The morning light spilled softly over Hoshizora High, painting the courtyard in gold. The cherry blossoms swayed in the breeze, each petal falling like a whisper from the past.
Toshio Shinji tightened the strap of his school bag as he stood at the gate, staring at the entrance he'd walked through hundreds of times. But something felt different today — like a faint vibration in the air. A feeling he hadn't sensed since the Blood Moon night.
"Yo, Shinji!" a familiar voice called.
He turned to see Kaito waving, a half-eaten sandwich in his mouth.
"You look like you saw a ghost."
Toshio forced a smile. "Maybe I did."
But deep inside, the memory of Airi's tearful promise beneath the crimson moon still haunted him. The battles had ended, yet his heart hadn't found peace. Aya had gone abroad, Airi was distant — and the once-bright world now felt muted.
Then, the classroom door slid open.
And everything changed.
A girl stood there — unfamiliar, yet strangely familiar. Her long silver hair shimmered faintly under the light, and her blue-gray eyes scanned the room with a quiet curiosity. She wore the same uniform, but her presence carried something... ethereal.
"Everyone," the teacher said, "this is our new transfer student. She's just moved here from Sendai. Please welcome her warmly."
The girl bowed. "My name is Rika Hoshizora. Nice to meet you all."
The moment that surname hit Toshio's ears, his heart stopped.
Hoshizora.
The same as Airi.
Kaito leaned toward him, whispering, "Dude, another Hoshizora? Coincidence?"
Toshio didn't reply. His eyes met Rika's — and for a brief, shattering instant, he saw Airi's reflection in them. The same sadness. The same unspoken secret.
Lunch break came, and Rika sat alone beneath the sakura tree in the courtyard. Students whispered as they passed, curious about the "mysterious new girl." Toshio hesitated for a moment before walking over.
"Mind if I sit here?" he asked.
She looked up, her lips curling into a faint smile. "You're Toshio Shinji, right? The one who always finishes first in Physical Combat Training?"
Toshio blinked. "You… know me?"
She looked away, gazing at the falling petals. "Let's just say Airi talked about you a lot."
The world froze.
"How do you know Airi?" His voice trembled despite himself.
Rika's hand brushed her hair aside, revealing a faint mark — a crescent-shaped scar glowing faintly beneath her ear. "Because," she whispered, "I'm her sister."
Toshio's breath caught. The scar — he'd seen that same mark on Airi when she awakened her powers. But this one pulsed with something gentler, more human.
"You're lying," he said softly, more to himself than her.
Rika shook her head. "Airi didn't tell you everything. She wanted you to live peacefully after… after the promise beneath the Blood Moon. But I can't just watch anymore. She's in trouble, Shinji."
His fists clenched. "No. The fights are over. She's safe now—"
"Then why," Rika interrupted, eyes glistening, "has she stopped answering your dreams?"
Toshio froze. Because she was right.
Every night since the Blood Moon, he'd waited for Airi in his dreams — the realm where their souls once intertwined. But she'd vanished.
Rika rose, her expression firm. "Airi's essence is fading. The celestial thread that binds you two is unraveling. She didn't tell you because she didn't want you to be dragged back into that world. But if we don't act soon—"
"Stop." Toshio's voice cracked. "No more battles. No more pain. I promised her…"
She stepped closer, eyes shimmering like glass. "Then keep your promise — by saving her."
That night, Toshio sat on his balcony, gazing at the stars.
The wind carried faint whispers — echoes of laughter, of shared memories.
He could almost hear Airi's voice: "No matter what happens, I'll always find you under the same sky."
He closed his eyes.
But when he opened them again, he wasn't on the balcony anymore.
He was standing in a dream. The same celestial meadow — only now, it was fading. The flowers turned to dust, the moon dimmed, and in the distance, Airi stood, looking fragile and translucent.
"Airi!" he shouted, running toward her.
She turned, her eyes filled with sorrow. "Toshio… you shouldn't have come."
"Why are you fading? Tell me!"
Before she could answer, the world shattered like glass — and he awoke with a gasp, drenched in sweat.
A voice echoed beside him.
"Now you understand," Rika said, standing on his balcony, the same faint glow around her as Airi once had.
"What… are you?" he whispered.
Her eyes softened. "The last piece of her soul — sent here to guide you."
And as the moonlight fell across her face, Toshio realized — this was no ordinary transfer student. This was the beginning of something much deeper.