Ren steadied his breathing, already knowing what he had to do. The memory of Haruki's words stayed fixed at the center of his thoughts, and with it, the certainty became stronger.
He wouldn't settle for either of those two doors. He wouldn't compromise anymore like he had done so many times in the past. There had to be a different way.
He raised his hand and pressed his thumb against Akariwake. He wasn't sure the ring would listen to him. Until now, he had only used it in its simplest function, that of letting it guide him toward places that matched his state of being. Also, Kagami had warned him that it could become dangerous past a certain point, but this was the only way he could think of breaking the pattern.
The ring vibrated in waves that rippled around his finger, growing stronger with each pass.
