Minamoto stood, staring at Kaito's transformed features, his eyes almost betraying a deep shock, one never before seen in his stern face.
His voice came out hoarse, but filled with certainty:
"See...?
This is who you are.
You didn't have to exist."
As he spoke, Kaito's eyes widened briefly, before slowly narrowing, and that sentence reverberated within him...
An echo of old, familiar, hateful words...
Words echoed in his hazy memory, where only pain was clear:
"You're abnormal."
"No one is like you."
"Disappear."
"If you hadn't been born..."
His eyes darkened even more... as if the shadows themselves were beginning to rise from within him.
Kaito whispered in a deep voice, as if emerging from the depths of a tomb buried centuries ago:
"But I... existed."
And suddenly...
he disappeared.
He was unseen, unheard.
In an instant, he appeared directly behind Minamoto, his hand extended towards his head.
It was as if time had twisted, and now there was Kaito, about to end everything.
But before his fingers could touch his skull...
A single voice split the air:
"Stop!"
It was an unmistakable tone, devoid of cruelty or tenderness, just the truth.
Taeko's voice.
His strong body appeared between them, standing like a dam, extending his hand towards Kaito.
The eyes of father and son met,
and at that moment...
The darkness began to recede.
Kaito's eyes became white again, the black slits gradually disappearing, and his features returned to a calm coldness...
But within that coldness,
feelings returned. Even a little.
Kaito lowered his head and whispered in a voice like a guilty child:
"I'm sorry... Dad."
Taeko smiled and gently patted his head, as he had done when he was little, then said in a soft voice:
"That's enough... Welcome back."
Then he turned to Minamoto, who still stood there, his fist clenched, but he didn't move.
Taeko said in a firm tone, devoid of anger:
"You're trying to dig up something that doesn't belong to you, Minamoto.
Leave it alone.
Otherwise... you'll see things you won't like."
Minamoto didn't reply.
His eyes remained fixed on Kaito, as if trying to see beyond the body.
Then, without another word, Taeko and his son turned and walked quietly back toward the cave.
Their steps were slow and silent, but each breath held years of secrets behind it.
As for Minamoto...
He remained there.
Standing in the open, staring at the dark earth beneath his feet,
within him...
a thousand questions for which he had no answers.
Kaito returned to the cave with his father, his steps slow, his clothes torn, and his eyes devoid of any emotion. As soon as he stepped inside, everyone rushed toward him.
"Kaito! What happened?!" Hana cried, catching her breath.
"Hurt?!" Saya asked worriedly, looking at his torn clothes and the dried blood on his chest.
Hairu Shin shouted, clapping his hands above his head. "I swear you're attracting more trouble than the insects themselves! You bastard, were you fighting alone?!"
But Kaito calmly raised his hand and answered, his tone devoid of emotion:
"A small monster attacked me. I defeated it. There's nothing to worry about."
Everyone looked at each other, unconvinced. As for Tsuki, she remained silent for a moment, then pulled out a black tracksuit with two white stripes on the sides from her bag and held it out to him with a calm smile.
"Wear this... Dark suits you."
Kaito took the clothes without reply, then disappeared into a corner of the cave to put them on.
The group sat down shortly after to eat a simple meal prepared by the girls. They sat around a small fire that illuminated their warm faces, but something inside Kaito remained cold and frozen. No smile, no comment, just... silence.
At once, Hiro-Shin broke the silence by placing a burnt piece of meat in front of Kaito and said, feigning seriousness:
"This is from Chef Hiro's recipes, inspired by the shadow itself. No one cooks the darkness like I do!"
Kaito took a bite, chewed it slowly, and then said:
"I think the shadow tastes better."
Everyone burst out laughing, even Saya, who rarely smiled.
After a while, Hiro Shin moved his hands like a professional boxer and said to Taiko:
"Big sensei! Teach me a powerful strike I can use against insects!"
Taiko calmly inspected his wounds.
"Punch this rock."
Hiro looked at the rock, then laughed nervously.
"I was just kidding..."
Taiko smiled a terrifying smile.
"And I'm not kidding."
Hiro hit the rock with all his might and shouted, jumping up and grabbing his hand.
"My bones, man! Is that a rock or a sleeping monster?!"
Tsuki and Hana laughed, while Kaito's face was covered in a faint smile... that no one saw.
"Strange," Hana muttered. "Where did Minamoto go? We haven't seen him since this morning."
Taiko replied without raising his head from his wooden bowl:
"He went out for a lookout around the cave. He doesn't like to sit."
A few moments of silence passed before they heard heavy footsteps at the cave entrance.
Everyone turned to find Minamoto standing there, his shadow stretching toward them, his voice etching the wall of silence:
"Have you forgotten why we're here?
It's time to move."
A moment of stillness fell.
Kaito looked at Minamoto blankly, then slowly stood up.
The laughter faded... and calm returned.
And spirits... regained their balance.
Fin chapter