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「―――ッハ!?」
深夜。
ルべリオスの地下深くに広がる吸血鬼族の真の皇都、『永遠の都』夜想宮庭にある皇城の一室の中でクロエは突如ベッドから飛び起きた。
この部屋はルミナスがクロエのためにわざわざ設えた私室で、夜想宮庭の名に相応しい質素ながらも幻想的な豪華さを放っている。
ユウキによって『最強の勇者』として蘇ったクロエとヒナタは、あれからルミナスの補佐としてこの場所で暮らしていた。
体中から噴き出す嫌な汗でぐっしょりと濡れたシーツに座りながら、クロエは乱れた息をなんとか整えようとする。
「ハァ…ハァ……あれは、なに……? 未来なの……?」
クロエはまだ己の究極能力『時空之王』と、そこに潜む破壊の人格「クロノア」の力を十全に扱うことが出来ない。
しかし時々こうして、睡眠中に見る夢としてかつてクロエが経験したこの世界の未来を断片的に映し出してくれる。
それはクロエが時間を遡行する度に重ねて来た無数の『未来』。
故に映し出される景色もまた、クロエがいつかの過去に経験した『未来』を外れることは無い。
そのはずだった。
「あんなの知らない……! まさか、あんなのは未来じゃない! あれじゃ、まるで……」
だが、今映し出された景色は明らかにクロエの体験を超越していた。
それは黒。それは無。
星が滅んだ程度じゃこうはならない。
星系が消し飛んだ程度じゃまだまだ足りない。
その景色には縦も無く横も無く、星も無く、光も無く、色も無く、時空も無い。
何も無い。
恐ろしい。
ひたすらにどこまでも平坦な、狂いの無い平面が地平線の彼方まで広がっているだけ。
いや、その地平線すらも見つけられない。
あらゆる種類の区別がつけられない。
滅び。
あるいは、神がこの世界を創る前はこんな景色だったのだろうかと、クロエは痛む頭を抑えながら半ば逃避するように思う。
今のは一体なんだったんだとどれだけ問いかけても、石のように沈黙したままクロノアは何も答えてはくれなかった。
「……ううん。きっと気のせいだよね。最近疲れてるからなぁ……ふわぁ」
大きな空あくびを一つ、クロエは寝ぼけ眼を擦りながらベッドにぽすんと倒れ込んだ。
悪夢で飛び起きるなんて子供じゃないんだし。
明日も忙しいから、早く寝直さなきゃ。
それ以上考えるのをやめたクロエは、ゆっくりと瞼を閉じる。
「………」
だが、なかなか簡単には寝付けなかった。
寝てしまったらまたあの景色に戻ってしまうかもしれないと考えると、呼吸が乱れて身体の震えが止まらなくなる。
孤独は怖い。
誰にも会えなくなるのはもっと怖い。
だがそれ以上に、終わったこの世界にただ一人だけ取り残されるのが、最も怖い。
クロエには妙な確信があった。
本当は、頭のどこかでは分かっていたのだ。
あれは、この世界の行き着く果ての景色だったのだと。
結局クロエはその後、明け方近くになってようやく気絶するように眠りに落ちた。
そしてその日以降、同じような悪夢は二度と見なかったため、そのまますっかり景色ごと忘れ去ってしまっていた。
――あの時までは。