How long has it been? It felt like years passed, all while simply trying to make my way across the rock garden. Surely my body, my real body, was zeroed by now? Was this why the sadistic interface warned me to be in a safe place? Because I would be trapped for so long?

I collapsed almost across the garden, my body weight shifting ever so slightly to the side as I tumbled down. I didn't even blink as I felt the- the dull pain across my skin. It was nothing new. Every try to cross silently ended in failure. Even just the slightest misstep made me fall and restart.

The fox's eyes, the beautiful sapphire eyes, met mine. They gloated, and the tip of her snout upturned into what looked to be a smile. Ah, what a lovely sight. It took my mind of the searing-

And then I was back to the beginning once more. Just like that. The fox looked as though she hadn't even moved as the moonlight continued to shower her.

How long had it been? I stopped counting after three hundred attempts. A period of time after that, maybe a couple hundred more, I started walking into the lightning just to feel something different. It was almost refreshing, energizing even, to feel the coursing strength of the lightning. It was like a caffeine shot after spending weeks only drinking coffee.

That started a pattern. Every couple hundred failures I basked in the lightning as if it was a warm shower and not electricity five times hotter than the surface of the sun. Of course, I had my little mental breakdowns every once in a while, but even those were a distant memory now. At some point, my mental state declined to the point I wasn't bothered by the 'learning experience' anymore.

I could almost cross the garden now. It was easy once I learned the tricks. To even take a step, I had to perfectly hold my body weight and only move with the front of my foot. The shift of my body weight was the most important part. Too much, and it'd make a noise. Likewise, it'd start the burning coals anew.

I'd made it a few times, recovering from the burning. It didn't matter though. If I messed up even once, I was shipped back. It's funny- the teleportation didn't even make me nauseous anymore.

I calmly stepped off the deck, my face a blank slate. I didn't even have to think about it anymore. Muscle memory took over entirely. If it continued like this? I'd reach the beautiful fox without any issue.

Things always had to change though, didn't they? It'd be too easy otherwise.

An eighth of the way there, the ground shifted with each movement. It changed from to wood, back to gravelly sand, and then to concrete. With every step, the floor transmuted into yet another material. Each forced me to change and adapt my posture and stride.

There was no discernable pattern either. They were completely random. Couldn't just learn a pattern and get across. I had to actually adapt with each step. Yet it didn't even break my pace. This? This was child's play compared to the later stages.

Once I reached a fourth of the way, my feet shifted. Every step from here on out changed my footwear. In turn, it further modified how I needed to step to avoid making noises with the varied shoes. It didn't affect the burning though. Nothing affected the burning.

I took another step, and I was wearing clown shoes. Another, and squeaky chickens. Yet another, and just socks. I continued on, well used to making the calculations. Each step was just silent as the last in a perfect stride.

Halfway there, my attire began to change with every footfall. Posture and walkway styles adapted just the same. The clothes affect not only my center of mass, but they also could make noise. The rain jackets were the worst offenders. If even my clothes made a whisper, I would be forced to trip and restart.

Oh! The changing shoes and ground materials? They didn't stop. No. That would be too easy. The effects stacked with each progressive point, making it nearly impossible to actually succeed. And yet thousands of 'deaths' made my silent stride second nature. Time was unfortunately on my side in this cursed space.

And then I was three-fourths of the way there, passionately staring at the cute fox. She'd truly been my only companion in what felt like the years I moved along. Her gloating smiles and warm looks, which used to make me rage, drove me forward more than the thought of leaving this place. I couldn't wait to approach her and stroke the soft moonlit fur of my obsession.

I barely even noticed items dropping across my path. The straight route wasn't an option anymore, causing me to shift around them to avoid making noise. While I glided across the expanse, everything from shattered bottles to crumpled leaves fell into my way.

And then I was there, at the edge of the rock garden. This was the final part- the final part I had been stuck on for at least eighteen lightning strikes. But I had learned from my failures.

A step forward changed gravity itself, distorting my posture, center of mass, and amount of muscle needed to make a quiet step. My next step was quiet. Gravity shifted once more, close to doubling what the norm was. I stepped silently. Then it lifted to what felt like a fourth of the norm. My footfall was perfectly silent.

I moved, calmly making the calculations until my foot fell against the grass on the other side for the first time. I dared not even breathe as I approached the resting fox. My steps were easily silent even without the threat of pain.

I stretched out a hand to that glorious fur-

The fox lifted her head, staring right into me. My entire body locked up under a heavy pressure cast by her. A look flashed through her eyes- one I hadn't seen before in the years we'd been here. Pity, perhaps?

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Everything faded away. The last thing I saw was her gentle eyes-

…

Tears spilled down my cheeks. I could tell, even without opening my eyes, that I was back. I'd won. I'd won, and yet I never felt so lost. I slowly opened my eyes, rubbing away days worth of crust from my left one. The rusty roof of my shitty container home glowed with the morning sun.

It was a long time before I found the will to move. I just laid there, staring at the roof of my container. Nothing but the noises of the city kept me company. It wasn't until a burning sensation crossed my throat that I finally moved.

— — —

I slowly slurped down ramen at a food cart just outside of Viceroy Street. Two real days had passed since I first entered that weird pavilion space. I just lay there, nearing dying of thirst thanks to the interface.

It must've been some kind of time dilation effect though. I was sure, so very sure, that I spent at least a year constantly failing in that abominable rock garden. I absolutely refused to believe that it'd only been forty-eight hours. Two days in there just logically didn't make sense.

The noodles tasted bland, as did everything else I ate on my way here. And I'd eaten plenty. When I first woke, insatiable hunger and thirst hit me. Unfortunately, everything tasted flavorless. Even the world looked bland- muted of its once radiant colors. Nothing could compare to that place.

The usual sounds and scents felt distant. It was like a filter was welded onto my head. It was oddly nice considering how bad everything typically reeked, but very worrying none the less. Even my sight felt distant, like I was staring at a screen. And not actually all here.

With a thought, the interface pulled up, showing the results of my time.

「Name: Shiro Tsukuyomi

Traits: Fox's Grace, Quick Healing, Insight

Stealth - 6

Fox's Paw

Perception 2

Data Pending - Duration Five Days」

Was it worth it? I dunno. Would I be forever traumatized by rock gardens? Most definitely. What did I learn though? I learned that the fluffiness of a fox was a force that few could stand against. Oh- and burning coals hurt. They hurt quite a lot. Those memories were better locked in a cell, though.

I also finally gained my first long-term goal; adopt a fox. Even if I had to fork over millions of Rayn to get one biogenetically made by the Agrican Foundation, I would. Just the thought of petting a luxurious fox put my heart at ease. Maybe some kind of syndrome developed while I was in there?

But that was a long time coming considering how broke I was. For now? Absolom Clinic. I really, really needed Nael to take a look at me. I most definitely had something wrong with my head. Things wouldn't be so- so muted otherwise.

That, and he had texted me yesterday about checking on my wrist. It felt like so long ago that I was injured though. I'd completely forgotten about it until he called me.

I had actually gotten several texts over the past two days, which was weird. Usually, it was just radio silence. I didn't really know very many people, let along had them on speaking terms.

One of them had been from Ishimaru, which I guess could be expected. He thanked me for a job well done and told me the Matriarch sent her regards. It was a worrying message. Or at least it would've been, but I just couldn't bring myself to care about much of anything anymore.

My best Mikata also reached out, asking to meet up. She was in town for a few weeks and wanted to be with me as much as she could before leaving. Something even poked through the fog captive when I read her message: guilt.

Mira must've texted just after I entered that weird pavilion. It'd been two days of no reply. I texted her back and told her we could meet up later tomorrow. Still waiting on a reply, but that was fine. I made her wait, so it's only right I waited.

Of course, I also received a couple dozen spam and scams that arrived on the daily. Most of them were instantly deleted, but there were a few I took the time to appreciate the creativity of.

For instance, one person had sent me a message about a trove of uncovered Aetherium in the Eye Sea. He just needed some funding to go and retrieve it. Creative, yes, but entirely bullshit. Anyone with a hint of schooling knows Aetherium vanished from this planet back during the Aetherial Concourse. What a slag.

A low-pitched rumble skipped along the streets, causing me to look up. Up so far above, a flying vehicle the size of a bus flitted above the buildings. Just before it vanished northward, I caught sight of Sentinel's spear and shield.

Now, if this was Downtown or Portside I wouldn't think anything of it. Flyers of all kinds were down over there, probably as a show of strength or something else having to do with politics. Here though? This was Little Yukoto. The only flyers here were the occasional Medevacs from Medtech Solutions and flying cabs. Even then, those weren't all that common considering the price for a single trip.

Were they going to check out the crash site? I should look at the news when I got back. See what all happened in the years- days I'd been gone… ugh- being back still felt so surreal. When would this feeling fade?

I finished off my bowl and paid the foodcart owner. I casually slunk down Viceroy Street, aiming for an alley way obscured by neon glare.

Even now, free from that cursed garden, I couldn't bring myself to make a noise. It was almost as if my muscles refused to even acknowledge the command to step loudly. Even when I tried I couldn't.

"Gah!" I startled a kid when I appeared behind him just outside the clinic. "Girl- grab a bell or somethin'!"

"Sorry." I shot a look past him toward the aged willow in the middle of the courtyard.

"Whateva'" The kid jumped off the root of the tree, scampering toward a set of stairs.

I moved over to Absolom Clinic, not making even a noise. The bell was easy enough to get past. Somehow, as silent as I was, Nael seemed to immediately sense me. His head shot up. "Oh, hey, kid… You uh- you okay? You look a little shell shocked."

"Chek chek. Kust a bit shaken." I tried to smile. It took far more effort than I remembered to simply crease my lips. Did it even used to take effort? It was a natural expression, and yet my muscles felt half-paralyzed.

"Why don't you have a seat?" Nael sat his book down and slid over to the surgical chair. He really was the best Medek; able to spot an injury. Even the non-physical ones.

"Thanks." I sat down and simply just stared at his concerned face. This was dumb. What would I even say? I got sucked into a mystical realm and destroyed for years? Oh, but I love foxes now, so it's all okay. And don't worry, it's likely to happen again in the future!

"You don't have to speak, Shiro. I understand." He leaned back into his chair and looked up to the roof. "I won't ask you what happened, but if you ever need someone to talk to, my door is open…. Or my DMs, as the kids say."

I chuckled at his stupid joke. 'DMs' died with the K-10 convention back in '44. What was he? A dinosaur?

His infectious chuckle joined mine, and soon my laughter turned into a roar. Tears came to my eyes as I just laughed and laughed. It was relieving, in a way. The tension faded with each ragged breath of air. It wasn't even a funny joke in the first place.

My chuckles faded, though my smile remained without the effort it took to put it up. "Thanks, Nael. I needed that."

"Don't mention it, kid." He ruffled my dark hair. "Now then, why don't I check on that wrist of yours? It looked to be doing well. Oh, and you still have that bug?"

I settled down for his checkup. I still wasn't a hundred percent, but I was feeling far better than I had been.

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