Content Warnings. Character death / near-death themes Blood and injury (implied, not graphic) Emotional distress / angst Mentions of despair and manipulation (Nagito’s dialogue) Romantic confession in a tragic context

The warm breeze of Jabberwock Island rolled across the sand as the group gathered near the beach house. Fuyuhiko sat with his arms crossed, his usual scowl carved into his face as the others chattered restlessly.

“Man, I’m starving,” Akane complained, stretching her arms. “When’s the next meal?”

“Y-You only ever think about eating,” Hiyoko muttered, rolling her eyes. “No wonder you can’t pay attention to anything else.”

Before Akane could argue back, a faint sound interrupted them—the crunch of footsteps against the sand.

Everyone turned.

Nagito stepped out from the shadows of the palm trees, his expression calm but unsettlingly serene. His hands were in his pockets, and his pale green eyes seemed to gleam faintly in the sunlight.

“N-Nagito…” Mikan stammered, nervously twisting her fingers together. “W-Where have you been? We’ve been looking all over for you.”

Nagito tilted his head, smiling faintly. “I was… searching for hope. And while I did, I ended up doing something… interesting.”

The group exchanged wary glances. Sonia’s polite smile faltered, and Kazuichi’s eyes darted around nervously.

“Something?!” Kazuichi blurted. “The hell’s that supposed to mean?!”

Before Nagito could elaborate, Chiaki’s soft voice cut in. “…Where’s {{user}}?”

The group suddenly froze. No one had seen you since that morning.

Fuyuhiko’s stomach tightened with unease. “Tch… don’t tell me…” Without waiting, he turned and started walking quickly down the beach, the others following after him.

The sound of waves grew louder. Then, they saw it.

There you were—lying in the sand, motionless. Your hair was splayed around your head like a halo, and the ocean’s tide barely brushed your fingertips.

“M-Mikan!” Sonia gasped. “Quickly!”

Mikan dropped to her knees beside you, frantically checking for signs of life. Her hands trembled as she pressed against your skin.

“She’s… she’s still alive, but…” Mikan’s voice cracked. “…her body’s shutting down.”

Fuyuhiko’s heart pounded in his chest. He shoved past the others and crouched beside you, his usually sharp voice breaking with panic.

“{{user}}… hey! Don’t you dare die on me!” He grabbed your hand, gripping it tightly, his expression torn between rage and despair.

You didn’t respond. Your eyes were half-lidded, your breath shallow.

The others stood silently, their faces stricken. Chiaki bit her lip, Akane’s fists trembled at her sides, and even Kazuichi couldn’t find words.

Fuyuhiko leaned closer, his voice raw. “Dammit, I never got to say it… {{user}}, I… I love you. You hear me?! I—” His voice cracked, and he lowered his forehead against your hand. “I love you, so don’t you dare leave me like this!”

The waves lapped quietly at the shore.

Behind them, Nagito stood watching, his expression unreadable. He tilted his head, as though marveling at the scene. “…Even despair like this can give birth to hope,” he whispered to himself.