YOSUKE ■ ■ ■ ■
I accepted his request. That same day, we left the house where we had spent those years. My mind, however, was already fixed on something else.
Sai and I clasped hands firmly. "Be careful," I told him.
"Back at you," he replied with a faint smile.
Then we walked in opposite directions. He hadn't told me where he was headed, but we agreed to meet back here in exactly five months.
As for me, I already had a destination. On the very first day of training, when Sai had gone into the forest to gather wood, I had found something strange in the sand. A shard—shimmering like a piece of the galaxy itself.
Over the years, whenever Sai wasn't nearby, I searched for more. After two and a half years, I had collected many.
I often wondered what they were for. That day, I finally returned to the giant rock where Sai and I had often sat. Studying it carefully, I noticed faint designs etched into the stone—barely visible, but unmistakable. A portal. Human-sized.
I emptied my bag of shards and began matching them to the grooves in the rock. Piece by piece, the design aligned.
At first, nothing happened. Then, faint colors appeared at the four edges—blue, red, green, and brown. The four elements.
I summoned them all at once, channeling each into its place.
The shards glowed brilliantly, connecting at last. A burst of galactic light spread across the rock.
I hesitated only for a moment. I had been waiting for this chance far too long. I slung my bag over my back and stepped into the portal.
Darkness swallowed me. For a few seconds, I was nowhere. Then my eyes opened, and I saw…
SAI SHINU
I had been traveling for days. Tonight, I would stop in a small village along my path.
Pulling out my map from my inventory, I confirmed my location. By afternoon, I reached the village. The crowd size was normal for a place like this—simple, quiet.
I asked a passerby if there was an inn. He gave me directions, and within minutes, I found it.
At the reception, I requested a room for the night. The man handed me a key and personally guided me to my quarters. I thanked him and stepped inside.
Exhausted, I collapsed onto the bed. After some time staring blankly at the ceiling, I pulled out my daggers.
I set one beside me, blade pointed toward my chest, while I gripped the other firmly. My gaze locked on the steel, memories flooding back—of that cursed night in the dark universe.
I remembered the helplessness. Not just for myself, but for my father.
But now… things were different. I had power. I could fight back.
And when I found the one who had caused all this, I wouldn't simply kill him. No—that would be mercy. I would crush him, destroy him, and make him feel the torment that had haunted me my entire life.
I was sure that if I found him, I would find my mother as well.
One name burned in my mind, carved into my soul: Shiro Kazuhiko.
When I find you, I thought, you will pay.
I set the second dagger beside me, its blade pointing toward my legs. And then—suddenly—a strange light filled the room.