A sudden urgency swept through the café the moment the warning rang out, the refined calm of the establishment collapsing into controlled chaos as staff members moved swiftly from cabin to cabin, their voices firm yet strained as they urged every guest to leave immediately, the tension in the air growing heavier with each passing second as the faint distortion of mana began to ripple more noticeably through the surroundings.

The soft lighting flickered.

The atmosphere felt unstable.

One of the staff members reached the cabin where Damon stood with the two young men, his eyes scanning the room briefly, unaware of what had just transpired moments ago, finding nothing visibly out of place.

"Please evacuate right away and stay somewhere safe," he said quickly, his tone urgent but practiced.

All three of them nodded obediently.

As though nothing had happened.

The moment the staff member turned away, the two young men seized the opportunity, pushing themselves up from their seats, their movements hurried yet restrained as one of them subtly slid his hand into his pocket, avoiding eye contact as they moved toward the exit.

Damon did not stop them.

He stepped out as well, his pace steady, his expression composed as though he had already dismissed them from his priorities.

...Just where can they run?

There is something more important right now.

The hallway outside had already begun to fill, people moving quickly, voices overlapping in growing panic as the mana disturbance intensified, the very air seeming to pulse unevenly as faint currents of energy disrupted the environment, causing small objects to tremble and the lighting to flicker erratically.

"Is it a breach?!"

"Move, move!"

"Get outside!"

Murmurs turned into shouts as the crowd surged toward the exits, bodies brushing past one another in their rush to escape, while outside the café, the street had already begun to descend into disorder, people running in different directions, trying to distance themselves from the epicenter of the disturbance.

Damon’s gaze briefly caught the two young men disappearing into the crowd, their figures quickly swallowed by the chaos.

He didn’t follow.

Instead, his eyes moved.

Searching.

Until—

He found them.

Mira and Serena stood near the entrance of the café, both looking around, their expressions alert, Mira’s clearly edged with worry as she scanned the crowd.

Then she saw him.

"Y-you are here... a-are you alright?" she asked quickly, relief and concern mixing in her voice as she stepped toward him.

Damon gave a small nod, his expression steady, offering silent reassurance.

From the side, Serena’s gaze dropped momentarily, catching sight of the sickle partially tucked into Damon’s pocket, her eyes narrowing slightly, suspicion flickering across her face, though she said nothing.

"Let’s go," Damon said simply, reaching out and grabbing Mira’s hand without hesitation.

She did not resist.

Together, the three of them moved with the flow of the crowd, pushing through the chaos as they exited the café, stepping out into the open street where the situation had escalated even further.

The lights along the street flickered violently, some going out entirely, plunging sections into dim shadows, while the air itself felt heavy and unstable, as though something unseen was pressing down from above, distorting the natural flow of mana.

People ran.

Shouted and scattered.

And amidst it all, Damon moved forward with steady steps, guiding Mira along as Serena kept pace beside them, their figures slipping through the disordered crowd as they distanced themselves from the café, the disturbance only growing stronger with every passing moment.

Weaving between panicked civilians and flickering lights as the instability in the air grew heavier with each passing second, the mana disturbance no longer subtle but visibly distorting the environment around them.

Then—

Mira stopped abruptly.

Her hand slipped free from Damon’s grasp as her attention locked onto something to the side,

"Waaaahhhhh!..ahhh..wahh!"

Where a young child lay on the ground, crying, his small body trembling as he clutched his arm.

Without hesitation, she rushed toward him.

"Mira!?" Damon’s voice cut through the chaos, sharp with urgency.

Serena reacted just as quickly, calling out as well as both of them moved after her, their pace quickening.

Mira had already reached the child, dropping to her knees beside him as she gently placed her hands over the injured area, her expression softening despite the surrounding panic.

A warm, golden glow emerged from her palms.

Soft and steady.

The light enveloped the wound as the child’s cries gradually faded, his body relaxing as the pain subsided under her healing, his tear-filled eyes blinking in confusion before settling.

"Are you okay?" Mira asked gently, offering him a reassuring smile.

The child nodded.

Damon reached them, his expression tight.

"We need to move. Now," he said firmly.

Serena echoed the urgency, her gaze scanning the surroundings.

But Mira’s attention had already shifted again.

She looked around quickly, her eyes searching until they landed on a woman in the distance, frantically looking around, her face filled with panic.

Mira turned back to the child.

"Is that your mother?" she asked.

The child followed her gaze.

Then nodded eagerly.

"Motherrrr!" he shouted as he pushed himself up and ran toward the woman.

The woman turned at the sound as relief flooded her face.

Mira watched the scene with a small, relieved smile.

For just a moment—

The chaos faded.

"Tch," Damon clicked his tongue, his patience thinning as he looked around, the instability in the air growing worse, "we should move quickly."

Mira stood up hurriedly, turning toward him.

"I—I am sor—"

She never finished.

The world shifted.

A violent distortion tore through the air just a few steps ahead, the space itself twisting unnaturally as a swirling mass of darkness began to form, collapsing inward like a void tearing itself open, the surrounding mana spiraling wildly into it as the ground trembled under the pressure.

A breach.

Forming right in front of the child.

His eyes widened in pure terror as he froze in place, unable to move as the dark vortex expanded rapidly, pulling everything toward it with a growing, relentless force.

"Mira—!" Damon’s voice rang out, sharp with alarm.

But she had already moved.

Without thinking.

Without hesitation.

She rushed forward.

Damon lunged to grab her—

But missed.

"Miraaa!" he shouted.

She reached the child just in time, pushing him away with all her strength, sending him tumbling back toward safety—

But she couldn’t stop herself.

The pull was too strong.

The vacuum pressure dragged her forward as her body was lifted off balance, her eyes widening as she was pulled toward the swirling darkness.

"Mira—!" Serena’s voice broke through, filled with shock.

In the next instant—

She was gone.

Swallowed.

The breach consumed her completely.

"DAMN IT!" Damon shouted, his frustration bursting out as he stared at the vortex.

"Miraaaaa!" Serena screamed as well.

Damon watched her without a word, his expression unreadable as his gaze lingered for just a moment longer than necessary, as though measuring something he had already decided.

Idiot.

The thought came cold.

Throwing yourself like that for someone you don’t even know... no calculation, no thought of consequences... just blind impulse.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

People like that don’t survive long.

He glanced once more into the breach briefly and turned.

Without another glance.

***

Utter darkness stretched endlessly in every direction, swallowing even the faintest trace of light, while a suffocating silence pressed in from all sides, so complete that even the smallest sound felt foreign within it.

"...Ahh... hmm!"

A soft groan broke through.

"Cough!"

The ash-blonde, shoulder-length haired young woman slowly pushed herself up, her body trembling slightly as she sat upright, her breathing uneven, her senses struggling to adjust to the void around her.

"Am I... am I dead?" Mira whispered, her voice small against the vast emptiness, her eyes darting around as she tried to make sense of where she was.

Her gaze found nothing.

Only darkness.

"I-is this... inside the breach...?"

A faint sound echoed.

Soft at first.

Then—

"Hehehehahahheh..."

Mira flinched violently, her entire body tensing as her head snapped toward the source of the laughter, her eyes widening in fear.

From within the darkness—

A figure emerged.

And as it stepped closer, the shape became clearer.

Too clear.

Mira’s breath caught in her throat.

Standing before her—

Was herself.

An exact reflection.

Every detail identical.

The other Mira tilted her head slightly, her lips curling into a twisted smile as her laughter continued, her fingers rising to rest lightly against her lips.

"W-who are you...?" Mira asked, her voice trembling as she stared at the impossible sight.

The other Mira let out a soft scoff, amusement flickering in her eyes.

"Huh... can’t you see?" she said, her tone laced with mockery, "I am you..."

Her smile widened.

"And you are me."

Mira’s eyes shook, her thoughts unable to process what she was seeing.

"T-this... t-that...!"

The other Mira’s laughter rang out again, echoing unnaturally through the void as she took a slow step closer.

"You must resent that kid now, huh?" she said, her voice light, almost playful, yet carrying a sharp edge beneath it, "for being so careless and causing you to throw yourself into a breach..."

She chuckled.

"What were you even thinking, jumping in like that... ahahahaha..."

Mira’s eyes shut tightly.

Her breathing steadied.

And then—

"N-no."

The word came out soft but firm.

Then, stronger—

"NO!"

"You’re wrong...!"

The laughter stopped abruptly.

Silence returned.

Mira’s eyes opened again, tears gathering within them as her voice trembled, yet carried a quiet conviction that refused to break.

"T-that kid... he has his whole life ahead of him..." she said, her gaze lowering slightly, "i-if he had fallen in here... he wouldn’t have been able to survive..."

Her hands clenched slightly.

"A-and even if he did... h-he would carry that trauma for the rest of his life..."

Her voice faltered briefly.

Then continued.

"A-as for me..."

She looked down.

The other Mira watched her.

Then—

"Hhahaha....hahahhaha..hahah!"

Laughed again.

Louder.

Sharper.

"Oh Mira... Mira..." she said, shaking her head slightly as though disappointed, "you still believe someone will come to save you, huh?"

Her eyes gleamed with cruel amusement.

"Or are you expecting that selfish fiancé of yours to come running to rescue you?"

She leaned in slightly, her smile widening.

"Do you really think he cares about you?" she whispered, her voice cutting, "he is just using you... manipulating you to get what he wants..."

A pause.

"Or did you really believe he liked you?"

Mira trembled.

Her tears fell freely now, her shoulders shaking as the words struck deep, yet she still shook her head, forcing the answer out despite the weight pressing against her.

"N-no..."

"I—I don’t..."

Her voice broke.

But she continued.

"I don’t expect anyone... to save me..."

"I-I r-really d-don’t...!"