My Point of View

The darkness I'd grown so accustomed to slowly faded away.

Not because light returned.

Because...

There was no longer any need for darkness.

I stood.

Or at least...

I thought I did.

Looking down, my body was there.

Broken.

Motionless.

Blood covered the black stone where I'd fallen.

The copy remained kneeling beside it, one hand still resting on my shoulder.

Its head remained bowed.

It hadn't moved.

"...Huh."

My own voice sounded... different.

Lighter.

Almost distant.

I looked at my hands.

Transparent.

Not invisible.

Like I was made from moonlight shining through clear water.

"...Well."

I stared at my body again.

"...That answers that."

I was dead.

There wasn't any panic.

No screaming.

No denial.

Just...

Acceptance.

I'd spent enough years wondering how I'd die that the reality almost felt anticlimactic.

"So..."

I looked around the endless void.

"...What now?"

No answer.

The copy slowly rose to its feet.

It finally looked toward me.

Not toward my body.

Toward...

Me.

Its crimson eyes widened.

"...Interesting."

"You can see me?"

It nodded.

"I can. Most cannot."

I glanced down again.

"Guess that's because I'm dead."

"...Yes."

There wasn't any cruelty in the answer.

Just honesty.

I chuckled softly.

"...Always appreciated honesty."

The copy walked around my body until it stood directly in front of me.

Only now...

I noticed something.

Its crimson eye had begun changing.

Tiny threads of silver had appeared within it.

Like cracks spreading through ruby.

"You changed."

It looked surprised.

"So did you."

I blinked.

"What?"

It raised one finger toward my chest.

I looked down.

The silver seed.

It was still there.

No longer hidden.

No longer inside me.

It floated where my heart should have been.

Small.

Gentle.

Glowing softly.

Around it...

Tiny wisps of black mana circled peacefully.

Neither consuming the other.

Neither fighting.

"...Well."

I smiled.

"...Would you look at that."

The copy stared at the sight with quiet fascination.

"It accepted you."

"I think..."

I shrugged.

"...We accepted each other."

Silence followed.

Then...

A familiar voice drifted through the void.

"...Not quite."

Both of us turned.

Haruto stood several yards away.

His walking stick rested against one shoulder.

He smiled.

Though...

He looked weaker.

Far weaker.

His robes had become faded.

Almost transparent.

The silver in his hair had dulled.

Even standing seemed to require effort.

"You look terrible."

I said.

He laughed.

"I was about to say the same."

I looked down at my own corpse.

"Fair."

Haruto slowly approached.

His gaze lingered on my lifeless body.

"...You exceeded my expectations."

"I also exceeded my life expectancy."

"You did."

He smiled sadly.

Neither of us spoke for several moments.

Finally...

I broke the silence.

"So."

I pointed toward myself.

"...Dead?"

Haruto nodded.

"For the moment."

"...For the moment?"

The copy looked toward Haruto.

"You can still..."

"No."

Haruto interrupted gently.

"I cannot."

The copy's shoulders fell.

"I've already given almost everything."

Haruto admitted quietly.

"The seed. The sanctuary. The trial. My strength is..."

He searched for the word.

"...Spent."

I frowned.

"So this is it."

Haruto looked directly into my eyes.

"No."

That single word carried absolute certainty.

"Then..."

I gestured vaguely around us.

"...Care to explain?"

Instead of answering...

Haruto stepped beside my body.

He slowly knelt.

Placing one weathered hand against my unmoving chest.

No magic emerged.

No miracle occurred.

He simply...

Closed his eyes.

"I wondered..."

He whispered.

"...Whether destiny would truly choose another."

The copy slowly joined him.

Standing opposite the old Guardian.

"...It has."

Haruto opened his eyes.

"No."

He corrected.

"...He did."

The copy frowned.

"What's the difference?"

Haruto smiled.

"Destiny opened the door."

He looked at my spirit.

"...Alex chose to walk through it."

I rubbed the back of my neck.

"...Can someone please stop talking in riddles?"

Haruto laughed.

"A fair complaint."

He stood once more.

"Tell me."

He looked at me.

"When you accepted both light and darkness, were you seeking power?"

I shook my head.

"No."

"What were you seeking?"

"...An answer."

He nodded.

"And when you died..."

His expression softened.

"What was your final thought?"

I didn't even need to think.

"Kaede."

The copy looked at me.

"You didn't think about yourself."

"No. I figured I was already past helping."

Haruto smiled.

"There."

He looked toward the copy.

"That, is why."

The copy slowly closed its eyes.

Understanding spread across its face.

"...He never stopped."

Haruto nodded.

"Even in death."

The silence that followed felt...

Different.

Hopeful.

Then...

The entire void shook.

Not violently.

Gently.

Like the first tremor before something ancient awakened.

The silver blossom that had drifted across the darkness earlier landed gently upon my chest.

Then another.

And another.

Within moments...

Hundreds of blossoms surrounded my body.

They weren't appearing randomly.

They were gathering.

Responding.

Haruto looked upward.

"...Ah."

A faint smile crossed his face.

"They've noticed."

I followed his gaze.

"...Who?"

He answered with quiet reverence.

"The ones, who planted the First Tree."

The darkness above slowly parted.

Not with menace.

With warmth.

Far beyond it...

Something impossibly vast stirred.

Not corrupted.

Not hostile.

Ancient.

Watching.

For the briefest instant...

I felt as small as a single leaf beneath an endless forest.

Yet...

Instead of fear...

I felt something I'd nearly forgotten.

Home.

Haruto bowed his head.

The copy did the same.

Instinctively...

So did I.

The ancient presence never spoke.

It didn't need to.

Its attention alone carried a single undeniable truth.

My story... Was not finished.

The presence lingered.

It did not speak.

It did not command.

It simply...

Observed.

Its gaze settled upon me with a weight beyond anything I'd ever experienced.

Not heavy.

Comforting.

Like an old oak tree watching over generations it had planted centuries ago.

The silver blossoms surrounding my body began glowing.

One after another.

Hundreds.

Then thousands.

The petals lifted from the ground, circling lazily around my corpse.

Haruto slowly lowered himself to one knee.

The copy followed immediately.

Neither looked surprised.

Only...

Respectful.

I remained standing.

Unsure what exactly I was witnessing.

"...Haruto."

My voice barely disturbed the silence.

"What is this?"

The old Guardian smiled without taking his eyes off the impossible light beyond the darkness.

"...Judgment."

My stomach tightened.

"I thought I already went through that."

"You did."

"This..."

He breathed deeply.

"...is something far older."

The ancient presence shifted.

Not physically.

It simply...

Focused.

The blossoms immediately stopped moving.

Every single one froze in midair.

Time itself seemed reluctant to continue.

The silver seed floating where my heart should have been pulsed once.

Then again.

The black wisps orbiting it slowed.

Neither vanished.

Neither resisted.

Instead...

They moved together.

Like two celestial bodies caught within the same orbit.

Haruto finally stood once more.

His walking stick gently touched the black stone beneath my body.

"...Alexander Orr."

His voice carried farther than it should have.

"You were born beneath another sky. You were shaped by another world. You were never intended to stand here."

He looked toward me.

"And yet, you chose to."

I swallowed.

"I just wanted to help."

"I know."

The copy spoke before Haruto could.

"You always say that."

I looked at him.

"Because it's true."

"I know."

He smiled faintly.

"I've seen every memory."

The blossoms brightened.

Haruto nodded.

"Then let them see."

The instant those words left his mouth...

Everything changed.

Images erupted around me.

Not memories inside my mind.

Memories...

Made real.

I stood in the middle of them.

Unable to stop them.

Unable to hide them.

The first...

A little boy.

No older than five.

Sleeping in the back of a semi-truck.

Curled beneath an old blanket.

Cold.

Hungry.

His mother quietly covered him with her own jacket while pretending she wasn't freezing herself.

The vision shifted.

A little girl laughing.

Running through a field.

She turned.

Smiled.

Reached toward me.

The image dissolved before I could touch it.

Another.

A teenage boy.

Bruised.

Sitting alone outside after another argument.

Trying not to cry.

Failing anyway.

Then another.

The first animal I'd ever saved.

The first stranger I'd ever helped.

Long nights spent writing stories nobody would ever read.

Hours learning magic.

Hours learning to fight.

Failure after failure.

Then...

Akiko.

Her final smile.

Kaede hiding behind me.

Slowly smiling for the first time.

Lady Shizuka holding her daughter's sword.

Roland laughing.

Eleanor teaching me.

Every promise.

Every failure.

Every regret.

Every victory.

None skipped.

Nothing hidden.

The ancient presence watched all of it.

Without judgment.

Without interruption.

Simply...

Watching.

The final memory appeared.

Me.

Lying broken upon the platform.

Choosing not light.

Not darkness.

Both.

Then...

Dying.

Silence returned.

The blossoms resumed drifting.

Haruto looked upward once more.

"...Well?"

Nothing happened.

Several long moments passed.

Then...

The impossible presence answered.

Not with words.

With feeling.

Approval.

It wasn't directed toward my strength.

Or my magic.

Or my victories.

It was directed toward...

My choices.

I blinked.

"...That's it?"

Haruto laughed softly.

"You expected trumpets?"

"I don't know. Lightning? Maybe."

The copy chuckled.

"You truly are impossible."

I shrugged helplessly.

"I've never died before."

"A fair point."

The humor faded.

Haruto slowly approached me.

Closer than he'd ever stood before.

"...Alexander."

"...Alex."

He smiled.

"...Alex."

He placed one hand upon my shoulder.

His touch felt...

Warm.

Real.

"You have been accepted."

"Accepted as what?"

He was quiet.

Long enough that I feared the answer.

Finally...

"...As a successor."

The word hit me like a hammer.

"No."

My answer came instantly.

Haruto didn't seem surprised.

"I don't want your job."

"I know."

"I don't want people bowing to me."

"I know."

"I don't want to become some immortal guardian."

"I know."

I frowned.

"...Then why me?"

Haruto smiled.

"Because..."

He looked toward the silver seed.

"...the position no longer exists."

"...What?"

"The age of Guardians..."

He looked toward the endless horizon.

"...ended with us."

The copy quietly nodded.

"My brother...and I...were the last."

The realization slowly dawned.

"So..."

"You aren't replacing us."

Haruto finished.

"You are becoming..."

He searched for the words.

"...something entirely new."

Before I could ask what that meant, the silver seed suddenly burst with light.

Not violently.

Beautifully.

The black wisps surrounding it immediately joined the light instead of fleeing from it.

Silver.

Black.

Together.

A heartbeat echoed through the void.

Not mine.

Something else's.

Then another.

The light expanded.

Engulfing my spirit.

My body.

Haruto.

The copy.

Everything.

I couldn't see.

Couldn't hear.

Couldn't think.

Only one sensation remained.

A heartbeat.

Growing louder.

Stronger.

Then...

Pain.

Agonizing.

White-hot pain.

Air exploded into my lungs.

My back arched violently.

I gasped.

Blood filled my mouth.

My eyes flew open.

The black platform.

The silver blossoms.

The endless void.

Everything rushed back into focus.

I was breathing.

Barely.

My heart hammered violently inside my chest.

Every wound still existed.

Every broken bone still screamed.

Every stab wound burned.

I wasn't healed.

Not even close.

I had simply...

Started breathing again.

Across from me...

Haruto smiled.

The copy smiled.

Both already beginning to fade into countless motes of silver light.

"...Welcome back..."

Haruto whispered.

"...Alex."

Before I could say a single word...

The entire realm shattered around me like glass.

Not violently.

Beautifully.

Cracks of silver raced across the endless darkness like lightning frozen in glass.

The Hall of Echoes...

The City of Silence...

The platform...

Haruto...

The copy...

Everything fractured into countless shimmering pieces.

Each fragment reflected a different memory.

Kaede smiling for the first time.

Lady Shizuka accepting Akiko's sword.

Haruto laughing beneath the tree.

The corrupted Guardian's sorrowful smile.

Thousands of reflections...

Thousands of moments...

Breaking apart.

Haruto's voice reached me one last time.

Not through my ears.

Through my soul.

"Remember..."

Another crack spread across reality.

"Light without darkness blinds..."

The copy's voice followed.

"Darkness without light consumes."

The two voices spoke together.

"Walk between them."

The world exploded into white.

My body felt impossibly heavy.

Like I had an entire mountain resting on my chest.

Then...

Cold.

A rush of icy air filled my lungs.

I inhaled violently.

"Gah!"

Pain.

Every wound returned all at once.

Broken ribs.

Punctured shoulder.

Torn muscles.

Cuts.

Bruises.

The sword wound through my side.

Everything.

It hit me like a tidal wave.

I doubled over, coughing violently.

Blood splattered across polished wooden floorboards.

Wood?

I blinked.

Wood.

Not black stone.

Not endless darkness.

Wood.

The shrine.

The scent of incense filled my nose.

Cherry blossoms drifted lazily through the open doorway.

"...Alex!"

Kaede's voice.

Real.

Panicked.

Small feet pounded across the shrine.

Before I could react...

Something collided with my side.

Tiny arms wrapped tightly around me.

"...Alex!"

She buried her face against my shoulder.

I winced sharply.

"...Easy..."

I hissed through clenched teeth.

"...Broken ribs..."

She immediately let go.

Her ears flattened.

"I'm sorry!"

"It's..."

I forced a smile.

"...Okay."

I slowly looked around.

The First Tree stood before me once more.

Its silver blossoms glowed softly.

Haruto...

Was gone.

The silver light that had once surrounded it had dimmed considerably.

Lady Shizuka stood only a few feet away.

Her eyes were wide.

Not with fear.

With disbelief.

She stared at me.

Then at the First Tree.

Then back at me.

"...Impossible."

I frowned.

"...What's impossible?"

She slowly approached.

Almost cautiously.

"...You were gone."

"I know."

"No."

She shook her head.

"You don't understand."

Her voice trembled.

"You vanished."

I blinked.

"...Vanished?"

"There wasn't even a body."

She gestured toward the empty space beside the First Tree.

"The moment the light engulfed you, you simply ceased to exist."

My stomach sank.

"How long?"

Lady Shizuka looked toward the shrine entrance.

"...Three days."

I froze.

"...Three...Days?"

Kaede nodded rapidly.

"We waited!"

She sniffled.

"Grandma said not to leave! So... I stayed."

She wiped at her eyes.

"I thought..."

Her voice cracked.

"...you weren't coming back."

I reached over carefully.

Ignoring the pain protesting throughout my body.

Resting one hand gently atop her head.

"I'm here."

She immediately hugged me again.

This time...

Much more carefully.

I smiled.

"...Thanks."

Only then did I notice something.

I looked down.

"...Wait."

I was wearing my armor.

Every piece.

The enchanted chestplate.

The greaves.

The belt.

Everything.

Even the fresh tears and blood from the trial remained upon it.

I slowly looked around.

My BAR leaned against one of the shrine pillars.

Exactly where it always rested against my shoulder.

The leather sling still bore the cuts I'd received during the trial.

The FN 545 sat snugly in its holster.

The familiar grip peeking out exactly where I always carried it.

Across my chest...

The RSh-12 rested within its reinforced holster.

Its runes...

Still glowing faintly.

I frowned.

"...No..."

Slowly...

I drew the revolver.

The runes awakened instantly.

Silver.

Then black.

Then silver again.

Not fighting.

Flowing.

The spell array carved into the cylinder had changed.

Tiny new runes had appeared.

I didn't remember carving them.

Lady Shizuka noticed immediately.

"...May I?"

I handed it to her.

She accepted the revolver with surprising reverence.

The moment her fingers brushed the grip...

Her ears twitched.

Her eyes widened.

"...This..."

She whispered.

"...It wasn't like this before."

"It wasn't."

She slowly rotated the cylinder.

The engraved runes no longer formed separate circles.

Instead...

Silver and black symbols intertwined seamlessly.

Like ivy climbing an ancient wall.

Neither dominating.

Both strengthening one another.

She looked at me.

"...Who enchanted this?"

I slowly smiled.

"...Apparently... I did."

She handed it back almost immediately.

As though afraid to hold it any longer.

"The mana..."

She looked toward the First Tree.

"...It's changed."

I holstered the revolver once more.

Only then did I check everything else.

The FN 545 slid smoothly from its holster.

Untouched.

A familiar comfort in my hand.

My magazines remained full.

Every pouch.

Every strap.

Every buckle.

Even my sword had returned to its sheath.

I grabbed the sword, which slid free.

Only...

It wasn't quite the same.

The blade gleamed with its familiar polished dragon scale.

But running alongside the original engravings...

Were faint silver lines I had never seen before.

Not etched.

Grown.

Almost as if the metal itself had changed.

Then...

Near the base of the blade...

A single black line.

Thin as a strand of hair.

Running perfectly alongside the silver.

Neither swallowing the other.

Neither fading.

Together.

Balanced.

Lady Shizuka inhaled sharply.

"...The blade..."

She stepped closer.

"...It accepted both blessings."

"I didn't do anything."

"No."

She looked toward the First Tree.

"...You simply survived what no one else ever has."

Silence settled over the shrine.

Kaede quietly reached for my hand again.

This time...

She didn't hide behind me.

She simply held it.

Lady Shizuka watched the two of us for a long moment before speaking.

"...Alex."

"Hm?"

"...Your eyes."

I blinked.

"My eyes?"

She slowly produced a small polished bronze mirror from within her sleeve.

Without a word...

She handed it to me.

I looked.

For a heartbeat...

I didn't recognize the man staring back.

The bruises were there.

The dried blood.

The exhaustion.

But my eyes...

My left eye remained its normal color.

My right...

Around the iris, almost imperceptible unless the light caught it just right, was a faint silver ring intertwined with an equally faint black ring.

Neither replaced my natural eye color.

They simply existed beneath it.

Like two halos hidden within my gaze.

I stared at my reflection.

"...Huh."

That was all I could think to say.

Lady Shizuka smiled softly.

"...The trial left its mark."

I lowered the mirror.

"...Guess it did."

Outside...

The shrine bell rang once.

Deep.

Ancient.

Its sound echoed throughout the hidden Kitsune village.

Every Kitsune stopped what they were doing.

Every head turned toward the shrine.

Lady Shizuka looked toward the open doorway.

Her expression became one of quiet understanding.

"...They know."

I raised an eyebrow.

"...Know what?"

She looked back at me.

"They know..."

Her smile was gentle.

"...that someone has returned from a place no mortal was ever meant to survive."

The shrine fell silent.

Even the wind seemed reluctant to disturb the moment.

Outside...

The deep tone of the shrine bell continued to roll across the valley.

The sound echoed through the mountains before slowly fading into the distance.

Another answered.

Then another.

Not from this shrine.

From elsewhere.

Hidden throughout the valley.

One...

Then two...

Then five...

Until dozens of ancient bells answered one another.

The entire hidden kingdom seemed to awaken.

I looked toward Lady Shizuka.

"...I assume that's not normal."

A faint smile touched her lips.

"No."

"...Should I be worried?"

She actually laughed.

"No."

Her golden eyes softened.

"But every elder in the valley is about to come here."

"...Wonderful."

I sighed dramatically.

"So I die for three days..."

I looked down at the dried blood still covering my armor.

"...come back..."

I gestured vaguely toward the shrine doors.

"...and immediately have to attend a meeting."

Kaede giggled.

Lady Shizuka smiled into one sleeve.

"It would appear so."

"...Some things really are universal."

The smile faded as another sharp pain stabbed through my side.

I sucked in a slow breath.

"...Though..."

I muttered.

"...I'd appreciate a bed first."

Lady Shizuka's expression immediately became serious again.

She stepped toward me.

"May I?"

"Hm?"

She gestured toward my shoulder.

"I would like to examine you."

"Oh."

I nodded.

"Sure."

She placed one hand lightly against my chestplate.

Then another near my shoulder.

Her eyes slowly closed.

Golden mana spread gently from her fingertips.

Unlike Eleanor's magic...

This wasn't trying to heal.

It was...

Listening.

Several long seconds passed.

Then...

Her eyes opened.

Immediately.

She stepped backward.

"...Impossible."

I sighed.

"Everyone keeps saying that."

She barely heard me.

"...Your injuries..."

She looked genuinely unsettled.

"...You should not be alive."

"...Yeah."

I rubbed the back of my neck.

"I've been hearing that a lot lately."

"No."

She looked directly into my eyes.

"You misunderstand."

She slowly pointed toward my chest.

"Your ribs remain fractured."

She moved to my shoulder.

"The puncture wound never healed."

Then my side.

"The blade passed completely through your body."

She swallowed.

"Your internal injuries..."

Her ears lowered.

"...are extremely severe."

I frowned.

"What are you saying?"

She took a slow breath.

"I am saying, that whatever returned you, it did not heal you."

Silence.

I looked down at myself.

"So, I'm basically still dying."

She didn't answer.

Because she didn't need to.

I already understood.

The trial had brought me back.

It hadn't erased its cost.

The realization settled heavily over the room.

Kaede quietly reached for my hand again.

Her small fingers wrapped around mine.

"...You're not leaving again."

I looked down at her.

"I'll do my best."

"You promised."

"I know."

Her grip tightened.

"So don't break it."

My smile became a little sadder.

"I'll try not to."

Lady Shizuka quietly cleared her throat.

"...We should move."

"Why?"

"Because..."

She looked toward the entrance.

"They're here."

Footsteps.

Hundreds of them.

Not rushed.

Ordered.

Measured.

The sound steadily climbed the stone staircase leading toward the shrine.

One set.

Then another.

Then dozens.

No voices.

No shouting.

Only respectful silence.

Within moments...

The courtyard outside filled with Kitsune.

Young.

Old.

Warriors.

Scholars.

Blacksmiths.

Children peeking from behind their parents.

None crossed the threshold.

Instead...

Every single one stopped at the first stone.

Then...

As one...

They bowed.

Not deeply.

Not ceremonially.

Simply...

Respectfully.

I blinked.

"...Uh..."

I looked toward Lady Shizuka.

"...Do I bow back?"

She smiled.

"If you wish."

"I have no idea what the proper etiquette is."

"Neither do they."

That surprised me.

"What?"

She quietly walked beside me until we both stood near the shrine entrance.

"They are not bowing to a king. They are not bowing to a god. They are not bowing to a Guardian."

She looked out over her people.

"They are bowing, to someone who came back."

Silence settled over the courtyard.

An elderly Kitsune slowly stepped forward.

His fur had turned almost completely white with age.

He leaned heavily upon a carved wooden cane.

Yet...

The moment he reached the foot of the shrine...

He lowered himself to both knees.

Not because he had to.

Because he chose to.

His voice trembled with age.

"...My Lady."

Lady Shizuka nodded.

"Elder Hiro."

The old Kitsune slowly lifted his eyes toward me.

For a very long time...

He simply stared.

Then...

Tears quietly rolled down his weathered face.

"...I never thought..."

His voice cracked.

"...I would live to see someone return."

A woman beside him covered her mouth.

Another quietly wiped away tears.

Children looked around in confusion.

Not fully understanding why their elders were crying.

The old Kitsune slowly stood again.

His eyes never left mine.

"...Tell me."

He asked gently.

"...Was he there?"

I frowned.

"...Who?"

The old elder looked toward the First Tree.

His expression became one of reverence.

"...The First Guardian."

The entire courtyard fell silent.

I slowly looked back toward the silver tree.

Then...

I smiled.

"...Yeah."

My voice was quiet.

"...He was."

The elder closed his eyes.

A single relieved breath escaped him.

"...Then..."

He smiled through his tears.

"...He was never truly alone."

I looked toward the tree again.

For just the briefest moment...

One silver blossom detached from a branch.

It drifted lazily downward.

No wind carried it.

It simply floated.

Until it landed...

At my feet.

No one spoke.

No one moved.

Even Lady Shizuka remained perfectly still.

I bent down slowly, wincing as my ribs protested.

Carefully...

I picked up the blossom.

It didn't fade.

It didn't dissolve.

Instead...

It remained perfectly intact in my hand.

Soft.

Warm.

Almost...

Alive.

Lady Shizuka's eyes widened ever so slightly.

"...It has never done that before."

I looked down at the blossom resting in my palm.

Then back toward the First Tree.

For just an instant...

I could have sworn I heard a familiar voice.

Warm.

Gentle.

Proud.

"Welcome home, Alex."

The meeting lasted nearly three hours.

By the end of it...

I was fairly certain every elder in the valley had asked me at least one question.

Maybe two.

I leaned back slightly in my chair, careful not to aggravate my still-healing ribs, and accepted another cup of tea from one of the attendants.

"...Thank you."

She bowed politely before quietly returning to the edge of the room.

The shrine's main hall had transformed into something resembling a council chamber.

Lady Shizuka sat at the head of the gathering.

Dozens of elders formed two long rows along either side of the polished wooden floor.

Scholars occupied nearly the entire rear of the room.

Every one of them carried brushes, inkstones, and stacks of parchment.

Not one had stopped writing since I began speaking.

I honestly felt a little bad for their wrists.

"So..."

I rubbed the back of my neck.

"...where was I?"

An elderly fox with snow-white ears looked down at his notes.

"You had just arrived within what you called..."

He adjusted his spectacles.

"...the City of Silence."

"Right."

I nodded.

"So after fighting what felt like an entire city's worth of shadow warriors..."

Several scholars immediately scribbled something down.

"...I eventually reached the tower where I met the hooded figure."

One of the younger scholars raised a hand.

Lady Shizuka gave him an amused look.

"...Yes?"

"Forgive me, Lady Shizuka."

He looked toward me.

"...When he says an entire city..."

He hesitated.

"...Does he literally mean an entire city?"

I looked at him.

"...Yeah."

"...How many?"

I thought about it.

"...Honestly? I stopped counting after the first couple hundred."

Every brush in the room stopped.

Simultaneously.

One scholar blinked.

"...Hundreds?"

"I'd say thousands."

Silence.

The scratching of brushes slowly resumed.

Much faster than before.

I took another sip of tea.

"...Anyways..."

I continued.

"...after that came the Hall of Echoes."

As I spoke...

No one interrupted.

Not anymore.

The room had become completely absorbed by the story.

I told them about Haruto.

About his brother.

About the First Tree.

The original Guardians.

The corruption.

The trial.

The copy.

Even...

My death.

That part proved especially difficult.

Not because I feared talking about it.

Because...

Explaining what dying felt like wasn't exactly easy.

"...There wasn't any pain."

I admitted quietly.

"...Not after the end."

Several elders exchanged uncertain glances.

"It was just..."

I searched for the words.

"...Quiet."

No one spoke for several moments.

Finally...

Elder Hiro quietly lowered his brush.

"...Thank you."

I looked at him.

"...For what?"

"For telling us."

His voice was soft.

"Our records speak often of sacrifice. They rarely speak..."

He smiled sadly.

"...of what comes afterward."

The room fell silent once more.

Then...

I remembered something.

"...Actually."

Every head turned toward me.

"I've got something."

Lady Shizuka tilted her head.

"What is it?"

I reached toward my helmet resting beside me.

"Hopefully..."

I muttered.

"...this still works."

Several Kitsune watched curiously as I pressed the small power button along the side.

Nothing happened.

"...Come on..."

Another press.

Then...

A small startup tone echoed softly through the shrine.

Several younger Kitsune flinched.

A few of the older scholars leaned forward so quickly that ink nearly spilled across their notes.

"...Interesting."

One whispered.

I then grabbed my phone from my pants, and turned it on. The display illuminated.

Battery.

Recording log.

System diagnostics.

I let out a relieved breath.

"...There we go."

Lady Shizuka looked at the glowing screen.

"...What is that?"

"My phone."

Blank stares answered me.

"...Think..."

I searched for an explanation that would make sense.

"...A magical memory crystal."

That earned several nods.

"...Except it isn't magical."

Every nod immediately stopped.

I smiled.

"...It's technology."

The confusion somehow deepened.

"...I'll explain later."

A few chuckles spread through the room.

I navigated through several menus before opening the recording archive.

"...My helmet has a camera."

Again...

Blank expressions.

"...It..."

I sighed dramatically.

"...Sees what I see."

Recognition immediately spread through the room.

"Oh!"

One scholar nearly stood up.

"It remembers!"

"Exactly."

I tapped the screen.

"If it survived..."

The recording began.

The shrine doors.

The First Tree.

Lady Shizuka speaking.

Then...

The moment the silver light engulfed me.

Every elder leaned forward.

The room became deathly silent.

The recording didn't end.

Instead...

It continued.

The screen filled with the impossible darkness of the City of Silence.

The shadow warriors.

The endless streets.

The hooded figure.

The trial.

Every battle.

Every wound.

Every question.

The room remained utterly still.

No one breathed.

No one interrupted.

Not even when the recording reached the fight against my copy.

Several elders unconsciously leaned closer as they watched me lose again...

And again...

And again.

By the time the recording reached the moment I unleashed the beam of condensed mana...

One of the scholars had completely forgotten he was writing.

His brush simply hovered in midair.

Mouth hanging open.

The copy's relentless assault.

The countless wounds.

The moment I finally realized light and darkness had never been meant to oppose one another.

Then...

My death.

The recording showed my body collapse.

The copy kneeling beside it.

Silence.

No movement.

No sound.

Then...

The recording abruptly resumed inside the shrine.

Exactly where I'd awakened.

The video ended.

No one spoke.

Not for a very long time.

Finally...

An elderly historian quietly looked up from the darkened screen.

His voice barely rose above a whisper.

"...The City of Silence..."

He swallowed.

"...It truly exists."

I slowly nodded.

"...Yeah."

Another elder looked toward my helmet.

"...Your..."

He searched for the unfamiliar word.

"...Camera. It recorded all of this?"

"It did."

He blinked several times.

"...Remarkable."

Lady Shizuka looked thoughtfully between my helmet and the First Tree.

"...It would seem..."

She murmured.

"...even the City of Silence could not hide itself from the eyes of another world."

I wasn't sure whether that thought was fascinating...

Or deeply unsettling.

The silence lingered for nearly a full minute after the recording ended.

No one moved.

No one spoke.

The only sound in the shrine was the quiet crackling of the incense burning beside the First Tree.

I slowly pressed the power button.

The screen went black.

The room somehow became even quieter.

I carefully set my phone back into one of my pouches before returning the helmet beside me.

Several of the younger Kitsune were still staring at it.

Not at me.

At the helmet.

One finally broke the silence.

"...It remembered..."

His voice was barely above a whisper.

"...Everything."

"It did."

I answered.

He slowly looked toward the First Tree.

"...Even..."

He hesitated.

"...That place."

"I guess so."

The scholar nearest him quickly scribbled another note onto his parchment.

"Technology capable of preserving spiritual phenomena."

Another immediately leaned over.

"No."

He whispered.

"Perhaps the realm itself permitted the recording."

A third shook his head.

"Or perhaps objects carried into the realm become part of the trial."

Within moments...

The scholars had quietly begun debating among themselves.

Brushes scratched across parchment at a frantic pace.

I smiled faintly.

They reminded me a little too much of scientists back home.

Present them with something impossible...

And instead of panicking...

They immediately started arguing over how it worked.

Lady Shizuka noticed my smile.

"...Something amusing?"

"A little."

She tilted her head.

"They're acting exactly like researchers."

She looked back toward the scholars.

"I suppose, they are."

That earned a few chuckles throughout the room.

The tension finally began easing.

I let out a long breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.

Then...

A thought hit me.

Hard.

I blinked.

"...Wait."

Lady Shizuka immediately looked toward me.

"What is it?"

I sat up a little straighter.

Ignoring the protest from my ribs.

"My friends."

The room quieted again.

I looked directly at Lady Shizuka.

"...How are they?"

She blinked.

"Your companions?"

I nodded.

"Eleanor.bRoland. The others.bI've been gone for three days I don't even know if they know what happened."

Lady Shizuka's expression softened immediately.

"...They know."

My stomach tightened.

"...How bad?"

She gave me a sympathetic look.

"They believed you were dead."

Those words landed harder than any punch I'd taken during the trial.

I slowly looked down at my hands.

"...Damn."

Lady Shizuka continued gently.

"We sent messengers the first evening. They returned the following morning. They informed your companions that you had entered a sacred trial."

"...And?"

She sighed.

"They did not leave."

I looked back up.

"What?"

"They camped."

She smiled faintly.

"At the base of the mountain. For three days."

A small knot formed in my throat.

"...Seriously?"

She nodded.

"They refused food the first day. They refused sleep the second. They argued with our guards several times."

A tiny smile tugged at the corner of my mouth.

"...That sounds about right."

One of the elders chuckled quietly.

Lady Shizuka's smile widened just a little.

"The younger woman..."

"Eleanor?"

"Yes."

"She demanded to enter."

I rubbed my face.

"...Of course she did."

"We explained that she could not."

"She insisted."

"What stopped her?"

Lady Shizuka looked toward the First Tree.

"The barrier."

I nodded slowly.

"Right."

"The foxfire barrier would not allow anyone without Kitsune blood to pass."

She paused before adding,

"...She attempted anyway."

I couldn't help letting out a tired laugh.

"...Stubborn."

"So I've been told."

"What about Roland?"

Lady Shizuka folded her hands neatly in her lap.

"He remained calmer."

I breathed a small sigh of relief.

"...Good."

She looked directly into my eyes.

"He simply stood at the foot of the stairs. For three days."

My relief vanished.

"He barely moved. He told our guards..."

She closed her eyes briefly, recalling the words.

"...'If Alex walks back down those steps, I want to be the first person he sees.'"

Silence settled over the room.

I stared at the floor.

"...Idiot."

But there wasn't any annoyance behind the word.

Only affection.

Lady Shizuka continued.

"The others took turns trying to convince him to rest. He refused."

"What about Marcus?"

"He organized watches. He made certain everyone ate. Though..."

She smiled knowingly.

"He did so while pretending he wasn't worried himself."

"...That sounds like Marcus."

"And Eleanor?"

Lady Shizuka actually laughed this time.

"She threatened three of my guards."

I blinked.

"...She what?"

"They informed her she could not ascend. So she informed them that they could either move or she would move them."

Several elders covered amused smiles.

I buried my face in one hand.

"...I'm going to apologize for that."

"There is no need."

Lady Shizuka's ears twitched with amusement.

"Our guards found her determination admirable."

"...Really?"

"One even placed a wager."

I slowly lowered my hand.

"...A wager?"

"On whether she would actually succeed."

Despite everything...

I laughed.

A genuine laugh.

"...Who won?"

"No one. The barrier settled the matter."

Another chuckle spread through the shrine.

The heaviness hanging over the room eased even further.

I leaned back carefully.

"...Can I go see them?"

Lady Shizuka's smile disappeared.

She looked me up and down.

Very deliberately.

"...Can you?"

I opened my mouth.

Then closed it again.

My body answered before I could.

Every bruise.

Every broken rib.

Every stab wound.

Every strained muscle.

The effort of simply sitting upright was becoming noticeable.

"...Fair point."

She nodded once.

"You have endured something no mortal was meant to endure. Even if the First Tree returned your life..."

Her gaze settled on the dried blood still staining my armor.

"...Your body remains grievously wounded."

I sighed dramatically.

"So... Bed rest."

She smiled.

"Yes."

"...I hate bed rest."

"I am aware."

"You don't even know me that well."

"I know enough."

Kaede, who had remained quietly beside me the entire time, suddenly tugged on my sleeve.

I looked down.

"...Yeah?"

She looked up at me with those bright golden eyes.

"...They'll be happier..."

She smiled shyly.

"...if they see you tomorrow, than if they have to bury you today."

The room fell quiet.

I stared at her.

Then...

A tired smile spread across my face.

"...You know..."

I gently ruffled her hair.

"...That's probably the smartest thing anybody's said all day."

Her ears twitched happily.

Lady Shizuka stood.

"I shall send word immediately."

She looked toward one of the attendants near the entrance.

"Inform Alex's companions that he has awakened."

The young Kitsune bowed deeply.

"At once, my Lady."

She hurried from the shrine.

As the doors slid open...

The sound of excited voices immediately drifted in from outside.

The news...

Was already beginning to spread through the hidden village.

By the time the meeting finally came to an end...

The sun had already begun its slow descent beyond the mountains.

Golden light filtered through the shrine's open windows, bathing the polished wooden floor in a warm amber glow.

The elders slowly rose from their cushions.

Some stretched sore backs.

Others continued discussing my account in hushed voices.

A few scholars were still writing.

I was fairly certain one of them hadn't looked up from his parchment in nearly an hour.

Lady Shizuka approached me once the hall had begun to empty.

"You should rest."

I looked down at myself.

Blood.

Bruises.

Half-dried cuts.

"...Yeah."

"I probably should."

The moment I tried standing...

My body reminded me exactly why she had suggested it.

Pain exploded through my ribs.

I instinctively grabbed my side.

"...Ow..."

Lady Shizuka sighed.

"I did warn you."

"I know."

"I was hoping my body would disagree."

"It appears it did not."

A faint chuckle escaped me.

"...Unfortunately."

Kaede immediately stepped beside me.

"...Need help?"

I smiled down at her.

"I appreciate it. But I think my pride can survive walking."

She giggled.

"Your pride."

"I'm less certain about the rest of me."

That earned another laugh from her.

A sound that still brought a smile to Lady Shizuka's face every time she heard it.

We slowly made our way into one of the shrine's quieter rooms.

It wasn't large.

Just a simple guest chamber.

Tatami mats covered the floor.

A low wooden table rested beside an open window overlooking the valley.

The evening breeze carried the scent of pine and cherry blossoms inside.

For several moments...

None of us spoke.

I slowly lowered myself onto one of the cushions.

Every careful movement still hurt.

"...Okay."

I let out a long breath.

"...Now that nobody's asking me questions..."

I looked down at my hands.

"...Let's see what still works."

Lady Shizuka tilted her head.

"What do you mean?"

"I know my intermediate healing spell is out of the question."

I flexed my fingers experimentally.

"My mana reserves took an absolute beating."

She nodded.

"That much I can sense."

"But..."

I slowly closed my eyes.

"...Minor Healing doesn't require nearly as much."

Kaede sat cross-legged nearby.

Watching curiously.

"You can heal yourself?"

"A little."

I smiled.

"Enough to make things less miserable. Not enough to fix everything."

Lady Shizuka quietly folded her hands inside her sleeves.

"I would very much like to observe."

"Be my guest."

I took another slow breath.

Normally...

Casting healing magic had become second nature.

Today...

It felt strangely different.

I reached inward.

Searching for the familiar flow of mana.

There it was.

Much weaker than usual.

Like reaching into a nearly empty well.

I frowned.

"...Wow."

"What?"

Lady Shizuka asked.

"I've got maybe..."

I searched for the right comparison.

"...Ten percent left."

Her ears twitched.

"That much?"

I blinked.

"...That's good?"

She looked genuinely surprised.

"After everything you endured, I expected almost none."

"Huh."

I shrugged.

"I'll take the compliment."

Slowly...

I brought both hands together.

The mana gathered.

Not rapidly.

Carefully.

Tiny threads of silver-blue light emerged between my fingers.

They shimmered softly.

Like moonlight reflecting across calm water.

Lady Shizuka immediately leaned forward.

"...Interesting."

I opened one eye.

"What?"

"Your mana."

I looked down.

The silver glow remained.

Yet...

Interwoven through it...

Were impossibly thin strands of black.

Not corruption.

Not violent.

Simply...

Present.

I smiled faintly.

"...Guess they really are staying."

Lady Shizuka nodded.

"They appear to have accepted one another."

"I was hoping they wouldn't try killing each other again."

"They seem finished with that."

"...Good."

I returned my focus to the spell.

The threads slowly wrapped around my hands.

Then drifted toward my body.

Unlike before...

The healing magic didn't spread everywhere.

It seemed...

Selective.

Almost intelligent.

The silver light settled over dozens of small cuts covering my arms.

The tiny lacerations closed first.

Blood disappeared.

Fresh skin formed beneath the fading glow.

Bruises across my forearms slowly lightened.

A split across my knuckles sealed itself.

The aching stiffness in my fingers eased considerably.

"...Oh."

I flexed my hand.

"That's nice."

Kaede's ears perked up.

"It's working!"

"It is."

The spell continued.

Several shallow cuts across my shoulders disappeared.

A scrape along my neck vanished.

The bruising around my jaw gradually faded from deep purple to pale yellow.

I could practically feel my body choosing the easiest injuries first.

Saving as much mana as possible.

Then...

The light reached my ribs.

It stopped.

Completely.

I frowned.

"...Come on."

Nothing.

The spell simply hovered there.

Refusing.

Lady Shizuka watched carefully.

"It cannot."

"I noticed."

The mana drifted away from the fractures.

Instead...

It flowed toward another shallow cut near my wrist.

Healing it immediately.

"...Well."

I sighed.

"...Guess my body's smarter than I am."

"What do you mean?"

Kaede asked.

"It knows what it can fix."

I gently tapped one of my ribs.

"...Broken bones?"

I winced immediately.

"...Apparently not."

Lady Shizuka nodded thoughtfully.

"Minor healing magic accelerates natural recovery. It cannot recreate what has been lost."

"I figured."

I rolled one shoulder experimentally.

The puncture wound protested.

Immediately.

"...Still hurts."

"It should."

She answered matter of factly.

"The muscle remains torn. The lung remains damaged. The fractures remain unstable."

She looked directly at me.

"You merely removed what your body considered..."

She searched for the word.

"...Manageable."

I slowly looked down at my hands.

The glow had nearly disappeared.

My breathing remained labored.

Every deep breath still sent sharp pain through my chest.

But...

The smaller aches had vanished.

The countless little cuts I'd accumulated over the last several days...

Gone.

The bruises no longer made every movement miserable.

Even the swelling around one eye had gone down enough that I could fully open it again.

"...I'll take it."

I smiled.

"It isn't much, but it's something."

The final strands of mana disappeared.

I immediately felt the exhaustion that followed.

Not painful.

Just...

Empty.

Like finishing a long day's work.

I leaned back against one of the wooden support pillars with a tired sigh.

"...Yeah. That's all I've got."

Lady Shizuka studied me for another moment.

Then...

To my surprise...

She smiled.

"A wise decision."

I looked at her.

"Really?"

"You did not waste mana attempting the impossible."

She inclined her head slightly.

"Many mages do."

I chuckled.

"I've made enough mistakes to know when to quit."

She nodded approvingly.

"That lesson has likely saved your life more than once."

"...Probably."

Kaede suddenly tilted her head.

"...So..."

She looked between me and Lady Shizuka.

"...If Alex can't heal the big injuries, who can?"

The room grew quiet.

Lady Shizuka's expression became thoughtful.

Then...

She looked out the open window toward the distant mountains.

"...There may be someone."

I raised an eyebrow.

"...May?"

She slowly nodded.

"If anyone alive can help repair wounds that should not exist..."

Her golden eyes remained fixed on the horizon.

"...It would be our oldest shrine healer."

She paused.

"...If she agrees to see you." She then added quietly.

Silence settled over the room.

The evening breeze drifted lazily through the open window, carrying with it the distant sounds of the hidden village.

Children laughed somewhere below.

Blacksmiths hammered away at cooling steel.

Wind chimes swayed gently beneath the shrine's eaves.

Life.

The village had continued living while I'd spent three days fighting for mine.

I slowly looked toward Lady Shizuka.

"...'If'?"

She gave a slow nod.

"'If.'"

"I was hoping for something a little more encouraging."

"So was I."

I sighed.

"...I'm sensing there's a story."

"There is."

Kaede looked between the two of us.

"...Who is she?"

Lady Shizuka's expression softened.

"Her name..."

She paused for a moment.

"...is Lady Sayuri."

The name seemed to carry weight.

Not just with Lady Shizuka.

The attendants standing near the doorway immediately lowered their heads.

Even the guards outside became noticeably quieter.

I noticed.

"...Important?"

Lady Shizuka smiled faintly.

"Very."

"How important?"

"She taught my grandmother."

I blinked.

"...That's..."

I did the math in my head.

"...A long time ago."

"It was."

"How old is she?"

Lady Shizuka folded her hands together.

"No one truly knows."

"...Wonderful."

I leaned back with another tired sigh.

"So I'm meeting another ancient being."

"If she agrees."

"Right."

I pointed toward her.

"That part keeps concerning me."

Kaede tilted her head.

"...Why wouldn't she?"

Lady Shizuka looked toward the First Tree through the open doorway.

"Because, Lady Sayuri hasn't left her sanctuary in nearly three hundred years."

"...Three hundred?"

I raised an eyebrow.

"She doesn't like visitors?"

"She dislikes..."

Lady Shizuka searched for the right words.

"...Being disturbed."

"Ah. I've met people like that."

She looked at me knowingly.

"You are one of them."

"...Fair."

A small laugh escaped Kaede.

Lady Shizuka continued.

"She devoted her life to studying the body. Not merely healing."

She looked directly into my eyes.

"Understanding.bEvery nerve. Every muscle. Every bone. Every pathway through which mana flows."

I listened quietly.

"She believes..."

Lady Shizuka continued.

"...that every injury tells a story."

"...That's..."

I frowned thoughtfully.

"...Actually kind of poetic."

"It is."

"She's also terrifying."

I blinked.

"...Those two things usually don't go together."

"They do with Lady Sayuri."

Kaede giggled.

"I've only met her once."

"Oh?"

She nodded enthusiastically.

"She poked me."

"...She poked you?"

"Mhm."

Kaede rubbed her forehead dramatically.

"Then she said I was healthy."

I couldn't help laughing.

"...That's how she does medical exams?"

Lady Shizuka smiled into one sleeve.

"Sometimes."

"...Interesting."

"She has... unusual methods."

I chuckled.

"...Why do I suddenly feel nervous?"

Neither of them answered.

That...

Didn't help.

I slowly stood.

Carefully this time.

The minor healing spell had done exactly what I'd hoped.

I still hurt.

Quite a lot.

But the countless small aches that had made every movement miserable had mostly disappeared.

I rolled one shoulder.

"...Better."

Lady Shizuka noticed immediately.

"You move more freely."

"Still hurts."

I admitted.

"But now it's just..."

I carefully touched my side.

"...the important injuries."

She nodded approvingly.

"As expected."

I stretched my fingers again.

The stiffness had almost completely vanished.

My grip felt steady once more.

Instinctively...

My hand rested against the grip of the FN 545.

Not drawing it.

Simply...

Checking that it was there.

Comforting.

Everything I'd lost during the trial had returned.

Yet somehow...

It all felt...

Different.

Not heavier.

Not lighter.

Just...

Familiar.

As though I'd returned home after years away.

My gaze drifted toward the RSh-12 resting against my chest.

I hesitated.

Then slowly drew it once more.

The room filled with the quiet metallic sound of the revolver leaving its holster.

The runes awakened immediately.

Silver.

Black.

Silver again.

Lady Shizuka watched carefully.

"...May I ask something?"

"Sure."

"Channel mana into it."

I looked at her.

"...Now?"

She nodded.

"Just a little."

Curiosity got the better of me.

"...Alright."

I took a slow breath.

Gathering only the smallest thread of mana.

Barely enough to illuminate a candle.

The instant it entered the revolver...

The weapon reacted.

The runes flared brilliantly.

Not violently.

Beautifully.

Silver light flowed through the original enchantments.

Then...

Without any conscious effort from me...

The black runes awakened as well.

The two currents met.

Intertwined.

Neither overwhelmed the other.

Instead...

They formed a third current.

Something neither silver...

Nor black.

A soft twilight colored glow spread across the cylinder.

Not dark.

Not bright.

Balanced.

The air inside the room became perfectly still.

Kaede's ears stood straight up.

"...Pretty..."

Lady Shizuka's eyes widened ever so slightly.

"...Remarkable."

"What?"

"You didn't choose."

"I..."

I frowned.

"...Didn't."

The realization struck me.

Before...

Using dark mana had been a deliberate decision.

Something I had to consciously allow.

Now...

The revolver had simply accepted both.

Naturally.

Without hesitation.

I slowly looked down at the weapon.

"...Huh."

The glow faded as I released the mana.

The room seemed to breathe again.

Lady Shizuka remained thoughtful.

"I believe..."

She murmured.

"...your trial changed more than your soul."

"What do you mean?"

"I believe..."

She looked at the revolver.

"...your mana itself has changed."

I frowned.

"...Is that good?"

"I honestly do not know."

She smiled apologetically.

"There has never been anyone to compare you to."

"...Well."

I carefully holstered the revolver again.

"...Guess that's one way to stay unique."

A quiet knock interrupted us.

One of the attendants slid the paper door open just enough to bow.

"My Lady."

Lady Shizuka turned.

"Yes?"

"The messenger has returned."

"So quickly?"

"Yes."

The young Kitsune smiled.

"He delivered your message."

I immediately straightened.

"...And?"

The attendant looked toward me.

"They are on their way."

A smile spread across my face before I could stop it.

"They're coming here?"

"Immediately."

Lady Shizuka nodded once.

"I expected nothing less."

I rubbed the back of my neck.

"...They're probably worried sick."

"For three days."

Lady Shizuka confirmed.

"They prepared themselves for the possibility that you would never return."

I let out a long sigh.

"...Yeah... I figured."

I already knew Eleanor had tried forcing her way through the barrier.

I knew Roland had practically rooted himself at the foot of the mountain.

Knowing it...

And actually hearing it...

Were two completely different things.

A small tug on my sleeve pulled me from my thoughts.

I looked down.

Kaede stood beside me, her ears lowered slightly.

"...Alex?"

"Hm?"

"...They're going to yell at you."

I blinked.

Then laughed.

"...Yeah."

"They probably are."

She nodded with complete confidence.

"Eleanor definitely will."

I couldn't argue with that.

"...Probably before she checks if I'm alright."

"No."

Kaede corrected immediately.

"She'll hug you first."

I thought about it.

"...You're probably right."

"And Roland..."

She smiled knowingly.

"...He'll pretend he isn't happy."

A chuckle escaped me.

"...He really will."

"He'll say something like..."

She folded her arms, trying her best to imitate his serious expression.

"'Took you long enough.'"

I laughed outright.

"...That is frighteningly accurate."

Even Lady Shizuka smiled.

Kaede relaxed a little.

"They were really worried."

Her voice became quieter.

"I know."

She looked toward the doorway.

"I didn't like seeing them like that."

Neither did I.

I looked down at my hands.

"...Neither did I."

Lady Shizuka quietly watched the exchange.

"...You have found yourself a good family."

I looked toward her.

Family.

That word...

Still felt strange sometimes.

Yet...

Thinking about Eleanor.

Roland.

Marcus.

Everyone waiting outside the mountain.

I smiled.

"...Yeah. I really have."

Before anyone could say another word...

Voices echoed from outside.

Familiar ones.

Loud.

Fast.

Arguing with one another.

I couldn't quite make out the words.

Only the voices.

But...

I'd know them anywhere.

A tired smile spread across my face.

"...Sounds like they're already arguing."

Kaede giggled.

"They always do."

"I know."

I slowly stood, wincing as my ribs reminded me they still existed.

"...I'd better get ready."

Lady Shizuka raised an eyebrow.

"For what?"

I smiled.

"...The lecture I'm about to receive." --------------------
A/N: And done. kuwebby2, what do you think?