The ruined landscape stretched beneath a dim sky — the ground cracked and trembling under its own weight. Shattered mirrors littered the area like fallen stars, each shard catching the faintest glimmer of moonlight.
The wind swept softly through the air, whispering between the fragments.
For once, there was silence — a tense, fragile calm.
Whoooosh…
Dante exhaled, his breath fogging in the cold air. The purple-black shadow that had consumed his body moments ago flickered, then slowly peeled away — fading into mist. The eerie glow in his eyes dimmed until only his normal gaze remained.
He stared down at his trembling hands, his reflection faintly visible in a broken shard beside him.
"What… was that?" he muttered under his breath. "That feeling… that power… it felt like something inside me just—snapped."
A faint ache pulsed in his chest, followed by a quiet, unnerving thought:
For a second… it felt like I wasn't even human.
Before he could dwell on it, two familiar voices shattered the stillness.
"Dante!"
Ada and Raen sprinted across the fractured rooftop, worry flashing in their eyes. Ada was first to speak — her tone composed but laced with sharp irritation.
"You idiot! What the hell was that about? You could've gotten yourself killed!" She sighed heavily, brushing glass dust off her coat. "And that thing—that purple-black shadow—was that the shard's doing?!"
Raen chimed in, arms waving dramatically.
"Yeah, seriously! What was that flashy transformation, huh, pretty boy? Was it an awakening or something? 'Cause if it was, I'll admit—" she grinned "—it was kinda cool."
Dante rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, a sheepish chuckle slipping out.
"Ah—haha, honestly? I've got no idea. It just… happened. Like a snap of a finger. First time I've ever felt anything like it."
Ada and Raen exchanged a synchronized deadpan stare.
Ada crossed her arms, voice icy and precise.
"Get a load of this guy. Awakens some overpowered shadow form and doesn't have a clue about it. Huff. I wonder what else he doesn't know."
Raen leaned on Ada's shoulder, smirking.
"Yeah, he's a total idiot. Can you imagine? Having such a cool power and no idea how to use it. That's tragic, Dante. Just tragic."
Dante gasped dramatically, clutching his chest.
"Hey, you two should be grateful! If it weren't for me, that Redd Knight would've turned you both into mincemeat. No offense."
Ada cut him off mid-sentence, eyes narrowing.
"There's offense, alright. So just because you got your little flashy form, you think you're some big deal now? You can defeat the Redd Knight and suddenly you're 'special'?!"
Raen jumped in for the kill, laughing.
"She's right! Who do you think you are, pretty boy? Letting your shiny new powers get to your head already? Your brain can't even handle basic math, let alone 'shadow mode.'"
Dante raised a finger to his lips, smirking slyly.
"Shhh. Don't be jealous. Not everyone gets to be main character material. Keep crying, losers."
Ada froze.
Raen blinked.
Then, in perfect sync—
"GET HIM!"
FWOOOSH—!!
Both women lunged at him as Dante yelped and bolted across the rooftop. Shards of glass crunched underfoot as the three of them darted between broken pillars and debris.
"Hey—HEY! I was joking!" Dante shouted, laughing breathlessly as Ada's foot narrowly missed his shoulder.
"You're dead, you smug idiot!" Ada snapped, hurling a chunk of mirror at him.
Raen cackled, chasing alongside her. "Oh no, let's see if that 'shadow form' helps you now, main character!"
Their laughter and bickering echoed through the cold night air —
a strange, comforting sound amidst the ruins of battle.
And for the first time in a while, Dante smiled.
Even if only for a moment, it felt like the world wasn't ending.