When Nigel opened his eyes, he found himself sitting in a chair beneath an endless sky.

  The air was cool, crisp—untouched by the weight of the world.

  Above him, the sky stretched a brilliant blue, streaked with soft, pure white clouds.

  For a moment, he simply stared.

  It was unlike anything he had ever seen.

  When he lowered his gaze, he realized the ground beneath him was pure white—a smooth, endless surface with a thin veil of water spread across it.

  It mirrored the sky perfectly.

  A reflection of infinity.

  Far in the distance, mountains loomed, their shapes softened by an unfamiliar haze.

  It felt... serene.

  A peace he had never known. A peace he didn’t realize could exist.

  Then—a voice.

  Soft. Gentle. A whisper carried by the wind.

  “This is Piece of Mind.”

  Nigel turned sharply at the familiar voice.

  Sayoko stood a few feet away, calm as ever.

  “Here, you are free to meditate and reflect.”

  Her gaze met his.

  “Here, you are yourself. No Rampage. No chaos. Just you.”

  Nigel exhaled slowly.

  For the first time in what felt like forever—he was truly alone.

  Sayoko vanished without a sound.

  Nigel exhaled.

  He remained seated, staring at the vast expanse of white beneath him, at the sky that seemed to stretch endlessly in all directions.

  Then, he closed his eyes.

  And for the first time in a long while—he allowed himself to think.

  Faces. Flickering in and out of the void of his mind.

  His mother—Nazli. Her warm embrace, her soft lullabies, the way she used to run her fingers through his hair when he couldn’t sleep.

  Gone.

  Martin—his brother in arms. A cocky grin, a sharp laugh, unwavering loyalty even in the darkest of moments.

  Gone.

  Tom and Lilly—the closest thing he had to a family. Their voices, their dreams, their hopes of escaping the hell they were born into.

  Gone.

  One by one, the people who mattered were taken from him.

  Could he have done something? Could he have saved them?

  The question gnawed at him, as it always did.

  But this time, as he sat there in that endless reflection of sky, he faced the answer.

  There was no way for him to know.

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  He had been a child when his mother died.

  He had been betrayed when Martin was killed.

  He had been helpless when Tom and Lilly were slaughtered.

  The weight in his chest tightened. But it did not crush him. Not this time.

  He did not know how long he sat there before her face surfaced.

  Edda.

  The girl who had saved his life. The girl who had trusted him. The girl he had failed.

  He had tried to protect her, but it hadn’t been enough.

  He had been too slow.

  Too weak. Not physically.

  His body had been strong—his mind had not.

  His hesitation, his scars, his past—they had held him back.

  Had he been at his peak, none of it would have happened.

  The thought burned.

  But he let it settle.

  He had lost her. That was the truth.

  Now, the only thing left was to make sure it never happened again.

  His thoughts drifted.

  To the people who were still alive.

  William—the awkward but kind-hearted one.

  Dovak—a fool, but a good man.

  Claire—prickly, but reliable.

  Jin—disciplined, focused, and far more patient than Nigel would ever be.

  Sam—a dramatic, over-the-top companion, always there to brighten the mood.

  And then—Nyx. Especially Nyx.

  A soft chuckle escaped his lips before he even realized it.

  What a bizarre team.

  Thrown together by fate or misfortune, barely knowing each other, yet standing side by side.

  Maybe… it wouldn’t be so bad to trust them.

  Just a little.

  He inhaled. Deep.

  And then let it all out.

  Until this moment, he had no real direction.

  No clear purpose. No definitive goal.

  But he couldn’t stay like this.

  Not anymore.

  He had to grow stronger. He had to advance.

  The purpose would come later.

  For now—

  He just had to keep moving.

  Nigel closed his eyes. It felt like an eternity had passed in that place. No… not just that.

  It was as if the very concept of time simply didn’t exist there.

  His mind, once a storm of unrest, had begun to still. His breath matched the quiet ripple of water around him. Everything felt… weightless.

  And when he finally opened his eyes—

  He was back.

  Seated once more in the middle of the still lake, beneath the wide sky, across from Sayoko.

  She was exactly as before, seated with poise, the black veil casting soft shadows over her face.

  “You have used Piece of Mind well,” she said gently, and behind the veil, Nigel could feel her smile. “But my true purpose here is not yet fulfilled.”

  Before he could ask, she raised her hands.

  The wind stilled.

  And suddenly—

  A deep purple energy bloomed between them. It spiraled like smoke, then shimmered with the density of liquid, twisting and folding in the air.

  Sayoko’s voice changed—It echoed. Resonated. Sank into the marrow of his bones.

  “Nigel Lowell.”

  He straightened unconsciously. Something in her tone made it impossible to do otherwise.

  “The tragedies will not end. Some you may prevent—others will unfold, no matter how much you fight. But how you face them… that will shape everything.”

  The swirling energy began to shift.

  Shapes. Symbols. Visions too abstract for Nigel to understand.

  He watched, caught between awe and confusion, as images danced just outside the edge of comprehension.

  Sayoko narrowed her eyes. Her hands moved with more focus, and the purple mass twisted into something sharp—something dangerous.

  “In this world, everyone plays a role, whether they accept it or not.

  Yours, Nigel…”

  She exhaled, and the glowing mist solidified into three forms.

  A blade. A gavel. A scale.

  Her voice dropped, almost reverent.

  “You are the Judge, the Jury, and the Executioner.

  Not by destiny. Not by fate.

  But by the weight of your choices.

  You will stand where others fall.

  You will decide who rises…

  And who must be brought down.”

  The blade pulsed with light.

  The gavel cracked with thunder.

  The scale wavered, unable to balance.

  Sayoko’s hands lowered. The energy faded and the stillness returned.

  But Nigel could feel it—something inside him had shifted.

  Forever.

  The energy faded like mist, and silence settled once more.

  Nigel exhaled, his thoughts still lingering on Sayoko’s words.

  “…Thanks,” he muttered.

  Sayoko chuckled softly, a warmth in her tone that felt almost maternal.

  “There’s no need to thank me, child. It is simply what I do.”

  Nigel hesitated, then tilted his head.

  “What did you do to the others? They looked like they’d been through hell.”

  A knowing smile ghosted behind her veil.

  “Not everyone has a mind as resilient as yours, Nigel. Though you may not believe it, yours is… remarkable.”

  Nigel blinked, unsure how to take the compliment.

  “…Uh, thanks? I guess?”

  Sayoko let out a light laugh.

  “We will meet again, Nigel.”

  Before he could respond, the strange energy surged once more, enveloping them both.

  For a brief moment, he felt weightless—then everything shifted.

  And when the light receded, Sayoko was gone.

  In her place, the boy from before stood calmly before him.

  “It’s time to go,” he said, voice smooth and measured.

  Nigel didn’t argue.

  When he stepped into the waiting room, all eyes turned to him.

  Nyx was the first to speak.

  “You were in there for hours.” Her voice was softer than usual. “It’s past midnight… are you okay?”

  Nigel’s gaze flickered over the group.

  They still looked worn out, shaken—but better than before.

  Stronger.

  He met Nyx’s eyes.

  For the first time in a long while, he truly meant what he was about to say.

  “…Yeah,” he murmured.

  Then, a small smile. Barely there—but enough.

  “Better than ever.”

  Nyx’s breath hitched, eyes widening slightly.

  Nigel didn’t wait for a response.

  He simply turned toward the door.

  There was much to do.

  And for the first time—he was ready to move forward.