Is This Cheating?

"Hm..."

When Aster woke up, the first thing he noticed was a change in perspective. No, that wasn't quite right—the world itself hadn't changed, but his perception of it had.

He could see "colors" floating in the air, like faint clouds drifting around him. When he reached out to touch them, they dispersed before mysteriously being absorbed into his body.

"This is..." Aster whispered, waving his hands through the glowing mist. "The Qi of nature?"

'What happened?'

As that question formed in his mind, fragmented scenes replayed vividly in his memory. Although his consciousness had been hazy at the time, he recalled every single detail with perfect clarity. His breath caught, and he pressed a hand over his mouth.

"I... With Ms. Kurenai..."

*BAM!*

The door to his bamboo hut was suddenly kicked open. Standing on the other side was—an unfamiliar face.