She looked over at Masamune’s mirror, reflecting the grand staircases.

Please – come.

I’m begging you.

I went into school. I really did go to see Masamune. I didn’t betray him.

She set off for the Game Room.

The castle really does exist, she thought.

She stroked the walls and fingered the candlesticks, tested the soft red carpeting with her toes. This is no illusion.

But what is this place?

Kokoro looked around her again.

A fireplace no one could use. A kitchen and a bathroom, also unusable. All the facilities were here, but with no gas or water, it was more like a toy she’d played with as a child.

After wandering a while, she came to the dining room.

She reached out to touch the brick fireplace in the middle of the far wall. Cool to the touch, it felt real.

She suddenly thought of the Wishing Key.

She remembered finding an X marked inside the fireplace. Did it carry some special meaning?

She peered inside. The X, about the size of her palm, was still there.

‘Kokoro,’ a voice said behind her, and Kokoro’s shoulders leapt. She spun around.

‘Rion!’

‘You surprised me. I saw your mirror shining but you weren’t in the Game Room. So how did it go? Were you able to meet up with Masamune and the rest?’

Rion’s tone was cheerful. Kokoro gazed steadily at him.

He really exists, she thought.

He’s here, alive, moving, talking.

‘I … didn’t see them.’

In her own mind, she sounded like a ghost talking. Rion was clearly puzzled. And she had no idea how to explain it.

‘I don’t know why, but they weren’t there. But it wasn’t just that they didn’t turn up. I was told there weren’t any students called Masamune or Ureshino.’

‘What?’ Rion frowned. ‘What do you mean?’ It helped that his tone was light. ‘What’s the story? Were they making it all up? Claiming they were at the same junior high?’

‘No.’

The same thought had occurred to her. But there were a lot of things this fact wouldn’t explain. First of all, there was no reason for them to do that.

‘I don’t know,’ Kokoro said, breathing hard.

She needed to get back soon. There was no telling when her mother and Ms Kitajima might finish their conversation and come upstairs looking for her.

Rion might have picked up on her impatience. He was silent. Kokoro found it hard to wrench herself away, but she had to.

‘I have to go,’ she said. ‘My mum’s at home today and if I don’t go back, she’ll think something’s up.’ She looked intently at Rion. ‘I’m glad I’ve seen you. I was thinking perhaps everything is a delusion. I’m glad I can see you really exist, Rion.’

‘What are you talking about?’