Even though they had already sensed that something was off, nothing unusual had yet appeared in Tokyo when the two disembarked.
The pier was still bustling with people. Cranes stood silently in the distance, while cargo ships came and went along the shore.
Seagulls skimmed across the azure sea, leaving behind a string of clear cries that blended Tokyo's lively atmosphere with the crispness of the sea breeze.
Su Wen carried a light suitcase, then turned sideways to shield Jiang Menghan from the sea wind rushing toward them.
The iceberg-like girl cooperatively turned slightly as well. The sea breeze lifted her off-white scarf, and stray hairs at her temples clung to her smooth cheeks. In her eyes were reflected the outlines of distant rows of buildings, her expression as calm as the water by the bay.
The two walked side by side down the ferry gangway. The wooden planks beneath their feet swayed gently with the crowd, carrying the warm, damp feel of being soaked by seawater.
But at the instant Su Wen's feet fully stepped onto the stone paving of the pier, an inexplicable sense of discord suddenly flashed through his heart.
The feeling was faint, like an illusion, yet exceptionally distinct—utterly at odds with the surrounding clamor and the salty dampness of the sea breeze.
His figure, suitcase in hand, instinctively halted. His fingers slipped into the inner pocket of his coat and slowly pulled out a neatly folded sheet of paper.
It had been secretly delivered by carrier pigeon before their departure by Dean Elda of the Many Doors.
As he unfolded the note, somewhat familiar handwriting came into view:
"[The Door] is about to open, and the rules will undergo distortions within a limited area.
This is the Source of Destruction of the Second Era.
So,