The Myki Empire.

  According to what the Luminaries were now telling me, it was an empire from the surface—ambitious, relentless, constantly probing the celestials' territories for weaknesses. They'd been a threat for centuries, apparently. And now they had spies everywhere.

  And somehow, I was supposed to be one of them.

  "So, Yuuki." Rhydysseus's voice pressed down on me like a physical weight. "If you know something, speak now. Do not lie."

  "I'm not lying," I said, forcing my voice to stay level. "I don't know anything about the Myki Empire. I woke up in a dark room, got teleported here, and spent the last few days doing training exercises. That's it."

  This is insane. I know I've been lying about the amnesia thing, but this? I'm not a spy. I'm not from this world at all.

  ? Yuuki, I believe we are missing something. Their conviction seems too strong for mere suspicion. ?

  Yeah, I feel it too. There's something we're not seeing.

  ? Searching your memories for anything we might have overlooked— ?

  "Yuuki," Shrilyva said, their green glow steady and contemplative. "If you are wondering why we are so certain of this suspicion, there is one thing you have not addressed."

  I waited.

  "Yuuki," Athushar said quietly. "How is it that you understand us?"

  What?

  What do they mean, how do I understand—

  The realization hit me like a truck.

  ? YUUKI. ?

  AI's voice was sharp. Alarmed. I'd never heard them like this.

  ? THE LANGUAGE. WE NEVER QUESTIONED THE LANGUAGE. ?

  Oh god.

  ? We have been communicating with celestials since our arrival without any difficulty. We assumed it was normal—perhaps a property of this world, or translation through the waypoint. ?

  But it's not.

  ? No. Reviewing your first meeting with Athushar—when you responded to their question, their form flickered. A subtle reaction. At the time, I categorized it as surprise at your presence. ?

  But it wasn't.

  ? It was surprise that you understood them. And responded in their language. ?

  My blood went cold.

  Athushar suspected me from the very beginning.

  Not because of the waypoint. Not because of my "amnesia." Because I could understand them when I shouldn't have been able to.

  ? This explains their caution. Their testing. The training that seemed too generous for a stranger. ?

  They were watching me. The whole time.

  I felt sick.

  "Yuuki." Rhydysseus's voice cut through my spiral. "You appear distressed."

  I was. My hands were trembling slightly. I clasped them together behind my back to hide it.

  Think. THINK.

  "I—" My voice came out rougher than I intended. "I don't know why I can understand you."

  "That is not an answer," Aderuti said sharply.

  "It's the truth." I forced myself to meet their gaze. "I didn't even realize it was strange until you pointed it out. I just... understood. From the moment I arrived."

  "Convenient," Rhydysseus said.

  "It's not convenient, it's confusing!" I snapped, frustration bleeding through. "You think I wanted this? You think I planned to wake up in a dark room, get pulled to another world, and somehow end up accused of being a spy for an empire I've never heard of?"

  My voice echoed in the chamber.

  Calm down. Calm down. Getting angry won't help.

  ? Yuuki. Control yourself. ?

  I know. I know.

  I took a breath. Then another.

  "Look," I said, quieter now. "I understand why you're suspicious. A stranger appears from nowhere, speaks your language without learning it, lies about having amnesia. I get it. I'd be suspicious too."

  The Luminaries watched. Waiting.

  "But I'm not a spy. I'm not from this world at all. I'm from a place called Earth, which none of you have ever heard of. I died there—or thought I did—and then I woke up here."

  "You expect us to believe that?" Aderuti's violet glow sharpened.

  "I expect you to consider it. Because it's the truth."

  Silence.

  Then Athushar spoke again.

  "Yuuki. I must explain something."

  I turned to the Blue Luminary. The celestial who had housed me. Trained me. Defended me to Admiral—or so I'd thought.

  "The reason I provided you with training was not duty alone. It was assessment."

  Assessment.

  "Combat training. Materia training. Mental conditioning. Each was designed to observe your reactions. Your instincts. Your capacity for deception."

  My chest tightened.

  "Cobalt, Teal, Sky—all of them reported to me. Everything you said. Everything you did. Every moment of hesitation or confidence."

  They were all watching me.

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  The whole time.

  "If you were a spy," Athushar continued, "your training would reveal it. The way you fight. The way you think. The patterns you fall into when pressured."

  "And?" I heard myself ask. "What did you conclude?"

  Athushar paused.

  "I concluded that you are hiding something. But I could not determine what."

  So even after all that... they still don't trust me.

  Something cracked in my chest. Not anger—something worse. Hurt.

  I'd thought—stupidly, naively—that I'd started to build something with these celestials. That Sky's gentleness was genuine. That Denim's enthusiasm about fashion was real connection. That even Athushar's formal distance contained some measure of care.

  But the whole time, I was just a test subject. A potential threat to be monitored.

  I was so stupid.

  ? Yuuki. Focus on the present. We can process this later. ?

  Right. Right.

  I swallowed the hurt and straightened my spine.

  "Fine," I said. "You all suspect me. You've been watching me. And you still don't have proof I'm a spy—because I'm not one."

  "The language—" Aderuti started.

  "The language is weird. I agree. I don't have an explanation for it." I spread my hands. "But weird isn't the same as guilty. Do you have actual evidence? Anything concrete?"

  "Your deception about your memories—"

  "I explained that. I didn't trust strangers with personal information. That's not espionage. That's survival."

  Aderuti's form flickered—frustration, maybe.

  "The otherworlder has a point," Valeqbah said, speaking up for the first time in a while. The Orange Luminary's tone was measured. "Suspicion is not proof. We cannot condemn based on what we do not understand."

  "We also cannot ignore the threat," Rhydysseus countered. "The Empire's infiltration has increased. The timing of this otherworlder's arrival is suspect. And the language issue remains unexplained."

  "Then what do you propose?" Athushar asked.

  The Red Luminary was quiet for a moment.

  "A test."

  A test?

  "The otherworlder claims to be what he appears—a confused being from another world, with no allegiance to our enemies. If that is true, he should be willing to prove it."

  "What kind of test?" Shrilyva asked.

  "Combat."

  My stomach dropped.

  "Combat reveals truth," Rhydysseus continued. "The way a person fights shows their training, their instincts, their nature. If Yuuki has been trained by the Empire, it will show in his movements. If he is truly an untrained otherworlder..." The Red Luminary's glow pulsed. "That will show as well."

  They want me to fight.

  ? Yuuki, this is extremely dangerous. You have had basic training with Cobalt, but you are not a fighter. You are a teenager who has never been in real combat. ?

  Yeah, I'm aware.

  ? We need to find a way to— ?

  "Then I volunteer."

  A voice cut through the chamber.

  I turned.

  Admiral.

  The navy-blue celestial drifted forward from their position among the attendants, their dense form somehow seeming even larger than before.

  "I, Admiral, volunteer to serve as the otherworlder's opponent."

  Of course.

  Of course it's Admiral.

  The one celestial who made no secret of distrusting me. Who warned me during the haircut that they'd be watching. Who told Athushar directly that they would judge me themselves.

  And now they had their chance.

  Rhydysseus regarded Admiral with something that might have been approval.

  "The Blue Luminary's attendant. An appropriate choice. Strong enough to test the otherworlder, controlled enough not to cause permanent damage."

  Permanent damage. Great. Very reassuring.

  "Athushar?" Rhydysseus asked. "Do you consent to your attendant serving this role?"

  Athushar was quiet for a long moment.

  Say no. Please say no.

  "I consent," Athushar said.

  Fuck.

  "Then it is decided." Rhydysseus's voice carried finality. "The otherworlder Yuuki will face Admiral in combat. The results will inform our judgment."

  Admiral turned to look at me.

  Those deep blue circles. That heavy, unmovable presence.

  "Prepare yourself, otherworlder," Admiral said. "I will not hold back."

  I'm going to die.

  ? You are not going to die. ?

  AI, have you seen Admiral? I'm definitely going to die.

  ? Then we will have to ensure you do not. ?

  How?!

  ? I am working on it. ?

  I stood alone on the podium, six Luminaries watching from above, their colors mixing into a rainbow that suddenly felt less beautiful and more like a cage.

  And across from me, Admiral waited.

  Okay.

  Okay.

  I guess we're doing this.