Chapter 203: Not an Illusion
Not a memory. Not an illusion.
Him.
Weightless. Translucent. His body was suspended in the very center of the structure, arms limp at his sides, head tilted slightly downward as if sleep had taken him mid-thought. His skin looked pale through the glow, tinged faint blue by the crystal’s internal light.
And just beneath his ribs—
Her steps faltered.
A gash split his torso wide, like something had torn outward from his center. The edges were jagged, burned in places. Not cauterized. More like the energy had tried to escape and the body failed to hold it in. There was no fresh blood, just dried patterns, locked inside the walls like paint sealed behind glass. His uniform was half-shredded, some of it melted into his side, some of it clinging like ash.
The shard pieces in her palms began to pulse. Hard. Loud. She could feel it in her wrists, through her arms, into her chest. The light from them stung her skin, bright enough to paint her reflection against the crystal’s face.
Dot’s form buzzed weakly at her shoulder. The faint hum of her wings had dropped into a soft, unsteady flicker, as if the light was too much. Her glow was steady, but fragile—thin around the edges, like she was barely holding together.
Kikaru didn’t realize her hands were shaking until she saw the blur of her own fingers through the shardlight.
"What the hell happened?" Oliver’s voice broke in, sharp and unfiltered, cutting across the hum of nearby holoscreens. He wasn’t looking at Elias anymore. He was staring at her.
His face was pale, not angry—but confused. Fear behind the questions. "What did that to him?"