𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐘𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐍 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐒𝐊𝐘

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐈𝐗

𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐓𝐀 𝐒𝐏𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

The sound of a light knocking was the first thing I heard upon waking up in the bedroom Himeko gave me. I was disorientated, my mind blearily casting away the lingering vestiges of sleep that insisted on keeping me under. Rubbing sleep out of my eyes, I get up to see who was at the door. The door opens and I'm greeted by no one... until I look down, that is.

"Oh, Pom-Pom, good morning." I greeted them. Pom-Pom didn't look too happy about something.

"You're late for breakfast! Don't let Pom-Pom catch you sleeping in late again. A balanced breakfast is the start any Trailblazer needs before an expedition, after all." They exclaim. I couldn't get a word in edgewise to tell them that I didn't need to eat. But, I suppose it would be better for us all if I just agree and go along.

"Alright. I'm sorry Pom-Pom. I'll be over in just a moment, alright? I want to fix myself up before meeting with the rest of the crew." That seemed to please them, as Pom-Pom nods and proceeds to head off to the dining car. After Pom-Pom is gone, it takes me no time at all to get ready and meet up with the others. As soon as I walk into the dining car, I'm met with the warm smell of fresh, cooked food. March is the first to take notice of my arrival.

"(Y/N)! I saved you a spot right here!" She calls out and so I find myself settling in beside her and Dan Heng. Himeko and Welt sat across from us. Himeko takes a sip of her coffee from her cup and sets it down. Her eyes meet mine from across the table.

"Did you sleep well last night?" Himeko asks me. The quality of my sleep was...

"It was just fine." A knowing stare, one that seemed to catch me in my lie, pierced me from the side. When I met his stare, he was already returning back to what he'd been doing. Didn't I fall asleep in the archives last night? How did I get into my bed? The moment it occurs to me is the same moment Himeko watches in amusement. I turn my full attention over to Dan Heng on my left, who is busy writing away in his notebook and not meeting my gaze.

"I'm so sorry for falling asleep in the archives. I guess I just hadn't fully recovered yet." I apologized to him. He pauses in his writing and glances at me from the corner of his eyes, not fully turning his head in my direction.

"It was nothing, don't worry." Yet, I spot something in his eyes. Understanding? How odd. Welt clears his throat from across the table, gaining my attention.

"(Y/N), I wanted to ask you about something." I tilt my head, curious about what his question could be.

"Do you want to know something?" I ask him and he nods.

"The previous universe you were in, you mentioned a girl on the moon. That girl was Kiana Kaslana, wasn't it?" I nodded.

"Mhm. Kiana was actually the one who gave me the name I use now. I've been called so many different names throughout my life. It came to the point where I eventually forgot my original name. It doesn't bother me, though." Because after all, a dear friend gave this name to me. March hums from beside me.

"How many worlds have you seen, (Y/N)?" She asks and I glance down at the table before me.

"Too many to count... I would only spend enough time in each world to try and save the world from their demise. It... was very rare for me to encounter a world that could stand on their own without outside intervention. The last world I just came from, was one such world." I explained. It seems as though those words calmed something in Welt, as he sighed a sigh of relief. Ah, I see now. He's been worried about his own home universe.