At the end of the passage lay an unfamiliar Sora.
Cassius landed on solid ground and looked back. The rift had slowly closed, vanishing completely.
He let out a breath and began surveying his surroundings.
This seemed to be the wilderness. Mountains rose and fell in the distance, while dense woods stood nearby.
Sora was fresh, yet it carried an energy aura completely different from that of his homeworld.
"Is this another world?"
Cassius murmured,
"I wonder what galaxy I'm in now, and how far I am from Alliance Headquarters..."
Before he could finish, his expression suddenly tightened.
A concealed wave of dark energy was rushing toward him from the side!
"What—"
Cassius instinctively tried to dodge, but the energy was too fast and enveloped him in an instant.
Yet the anticipated attack never came.
The mass of dark energy circled him once before condensing into a phantom.
A familiar figure. A familiar face.
"Blake!"
Cassius's eyes widened, then he breathed a sigh of relief.
"You scared me to death! My injuries just recovered, and my strength hasn't fully returned yet. I almost didn't recognize you."
Phantom Blake floated quietly before him, his voice as calm as ever.
"Cassius, listen.
I left behind this mass of dark energy to help you recover and to deliver information to you.
I am not here myself."
Cassius froze for a moment, then smiled.
"Hehe, I didn't expect you to recover so quickly.
I thought I'd have to search for you guys for ages."
Phantom Blake frowned slightly. "Don't interrupt."
"Alright, alright, go ahead."
Cassius promptly wiped the playful look from his face.
"I'll explain what happened after we arrived in this world, and why you were in Sora."
Cassius nodded seriously.
Phantom Blake slowly said,
"After that battle, we were forced into this