Yui's eyes snapped open. The first thing she noticed was weight on top of her, warm and solid. Her chest heaved as she tried to breathe.
"H-Haru…?" she stammered, voice barely a whisper.
Haru's eyes shot open as well, and the two of them froze, faces blazing red as they realized just how close they were. Yui scrambled off him, her hands brushing the concrete sidewalk, heart pounding like it might burst.
Haru rolled off slowly, muttering, "W-What…?" His eyes darted around, taking in the street. It was normal. Too normal.
Sidewalks lined with familiar houses, adults walking past, staring at them with concerned expressions. A woman rushed over, clutching a purse.
"Are you kids okay? What happened?!"
"Uh…" Yui stammered, still kneeling, "I—I don't know…" Her hands shook as she looked around. No twisted Limbo streets. No smoke, no broken ground. No dead friends. Nothing.
Haru stood, brushing himself off, eyes wide. "This… this isn't Limbo. None of it… none of it is happening."
"Then what just happened?" Yui whispered, voice trembling. She glanced down at herself and realized her clothes were normal, no knight skirt or magical outfit—just the everyday clothes she'd worn that morning.
Around them, neighbors murmured, asking if they were hurt, offering water. Everything felt so mundane it hurt.
Yui's stomach twisted. The weight of grief and fear that had been gnawing at her in Limbo… was gone, replaced by a confusing emptiness. Where were Haruka, Ayumi, Airi, Kaito? Why were they all safe here—or did they even exist at all?
Haru crouched beside her, voice quiet. "I… I don't know. But Yui… we're here. And everyone's okay. At least for now."
Yui's chest tightened. "So none of it happened?"
Haru shook his head slowly. "It happened. We both remember it."
Yui bit her lip, staring at the familiar houses, the quiet streets, the adults bustling around. It felt comforting, but also… wrong. Too calm.
Her hands tightened in her lap, eyes closing for a moment as she tried to make sense of it all. Limbo, the Watcher, Ayumi…
The cluster of adults guided Yui and Haru into a small police station down the street. The fluorescent lights hummed quietly overhead, and the soft clatter of typewriters and phones made the place feel almost cozy compared to Limbo. Officers asked questions, but the kids were quiet, still trying to process the sudden normalcy around them.
Haru leaned close to Yui as their parents exchanged words with the officers. His voice was barely audible, a whisper meant for her alone. "Something's wrong, Yui… I know it. Everything we went through… it happened. It has to have happened. We just… need to figure out where we are, and what this place is."
When their parents arrived at the police station, Yui and Haru's faces lit up like the sun breaking through clouds after a storm. Relief, joy, and disbelief collided in their expressions. Yui ran forward, arms flinging around her mother, burying her face in her hair, and felt the warmth and safety she hadn't realized she'd been craving. Haru did the same with his parents, his small, tight frame shaking as he inhaled the familiar scents of home.
For a moment, the chaos of Limbo, the grief of loss, the fear and pain—they all felt like a distant memory. Here, in this quiet, ordinary world, everything seemed safe.
Both of them exchanged a nod before leaving with their parents, still on guard of course, never letting their guard down.
Later, when Haru stepped through the front door of his own home, his heart nearly stopped. There, on the couch, sat Haruka, curled up with a book, completely engrossed. She looked alive. Real. Untouched by any of the horrors that happened to her in The Limbo.
Without thinking, Haru leapt forward and wrapped his arms around her, squeezing so tightly she squealed in surprise. "Haru… what—?"
But he couldn't speak. His tears streamed freely down his face, chest heaving as he held her. Every ounce of fear, guilt, and heartbreak from Limbo poured out through that hug. Haruka struggled for a moment, confused and flustered, but eventually just patted his back gently.
Haru's parents appeared in the doorway, alarm written across their faces. "Haru? What's—?"
Haru shook his head, crying harder, the relief of seeing his little sister alive mingling with the echoes of grief when he lost her. He couldn't explain it. Words couldn't contain the weight of Limbo or the fear of losing her again.
Yui tapped her phone nervously. "Meet me at the park."
Seconds later, Haru's reply appeared: "I'll be there. Don't worry, I'll explain to my parents."
Haru's parents looked concerned as he approached them in the living room. "I'll be back soon, I promise," he said, forcing a casual tone. "I'm just going to school to talk to my teacher about an assignment." They nodded, still worried, and he hugged them briefly before heading out.
Before leaving, he crouched down and hugged Haruka tightly again. She frowned, tilting her head. "Haru… why are you so clingy all of a sudden?"
"It's nothing," he said quickly, holding her even tighter. "I just… love you."
Haruka blinked in surprise, but before she could respond, Haru let go and hurried toward the park.
When he arrived, Yui was already there, clutching something in her hands. She held it out to him—the silver clock she had taken from the Jester, still gleaming faintly.Haru's eyes widened. "Yui… be extremely careful with that," he said, voice tense. "That thing—whatever it does, it's dangerous."
Yui nodded, taking a deep breath. "I know. But… maybe when I grabbed it, we didn't just go back in time. Maybe… it can take us to other timelines."
Haru chuckled softly, though a hint of unease lingered in his eyes. "Another timeline? There's no way… right?"
Yui looked at him, eyebrows raised. "You really think a world where spirits and Limbo exist… it's impossible for other timelines to exist?"
Haru paused, thinking. Slowly, he said, "I suppose… we could consider that a possibility."
Yui's eyes widened as she processed it. Then both of them froze. "Daichi… he didn't come with us," Yui said, voice tight.
Haru's jaw clenched. "The Daichi in this timeline is probably here, yes. But… our Daichi? Our friend? He isn't."
They looked at each other, the weight of the realization sinking in.
"We have to find him," Yui said firmly.
"And we can't stay here forever," Haru added. "Our timeline… it's being destroyed by The Watcher right now. We need to get back before it's too late."
The two of them shared a determined glance, the park around them quiet and ordinary, a fragile bubble of calm in the middle of their chaotic lives. But inside, they knew: time, fate, and countless timelines were slipping through their fingers—and the clock in Yui's hands might be the only way to chase them down.