"I need your help." she had said, avoiding his gaze.

"With what?" Katsuragi had asked.

"It's... personal," 

Lucia replied hesitantly. "But it's tied to the Abyss."

That was enough to convince him. They spent hours following cryptic leads, an abandoned building, scattered clues, whispers in the dark. Eventually, they found themselves outside Shanzhou City, where the air grew heavier, suffused with an unnatural chill.

Even so, Katsuragi didn't know what Lucia was looking for because she doesn't tell and seemed to try to avoid talking about it.

A figure emerged from the shadows, her presence commanding. Yara, a follower of Destruction.

Lucia's face darkened as she stepped forward. Katsuragi glanced at her, surprised by the familiarity in her eyes.

"You know her?" 

Katsuragi asked.

Lucia's fists clenched. "We've met before."

Yara smirked. "Oh, Lucia, still clinging to Creation's light, are you? It's pitiful."

The tension snapped like a bowstring, and the battle erupted. Katsuragi moved first, striking with precision, but Yara countered effortlessly, her dark energy surging like a tidal wave.

Lucia summoned her weapon, a glowing blade forged from Creation's power, her movements sharp and determined. 

"I won't let you go this time.."

But Yara only laughed, her voice a mixture of mockery and sorrow. 

"You're still so naive."

As the fight raged on, the sky above twisted and warped, and a swirling portal materialized. Yara leapt into it, her laughter echoing.

"Stop her!" Lucia shouted, lunging forward.

The portal's pull grew stronger, dragging both Katsuragi and Lucia into its depths.

"What the-" 

Katsuragi tried to stand firm but the pull was so strong that he was dragged into the portal. 

Katsuragi woke up with a jolt, his surroundings alien. The world around him was stark black and white, like a forgotten sketch of reality. The air was thick with unease.

"Argh.. my head. What is this place?" he murmured.

A flicker of color caught his eye. Ahead, a little girl stood, vibrant in an otherwise colorless void. She looked familiar, too familiar.

"That little girl.. hey, are you lost?" 

Katsuragi whispered, stepping closer.

The little girl turned, her eyes wide with innocence and fear. Katsuragi realized that this might be Lucia's past. But he also thinking, why.. why the portal bring him to see this.

The small version of Lucia walked and disappeared. Realizing that, Katsuragi tried to continue his journey. It is possible that he can find the real Lucia. 

Suddenly, the world around him shifted, revealing fragmented memories like broken shards of glass. He saw two children, Lucia and Yara, holding hands, their laughter a stark contrast to the desolation of the present.

"They were friends, once. And this place... Rusantara?"

Katsuragi realized, watching the scenes unfold. The two girls, both orphaned by Abyssal attacks, had found solace in each other. But as the memories played out, the cracks began to show.

"Huh..?" Katsuragi stunned.

Yara, desperate for power to protect them both, sought forbidden means. Lucia, horrified, tried to stop her. Their bond strained, and misunderstandings turned their friendship into enemy.

"THIS IS THE ONLY WAY!" 

Yara in the memory shouted. 

"No. We can't sacrifice others for our own safety!" Lucia in the memory replied. 

"Argh, you're really like that. Don't you remember how people treated us all this time?! People treated us like the scum of society, with this forbidden necklace.. we can prove that we-" 

Lucia interrupted Yara's conversation.

"Yara! You can't do this! Don't.. be like this.. don't be like the people who insulted us.."

Katsuragi watches as the scene shows the conflict between two of them, he turned to find the present-day Lucia standing alone, clutching an old photograph of her and Yara smiling together.

"If I remember correctly, Lucia once told me that she were taken by Valenbourg people, then she was sent to Rusantara."

Katsuragi continued his journey until he arrived in front of the crack. He touched the crack and was sent towards Lucia. She stood there quietly, and was silent.

"She was my only family,"

Lucia said softly, her voice trembling. 

"And I lost her. I'm sorry you have to see me like this, Katsuragi. It's just that Yara is the only person I've considered family for 40 years."

Suddenly, the ground shook, and a towering creature emerged from the shadows, a nightmare given form. Its name echoed in Katsuragi's mind like a sinister whisper: Malgrin, the Devourer of Light.

"So this is Malgrin.. monster that emerge from human nightmares. I have to admit, for a monster with such a scary name, it really doesn't fit with its ugly appearance."

The beast was monstrous, with clawed hands and a shifting, void-like body that absorbed the light around it. It let out a guttural roar, charging toward them.

Katsuragi took out his scythe and blocked Malgrin's attack. 

CLING!

Katsuragi looked back, he realized that Lucia was still unconscious.

"Lucia, snap out of it!" 

Katsuragi shouted, drawing his weapon.

Lucia hesitated, paralyzed by fear. But as the creature lunged, her blade ignited, and she met its attack with a cry of defiance.

The battle was brutal. Malgrin was relentless, its attacks targeting Lucia's deepest fears. Visions of Yara's betrayal clouded her mind, weakening her resolve. While, Katsuragi keep blocking Malgrin's attacks to protect Lucia.

"You'll never save her," the monster hissed, its voice dripping with malice. "You'll fail, just like before."

Lucia fell to her knees, trembling.

"Lucia!" Katsuragi called out, holding the creature at bay. 

"This isn't the time to give up! Fight back!"

Tears streamed down her face as she gripped the photograph tighter. 

"I can't... I can't do this."

"Are you kidding?! You yourself told me yesterday, fear will only cover our eyes from what is happening now! Anger brings consequences! Wake up quickly Lucia, only you can take us back to Shanzhou now!"

Katsuragi said, his voice firm.

Lucia stood shakily, her blade glowing brighter. 

"You're right... what's the point of a teacher giving lessons to her students, but the lessons themselves aren't taken by the teacher herself?"

With a final surge of strength, she drove her blade into Malgrin's core. The beast let out a deafening scream as it began to dissolve.

BOOM!

Katsuragi was thrown out of the portali by the explosion. 

"Lucia!" 

Katsuragi shouted, he was then kicked out of the domain.

The domain started to crumble, cracks forming in the fabric of the memory realm. Lucia looked around, a sense of acceptance washing over her.

"I guess this is it." 

She whispered, closing her eyes. But then, she heard a small laughs.

She turned to see the memories of her and Yara. Shows the moment they get their first mission, the moment they spend time together, and the moment they share gifts with each other. She smiled before she closing her eyes.

But a hand broke through the collapsing dimension, grabbing hers.

Katsuragi pulls her out of the void. 

"You once told me, that we can't give up in life, even if it's bad. Fight for a brighter future. That's what you said to me, right?"

As they tumbled back into reality, he spoke, his tone gentle but firm.

"Don't lose yourself to the past, Lucia. Reality might hurt, but it's the only place where we can fight to make things better."

They landed outside the portal, the black and white world behind them fading. Lucia clutched the photograph, her expression somber but resolute.

"Thank you, Katsuragi.."

She said quietly.

Katsuragi nodded. 

"You're welcome. Master."

Lucia then let out a small chuckles and hit Katsuragi's arm. 

"You don't have to call me that again."

"Heh, why not? I'm still your student, right?"

They walked back toward Shanzhou City, Unbeknownst to them, it was now night. Katsuragi looked up and saw the stars that were there. Instantly, his eyes lit up. And Lucia noticed that.

"Something is strange about him.."