...It felt similar to sinking, yet also similar to floating.
Similar to descending, but also ascending.
It was like being embraced by tender arms. Within the sensation... a voice could be heard.
———Can you hear my voice?
A stern and strong... but gentle voice.
The referred consciousness was drawn to it. Its numb eyelids were opened.
Dim lights were seen. Next, there was a room never seen before.
It was not clear since it was quite dark, but there were rows of rectangular equipment. There were red and green lights like the colors of a candy on them.
There wasn"t any sunlight or breeze. The room was enclosed by walls on all sides. Within such a room, it felt like... someplace less cramped would be preferred.
Like, on a lane within a courtyard which leading to a church with glaring sunlight filtering through trees. Or on a slightly elevated hill looking over a town with a gentle breeze which made gra.s.ses rustled like a wave.
———Hey, Celica A. Mercury! Can you hear me?
A voice was calling out. A name was mentioned. On that moment, it felt like some electric current was going back and forth on her whole body.
It caused her blood to circulate and body heat to rise all over the body, all the way to the end of her feet and fingers.
Her consciousness was awakened. It was like emerging to surface from underwater in one breath. Her... Celica"s eyes were blinking.
"Wh... huh? Umm, me?"
Colors, warmth, and smells became visible to her at once. A confused voice was heard.
Simultaneously, her body, which was floating within a strange device with a posture similar to standing on tiptoes for all this time, was struck by gravity. Unable to stand up, Celica sat on a circular metal plate.
Where is this?
She was unable to grasp the situation around her. Bit by bit, questions were surfacing. From the skirt, her bare legs felt the cold surface of the metal plate.
(I... Before... I was in an empty, pure white s.p.a.ce...)
Yes, her memory was not damaged. She recalled that she was certainly in a mysterious white world a little while ago.
Then, what she had thought akin to image reflected on mirror somehow became real. And, she was left all alone in that reality.
Now, she noticed that she had never seen that room before.
She had experienced many unexpected incidents, but her mind still couldn"t follow this sudden circ.u.mstances.
Even getting up didn"t cross her mind. In the meantime, a human figure walked toward a corner of the room where Celica was located.
Reflexively, Celica raised her face. She was looking at the person before her eyes.
The person looked like a pet.i.te girl at one glance.
However, that human figure wasn"t just a plain girl. The glint on her eyes didn"t look innocent or adorable. Her observant face expressed disinterest. The atmosphere surrounding her was somehow similar to a grown-up"s. She felt much older than even Celica.
The white gown she wore felt natural on her slender body. Under the golden eyes, there were distinct dark circles. Her appearance looked somewhat like an exhausted researcher. Celica identified the girl"s appearance with her scientist father and research-loving sister.
"Celica A. Mercury, right?"
She was the owner of the voice which frequently addressed Celica from within her mind. Behind the girl"s back, something long and narrow was swaying around. It was a tail.
It branched to two parts on the middle. The tips were colored white, different than the rest. It was similar to a cat"s tail and made Celica thinking about Jubei at that time.
When she looked closer, within the bundled up pink hair, there were triangular ears of the same color peeked out. The fact that her ears were slightly crooked forward made them really cute.
Nine would definitely be in great joy if she ever saw the girl. After she thought about all that, Celica began to open her mouth as she plainly nodded to the girl"s question.
"Ah, yes. That"s right. And you are?"
"Hm... Your consciousness seems to have stabilized. No abnormality on the brain waves. The result is pa.s.sable."
Her eyes stared on the nearby gauges as she confirmed something. Once again, her tails were shaking around. The object she was holding was similar to a lollipop. She put it in her mouth.
She turned her serious face to Celica and talked again.
When she was about to give some complicated explanation, her expression resembled Nine"s.
"...My name is Kokonoe. Welcome to the futureless future, you who are detached from a law that should"ve existed..."
———Or should I say, Phantom of TimeChronophantasma.