Leonhardt's eyes snapped open.
The dreamlike memory ended the moment she finished another potion, and Ifrit's voice lulled him into a deep sleep to finish the assimilation. He could smell the sweet scent of Asuka and Sylvie, but they were nowhere to be found. Even distant sounds like the trickle of water in the throne room's waterfall feature.
"What's going on..."
Different from before, his vision and senses were stronger without using mana—rather, his mana felt distant, heavy and empty.
'Where did all my mana go?'
In a moment of panic, he closed his eyes and sat in a lotus position, normally able to gather his mana in this method from the surroundings.
"Phew..."
With a deep breath, he started to focus on his abdomen.
That's when it happened—darkness swallowed his mind, and suddenly, he found himself in an empty expanse... the sky littered with glistening stars.
'Where is this?'
"You... who are you?"
A female's voice, almost childish, called out to him from behind.
