"Fate's Unraveling: A Tale Beyond the Stars"

Chapter 5: The Silent Call

Yui Hongo sat alone in the quiet room, her legs tucked beneath her as she lay on the cold floor. The old shelves around her groaned with age, the dust settled thick on the worn books. The faint smell of old paper filled the air. She had no idea how she had ended up here—no idea how the book had brought her back. But one thing was certain: she was holding The Universe of the Four Gods again, its pages as worn and weathered as she felt in that moment.

The words from the book swam before her eyes, and she read them with increasing urgency. The words were describing events that were happening right now, as if the pages were speaking of the world she had just left behind—of the very place Miaka was. The pages turned on their own accord, the binding light still lingering in her chest like a deep, unspoken connection.

“Miaka, I’m here. I’m reading this. I’m back.” Yui whispered to herself, her voice barely audible. "I wish I could be with you... Miaka, can you hear me?"

But there was no response, no voice from the other side of the book. The world before her eyes only continued to unfold in front of her, but Miaka couldn’t hear her. Miaka couldn’t know she was here.

Yui slammed her palm against the floor in frustration. The words kept coming, and she knew they were written for Miaka, for the girl who had always been so optimistic, always so determined. But it hurt—so badly—that no matter how hard she tried, Miaka couldn’t hear her voice.

She could see Miaka’s journey across the pages, her conversations with the villagers, her path toward Konan, but she couldn't stop what was happening in the book. "Miaka… Why can’t you hear me?” Yui’s voice wavered as she read on, her hand trembling as it traced the lines. Each word in the book seemed to carve itself deeper into her heart.

The pages flipped on their own again, revealing more of the story, but nothing of Miaka could reach her. The silence between them stretched longer and longer, until Yui couldn’t stand it anymore.

“Miaka,” she whispered, desperately. "I’m here. I’m not gone. I'm not lost. I’m still with you!"

But Miaka didn’t answer. Her image was locked within the pages, the distance between them too vast for words to bridge. No matter how much Yui cried out, there was no response from the world of the book.

Her heart ached with the knowledge that her words had no way to reach her friend, her best friend, who was trapped in that world, far from her reach.

The book continued to reveal more of Miaka’s path, her determination to press forward despite the dangers that lay ahead. Yui’s eyes darted across the pages, seeing the unfolding events as if they were happening in real-time, but it was impossible for her to intervene, impossible to change anything that was happening. She was a mere observer, a shadow in a world that wasn’t her own.

“Miaka… Please… Be safe. Don’t give up.” Yui’s voice trembled as she whispered those words to the empty room, her mind and heart begging for her friend’s safety.

She closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the heat rising in her chest. A rush of warmth flooded her body—the feeling of being connected to something greater. The story she was reading was so much more than just a tale; it was a link to the very heart of the world Miaka had entered.

For a moment, it felt like a presence was near, just beyond her reach. It was as if someone—something—was trying to speak to her, trying to make her understand.

Isuna? Yui thought. She remembered the fleeting sensation of Isuna’s presence before everything had split apart. She was certain that Isuna was still in that world, somewhere—but where?

Yui took a deep breath, holding the book tightly to her chest. It was as if it was her only connection to them now. She opened her eyes again, her gaze fixed on the pages, and she read once more, her voice soft but steady.

"Miaka... if you can’t hear me, I won’t give up. I’ll keep reading. I’ll keep fighting for you. I’ll find a way to help you. I won't leave you alone. I promise."

But the words in the book did not change. Miaka kept walking the path ahead, her journey unfolding without pause.

Yui’s voice quivered as she whispered once more, a final plea to the empty air.

“Please, Miaka, hear me.”