The Preperation 6

The melody of silence still clung to Velvet's skin, a phantom of the conversation they had just endured. The figure—no, their resonance—had spoken in riddles, in echoes of a song long unsung. But in the end, its message had been clear.

To sing.

And yet, as Velvet stood there in the ruined remains of the Lullaby Isles, something in their chest twisted. The hunger for strength that had driven them this far… it wasn't baseless. It wasn't empty. The resonance knew that much.

"Why?" The figure's voice drifted through the air again, layered, ethereal. "Why do you hunger for strength? Surely, there isn't zero reason for it."

Velvet's breath hitched. Their throat felt dry. Their fingers trembled as they clenched into a fist.

"To kill Drallus Ehr."

The words fell like stones into the abyss. Heavy. Absolute. Irrevocable.

The resonance's form shimmered, its colors shifting from deep blues to crimson, as if absorbing Velvet's conviction. It remained silent for a long moment, regarding them with those ever-shifting eyes.

"So that is your fire," it finally murmured. "That is the song you wish to compose."

Velvet exhaled sharply, a slow, shaky breath. "Is that a problem?"

The resonance chuckled, the sound neither mocking nor approving—just knowing. "Not at all. But your melody is unfinished. You are not ready to conduct its final note."

Before Velvet could argue, the resonance raised a hand and gently tapped their forehead. The moment their fingers made contact, a sensation like crashing waves overtook Velvet's mind, drowning them in a tide of warmth and light.

—

With a gasp, Velvet's eyes snapped open.

They were back.

The ruined Isles were gone. The eerie silence was gone. Instead, they were met with the quiet hum of the temple's chamber, the dim light of lanterns flickering against ancient stone walls.

And there, sitting casually at a table, sipping tea as if nothing had happened, was Maestro Evengarde Rest.

"Ah, awake at last," Evengarde mused, setting down his cup. His purple eyes flicked to Velvet, amusement barely hidden behind their depths. "You took your time."

Velvet's head spun. Their hands found solid ground beneath them. The world was still real. They were still alive. But the resonance's words still echoed in their mind.

Not ready yet.

"…How long was I out?" Velvet managed, voice hoarse.

Evengarde shrugged. "Long enough. The others are already up."

Velvet's gaze flicked around the room. Leonardo. Kounéli. They were all here. Except—

"Raijin?"

Evengarde took another slow sip of his tea before answering. "Still in dreamland."

—

Raijin walked through an endless sky of emerald green.

Floating islands, suspended in the vastness of a world made of pure ether, drifted around him like forgotten thoughts. The air hummed, crackling with unseen power. And in the distance, atop one of the largest islands, a temple stood—its architecture foreign yet familiar, as if it had been pulled from a memory Raijin had never lived.

He stepped forward. The sensation beneath his feet was both solid and weightless, as though the very ground itself did not abide by mortal laws. With each step, the air grew heavier, more charged with something primal.

And then, before him, a figure appeared.

It was neither imposing nor grand. It did not shimmer like Velvet's resonance, nor did it exude an overwhelming presence like Leonardo's counterparts. Instead, it simply stood there, watching him with calm, knowing eyes.

"Finally," the figure said, voice steady, measured. "You took your time."

Raijin narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"

The figure raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't you know? You've felt me before. Every time lightning coursed through your veins, every time power surged through your fingertips—you heard me, didn't you?"

Raijin stiffened.

"…You're my resonance."

The figure gave a slow nod. "More than that. I am the potential you've yet to grasp."

Raijin scoffed. "That's real nice and all, but what do you want?"

The figure didn't answer immediately. Instead, they turned, gazing out at the endless sky, at the temple that loomed above them.

"This world is a reflection of what you could become," they said. "Boundless. Unrestrained."

Raijin folded his arms. "And?"

The figure finally looked back at him, a faint smirk tugging at their lips. "And yet, despite all that potential, you still hesitate."

Raijin's brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?"

The figure's smirk widened just slightly. "You know exactly what I mean."

Raijin didn't move. He didn't blink. His heartbeat, steady and strong, suddenly felt too loud in his ears.

The figure took a step closer. "Are you planning to tell her?"

Raijin's breath caught in his throat. "…Tell who?"

The resonance chuckled. "Don't play stupid." Their voice softened, as if offering a warning, a plea. "Tell Eris how you feel before it's too late."

Raijin's mouth opened, but no words came out. The weight of the statement crashed down on him like a storm, rolling through his chest with the force of a hurricane.

Before he could respond, the world around him blurred, the emerald sky dissolving into streaks of light—

And then, with a gasp, he woke up.

The temple's ceiling greeted him, the dim lanterns casting shadows across the stone walls. He sat up, his breathing uneven, his mind still spinning from the last words spoken to him.

Tell Eris how you feel.

His fists clenched. The words refused to fade.

"…Damn it."