Katsu walked through the city alone.
He had only come to pick up a few things for the Haven, but his thoughts kept drifting back to Haruki's words.
Why were we allowed to remember?
He turned a corner.
And nearly walked straight into someone.
"Whoa."
Katsu stopped.
Kael stood in front of him.
"Oh."
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"Katsu."
"Kael."
The two stared at each other for a moment.
"You doing government work?" Katsu asked.
"Something like that."
Kael glanced at the bag in Katsu's hand.
"Shopping?"
"Unfortunately."
Kael chuckled.
"Fair enough."
They exchanged a few more words before Katsu started walking again.
Then.
He stopped.
His eyes widened slightly.
That feeling.
That presence.
It wasn't Kael himself.
It was coming from his Heart.
Katsu slowly turned around.
Kael was still standing there.
And suddenly, Katsu remembered.
Bellerophon.
The pressure surrounding him.
That strange feeling whenever his Heart was near.
Katsu had never forgotten it.
Not completely.
His eyes narrowed.
No way.
He looked at Kael again.
The presence was unmistakable.
It was the same.
Not similar.
The same.
Kael noticed him staring.
"...What?"
Katsu quickly looked away.
"Nothing."
Kael shrugged.
"Alright."
Katsu began walking again.
His expression slowly hardened.
He didn't ask Kael anything.
He didn't confront him.
He simply kept walking.
Because there was only one place he needed to go.
Haven of Six
The door opened.
Katsu stepped inside.
Kentarō looked up from the couch.
"You're back already?"
Katsu didn't answer.
Shichiro immediately noticed his expression.
"...Katsu?"
Everyone looked toward him.
Katsu placed his things down.
"I felt something."
Rokuro raised an eyebrow.
"That's ominous."
Katsu ignored him.
"Something familiar."
Ryosen looked up.
"Familiar how?"
Katsu took a breath.
"I ran into Kael."
Kentarō sat up.
"Kael?"
Katsu nodded.
"And his Heart..."
He paused.
"...felt exactly like Bellerophon's."
Silence.
Nobody moved.
Shichiro's expression changed.
"What?"
Katsu looked around the room.
"I'm not saying they're the same."
"But the presence..."
He clenched his fist.
"I know what I felt."
Ryosen's eyes narrowed.
"Could you be mistaken?"
Katsu shook his head.
"No."
Kentaro stared at him.
"So what are you saying?"
Katsu looked toward the window.
"I don't know yet."
A long silence followed.
Then Aegis finally spoke.
He had been quiet the entire time.
"...Then why didn't you say anything to Kael?"
Katsu looked at him.
"Because I don't know what it means."
Aegis crossed his arms.
"Then shouldn't we find out before assuming the worst?"
Katsu paused.
"...Yeah."
Aegis nodded.
"Good."
He leaned back.
"Because Kael's already saved my ass once."
Kentarō looked over.
"Wait, when did that happen?"
Aegis shrugged.
"You weren't there."
Kentarō stared at him.
"Aren't you supposed to be the one doing the saving?."
Katsu looked back toward the window.
His thoughts returned to Kael.
To his Heart.
To that familiar presence.
Bellerophon was gone.
The world had forgotten him.
Yet somehow...
his presence remained.
And Katsu had just found it again.