The Show Is About To Begin

The sun was already high when I opened my eyes.

My book was no longer on my lap, but tightly clutched to my chest—as if my body itself refused to let it go.

Gaelvorn had rejected me.

And now, there was no reason to stay.

Soft footsteps approached. I knew exactly who it was. Charlotte and Isabella stood at a distance, silent. No smiles, no cheerful greetings. Just eyes filled with pity.

"Are you leaving…?" Isabella asked softly.

I nodded slowly, though my body felt heavier than stone.

Isabella looked down briefly, then began to explain with a trembling voice, "Just like when you entered, you have to jump from there. But don't worry… the gravity slows once you jump. You'll float and be pulled into the sky."

Charlotte looked at me. "You know, I hate goodbyes…" she muttered, her eyes brimming. "Even though… it's only been a day. It feels like years."

I let out a small laugh, then cried.

The three of us hugged. Tightly. My body trembled between them.

"Thank you… for everything," I whispered. "For laughing, for surviving, for not leaving me back then."

No one answered. But the warmth of that hug… said more than a thousand words.

I stepped back slowly. Walked toward the cliff's edge.

From up here, Gaelvorn looked like a dream about to end. Thin mist danced between the stone pillars, and the sky echoed my name.

I jumped.

My body fell—slowly. The air pushed me high into the sky, and the world went dark, until my feet began to feel the ground again moments later.

I opened my eyes as I touched the ground… and cried once more.

Because I knew I would never walk this path with them again.

That memory… would haunt me from now on.

I started walking.

The same path. This was where Charlotte, Isabella, and I once laughed. We were chased by a snake from above the trees—Charlotte screamed the loudest. I remembered Isabella's panicked face, still managing to pull me while scolding my 'absurd bravery.'

Now… only the wind answered.

I walked further, until I reached that hanging bridge. The one with the broken plank that almost made me fall. Charlotte had crossed it pretending to dance, making me laugh until my stomach hurt. When the plank broke, she nearly fell. I remembered her grabbing my hand and laughing, "Wow, my life almost ended dramatically."

Now I touched the rope of that bridge gently, like touching a ghost from the past.

I crossed the same bridge—still fragile, still swaying gently in the mountain wind.

Every place I passed felt quiet—not because there were no sounds. But because the voices I remembered… were gone.

Until finally, I arrived at the narrow path sloping down toward the lower village. The place where we once spent the night at the inn.

I passed it with a different feeling, then stopped. Closed my eyes, on the hill where I first met them.

If time could be stored in a bottle, I would keep that one day.

The day I didn't feel alone.

But the truth is, This temporary pleasure, end with i'm alone again.

The city wind greeted me like a fog that carried old wounds.

I arrived in Shionra when night had fully fallen. The city sky was filled with artificial light—dim hanging lamps along the main street.

The scent of this city hadn't changed. A little metallic, a little dusty, and something indescribable—the smell of life continuing even when you're falling apart inside it.

I looked around. The shops were closed. Old walls replaced with new buildings, taller, shinier. But still… my heart knew, this was Shionra. And I knew, no one was waiting for me here.

My feet took me to the part of the city I knew best. A place I once called home. The ruins were gone—now stood a small house that looked almost the same, but felt foreign. As if old memories had just been coated in fresh paint.

I turned the doorknob. Unlocked. The smell of damp wood lingered inside, along with the buzz of mosquitoes from an open window. Simple furniture, a thin mattress, and one small table in the corner. No photos, no trace of the past. This house was rebuilt for me, but I didn't care. I lay down on the bed, hugging my book like always.

And I cried silently until I fell asleep.

Morning came without a sound.

Light slipped through the window cracks, bouncing off the wooden floor. The cold air made me shiver, but I stayed still. Only my eyes were open. Too tired to move, too aware that today… I had nowhere to go, like before.

But I got up anyway. Bathed as best I could with cold water from the tap, put on whatever clean clothes I had, and brushed my hair with my fingers. Then stepped outside, onto the streets that were slowly growing busy.

I walked, heading downhill toward the city center. I tried asking at the company I used to work at—but the owner had changed, and they weren't hiring.

I bowed politely and moved on. Asked elsewhere. All turned me down with empty smiles, whether because I was a stranger, or because I looked too tired to be trusted with anything.

And even though my body was still strong, I felt... like there was no place left for me here.

Yet somehow, I kept walking. Searching, watching, hoping that at least one door would open.

Because I knew, if I stopped... I'd drown.

Evening approached, and I had stopped hoping.

After rejection after rejection, it felt like I was right back where I started. The city I once left behind now looked different, more modern, yet I still felt like a stranger. The clean sidewalks I walked on seemed busier than the hope I'd already lost.

"It's time to go back with nothing," I muttered, hugging my sling bag tighter.

No one rushed, just the usual passing crowds. I walked without purpose, my mind already at home, maybe lying down and staring at the ceiling again. But suddenly—thud. Someone bumped into me from the side.

A few sheets of paper fell from his arms. The evening wind swept one of them toward my feet. My gaze fell instantly on the bold letters:

"COMPANY SEEKING NEW EMPLOYEES—"

Before I could finish reading, a soft voice followed.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bump into you. Are you alright?"

I looked up. The man stood slightly bent in apology, one hand gathering the scattered documents. His hair was neatly kept, soft bangs partly covering his forehead. He wore clear glasses reflecting the amber light of sunset. His face was calm, but clearly awkward.

I quickly shook my head. "Oh, it's okay. Sorry, I accidentally read that paper. But… is it true? You're hiring? In a city this big? Aren't there way more people looking for jobs?"

He gave a small, shy smile. "It's true. But this is... an old flyer. We're not publicly opening recruitment. There's only one position left. I just happened to be carrying it from the office—sorry about that."

I fell silent for a moment. Of course, my heart wanted to hope. But my mind had been let down too many times.

Yet before that pessimistic voice could speak again, my mouth moved faster.

"Um… are you really sure? I mean, if you're still hiring... I'm really looking for a job. Would you mind if I... tried applying?"

Dominatus — Government of Shionra.

Since the phenomenon three years ago, Shionra's control had weakened. People came and went without strict monitoring, as if the city no longer had borders. But in recent days, the surveillance system had begun recovering. Dominatus resumed tracking citizens, one by one, like before.

In a room filled with giant screens and tables covered in documents, three figures reviewed the constant stream of digital reports.

"Hey, look at this," one of them said, pointing at a screen, voice annoyed. "These people live however they want. They think they can just walk free after everything that's happened?"

Another leaned in, nodding quickly. "Exactly. A lot of them have scattered to other regions, even left Shionra entirely. They've completely lost their sense of place."

The third opened another file, squinting. "What happened to them affected us deeply. Even though we've contained the Behemoth, it doesn't mean they're still within our reach."

They paused for a moment, then all turned toward the chair at the far end of the room. A man sat there, silent until now—their leader. He wasn't reading the same reports, but focused on one particular file, his expression sharpening.

He muttered under his breath, almost like talking to himself, "Zepharia, Thalmera, Ignisora… the largest portion of Shionra's population relocated there. But this one… why Gaelvorn?"

The others exchanged glances. "Gaelvorn?" one asked, reaching for the report. "Wait, seriously? Why would anyone go there? Does this person know something we don't?"

The file passed quickly between them.

"A major war is going to erupt there soon. Could it be they know and are trying to stop it?" one of them wondered aloud, half-convinced.

But the third didn't bother looking. He leaned back and said calmly, "That's just speculation. People go wherever they like now. Maybe they're just following the flow. Don't jump to conclusions saying they know about the war... let alone claiming they're from the future. That's nonsense."

Their leader finally spoke, voice deep and firm. "Wise."

He stood slowly and walked to the center of the room. All eyes followed him.

"No need for theories. I've already sent someone to investigate. This person… is highly skilled in their field."

He stopped in front of the main screen showed CCTV footage capturing the crowd at the end of the street—Rose and that person were talking.

"Just watch. The show is about to begin."