."
Kaito stared at her.
And for the first time since awakening, he smiled.
---
[Elsewhere – Revival Integration Room]
The 32 revived duos stood in isolated patches across the dreamscape valley—a fractured mixture of awe, confusion, and mourning.
Some embraced each other like long-lost lovers. Others knelt and stared into space, haunted by memory gaps.
But not everyone welcomed their return.
Takeshi remained unmoved, arms folded, eyes narrowed at the horizon. Reina stood beside him, her posture rigid.
"Something doesn't add up," he said.
"What do you mean?"
"The System doesn't offer free miracles."
Reina's gaze turned toward the cherry blossom canopy above.
"Then maybe this wasn't the System."
They both turned when they heard laughter.
Kenji—newly revived—was dancing barefoot in the dew, spinning like a child.
"I feel it! I feel alive! Like my soul got washed and reborn. I can remember dying but… not the pain. Only the peace after. And now I'm here again. Isn't that crazy?!"
Takeshi frowned.
Reina muttered, "Peace after death… isn't meant to be reversible."
---
[Dev and Meera – Shadowed Reflections]
They sat apart from the others, observing.
Dev cleaned his blade. Meera remained unnaturally quiet.
"Still not going to ask them?" he finally said.
"No."
"You think it was them."
"I know it was them."
Dev nodded.
"Then why not confront them?"
She glanced at him sideways. "Because if they took the fall for the rest of us, the least we can do… is keep our mouths shut."
Dev looked over at Kaito and Aya in the distance. They looked so normal, sitting under a cherry tree. As if they hadn't just rewritten the laws of their world.
"Still," he murmured. "Someone will notice."
---
[System Broadcast – 06:00 AM]
> [Sakura Dimension Termination Protocol: Active] Remaining Duration: 18 Hours Mental Stability Checkpoints: Final Calibration In Progress Next Phase: Inter-Dimensional Shift – Event Two Psychological Strain Predicted: 73% Risk
---
[Evening – The Gathering]
All 37 active duos gathered for the final mandatory briefing at sunset.
The location: A natural stone amphitheater formed near the lake, adorned by glowing sakura that pulsed with light.
The System's Aide holograms flickered into view. One took the form of a young monk. Another—a schoolteacher. A third, a faceless woman wrapped in chains.
Their voices unified:
> "Congratulations, Awakened. You have survived the First Psychological Event."
> "Recovery has been registered. Revival anomalies have been stabilized."
> "However, memory locks have been enforced on select individuals per System Override Protocol."
Aya stiffened.
So the System did notice.
The hologram continued:
> "Event Two will commence following a twelve-hour intermission. Estimated duration: Fifty-two days. Dimensional fusion will place extreme stress on consciousness. Please prepare accordingly."
> "This trial is not designed to test your strength. It is designed to test your self."
> "You may not all return."
Silence.
No one dared speak.
Until a voice rang out:
"Then why revive us?" a boy shouted. He stood in the back, eyes burning. "Why bring us back just to throw us into another storm?"
The holograms all turned toward him.
> "You were not brought back. You were wished back."
Murmurs rippled across the amphitheater.
Kaito didn't flinch.
But Dev stared at him.
Aya said nothing.
The hologram smiled.
> "Sleep well, Awakened. You will need every ounce of clarity."
And then it vanished.
---
[Later That Night – Beneath the Final Blossoms]
Kaito lay on the grass again, eyes open to the stars.
Aya rested beside him, arms behind her head, her thoughts distant.
She spoke softly.
"You think they'll forgive us?"
"They don't know."
"Eventually, someone will."
Kaito turned toward her.
"You worried about punishment?"
Aya laughed bitterly.
"I'm not worried about punishment. I'm worried the System will take back what it gave."
Kaito reached for her hand again. This time, she didn't hesitate. Their fingers intertwined.
"We'll make it matter," he said. "Even if it's temporary."
Aya closed her eyes.
"Promise?"
"Yeah."
They didn't speak after that.
The final hours of the Sakura Dimension passed in silence, beneath a sky where even the stars refused to blink.
---
[System Log – Hidden Message: Classified]
[Wish Protocol: One-time activation confirmed] [Anchor Duo: Kaito Yamada & Aya Shirogane] [Revival Memory Lock: Sealed until Floor 5 Clearance] [Penalty: Accruing in Background – Evaluation Pending] [Observation Level: Omega-1 Priority]
---