I’m falling through the starry sky.
When I look up, I can see the door I passed through. On the other side, in miniature, is the full moon over the radio tower. I blink, and the door is gone, leaving only a large, round moon. I’ve fallen through the moon from the earthly realm to Ever-After, I think. My sensations are strangely clear, like I’m in a waking dream.
Sadaijin and Daijin are falling, too, on either side of me, the wind ruffling their fur. The Milky Way sparkles brilliantly before my eyes, and below, black clouds roll toward the horizon, blocking out the ground like a tightly fitting lid. As I fall through the clouds, they hide the stars above me, and for a time I’m wrapped in darkness.
Finally, the ground comes into focus through gaps in the clouds. I can see something glinting. At first, it appears like several rivers of light flowing across black earth. The rivers of red light form a complex pattern on the ground, like the veins of a leaf.
“—Huh?”
The veins are slowly moving. A particularly bright part of the ground seems to be rising up toward me. It winds slowly in a circle, like the earth itself is coiling up, and then a section rises toward me like a snake’s head.
“…It’s the worm!” I scream, my eyes wide-open. The entirety of the land below me is a single enormous worm. The countless glowing veins are magma circulating inside its body. In our realm, its body is like a muddy river, but here in Ever-After, it’s clear and distinct. The thing before me looks exactly like a monstrously large earthworm.
“It’s trying to get out the Gate!” I shout, following the movement of the thing’s head with my eyes. It slowly stretches its giant form toward the moon.
Suddenly, I hear what sounds like the howl of a wild animal.
It’s Sadaijin. The black cat is yowling at the rising worm. The next instant, the cat’s body starts quivering and puffs up as quick as an explosion.
“—!”
My eyes go wide. Sadaijin has become a beast as big as a house, its black fur now white like it was repainted with a single stroke. Its tail and whiskers elongate, flapping against the black sky like white wings.
As I continue to fall, I watch the rising worm and the falling cat collide. Sadaijin sticks its claws into the worm and continues its fall, like it’s trying to pull the huge form back to the ground. A whirlwind catches me and spins me in circles like a washing machine. As the world rotates wildly before my eyes, a white cat flies past. I reach out frantically and grab it.
“Aaah!” I let out a scream as I’m pulled abruptly downward. I open my eyes with difficulty as wind pounds my face, and I see Sadaijin below me pushing the worm back to the ground. I’m holding one of its whiskers.
We’re falling faster, and the ground is flying up at me. The worm’s long body is curled like a spiral hill. Something is glowing blue at the crest.
“Is that…?”
I try to see through the violent wind.
“Souta!”
It’s a chair. The worm’s body is as red as flame, except for a circle of black around the chair pulsing with faint blue light. Souta’s lonely form is holding down the worm, just as it had when I saw him through the Gate.
The earth roars. The worm’s head has crashed to the ground. Sadaijin stomps on it, and the ground shakes violently. Sadaijin turns its head and swings me through the air, until the whisker slips through my fingers.
“—!”
I plummet toward the ground headfirst. Another scream rips itself from my throat. Daijin, who’s clinging to my shoulder, sucks in a breath. There’s a popping sound, and I’m suddenly enveloped in soft fur. A second later, I crash into the ground.
“…Daijin?!”
I sit up. I’m resting on the stomach of a white creature the size of a bear. Daijin must have puffed up to protect me from the impact. Its eyes are squeezed tight, its face quivering from pain. Its body begins to deflate, like it can take no more. I climb off and kneel on the ground. Its covered in slushy mud, with corrugated metal and wood scraps scattered around. Daijin is a little kitten again, still sprawled faceup amid the wreckage.
“You protected me…”
The kitten’s eyes pop open.
“Suzume, are you okay?”
It flips onto its feet, lithe as always, and I exhale in relief. I stand up and take another look around.
“What is this place?”
A burning town surrounds us. Some of the houses have collapsed, some have crumbled, and some are leaning over, their roof tiles missing. A traffic light dangles from a tilted utility pole. Cars and trucks lie on their sides like colonies of plants. A short distance away I see the silhouettes of a fleet of fishing boats thrown onto dry ground. The ground under my feet is a black slurry of mud, oil, and salt water.
And all of it is burning, like the horrible disaster that caused this wreckage took place only a few hours earlier. I don’t see any people. Only the scene from that night remains, cut off from humanity.
“This is Ever-After…?”
I remember what Souta’s grandfather said—that this place looks different to each person. In a strange way, it makes sense. It’s been burning this whole time. For twelve years, the town as it was that night has existed beneath my feet. Burning eternally, deep underground, just like it was then.
“—!”
In the corner of my vision, I glimpse a blue light.
“…Souta!”
I run toward it. Daijin leaps onto my shoulder. I can see the black hill between the burning roofs, and on top, the blue light. It’s not very far away. I dart through the flickering flames, kicking up sludge.
Behind me, I hear the earth rumble and Sadaijin howling. I glance back and see Sadaijin trying to pull the worm’s head back down as it snakes once again toward the moon. The cat is holding it in check. I turn back toward the hill and pick up speed.