The golden light spilling from the lamppost felt unreal — too soft, too perfect.It bathed Airi in a gentle glow, the same way it did the night they met for the first time.
But Toshio knew better now.
This world wasn't Earth. It wasn't a dream either. It was something in between — a "mirror reality" born from the Gate of Echoes.
Still… seeing her there — the same long hair, the same shy smile — made the ache in his chest return, deeper than before.
"Airi…" His voice trembled. "Is it really you?"
She tilted her head, her eyes shining like reflected starlight. "I could ask you the same. Are you still… you?"
The question threw him off. "What do you mean?"
Airi's smile didn't reach her eyes. "Because the Toshio I knew couldn't walk through that Gate. He was afraid of what he might see."
He took a step forward, hesitant. "Maybe I still am."
The wind stirred gently, lifting strands of her hair into the light. For a moment, it almost looked like fire — alive, burning softly in the darkness.
He stopped just a few meters away, staring at her like a man seeing color for the first time. "I've been looking for you… ever since that day."
Airi looked down. "You shouldn't have."
"Why?"
She raised her gaze — and Toshio's breath caught. Her eyes were wet, trembling, full of guilt. "Because I was the one who left you there."
The words hit like ice.
He blinked, stunned. "What are you saying?"
Airi took a step back. Her voice cracked. "The night I disappeared — it wasn't an accident. The dream didn't take me. I chose to go."
Toshio's mind spun. "That doesn't make sense. You— you screamed. You reached for me—"
"I had to," she whispered. "The Dream Realm doesn't open to those who don't invite it. I made the call. And the Gate chose me."
The lamppost flickered, its light dimming slightly. The air thickened again — like the world itself was holding its breath.
Lyra appeared behind Toshio, silent as ever. Her presence didn't belong here, yet the Gate had allowed her through.
"Airi," she said softly. "You shouldn't have revealed yourself."
Airi's expression darkened. "So you're still playing guardian, Lyra?"
Toshio glanced between them. "Wait — you two know each other?"
Lyra nodded slowly. "Airi was the first one the Gate claimed. The first Traveler. The one who made a deal with the Goddess of Dreams."
Toshio's heartbeat quickened. "Deal?"
Airi's eyes shimmered. "Yes. To protect you."
Lyra's tone turned sharp. "No. To control him."
The lamppost's light flickered again — gold fading to crimson.Airi's form began to waver, shadows spilling from her feet.
"Stop," Toshio said, reaching out. "What's happening to you?"
Airi smiled sadly. "The Gate is showing you the truth. I'm not the girl you remember. I'm what was left of her."
The wind howled suddenly, carrying whispers that sounded like a thousand broken promises. Airi's shadow stretched — forming wings of black mist.
Lyra stepped forward, her eyes glowing violet. "Toshio, back away. She's a Wraith. A manifestation of guilt bound by the Gate."
But Toshio didn't move. "I don't care what she is. She's still Airi!"
Airi's voice trembled. "Then save me… if you can."
The ground cracked beneath them.The lamppost shattered, and the world twisted — the streets around them bending upward, warping into spirals of glass and shadow.
The Dream Realm was rewriting itself.
Airi screamed as chains of red light erupted from her chest, binding her arms. Toshio ran to her, but Lyra held him back.
"You can't break those chains! They're memories — hers and yours combined!"
"I don't care!" He tore free from Lyra's grip and threw himself forward. His system's aura burst out in red-gold flame.
[Skill Activated: Resonance Pulse]
The chains sizzled as his hand met hers — the contact burning like fire. The System's interface flickered before his eyes:
[Warning: Synchronization unstable.][Subject identified: Airi – Echo Wraith of the Lost Dream.][System override possible. Proceed?]
"Yes," Toshio hissed through clenched teeth. "Proceed!"
Light exploded between them — a blinding sphere of red, gold, and black. The force threw Lyra back several feet, her wings shattering into motes of light.
When the glow faded, Toshio was on his knees, panting.Airi was in his arms — fragile, trembling, but no longer bound. Her chains had dissolved into dust.
Her voice was weak but clear. "You shouldn't have done that. The System wasn't meant to save echoes."
Toshio smiled faintly. "Then I guess I broke another rule."
Airi blinked up at him, her tears catching the fading light. "You're still the same idiot…"
Lyra approached cautiously, her voice soft. "You risked corruption, Toshio. She's still part of the Gate."
"I know," he said, tightening his hold on Airi. "But she's mine to save."
A long silence followed. Then, softly, Airi reached out and touched his cheek. "It's strange. Even after all this time, your heartbeat sounds the same."
Toshio felt his throat tighten. "I never stopped hearing yours."
The Gate trembled — a deep, resonant sound like the universe sighing. The air shimmered again, and the crimson hue faded into gold once more.
Lyra looked around. "The Gate is recognizing your bond. It's rewriting her existence."
Toshio frowned. "Rewriting?"
"Yes," Lyra whispered. "She won't be just an echo anymore. She'll exist."
The golden light surrounded Airi, lifting her gently into the air. Her form glowed brighter, clearer — her eyes regaining the warmth he remembered.
When the light faded, she stood before them — whole. Real. Breathing.
Toshio reached out, his hand trembling. "Airi…?"
She smiled through her tears. "You really found me."
He pulled her into his arms, holding her tight, afraid she'd vanish again.But she didn't.
Lyra turned away quietly, her expression unreadable. "The Gate took something from her in return. Every rebirth has a price."
Toshio looked up. "What price?"
Lyra's eyes glowed faintly. "Memory. She'll forget everything about her deal, her past, and even… what she was."
Airi frowned softly. "That's fine. I'd rather start over anyway."
For the first time, Toshio laughed — genuinely."Then let's start over together."
But just as the words left his mouth, the air darkened again. A new voice echoed across the empty sky — low, melodic, inhuman.
"So the boy who defied the Gate has chosen love over fate."
The temperature dropped instantly.Lyra's face drained of color. "No… it can't be…"
From the distance, a shadow emerged — a woman draped in robes of liquid night, her eyes like twin eclipses.
"I am the Dream Goddess," she said, her voice both tender and terrifying. "And you, Toshio Shinji… have broken the law of existence."
The ground cracked. The Gate behind them shattered like glass.
Airi clung to Toshio. "What's happening?!"
He raised his arm protectively, his System flaring again.
[New Entity Detected: Dream Goddess – Realm Authority Tier][Mission Updated: Survive the Judgment.]
Toshio met the goddess's gaze. "You'll have to destroy me to take her."
The goddess smiled. "Oh, I intend to."
[Quest Updated: The Goddess Descends – Dream Trial Begins][New Objective: Protect Airi at All Costs]