Sai stood before the strongest Author Police, his usual unwavering focus flickering for the first time. His grip on the sword tightened, but his stance—normally flawless—felt just a little off.
A single misstep. A poorly timed strike. His blade met nothing but air.
The moment passed in an instant, but it was enough. The weight of his mistake settled in his chest like a stone. Without a word, he was dismissed, escorted to a new chamber—one unlike any he had seen before.
The walls pulsed with eerie red light, the scent of steel and blood thick in the air. Shadows flickered, dancing in the endless space beyond. Here, violence had no limits, and death held no consequences. It was a battlefield where nothing truly died, but pain remained very, very real.
"What's with the room, Doctor Vianaca?" Sai asks with curiosity
"You can call it a simulation room where you are allowed to do anything in certain situations. That is what I'm providing to the what ifs and whatnot. For now this is just a prototype but go crazy. But be warmed all recorded history that has been scanned by my lil robos will match up the strength of those monsters but they are just simulation."
"Alright..."
"You better get serious Sai if you die you will need extra training meaning to say you won't be able to visit Paige." Something stirred deep within Sai, something raw and untamed. It wasn't mere determination—it was an unshakable force, burning hotter than ever before. His chest tightened, not with doubt, but with an undeniable resolve.
Failure was no longer an option. Every fiber of his being screamed for victory, for mastery, for absolute success. His breath steadied, his grip firmed, and his eyes—once calculating—now held a fire that refused to be extinguished.
No matter the challenge, no matter the cost, he would rise. He had to.
"Let's see here, it is best if I should increase the monsters number up to 100.." a malfunction of a buzz shifted before accepting the simulation of doctor Vianaca did. "Uh oh..."
"What do you mean by uh oh?"
"It malfunctioned... Instead of 100 monsters it went to 100,000."
"What?! He will die shortly, he might cause a heavy trauma or mental breakdown if we let this thing go!"
"I'm doing the best I can!"
Sai cut through the monsters, erasing them one by one. But no matter how many fell, more kept coming. Thousands surrounded him, their claws and fangs glinting in the dim light. It felt endless, like he had been thrown into a nightmare where the only way forward was through blood and battle.
For a moment, doubt crept in. Was this all there was? An endless war, a fight with no end?
Then he thought of Paige. Her laughter, her kindness, the way she made everything feel lighter.
He couldn't stop now.
A new fire burned inside him, stronger than fear, stronger than pain. The ground cracked beneath his feet as power surged through his body. With a single burst, 15,000 creatures vanished in an instant, erased from existence.
Before the dust could settle, he moved—faster than sound, his blade tearing through the remaining monsters like a storm. No matter how many came, he would not stop. He had to win. For her.
"What on earth... Did we unleash..." The simulation shut down in an instant, but Sai remained frozen, his body unresponsive. His chest rose and fell in uneven bursts, his fingers twitching as if still gripping an invisible weapon. Then, without warning, his body seized—his breath hitched, and his pulse weakened.
Alarms blared. Medics swarmed him, securing him onto a stretcher. Sweat drenched his skin, his eyes unfocused, locked in some unseen battle. The moment they reached the emergency room, his body convulsed. A sharp beep rang out—his heart had stopped.
"Cardiac arrest!" a voice shouted.
A defibrillator hummed to life. The first shock hit. His body jerked. No response.
---
A gentle breeze rustled through the tall green grass, carrying the scent of spring. Pink petals drifted from the towering sakura tree above, twirling in the air before settling on the soft earth. Sai stood beneath its branches, yet the ground felt weightless beneath his feet, as if he were floating in a dream.
Ahead, a lone figure stood bathed in sunlight, her white dress flowing like mist in the wind. Petite, no taller than his shoulders, yet her presence stretched beyond reality itself.
Her right eye burned—a molten mix of red and gold, flickering like the last light of a dying sun. It carried an unspoken intensity, a silent blaze cutting through the dream's haze.
Her left eye, pale as silver, glowed with an eerie blue light, soft yet distant, like moonlight over an endless frozen lake.
Fire and ice. Warmth and void. Two opposites bound in harmony.
She said nothing, only watched him, waiting—as if she had always been there, lingering in the depths of his subconscious.