Ryosen staggered to his feet, coughing leaves out of his mouth.
"…Damn it," he muttered. "We got blown all the way back."
Aegis pushed himself off the ground, armor flickering faintly. "Typhon didn't even try. That was… a warning."
Ryosen's Buddha emblem glowed faintly behind him, pulsing with agitation. "I wasn't even angry," he said. "I was trying to calm down."
Aegis placed a hand on his shoulder. "Then breathe. We're still going north."
Ryosen exhaled slowly, steadying himself. "Right. The source of all this."
They pushed through the forest, broken branches marking their crash path. The deeper they walked, the colder the wind grew. Snowflakes drifted despite the thick canopy.
Ryosen shivered. "Since when does it snow here?"
Aegis frowned. "It doesn't. Which means something's changing the climate."
The path ahead was silent, too silent. Not a bird. Not a breeze. Just the hum of Ryosen's aura and the metallic clink of Aegis's armor.
Aegis slowed his pace. "Ryosen… back there, when Typhon said 'They are mine'… who do you think he was talking about?"
Ryosen swallowed. "Us. Or me. I don't know. But he recognized my name. Before I even awakened my Heart."
Aegis glanced at him. "You think you two have history?"
"…Feels like it."
The forest opened to a cliff overlooking a frozen river. Fog rolled across the water like breath from a beast.
Aegis stepped forward. "We're close. The northern winds are gathering here."
Ryosen clenched his fists, golden aura flickering.
"Let him come. I want answers."
Aegis tightened his grip on his shield. "We'll get them. And we'll make it back home. They're counting on us."
Ryosen pulled Ketsuki's small note from his pocket, Big brother, don't forget snacks.He smiled faintly.
"Yeah… we're coming home."
And the two pressed deeper into the north, completely unaware that something ancient had already begun watching them through the fog.