IN ANOTHER WORLD

The air in the clearing was thick with anticipation, each breath heavy with the weight of what was to come. After Sou's startling display of power, the mood had shifted—excitement and trepidation mingling in the hearts of the group. Sou, still reveling in the fact that magic was real, stood with a gleam in his eye, waiting to see what would happen next.

Rachel, ever the enigmatic figure, turned to Rema with a measured look. His tone was light but layered with a touch of gravity. "Alright, Rema dear. Now it's your turn to see what potential lies within you. Come, press the spirit stone with your delicate hands."

Rema, whose confidence had been steadily growing after watching Sou's success, couldn't help but chuckle. "Oh my! You really know how to flatter me, don't you, Rachel?" Her voice was playful, but there was a slight edge of excitement. She was curious to see what kind of power she could summon—if anything at all.

Sou, already growing impatient with the theatrics, grumbled. "Yeah, yeah! Get on with it. I'm dying to see what you can do. If you take any longer, I might fall asleep standing up."

Rema threw him an exaggerated smile. "Oh, Sou, always so impatient. Let's see what it feels like, hmm?" she thought, as she gently placed her palm onto the spirit stone that Rachel had handed her. It felt smooth and cold, the surface almost seeming to hum with potential energy beneath her fingertips.

For a moment, nothing happened. Rema frowned slightly, pressing her palm harder against the stone, her eyes narrowing in concentration. Still, it remained inert. She tried again, her fingers tightening around the stone as if willing it to respond.

And then, as though the stone itself had a mind of its own, it began to pulse. The light that emerged from it flickered like a dying star, first a deep, shadowy black, then a flash of light purple—faint, then intensifying into an eerie glow that bathed the clearing in strange hues.

Sou's eyes widened in surprise. "Hey! Rachel, what does that mean?" His voice betrayed his bewilderment. What kind of power was this?

Rema, now clearly agitated, pulled her hand away from the stone, her face flushed with frustration. "Don't tell me I don't have any talent!" she snapped, her voice edged with irritation. "It'll be insulting if Sou can harness magic and I can't. Don't you dare tell me I'm powerless."

Sou raised an eyebrow, a mischievous grin playing at the corners of his mouth. "Rema, you wanna fight? Tell me. I'm fully ready. If you think you can bully me, you're wrong. You know I'm not afraid of you."

The playful tension between them was undeniable, but before it could escalate, Rema shot him a look, half-amused, half-exasperated. "Cough, cough… Do I hear wrong? Me, bullying you?" she retorted, folding her arms over her chest. "Don't flatter me, Sou. My head is still very much on my shoulders, thank you."

The teasing banter was broken when Dr. Ren, who had been watching the interaction with mild curiosity, stepped forward, his brow furrowed. "What's going on here?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

Rachel, who had been quietly observing the entire scene, suddenly raised his hand, signaling for silence. His expression shifted from one of amused detachment to something more serious. "Will you all stop for a moment?" His voice cut through the tension like a sharp blade. "This is important. Rema, I think you've all been trapped here because of your power."

Sou's brows furrowed in confusion. "Huh! What does that mean?" he asked, stepping closer. The revelation felt like a riddle he couldn't quite solve, but there was a feeling of gravity in Rachel's words, a tone that suggested he wasn't speaking lightly.

Rema, equally confused and still bristling with the frustration of not fully understanding her own abilities, asked, "What do you mean? What are you talking about, Rachel?"

Rachel met her gaze, his expression unreadable but with an unmistakable spark of realization. He didn't answer immediately, instead, he turned his attention to the glowing stone in her hand, studying it closely, his fingers drumming lightly on the edge of his sleeve as though in deep contemplation.

"You see," he began, his voice lower now, "What you've just witnessed, Rema, is not some random burst of energy. The fluctuation of the stone's glow—first black, then purple—that's not a mistake. It's a sign. A manifestation of something… ancient."

Rema blinked, still struggling to understand. "Ancient? What do you mean? What does it have to do with me?"

Rachel's eyes locked onto hers with a clarity that left no room for doubt. "Rema, you have the power of the time-space tunnel." He paused as though letting the words settle into the air. "You are a legend."

The words hit Rema like a punch to the gut. Her eyes widened in disbelief. Time-space tunnel? She felt the ground beneath her feet shift, her breath catching in her throat. "What… what are you talking about?" Her voice trembled slightly. "I—I don't understand."

Sou stood frozen, the shock of Rachel's statement ricocheting through his mind. Time-space tunnel? His mind raced to understand the implications of Rachel's revelation. Could it be possible that Rema—sweet, stubborn Rema—held such a power within her? The idea seemed impossible, yet everything about the situation screamed that nothing was ordinary in this world.

Rachel continued, his tone now firm, almost reverent. "You see, the time-space tunnel is an ancient and rare ability, one that links different dimensions, different times. It's a conduit that allows a person to travel through space and time—if they are capable of mastering it. And you, Rema, are one of the few who still possess this power."

Rema stood motionless, her mind reeling. "But… why me?" she whispered, the weight of Rachel's words pressing down on her chest. "Why am I the one who has this power?"

Rachel looked at her, his gaze softening. "That, my dear, is a question that will take time to answer. But for now, understand this: Your power is the key. It is what has brought you to this place, to this time. The Sun King is aware of your abilities—he fears them. And that's why he wants you."

Sou, still grappling with the enormity of what Rachel had revealed, stepped forward, his voice determined. "If Rema's power is the key, then we'll need to protect her. We need to figure out how to harness her abilities. Time and space… that could change everything."

Rachel nodded slowly, his expression serious. "Exactly. Rema, your powers are far more than you realize. But they are not without danger. Time is not something that can be manipulated without consequences. And space is a vast, unpredictable force. If you're not careful, you could lose control."

Rema's hands trembled slightly, but the sense of purpose that had been building within her was beginning to crystallize. She wasn't just a bystander anymore. She had a part to play in this world, and her powers were the key to their survival.

"Okay," she said, her voice steadier now. "If I'm going to have this power, then I need to understand it. We all need to understand it."

Rachel gave her a small, approving smile. "And you will. But for now, remember one thing, Rema. You have to trust yourself. You must believe in your ability to control it. If you don't, it will control you."

As the group stood in the quiet of the forest, the weight of their newfound knowledge hung heavily in the air. The path ahead was uncertain, but one thing was clear: their journey had just taken a turn into the unknown. And with Rema's power now revealed, they would need every ounce of strength, trust, and belief to face what lay ahead.

The storm was coming, and they had no choice but to face it—together.