Just One Light

That's the door from before, right?

No doubt about it. The last time it was locked.

That's the same little girl as before, right?

......

Is she trying to tell us something?

Looks like she wants us to follow her.

A Dream World grows out of its dreamer's psyche. Just as we cannot control our emotions and feelings, the dreamers do not fully control their Dream Worlds. The girl is trying to lead us somewhere. What do you think we should do, Jade?

Our best bet is to follow her. This seems to be the last door. We may find some clues on the other side.

Let's go, guys.

Is this really still Saki's Dream World? It looks just like IDA. There's no ice either.

Ah, it's good to see it again. It's been so long, yet nothing's changed.

Saki?

It feels like a dream, being here again.

Saki! Can you hear me?

But it's not a dream. I'll get to see everyone again. I'll have my normal life back. It'll be fine.

What was that?

Memories of when she returned to school, I'd say. This seems to be her deep psyche.

Deep psyche...?

It's at the Dream World core. We've reached this level in several other dark apple cases before.

The reason behind her escaping to this world is likely hidden here. The event which led her to eat the dark apple...

......

It's that girl again.

She went upstairs. Are we going after her, Jade?

Yes, hurry!

Ugh... Wait, Saki!

What the... This is the frozen classroom!

No, seriously.

Eek! Gives me the creeps!

......

There she is! What's up, Saki?

Don't talk to her, you dummy!

Huh?

Everyone who talks to her gets CURSED!

R-Really? It's got to be made up.

No, I swear it's true! She wasn't coming to school for months, right? *whispers* Her dad was keeping her under lock and key in his lab.

I heard she was being experimented on! Some really freaky stuff. Better keep away from her.

Um...

Hey, what are you doing?!

How are you, Saki?

Y-You're talking to me?

Don't do that... You'll get cursed...

That's silly! We're friends, remember?

We warned her... But she didn't listen.

She should've listened. Not our fault if something happens to her now.

Please, don't talk to me. I don't want you to get hurt...

I'll be fine! Come on, let's have lunch together.

DON'T TALK TO ME!

Wah?!

Oh no.

See? That's what she gets for ignoring our warning.

She was just being friendly. You're horrible, Saki!

......

Why did you do that, Saki?

Cat got your tongue? Apologize to her!

I'm...sor...

Urghhh...

Wh-What?

Aaaah!

No way!

Huh?! N-No...! Wait!

Nooo!

......

That's...the grimoire's power.

It was too great for Saki to control it.

You okay, Jade? Seeing your sister's painful memories must be tough for you, too.

Thanks for your concern, but it's not necessary. I knew this wouldn't be a fun trip down memory lane. It should be Saki you feel sorry for, not me. I can't turn a blind eye to her suffering. Knowing the truth will bring me closer to her. I want to understand my sister.

......

Let's not waste any time. We should follow the girl.

I'm all alone... I don't want this power. Who would want their feelings to take physical form? I just wanted to have a normal life...

Who are you?

This is a dark apple. Eat it and your wishes will be granted.

Wishes? Haha... You come at the wrong time. If I'd met you earlier, I might've wished for my power to disappear.

But it's too late now. The damage is already done. I wish for nothing.

It will grant your wish.

...... Yeah, as if! A wish-fulfilling apple, huh? Who'd believe that?

If it really could make grant me a wish... I would want to be frozen, forever, so that I might never hurt anyone ever again.

I found her right after this happened...

And I came by, and heard you arguing. Man, I had no idea what it was about.

Now I understand why she hid away in her Dream World. She couldn't bear the guilt of hurting her friend with the grimoire's power. In which case, the root of all the evil is this power. We need to free her of it...

We might want to take a look at your father's research reports.

It's no use. The EGPD confiscated everything after his death.

So we can forget about that lead... By the way, the little girl's nowhere to be seen this time.

That's all we found in the deep psyche. Now we have to think what to do next for ourselves.

Curse it... It was just a dead end...

Jade...

I won't give up. There's still one door we haven't got open. Which means we've overlooked something.

Score... Yoo collekt, yes? No enough...

What's this?

Yoo smell lyk her. Yoo her brother?

Yoo want see hiddn memorees? Bring scores.

Scores? What?

Scores! Bring much-much. Then yoo see memorees, yes?

Score... Yoo collekt, yes? No enough... No much tyme! Yoo hurree!

What do you make of this, Jade?

I'm not sure, but...what do we have to lose? It's a gamble, but let's do as it says.

Yoo got scores? I nao poot memoree bits together! Yoo can help Saki.

Whoa!

What's going on?

We're in...Theta District, in Elzion?

But there's no one here...so it must just be part of the Dream World.

Looks like it. It's another of Saki's memories. Does it look familiar to you, Jade?

Sure. This is where we grew up.

......

There's that girl again. If she's here, there must be something important for us to find.

Huh? Where do you see her?

She's right there...

Tsk... Lost sight of her.

Which way did she go?

That way. That's where our house used to be.

We used to live up there. This really is the last hope for finding something that can help us...

Go inside, Jade. We'll wait here.

Call us if you need anything.

Thanks. I hope I don't come back out empty handed.

Mom is late again... And Jade's been gone for ages, too. I miss him.

......

Mom!

Hello, sweetie. I'm sorry I'm so late. I'll get started with the dinner...

Mom, are you all right? You're getting thinner and thinner.

Oh, maybe I just...went too far with my diet, haha.

Mom...you can tell me the truth. It's dad, isn't it? He's experimenting on you, like he does on Jade.

I'm so sorry, sweetie. I didn't want you to know.

You're a very clever girl. You're right about the experiments. But you don't have to be afraid. Daddy won't experiment on you, I made sure of that. And it's not as bad as you think. Look what I can do now!

Wow! That's so pretty!

The grimoire daddy found... It's a magical book. Between its pages sleeps an amazing power! The power of song left behind by a very special songstress. Only ladies with a crystal-clear voice can call upon this power.

How do you do that, Mom?

You think of something and put it into a song to make it appear, like I showed you before. Saki dear, I have written a song for you. This is the score for it.

A score? For me?

Yes, darling. Learn this song by heart. If...if Daddy ever tries to hurt you, think of this musical score. It will seal the grimoire's power, and keep you safe.

I want you to have a normal, happy life.

The song can seal the grimoire's power?! Huh? The glowing shards we collected are resonating?

Judging from the look on your face, you're onto something.

I found a recording of a lullaby our mom used to sing to Saki.

I've never seen anything like this before.

It's related to Father's research. If only we could find a way to play it.

You said everything at the lab got confiscated, though?

There could still be something left behind in our house in the real world. It's just a glimmer of hope, but let's leave the Dream World and go to our house in Theta District.

...... You found it... But I'm close to my limits, brother. I believe in you...

It's here. Nothing much has changed.

Doesn't look like anyone lives here.

After all that's happened here, some people believed it was cursed. Let's hope they didn't change the lock...

We're in! Got lucky there.

Come on in with me. It'll be quicker if we search together.

Found it! It's just a prototype but it might work.

Fingers crossed it will play the record.

Father didn't use to be a bad man. The grimoire's acquisition changed him. That was the beginning of the end for our family.

Mother poured all her heart into this... I will make sure it wasn't for nothing.

Isuka speaking. What have you got for me? ...I see. Thanks for letting me know. We're going to try our trump card now.

It was the ops team. Your sister's Dream World is becoming increasingly unstable.

Does it mean...we may lose access to it?

Before that happens, let's go in. This song is our chance. We're coming, Saki. Wait just a little longer!

You again. What dogged persistence. Did you finally make up your mind to shatter this icy tomb?

That's exactly it.

Good, so you've accepted Saki's will. Now, without further ado...

It won't be me breaking the ice with my spear. It will be the warmth of our mother's love that will melt it.

What on earth are you talking about?

You wouldn't know. It's a memory that is so repressed, so deeply hidden, that even you couldn't get to it. That's because it's a very inconvenient memory for you, who wants to maintain this self-delusion.

There can be no such thing!

We've seen into Saki's heart. She doesn't really want to disappear, all alone. You should know this.

That's ridiculous! She wanted to be bound with the ice fetters, and destroyed along with them, thereby ending her misery!

Hear this, Saki! Hear this song and the power which has caused you all this grief will be sealed away! You'll have your normal life back!

Huh?! No, Saki, you mustn't wake up!

Leave her be... She's troubled with doubts because of this damn music box!

She can't return to the outside world. There are no words she can offer to apologize for freezing her classmates. Don't get in our way. Leave us alone! This world, here, is where she belongs!

Pesky fools, I will not let you have her back. Her life will end here, in this icy coffin!

What the heck is that?!

The guardian of her psyche is going berserk.

We've driven her into a corner. Now we can free Saki from her grip!

No... I must protect Saki...

Not any more. That's my job. I should've been doing it better right from the start.

But from now on, I'll be Saki's guardian. I won't ever run away again. You can rest now. I appreciate you trying to protect her when I wasn't there.

I don't know what I should do anymore.

Trust them.

What are you doing here? You should have been gone for good...

They weakened you, and I was able to come back. They tried really hard to make it here, you know? Never giving up, no matter how difficult it was.

That's why I think it's all right to trust them. Trust Jade once more.

I thought I was the only one who could preserve Saki's sanity. Could protect her heart from breaking, by keeping her bound by ice.

Are you sure it's all right? For me to go now...

Yes. You can leave the rest to us.

......

You came so late...

You kept me waiting so long, Jade, you dummy.

Thank you all. And especially you, Jade.

Who are you?

It's another Saki. This is what she looked like as a little girl.

I wasn't sure at first, but then I saw young Saki in her deep psyche.

I am the last glimmer of hope in Saki's frozen heart.

Why did you guide us to her?

At first it was just on a whim. I wanted to test Jade's commitment.

But then Jade confronted our father. I thought he really cared about Saki, and decided to trust him.

I made my mind up to help you. It wasn't easy, but I knew it was the right thing to do.

Thank you.

Now it's time for Saki to wake up. Free yourself of the Absolute Zero Chain and return to the real world, Saki.

The music box Jade has found can suppress the grimoire's power, Saki. You don't have to be afraid.

Mother left this for you, Saki. It's a message of her love for you.

Then try to make up for it instead of running away. And don't let one mistake ruin your life.

It can be really hard when nobody understands you.

But keep trying and eventually they will.

It's okay, Saki. I'll be by your side.

The radiance spread through this world were pieces of Mother's song.

Why do you think they were here?

If you'd wanted to fade away, you wouldn't have needed them.

But they were spread all around, lighting up this world. This is your world, Saki. It was you who scattered the radiance. It was your subconscious doing it.

You know... You were frozen right away, so you didn't see them yourself. But they were very beautiful.

I think it proves you didn't want to lose the memories of your happy days. Even during that horrible experiment, you still hoped one day that you could have that happiness back.

Saki, listen to your heart. What is your real dream? To disappear, all alone in this world? Or to go back to your friends and brother?

Then let's go back together, Saki. To the world where you really belong. To our world!

Welcome back, Saki.

It's good to be here...

*sigh* You worked so hard to save me...

But I'm not ready to face everyone I owe apologies to. I'm so pathetic...

Take your time, Saki. Coming back here was the first step. You can apologize when you find the strength to do it.

Thanks, Jade.

It's Saki!

There you are! I was looking for you!

Uh?

Haha... It's been a while.

I was trying to put off this moment... Wasn't ready to find you and apologize, but you found me first. You have every right to be mad at me, I understand...

Mad at you? What?

Ah, you mean, about that ice thing? That gave me a scare, but I wasn't mad!

Huh?

There's all sorts of quirky students at IDA, and by quirky I mean there's even a girl who suddenly explodes, like literally. Not everyone is okay with her, but it's not like she can help it, you know? You gotta be understanding.

So cheer up, Saki! Show me your cute smile again!

I just...wanted to tell you that I'm sorry. And...

Thanks.

Same here, Saki! Oh, I know. If you're worried about apologizing to others, I'll come with you.

And why don't we have lunch together? Your boyfriend can come along too!

What?!

I'm not her boyfriend...

Come on, no need to be shy!

It's really not what you think.

She seems to be back on her feet.

Yup. She's slowly opening up to people again.

This case is closed. I'm sure Saki will be all right now.

You've brought this incident to a close, but the truth behind the dark apple incidents still eludes us.

At least we managed to prevent any casualties this time.

Ah, so you're also a member of IDEA, Claude? Couldn't you IDEAlists have solved this case quicker than us amateurs?

You've brought this incident to a close, but the truth behind the dark apple incidents still eludes us.

At least we managed to prevent any casualties this time.

Have we met before?

Ah, right. I haven't introduced you two yet. This is Claude, one of our best archers.

Excuse me, what was that? One of the best? I'll have you know that no one can match my skill with the bow.

Hehe. He's a...unique asset.

Unfortunately I had my hands full with another assignment this time.

I see. But...I can't help but wonder. Rather than leave it to us amateurs, couldn't you IDEAlists have solved this case quicker?

Hard to tell, really. Besides, quicker does not always equal better.

As you saw, a Dream World is the world of its dreamer's psyche. Forcefully bringing the dreamer back is but a temporary solution, and may have tragic consequences. That's why it's better to take more time to understand the dreamer's reasons fully, and get to the root of the problem.

Now I get it...

Hold on, you can't be serious about this! Drat, what do we do now?

...... What I am about to tell you, Aldo, is for your ears only. Don't tell Jade, okay?

What's up, Isuka?

Let's go, Aldo. Jade has proven that he's prepared to sacrifice anything for Saki.

You understood how important it was for Jade to first confront his father's phantom alone.

Jade was a key person in this case. Stopping him before he had the chance to prove his commitment to Saki would have been counterproductive.

You did it for him as much as for her. Do you think you'll be investigating more dark apple incidents?

They will likely crop up. It's IDEA's job to resolve them.

You know, if you want some help, just let me know.

Of course. You're pretty much one of us. And now if you'll excuse me. There are reports to file and other wrap-up work. I'll be in the Ops room. Let me know if you need anything. Let's go, Claude.

I thought you might offer that. Thank you, Aldo. And now if you'll excuse me. There are reports to file and other wrap-up work to be done. I'll be in the Ops room. Let's go, Claude.

Hmm... It's back to sight-seeing around the school for me, I guess.

Why was it I even came here in the first place?

Can't remember. Ah, anyhow...

Where on earth is he?

I've been waiting to hear back from Aldo for ages!

Mom? Where are yoo, Mom? Mana... Momma? Ay...help.