When Samantha, a gentle soul burdened by a strange and enigmatic past, vanished without a trace, the world assumed the worst—that she had been abducted, possibly even killed. Yet, as her best friend Kathleen set out to uncover the truth, she and her companions unearthed far more than they had anticipated. What lay beneath Samantha's disappearance was a labyrinth of secrets tied to forces beyond the natural world, forces that had quietly shaped her life for years.

As Kathleen's investigation deepened, she discovered a hidden network of individuals connected to Samantha’s past, people who seemed to know more about her than even she did. But darker revelations soon surfaced—Samantha’s current circle of friends, trusted and familiar, were not what they appeared. They had long been watching her, waiting for the moment she would unlock a doorway into realms no human was meant to access.

Before Kathleen and her team could traverse the realms in their quest to rescue her, Samantha inexplicably reappeared—or did she?

Where are you, Samantha?

Rener remained standing, merely raising a hand in polite refusal. “No need,” he said, his voice a low resonance that seemed to echo off the walls. “I’m only here for a little pep talk.” 


“Pep talk?” Tomoya raised a brow, feigning confusion even as his mind raced, grasping for the direction of the conversation. 


He knew all too well that Rener rarely appeared without purpose, and his visit now only served to confirm Tomoya’s darkest suspicions. 


“What for?” he asked, his tone guarded. “And in case you’re here to see Takumi-niisan, he’s out.” 


Rener shook his head slowly, his expression unchanging. “No,” he replied, his gaze sharp, “I came to speak with you personally.” 


Aligned