——Bare, wet footsteps echoed at regular intervals through the dim, cold space.
No light penetrated the place whatsoever; the path ahead was tantamount to advancing through pure darkness and shadow.
And yet the footsteps showed no hesitation as they traversed the foul-smelling space with practiced ease — as though navigating the familiar comfort of one's own room.
"———"
The drip of water. The scuttling of insects.
The feel of gravel and mud against bare soles. A place where nothing but discomfort could well up — yet the shadow did not let a single word of complaint escape.
As though parting before the encroaching shadow, swarms of insects — their domain disturbed — cleared a path. Trickling water flowed along the ground, guiding the way down a gentle slope, and the shadow followed its lead.
Before long, the shadow came to a stop and gazed upward, long hair trailing behind.
Still, there was no light in the world.
But in those eyes, there was only a glow that could be called certainty.
A faint, pale light scattered like petals, and wind began to swirl around the shadow's feet.
Long hair of pale red, and a floor-length robe draped over it, stirred by the breeze. Then, from the point at her feet where the wind rose, a round magic circle was suddenly drawn.
"The activation circle was still alive."
A quiet murmur. The shadow standing atop the luminous magic circle — the girl's body — rose into the air.
Her body ascended as though an invisible floor were pushing it upward, nearly colliding with the dark ceiling above. In that instant, her body passed through the rock as though it were air and was expelled to the outside.
Blinded by the sunlight, the girl closed her eyes.
It took exactly ten seconds before she opened them. Sunlight seeped past her lids and pierced her eyeballs. Driven by the resistance to that sensation and a measure of impatience, she wrenched her eyes open.
——Before her, the sun had only just begun to rise.
"…Hm. Less moving than I expected."
Facing the sunlight directly before her, the girl tilted her head.
In those expressionless eyes, as she had murmured, only the faintest ripple of emotion had surfaced. Having gazed upon nothing but a provisional sun for so long, she had harbored some expectation that witnessing the real thing again might stir something — but the result was underwhelming.
"Well, at any rate, it seems I've made it safely outside the barrier. That detestable thing — it means *she* passed through the *Trial* without incident. I suppose I should be grateful for that alone."
Otherwise, it would have been exceedingly difficult for her to leave the
"Ah well, let's leave it at that. In this body, I can't push myself too hard. I think I'll spend some time walking around to fill in the gaps."
Opening and closing both hands, the girl checked her body's condition.
A copy made from the original vessel, fitted with a soul of the same nature. The soul had been settled in to match, but it was only natural that acclimation would take time.
"Since I have it — and he did take the trouble to give it to me — I suppose I'll call myself
Her lips curving into a faint smile, she stepped through the grass and emerged from the forest through a gap in the trees.
The journey was a touch uncertain in this body, but nothing to be concerned about. Fatigue and pain — they only existed because body and soul were connected. She would have to savor this first fullness of life in a long while.
"
Deliberately avoiding mention of the girl who unsettled her heart, she set off walking.
A world awaited in the direction she was headed — for the girl, no matter how much time passed, it never faded. An inexhaustible mountain of treasure, rich and boundless, that would forever satisfy an infinite curiosity.
"Perhaps, if I keep going like this, the day will come when I understand."
Walking along, the girl spotted a single flower and offered a faint smile.
She plucked one petal between her fingers, brought it to her nose to catch its scent, and gently placed it in her mouth.
Beautiful flowers, too, would one day wither. Why is it that flowers wither?
And the beautiful memories between people — would they too, one day, fade?
"…Ah. Why does love diminish?"
The girl murmured, pale red hair swaying, and stepped forward.
The