My stomach twisted.
"A canvas?"
She nodded.
"Our world was painted into existence centuries ago. Every mountain, every river… every breath of wind."
I turned slowly, staring at the glowing landscape.
It was beautiful.
Too beautiful.
Like a dream that didn't feel safe.
"But…" I whispered, "how did I come here?"
The boy's expression darkened.
"That's what scares us."
My brows furrowed. "Scares you?"
He took a step closer.
"Because the last time someone from the real world entered Artellia…"
He paused, as if the words hurt.
"…the Creator vanished."
A chill ran down my spine.
"The Creator?"
The lavender girl's eyes shimmered with unshed tears.
"The one who painted us. The one who gave us color."
She lifted her hand, pointing toward the sky.
Only then did I notice it.
At the edge of the golden heavens…
There were cracks.
Thin, jagged fractures spreading like broken glass.
And through those cracks…
Something dark moved.
Like ink bleeding through paper.
My breath stopped.
"What… is that?"
The boy's voice dropped to a whisper.
"The Erasers."