Auriella blinked her eyes open to a world that felt both familiar and foreign. There was no ground beneath her, only a vast expanse of swirling colors, like a painting in motion. 

Her body felt weightless, as if she were floating on a gentle breeze, and for a moment, she wondered if this was some vivid dream. 

But the reality of it soon settled in—this wasn’t the world she had known, and more importantly, she was no longer alive.

"Where am I?" she murmured to herself, her voice echoing in the void.

Suddenly, the space beside her began to shimmer with an intense white light. Auriella instinctively raised her arm to shield her eyes, the brightness overwhelming. 

But just as quickly, she felt something—no, someone—embracing her. The touch was light and airy, like a wisp of smoke wrapping around her.

"Auriella! I'm so glad to see you!"

The voice was unmistakable, warm and familiar, yet tinged with an emotion she couldn't quite place. 

Auriella lowered her arm and squinted through the light. "Leo? Why are you—?"

Her voice faltered as she saw him, truly saw him. His figure was as ethereal as hers, but her gaze immediately locked onto the wound that marred his chest, right where his heart should be.

"You idiot!" Auriella's voice trembled with a mixture of anger and disbelief. "Don't tell me you did this to yourself?! What were you thinking?!"

Leo's expression softened into a gentle smile, one that made Auriella's heart ache. 

"Why wouldn't I follow the woman I love, even to the depths of hell?" he replied, his tone tender yet resolute.

Auriella's breath hitched as his words sank in. "You... love me?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper. 

But the truth was clear in his eyes, in the way he looked at her as if she were the most precious thing in existence.

Leo nodded, his hand finding hers and grasping it with a warmth that shouldn't have been possible in their current state. Auriella flinched at the touch, her mind a whirlpool of emotions. 

She had always seen Leo as a comrade, a reliable partner in their fight against the Voidkin. 

But now, as she replayed their moments together, she realized there had always been something more, something she had been too blind—or too scared—to acknowledge.

"I think... I love you too," she admitted, her voice shaky with the weight of her confession. Despite her ghostly form, she could feel the familiar heat of a blush rising to her cheeks.

Leo's eyes lit up, and without another word, he pulled her into a tight embrace. Auriella felt a warmth spread through her, a warmth that shouldn't have existed in this strange place but did because of him. 

"I'm so glad you feel the same," Leo murmured into her hair, a chuckle escaping his lips. "I was a little nervous you might push me away."

Auriella laughed softly, the sound a balm to her frazzled nerves. "I may have a cruel streak, but I can be sensitive sometimes too," she teased, looking up at him with a cheeky grin.

Just as they were settling into the comfort of each other's presence, a bright blue screen materialized beside them, startling them both. 

"What's this?" Auriella asked, frowning as she held a hand up to the screen. 

It seemed solid enough, but when she tried to touch it, her hand passed through it like a shadow.

As she pulled her hand back, words began to appear on the screen, written in a clean, black font: "Welcome, tragic souls, to the Quantum Canvas! Here, you may be reincarnated to a time of your choosing!"

The message only served to confuse Auriella further. "What does that even mean?" she muttered, glancing at Leo, who looked equally perplexed.

"Can you tell us what happened to our world instead?" Auriella demanded, her voice carrying a note of urgency.

For a moment, the screen went blank, and then, as if responding to her command, images began to flash before them. 

The first was a scene of devastation—the capital of Bastion lay in ruins, its grand structures reduced to rubble. Bodies, both noble and common, littered the streets, lifeless and broken. 

The sight made Auriella’s heart clench with sorrow. The Voidkin seemed to have truly annihilated most of the human race.

"What about my soldiers? My people?" Auriella's voice cracked as she pleaded with the screen for answers.

The image shifted to her homeland, Naverra. Cities were under siege, but amidst the chaos, some of her people still stood tall, fighting against the overwhelming odds. 

The screen flickered again, showing Atlas and her men battling the Voidkin, all while evacuating human survivors onto ships bound for Naverra. The sight of human children crying, their faces streaked with dirt and tears, made Auriella’s heart ache even more.

Finally, the screen returned to its original empty state, and Auriella felt tears welling up in her eyes. 

"I'm glad they're okay," she whispered, though her voice was filled with sorrow. Leo, sensing her distress, wrapped his arms around her, holding her close as she cried softly into his chest.

"My father is dead..." Leo whispered, his voice barely audible. There was pain in his words, but also a strange acceptance, as if he had known this was inevitable.

Auriella pulled back slightly, wiping at her tears. "Why are we here?" she asked the screen, her tone tinged with frustration and desperation.

The screen responded almost immediately, new words appearing in the same clean font: "As you've both seen, your world is doomed to fall to the Voidkin, a species that was never meant to rule over this planet. Thus, you two have been deemed vital for the restoration of Paxana. Return to eliminate the Voidkin threat before they destroy the world once more!"

Auriella's mind raced with this new information. "What should we do?" she muttered, her voice laced with uncertainty.

"We should return and reunite our people," Leo said, a tender smile playing on his lips. 

But Auriella frowned, shaking her head.

"We tried that, remember? That's why we're here," she pointed out, gesturing to the endless void of colors around them.

Leo chuckled softly, as if he had already anticipated her response. "We should normalize demons and humans working together before the Voidkin arrive," he suggested, his eyes alight with a newfound determination.

"But how?" Auriella asked, genuinely curious.

Leo paused, deep in thought, before a sudden idea seemed to strike him. "Can you create land with mana stones?" he asked, his gaze locking onto hers.

Auriella tilted her head, considering the possibility. "It would take a lot of mana stones, but yeah. Why?"

"We should make a land between Miravia and Naverra, a sort of city of peace for our species to coexist. We can call it..." Leo trailed off, searching for the right name.

"Amanara," Auriella said softly.

Leo raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh? Why that name?"

"It means 'peace of mind,'" she replied with a small smile.

Leo's face lit up with approval. "I like it. Let's do it. Now, what time should we return to?"

Auriella thought for a moment before responding, "How about 10 years ago? That should be plenty of time to grow meaningful ties between humans and demons."

As soon as she finished speaking, the screen between them began to glow, accepting their answer. 

The light grew brighter and brighter, enveloping their forms until they were surrounded by a blinding white radiance.

"We can do this! We'll achieve a peaceful future for Paxana, together!" Leo declared, his voice filled with hope and determination as the light consumed them.

Auriella smiled brightly, her heart filled with a renewed sense of purpose. "I'll be waiting for you!" she called out as the light completely enveloped them, her voice echoing in the void.

"Reincarnation complete!" The screen's final message appeared before it too faded into darkness, leaving the Quantum Canvas in darkness, its purpose fulfilled.