As we stood on the edge of the divine realm, with the goddess and the god of time watching us, I almost couldn't breathe.
Satoru glanced at me, his expression a mix of determination and frustration. I could tell he was trying to remain calm for my sake, but we both knew this ain't going to be easy. The goddess stepped forward, her eyes soft but full of resolve.
"Remember," she began, "the timepieces will guide you, but it is your will and courage that will see you through. The time plane currently is not the same as you've walked onto before, and the goddess of chaos is cunning. The god of war will keep her attention; however, she will still sense your presence once you step into her domain."
Satoru nodded and squeezed my hand. "We understand. We’re ready." His voice was steady, but there was an unspoken uncertainty in the way he gripped the timepiece in his hand.
The god of time, his frail form hunched as though the weight of the universe bore down on him, raised a trembling hand.
"Press the crown of your timepieces together. That will activate them— you know. You two have done that before," he chuckled. "From there, you will be transported to the time plane once more. The path ahead will not be straightforward, but trust in your bond—it will guide you through the maze of time."
We did as instructed, pressing the crowns of our timepieces together. A familiar warmth spread through my body, soft and soothing like sunlight breaking through clouds after a storm.
The world around us began to shimmer, as though reality itself were bending to the will of the divine. Slowly, the brightness increased, enveloping us in a glow so intense that for a moment, it felt like floating in pure light.
When the light began to fade, we found ourselves surrounded by a breathtaking, otherworldly beauty. Magical bubbles, glistening with shimmering colors, floated gracefully through the air.
Each bubble held within it a film, a memory, like a living photo album playing in slow motion— indeed different the first time we've been here.
Glimmers of gold and silver sparkled all around us, illuminating the space in a soft, ethereal glow. It was as though time itself had become a canvas, with every moment of life painted across its endless expanse.
"Satoru, look..." I breathed, my voice filled with awe as I watched the bubbles float past us, each one carrying fragments of our past.
"That’s... that’s when we first met," I pointed to a bubble that showed an image of Satoru and me, sitting together at the park bench where we had first talked, laughing as though we had all the time in the world. 
We were kids, a wonderful time where sadness is just an option.
Satoru smiled, his eyes reflecting the golden light. "And there..." He pointed to another memory, this one of our wedding day. "Look how happy we were."
We watched in silent wonder as moments from our shared life flashed before us like scenes from a romance movie—first kisses, quiet evenings together, the birth of our children, their first steps, and countless other little moments that made up the fabric of our love.
The warmth of the memories filled my heart, reminding me of everything we had fought for, everything we had cherished.
But then, slowly, the atmosphere began to shift. The warm glow of the memory bubbles started to dim, and an unsettling chill crept into the air. The bright, magical space around us began to darken, as though an unseen force was draining the light. I could feel it—an oppressive, malevolent energy creeping into the edges of the time plane.
"Satoru..." I whispered, my grip on his hand tightening. "Something’s wrong."
He nodded, his jaw clenched. "I feel it too." His voice was tense, his eyes scanning the growing darkness that began to engulf the bubbles of memories.
The glistening lights that once filled the plane began to flicker out, one by one, until the radiant beauty we had been surrounded by moments before was replaced with an eerie, suffocating shadow.
The air grew thick, heavy with an ominous presence that seemed to choke the very essence of the plane.
"We’re close," Satoru murmured, his voice barely audible over the oppressive silence. "This... this must be where the goddess of chaos has built her lair."
As the last of the memory bubbles dimmed and disappeared, we stood in the center of the darkened plane, our only light the faint glow still emanating from our timepieces.
The pleasant warmth from before was gone, replaced by a coldness that seeped into my bones. I could feel it—the unmistakable presence of chaos itself lurking in the shadows.
"We have to keep moving," Satoru said, his voice firm but laced with an undercurrent of fear. "We can’t stop now."
I nodded, though my heart pounded in my chest, and the weight of the impending battle loomed over us like a storm. With each step forward, the darkness grew thicker, more suffocating. I could feel the presence of the goddess of chaos pulling us in, like we were being drawn into the heart of a whirlpool that we couldn’t escape.
And yet, somewhere deep inside, I knew we had to face her— somehow, even though the goddess had said it won't going to be heads on, I highly doubt that.
We pressed forward, side by side, knowing that whatever awaited us in the heart of the time plane, we would face it together.
But even as we moved through the shadows, the unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach grew stronger. The time plane, once a place of light and memories, had become a battleground—and we were walking straight into its darkest depths.