Time passed.
A day.
Then a week.
Then a month.
Eventually, the days became years.
Three years.
For three years, the Architects' Domain continued to exist without Sasaki.
The castle remained standing.
The gardens continued to bloom.
The floating islands continued drifting through the endless sky.
Everything looked the same.
But something was missing.
Mao noticed it more than anyone.
Sometimes, she would walk through the castle and instinctively look toward the hallway where Sasaki's room was.
Sometimes, she would find herself standing outside his door.
She never opened it.
There was nothing inside that she needed.
But she would still stand there.
As if waiting for someone to answer.
Other times, she would sit in the garden.
The same garden she had shown Sasaki.
The same flowers.
The same trees.
The same quiet breeze.
And she would remember the way he had looked at the flowers.
The way he had compared her to the garden.
The way she had hit him for calling her short.
Those memories were small.
Almost meaningless.
But they were hers.
And she held onto them.
Then, one day—
Mao was sitting beneath the same tree when she noticed something.
A faint distortion appeared in the air.
She slowly lifted her head.
A rift.
Her eyes widened.
She immediately stood.
Her heart began beating faster.
"...Sasaki?"
The rift flickered.
Then disappeared.
Mao's expression fell.
She stared at the empty space.
Nothing.
She waited.
A few seconds passed.
Then a minute.
Nothing happened.
Mao slowly sat back down.
She exhaled.
"Of course..."
She looked down at her hands.
"Why did I think..."
She stopped herself.
Then—
The air changed again.
Mao looked up.
The rift returned.
This time, it didn't disappear.
It slowly began to open.
Mao stood.
Her eyes widened.
She took a step forward.
Then another.
She didn't want to get her hopes up.
But she couldn't stop herself.
The rift grew larger.
Light spilled into the garden.
Mao stood directly in front of it.
Waiting.
Waiting.
Waiting.
Then—
A foot stepped through.
Mao's breath caught.
Another step.
A figure emerged from the rift.
Tall.
Familiar.
Gray eyes.
Same white hair.
The same face she remembered.
But...
Different.
Sasaki stepped fully into the garden.
The rift closed behind him.
Mao stared.
She couldn't move.
For three years, she had imagined this moment.
She had imagined him coming back smiling.
She had imagined him complaining about his assignment.
She had imagined him asking about the garden.
She had imagined everything.
But she hadn't imagined this.
Sasaki stood quietly.
His posture was relaxed.
His expression was calm.
Too calm.
His eyes looked heavier than before.
Not tired from lack of sleep.
Something deeper.
Something Mao couldn't explain.
She slowly whispered his name.
"...Sasaki?"
Sasaki looked toward her.
For a moment, he simply stared.
Then a small smile appeared.
"Hey, Mao."
Mao's eyes immediately filled with tears.
She took a step forward.
Then another.
And suddenly—
She ran.
Mao threw her arms around him.
Sasaki barely had time to react before she hugged him tightly.
Her face pressed against his chest.
She started crying.
Not quietly.
Not gracefully.
She simply cried.
Three years of waiting came rushing out all at once.
"You've been gone for so long..."
Her voice shook.
"I waited..."
Sasaki looked down at her.
His expression softened.
Very slightly.
He slowly raised his hand.
Then gently placed it on the back of her head.
"I'm okay, Mao."
Mao held onto him tighter.
"I missed you so much."
"I know."
"You didn't even send a message!"
"I couldn't."
"I know!"
She wiped her eyes against his clothes.
"I know, but..."
Her voice broke again.
"I still missed you."
Sasaki remained quiet.
His hand continued resting gently on her head.
"I'm back."
Mao closed her eyes.
For the first time in three years, she felt like she could breathe again.
"I'm glad..."
She whispered.
"I'm so glad."
The other Architects soon noticed the disturbance.
One by one, they began arriving in the garden.
Force came first.
Then Love.
Time appeared shortly afterward.
They all stopped when they saw Sasaki.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Sasaki looked at them.
He raised one hand.
"Hey."
Force stared at him.
"...You're alive."
Sasaki smiled.
"Last time I checked."
Love slowly approached.
"It's been three years."
"Yeah."
"You look different."
Sasaki looked down at himself.
"Do I?"
Love nodded.
"You're quieter."
Sasaki shrugged.
"Maybe."
Force continued staring at him.
There was something unsettling about his expression.
Not because Sasaki looked angry.
He didn't.
That was the problem.
He looked completely calm.
Like nothing had happened.
Like three years away from the Architects' Domain had been nothing more than a short trip.
Mao still hadn't let go of him.
Force glanced at her.
"Mao."
She ignored him.
"Mao."
"What?"
"You've been crying."
Mao quickly wiped her face.
"I have not."
Love smiled.
"You definitely have."
Mao glared at him.
"Shut up."
Sasaki looked at her.
Then gently wiped a tear from her cheek.
Mao froze.
"..."
Sasaki smiled.
"You missed me that much?"
Mao immediately looked away.
"Don't say it like that."
"Why?"
"Because..."
She couldn't finish.
Sasaki simply smiled.
After a few moments, Sasaki noticed something floating in front of him.
A translucent window.
None of the other Architects reacted.
Sasaki looked at it.
[Essence]
Name: Sasaki Oyuki
Height: 6'3
Age: 19
Incarnation: The Coalescence
"A man who witnessed hell and walked out as though it were another ordinary day."
[Achievement Unlocked]
Cleared the Kingdom Act
Sasaki stared at the words.
His expression didn't change.
He simply closed the window.
Mao noticed.
"What was that?"
"Nothing."
She frowned.
"Sasaki..."
"I'm fine."
Mao looked at him.
She wanted to believe him.
But something about the way he said it made her hesitate.
Love stepped forward.
"So..."
He smiled.
"How was the kingdom?"
Sasaki looked at him.
"Bad."
Love blinked.
"Bad?"
"Very."
Force crossed his arms.
"Did the kingdom treat you well?"
Sasaki was silent.
Then—
"No."
The smile on Love's face disappeared.
"What happened?"
Sasaki looked down.
For several seconds, he didn't answer.
Mao watched him carefully.
She noticed his hands.
They weren't shaking.
His breathing was steady.
His expression was calm.
Too calm.
Finally, Sasaki looked up.
"You want to know what happened?"
Love nodded.
Sasaki raised one hand.
Mao's eyes widened.
"Sasaki..."
The air around them suddenly changed.
Love took a step backward.
"Sasaki, wait."
Sasaki's expression remained blank.
"This guy was annoying."
Mao immediately stepped forward.
"Sasaki, stop."
He didn't.
A sudden burst of power struck Love, knocking him away.
The garden became completely silent.
Love fell still.
Nobody moved.
Sasaki looked at him.
Then calmly lowered his hand.
"...Oops."
Force stared at him.
"What did you just do?"
Sasaki shrugged.
"My hand slipped."
Nobody laughed.
Sasaki looked around.
"What's with the faces?"
He smiled.
"Come on."
He spread his arms slightly.
"I came back safely."
Mao stared at him.
She couldn't understand it.
The Sasaki standing in front of her was the same person.
But somehow...
He wasn't.
"Sasaki..."
Her voice trembled.
"What happened to you?"
Sasaki's smile slowly faded.
He looked at her.
For the first time since returning, his expression became difficult to read.
"A lot."
Mao's eyes filled with tears again.
Sasaki noticed.
He crouched down in front of her.
"Hey."
Mao stared at him.
"Don't blame yourself."
"What?"
"Whatever happened..."
Sasaki gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
"It wasn't your fault."
Mao shook her head.
"What happened there?"
Sasaki looked away.
"It may have been torture."
Mao's expression changed.
She stared at him.
Sasaki gave her a faint smile.
"But I'd do anything for you."
He looked back at her.
"Right?"
Mao's eyes widened.
She suddenly understood.
Her breathing became unsteady.
The assignment.
The kingdom.
The wishes.
All of them.
Sasaki hadn't granted them.
Not one.
"You..."
Her voice trembled.
"You didn't..."
Sasaki said nothing.
Mao looked toward the others.
Then back at him.
"You killed them."
Sasaki tilted his head.
"I wouldn't say I did."
Mao froze.
"Siv did."
Silence.
Mao slowly covered her mouth.
Her legs gave out beneath her.
She fell to the ground.
Sasaki immediately crouched beside her.
"Mao."
She couldn't look at him.
"I just..."
Her voice broke.
"I just wanted information."
Sasaki stared at her.
His expression softened.
"It's not your fault."
Mao shook her head.
"I sent you there."
"You didn't know."
"I should've known."
"You couldn't."
Mao looked up at him.
Sasaki gently placed a hand against her shoulder.
"Enough."
His voice was quiet.
"You're not blaming yourself for this."
Mao's eyes slowly closed.
She was exhausted.
Sasaki whispered an incantation.
A soft spell took hold.
Mao's body went limp.
Sasaki caught her before she could fall.
He carefully lifted her into his arms.
Force immediately stepped forward.
"Put her down."
Sasaki looked toward him.
Force's expression was serious.
"Now."
Sasaki said nothing.
Time stepped forward.
"Kural."
Force glanced at him.
"Step back."
"But—"
"You don't understand what you're looking at."
Time tightened his grip on his cane.
His eyes remained fixed on Sasaki.
Sasaki looked toward him.
"You're still standing in the same place."
Time's expression hardened.
Sasaki looked away.
"Interesting."
He adjusted his grip on Mao.
Then raised his free hand.
The atmosphere changed.
Dark energy began gathering around his fingers.
Mao remained unconscious in his arms.
Sasaki's eyes narrowed.
He quietly began to chant.
"O Flames of Hell..."
The dark energy grew.
"...burn my foes until they are reduced to ash."
Force took a step back.
Time's expression changed.
Sasaki looked at them.
"Devil's Breath."
The darkness around his hand flared.
And for the first time since his return—
The Architects understood.
Sasaki hadn't simply come back.
Something had come back with him.