Itoshi's crimson eyes, slowly fluttered open as he regained consciousness.
Darkness. He found himself in an unfamiliar place—a towering, ancient Western castle. The walls were cracked and dusty, lit only by thin streams of moonlight cutting through the stained-glass windows.
"Where am I...?"
He cautiously walked through the stone halls, his footsteps echoing. He turned every corner with growing curiosity and unease. Eventually, he pushed open a massive wooden door, and there it was—an open central courtyard, moonlight pouring down into the space like a spotlight.
In the middle of it stood her.
The woman.
Long, streaking white hair danced with the wind. She stood silently, gazing up at the moon, tears falling from her face like soft rain.
"Hey you! Who are you?! Why do you keep showing up?!"
Itoshi grunted.
She slowly turned around.
Her eyes were soaked with sorrow. The moonlight struck her face just right—highlighting the glisten of tears and the haunting glow of her unusual eyes.
"The castle is dark... but the moon lit up her tears and unique eyes. And I thought... it was beautiful."
Itoshi thought to himself, eyes locked onto the woman.
The woman raised her hand and pointed directly at him.
"Run... away..."
Her voice was distant. Muffled. The words were foreign to him, like an echo from a memory he never had. Itoshi furrowed his brows.
"What? I can't understand you!"
There was silence.
Then the woman began walking toward him.
Itoshi flinched, taking a step back. Stuttering.
"H-Hey! Don't get any closer!"
But she didn't stop.
She stood in front of him, gently placed both hands on his face, and looked into his eyes.
Itoshi froze. The moment felt weightless.
He saw her clearly now.
Her two eyes—one burning like a dying flame, the other drowning like a deep ocean. A contradiction. A storm of pain and regret behind both.
Tears welled in her eyes, spilling down her cheeks as her voice cracked. Each word trembled on her lips, heavy and raw, fighting its way out from the depths of her heart.
"...Sorry."
She spoke more—soft, hushed words—but Itoshi couldn't understand a single one. They felt old, ancient... like they weren't meant for his ears.
The air grew colder.
The castle trembled faintly.
Itoshi blinked.
And she was gone.
~~~Cape Hedo~~~
[5:00 am, March 31, 2169]
Itoshi snapped awake, jolting up as the scorched scent of burnt air hit his nose. His body was aching, drained, but his eyes locked onto the scene in front of him.
Ryujin and the man were still holding the seele off. From the hill above, Ayro stood with his massive shadow-forged arm aimed precisely at the beast. Itoshi didn't need to ask—he knew. It was ready.
Ryujin shouted from below.
"Itoshi!! Break the seal!!"
Without hesitation, Itoshi forced himself up. The air around him warped as his flames erupted, engulfing the seele in a sudden wave of fire. The creature roared in agony and rage, thrashing wildly.
It broke free from Ryujin's hold—his strength was fading.
Only the man remained, standing firm, summoning gusts of wind to slow the monster's movement.
"Not yet!!"
The seele twisted, resisting, inching closer to Itoshi.
The man: Not yet!!
As sweat dripped down his face, the man saw a memory flash in his mind—a person from his past. Someone who once stood with him in the wind. Someone he had vowed to protect.
"Gotta hold on!"
But the seele kept turning.
"Shit!!"
The seele's grotesque hand lunged forward—its claw just four centimeters from Itoshi's head.
Then—
BOOM.
A direct hit.
A thunderous sound rang across the battlefield. Ayro's shot struck the seele dead in the back—a massive clump of compressed earth powered by raw shadow and grit. Silence followed.
The seele didn't move. It stared at Itoshi, still locked eye-to-eye.
Then, a shriek.
The creature let out a soul-rending screech, fell to its knees, and clawed at its own skull as if trying to escape the pain. Its body broke down rapidly, disintegrating into glowing blue dust. And then—it was gone.
The battlefield was still.
Then—
Itoshi: YESSS!! HE'S DOWN!
The Man: Take that, you ugly bitch!!
Laughter erupted from them both. Exhausted, bruised, and filthy—but alive.
Ryujin cracked a small smile, watching the two celebrate. On the hill, Ayro dropped to a sitting position, smiling through his panting breaths.
The man looked over, still smiling.
"Okay... gotta admit, that was good."
He admitted.
Ryujin and Itoshi grinned back at him.
The man walked up to Ryujin.
"Well, I guess we'll make your dream come true, huh. Ryujin."
The last of the seeles scattered in fear, retreating into the shadows. Ryujin stood upright, battered but standing.
"Yeah."
The man extended his hand.
"My name is... Kirashi Kiraghie."
Ryujin took it without hesitation.
"Pleasure working with you, Kiraghie."
Their hands locked in a firm shake—just as the first light of March 31 broke over the horizon, washing the battlefield in gold.
~~~Cape Hedo Cafe~~~
[6:00am]
Kara had just woken up. Still half-asleep, she yawned and stretched as she made her way downstairs.
She froze at the bottom step.
The four boys were sitting on the floor all wide-eyed and completely drained. Their bodies slouched, their faces pale, they just... stared at each other. Like war veterans who had seen too much.
"Eep!! What the hell happened!?"
Ayro slowly turned to her, raising a shaky thumb.
"Everything is under control..."
Itoshi (barely audible): Coffee... Kara...
Kirashi looked up at Kara, blinking slowly.
Kirashi (weakly): It's... a woman.
Kara raised a brow.
"Seriously?! Everyone—what happened?"
She paused, Pointing at Kirashi.
"And who is he!?"
Kirashi Kiraghie. First name: Kirashi. Age: 17. Lived alone in Cape Hedo for 9 years. Short black hair with green highlights at the tips. Red eyes with green irises. Looks like someone who's fought a few bears and won.
Ryujin (weakly): Ah... He's Kirashi.
Kara's voice shook, slightly nervous but mostly worried.
"Ah... I see... W-Well... you guys want breakfast?"
The four turned to her slowly, eyes still wide, heads nodding like zombies.
"Absolutely."
Kara sighed and she smiled.
"Okay, okay..."
She went to the kitchen and scavenged what the helicopter crew had left behind. Not much—just some eggs, bacon, and coffee rations. But it would do.
Soon enough, she handed them each a plate and a hot drink.
"Here you go, everyone. Sorry, this is all I could find. Hope it's enough!"
The Four (in unison, still half-dead): Thank you... time to dig in...
Kara smiled sweetly, then turned to head back upstairs to get ready for the day.
As they dig in, Kirashi turned towards Ryujin.
"Who is she?"
Ryujin replied, mouth full.
"Itoshi's sister."
Kirashi blinked as he slowly turned his head to Itoshi.
"Yo, Itoshi... are you looking for a brother?"
Itoshi, still dazed, didn't respond. He just stared at the floor, processing his entire existence.
Ayro barged in, still sleepy.
"I think that's a no."
Kirashi lay on the cold floor, his back pressed against it as a low grunt of frustration escaped him.
"ARRGHHH!!"
-Few Moments Later-
Kara came downstairs again, this time with a bit more energy. She walked over and sat with the four boys at the table.
"So... what exactly happened?"
Itoshi responded in a low, weak voice, barely coherent, as if slipping into sleep.
"Seeles... A hundred.. tired... woman..."
Kara blinked at him, confused and mildly concerned.
"R-Ryujin-san? Ayro-san?"
Ayro: Sleep.
Ryujin didn't even respond. He was just sitting there, eyes open, but soul clearly somewhere else.
Kara (sweating): Maybe... maybe you guys should get some rest...
Kirashi weakly raised a finger and pointed at himself.
"Aren't you gonna ask me?"
Kara turned to Kirashi, one brow raised in quiet question.
"I don't even know who you are."
Kirashi's eyes flooded with tears, though not from sadness — Kara's words hit him like a slap he wasn't ready for.
"Mean...!"
Kara: Alright, seriously—get some rest, all of you.
All Four (murmuring): Okay...
To Kara's surprise, they didn't even bother getting up. All four just slowly tipped over, flopped onto the floor, and passed out instantly.
"S-Seriously?"
She sighed and gently stepped over their collapsed bodies, heading outside for some air. The cool sea breeze hit her face as she opened the front door, and she smiled, watching the waves crash gently onto the shore.
But when she stepped around to the back of the café, her smile faded. The entire area around the building was scorched—burned-out grass, ash stains, and fragments of the night's chaos still lingered.
"S-Seems like I missed out on a major event..."
She paused, taking a breath before letting out a scream.
"Why didn't you guys wake me up!?"
[11:40am]
Ryujin slowly opened his eyes. He blinked a few times before sitting up. The smell of food drifted in from the kitchen. He looked over and saw Kara cooking.
Kara noticed him as he slowly came about, and she greeted him with a smile.
"Oh! Good morning, boss!"
Ryujin greeted back, face calm.
"Good morning... And don't call me boss—Ryujin is enough."
He stretched and walked outside. The sky was bright and clear. He looked up and muttered to himself: "It's already noon, though..."
Inside, Itoshi stirred awake, holding his head.
"Tsk... my head hurts."
Kara as usual, greeted him with a smile.
"Oh! Koya! Good morning!!"
"Morning... What're you making?"
Kara paused as the food in the pan sizzled.
"Lunch!"
With his mind still drifting, Itoshi replied bluntly.
"Then... it's afternoon."
Kara was caught off guard and slightly annoyed.
"Y-Yeah! Good afternoon, I mean!"
Suddenly, Ayro stood up with stiff, mechanical movement, startling Kara.
Kara: Eep!!
Itoshi turned to Ayro, greeting him aswell.
"Oh... Afternoon, Ayro."
Ayro: Afternoon.
He walked outside without another word, joining Ryujin, who was still standing under the sun.
Itoshi looked at Kirashi, who was still out cold, smiling in his sleep, drooling like a baby.
"Man, you're already slacking off..."
He stretched, rubbed his eyes, and went off to find some water.
Meanwhile, Kirashi continued to nap peacefully—smiling like he'd just saved the world... and earned a vacation.
[12:11pm]
Kirashi suddenly woke up, sitting up straight with a small gasp.
Ryujin took a slow sip of his coffee, noticing Kirashi beginning to stir awake.
"Ah... someone finally decided to wake up."
Ayro & Itoshi, turned their heads in unison greeting Kirashi.
"Good afternoon."
Kara soon followed, inviting Kirashi to eat with them.
"Oh! Kirashi-san, come join us—come eat!"
Kirashi blinked a few times. The warmth in the room, the casual chatter, the presence of people—it all felt unfamiliar. He hesitated.
"S-Sure..."
Concerned, Kara asked in low soft tone.
"Oh? What's wrong?"
"It's... it's nothing."
Kirashi nervously answered.
Ryujin: Come on. Join us.
Kirashi stood up and quietly made his way to the seat beside Ayro.
"It feels strange..."
Ayro raised a brow, head up ahead but eyes on the side.
"Strange?"
Kirashi looked down, hand clasped to one another as he spoke.
"Just... it's been a while since I ate with anyone else."
Ayro: I see.
Kara placed a plate in front of him with a cheerful smile.
"Here you go! Have a taste!"
Kirashi took a bite. His eyes widened slightly.
"It's... good."
Kara: I'm glad you like it!
Ryujin: Nine years, right?
Kirashi: Yeah... nine years alone.
"How did you survive? You look about our age. If it's been nine years, you must've been just a kid."
Itoshi asked as he waved a piece of bread in his hand.
Kirashi took a deep breath, before responding.
"I was. I lived with someone—he was like a father to me. He had the same power as I do: wind."
He paused, and continued.
"Twelve years ago... my parents got caught up in some mess with the UWDS. They were blamed for something they didn't do.""
Itoshi: What was it?
Kirashi: Honestly? I don't know. But they were innocent.
Kara: What happened then?
Kirashi: That man found me. He said he saw something in me. He taught me how to survive here in Hedo. How to fight the seeles... how to live on my own. One day, he left. Before he did, he told me to protect his home. To protect it until I felt—deep down—that it was time to go.
Itoshi: What did you even eat out here?
Kirashi: Birds—if I got lucky, ducks. If not, fish Every day.
Itoshi: Oh...
Kirashi glanced down at his plate, then looked up, eyes determined.
"I want to find him... I want to thank him. And I want to let him know that I'm okay."
There was a pause. Then everyone smiled.
Ayro gave Kirashi a light pat on the back.
In a deep commanding tone, Ryujin ordered.
"Then let's go find him."
To be Continued