At the same time Shun met with Toki,
on the slope leading to Shun's house—
Luna was running at a steady pace, gazing at the short flowering plants.
A gentle, lovely smile rose to her lips as a light breeze endlessly played with her hairstyle.
The glow in her eyes carried a warm shimmer.
Luna spun around with her arms outstretched,
twirling gracefully as she moved forward across a meadow painted with elegant flowers.
Her azure eyes, like the blue sky, were surrounded by birds drifting about her.
Ticklish grass brushed the tips of her fingers.
She plucked a half-withered rose mid-spin.
A small pool of water reflected the petals Luna had torn away.
She tossed the remains of the rose aside and stared into the pool,
but… her features turned vague and strangely tense.
Her smile faded as she gazed at her half-distorted reflection on the surface of the water—
rippling… rippling, as if stirred by some unknown force.
—
At that same moment, on the rooftop of one of the houses,
Toki and Shun resumed their conversation.
Shun replied hesitantly, irritation showing on his face:
"How can you possibly come to a conclusion like that?"
"Am I wrong?"
Toki folded his arms and tilted his head indifferently.
"Listen, you who've just woken from your daze—
you transported livestock feed for the villagers, and you—"
Toki interrupted him, already aware of what he was scheming as usual:
"That's exactly what I meant."
Shun rubbed his jaw with a finger, his brows lowering.
"It doesn't matter."
Toki turned away and walked a few steps.
Shun said with a faint smile,
"Hey, Toki! Your spiritual field seems far more orderly than before."
Toki stopped and looked back at him, his expression cold and weary.
Shun observed him closely, tracing the flow and pathways of energy within Toki.
Shun continued,
"And its frequencies have become much calmer and more stable than they were at first."
An aura surrounded Toki, emanating from him like the surface of a clear river.
Toki examined his hand, then placed it on his chest near his heart.
A small smile formed on his face, his eyes narrowing.
Turning to Shun, he said,
"I think you're right… my chest feels lighter than before—comfortably so."
Shun looked away and shoved his hand forcefully into his pocket.
Ignoring his reaction, Toki rested his arms behind his head.
As birds circled above them in the bright sky,
the cheerful atmosphere flowing through the village streets inspired a sense of safety and ease.
Puddles filled the alleys,
children passing through them with pure delight.
The exchanged smiles of youths and men alike
stirred a proud sense of belonging.
The farmlands surrounding the village walls
awaited a new spark of hope.
On that rooftop, surprise crossed Shun's face as he turned to Toki and said,
"Oh! I just remembered—how about we take a little walk? It'd be a great experience."
Toki tilted his head slightly, then straightened up.
He agreed, whispering to himself:
Why not try? I won't lose anything I don't already lack.
Before Toki could take a step forward,
his eyes widened and he froze in place,
as if something heavy had embraced him from behind,
its arms tightening around his neck.
Behind him, a fog-like darkness clung tightly.
Toki's breaths gradually grew faint…
he gasped—
He heard Shun call out,
"What's wrong, Toki? Don't you want to take a walk?"
Toki slowly turned toward him.
Shun stood at the edge of the rooftop.
"Huh?" Toki said.
Shun raised an eyebrow and replied,
"What do you mean, 'huh'? That's not an answer.
What happened to you all of a sudden? You seemed fine just a moment ago."
Toki closed his eyes and stared at the ground.
What was that strange sensation?
My heart felt like it was about to burst out of my chest,
he thought, pressing a finger against his chest.
He replied to Shun,
"It's nothing. Let's go."
—
As Toki and Shun walked through the village paths,
they stopped by a men's clothing shop.
Some items were simple and modest, others appeared expensive.
Shun suggested Toki buy a few clothes,
especially since Toki had been borrowing clothes lately.
Toki considered it and agreed.
He bought a long black-and-gray coat
that reached slightly below his knees,
then chose black trousers—
neither loose nor tight.
Toki tried to pay,
but Shun stopped him, insisting on covering the cost himself.
Before leaving,
a purple ribbon caught Toki's attention.
He asked the vendor for its price
and bought it with his own money.
Shun paused, watching him with curiosity,
after having already shown Toki around the village thoroughly.
They exited through the village gate,
and throughout that time, Toki remained unusually silent.
—
On a mountain whose peak was crowned with snow,
surrounded by flowing waters like rivers,
below… on one of the slopes,
Toki and Shun sat watching the small village.
The wind played with their hair and clothes,
and the soft chime of earrings carried a beautiful melody.
Shun spoke first without turning, a faint smile on his face:
"So? Did you enjoy it? Or do you feel better now?"
Toki turned to him as he spoke.
His expression, as usual, was devoid of emotion.
He lifted his head and stared at the sky.
Shun added calmly,
"What does Sophie mean to you?
And if you don't want to talk about her, that's fine."
Shun lowered his head briefly, then looked back at Toki,
who was still gazing at the sky.
Toki slowly exhaled and said coolly,
"Maybe… someone I wanted to pull out of what I once was."
He lowered his head gently and continued,
"I was afraid an innocent person might walk the same path I did. That's all."
A light silence fell,
during which the wind made a rippling sound,
like the growl of a beast awakening.
Shun said,
"The village—and everyone in it… it's beautiful in every moment, don't you agree?"
"It has many strengths, so… you're right,"
Toki replied, looking at the village without moving his head.
He paused, then added,
"I don't think I belong in a peaceful place like this."
Shun tried to ignore his last words,
not knowing what was going on in his mind.
He whispered in a teasing tone, his gaze carefree:
"Then~ what are you going to do about your lovely relative, Luna?"
Toki turned to him, rubbing his right ear with his little finger,
and remarked with sudden sarcasm:
"You're twenty-five years old,
and you still haven't truly moved forward.
What a waste of time."
Shun replied in surprise, his voice unsteady:
"We were joking with you, but— to go that far… how cruel of you."
A few drops of water fell,
and before they could look up,
they were buried beneath a mass of snow.
Toki brushed the snow off his face,
then noticed that the snow beside Shun
was melting and receding away from him.
The moment he realized this,
he compressed a snowball and hurled it at him with such speed
that the snowflakes themselves couldn't perceive the motion.
But before he could throw a second one,
his vision blurred and dizziness overtook him.
At that moment,
Shun retaliated with a large snowball he had gathered.
Toki received the overwhelming cold impact,
and then—
without any resistance—
he fell…
—
To be continued…
—
Author's Note: Light sinks into the fog, yet continues on its path.