The storm had moved west, leaving a brittle, gray stillness in its wake. Even the wind had ceased its whisper, and for the first time in weeks, the sanctuary valley felt... vacant.
Rei walked alone through the remnants of a long-forgotten temple, half-buried in the mountains east of Kuoh. Moss crept over shattered stone, and faded murals lined the walls, telling stories of spirits lost to time. The place pulsed with spiritual resonance, like a hollow heart still beating after death.
Karasu's voice stirred faintly in his mind. "This place is part of the First Flame's memory. Echoes remain. Be wary."
Rei ran his fingers along a broken pillar, the runes glowing faintly under his touch. He didn't speak. The weight in his chest was growing—tight and heavy, like something left unresolved. Or perhaps, like something he couldn't bring himself to remember.
Behind him, footsteps. Not cautious. Not afraid. Familiar.
"I told you not to follow," he said without turning.
Eirenne's voice was soft. "You didn't tell me to stay either."
He turned to see her in her partial Spirit Form—white hair flowing, eyes glinting a stormy silver. She looked strong. And tired.
She crossed her arms. "You've been distant ever since the last battle."
He looked away. "I've been preparing."
"For what? Another fight? Another fragment to burn you from the inside?"
Her voice cracked slightly. Just slightly. And it struck deeper than any blade.
"I saw the look in your eyes, Rei," she continued. "When you fought that woman. You didn't hesitate. You didn't even think. You burned her like she didn't matter."
Rei turned fully now. "She was trying to kill you."
"That's not the point!"
Silence.
Eirenne's shoulders trembled. "The point is... you didn't look human. Not even a little."
Rei looked past her, to the mural behind her—depicting a man holding a flame in one hand and cradling a dying spirit in the other. His throat tightened.
"I'm not," he said quietly.
"What?"
He stepped forward. "I'm not human anymore, Eirenne. I haven't been since the day I woke up in this body. Maybe not even before that. The more I fight, the more fragments I take in, the more I feel myself disappearing. Like I'm just... something wearing the skin of a man who died already."
Eirenne blinked. "Then why do you keep going?"
Rei's voice was hollow. "Because I promised myself I wouldn't die again without meaning."
She didn't answer. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him.
"You still breathe. You still hesitate when Noira's hurt. You still drink that awful tea Mireille makes you. You're still here. That's enough."
He didn't hug her back, not at first. But after a moment, his hand rested lightly on her shoulder.
"I don't know if I can be what you need," he murmured.
"I don't need anything," she replied. "I just want to be where you are."
---
Later that night, Noira stood watch over the ruins, her gaze fixed on the stars. Mireille sat beside her, silent as always. The stars blinked like uncertain memories, and the wind carried the faint sound of Rei's voice, echoing against the stones.
Karasu whispered: "He's starting to remember."
"About his past life?" Mireille asked.
"No. About why he chose to forget it."