One month later.
The day of departure arrived. Solara returned to Earth with her ship to hear their final decision. They were all gathered with their families at the meeting point — a secluded spot, far from prying eyes, where the sky stretched wide and clear. The ship descended slowly from the clouds and landed with a low rumble, the thrusters of its engines kicking up powerful gusts of wind that whipped everyone's clothes and hair.
Once the ship was on the ground, Solara stepped out. The moment she saw the children, a smile spread across her face — sincere, discreet, but entirely real. Even if she never said it, she was deeply attached to these five. Ready to do anything for them.
Nozomi, Kael, Aria, Harris, and Shinrei ran to greet her. Aria at the front, arms wide open, a smile on her lips. Nozomi and Harris just behind, just as happy. And Kael and Shinrei following calmly — but with a warmth in their eyes that was unmistakable.
Solara, smiling, said to them. "I'm very happy to see you again too. From what I can see, all your wounds have been healed and you're in great shape." She paused and turned her eyes toward Nozomi. "I see the hero medics were able to implant a new eye for you."
Nozomi nodded. "They did. It's impressive what can be done — it's as if I never lost my eye."
But Harris retorted with a sly grin. "Although you're stuck keeping that scar."
Everyone laughed — a light, natural laugh that immediately eased the atmosphere. Harris had that rare gift of making tense moments a little more breathable, without ever betraying them. But Solara didn't waste time. She looked at them one by one and asked. "Children — I'd like to be sure. What is your decision?"
Aria, the group's natural spokesperson at that moment, answered her with a simple. "We're counting on you now. All of us."
The parents drew closer in turn. Once within earshot, Shinrei's parents spoke. "Miss Solara, we are counting on you to take good care of our son. We know he will be in good hands."
Kael's father added. "Don't worry about us. We have thought it through carefully — and we all came to the same conclusion for our children."
Solara tried to answer, her voice hesitant. "But…"
Nozomi's mother gently cut her off, with a soothing and certain smile. "It is the role of parents to make the best choice for their children. And this is the best choice for them."
Solara abandoned the idea of contradicting them. She lowered her head, and in a calm and solemn voice, said to them. "I promise to take good care of them. I will protect them with my life — you can rest easy."
No one said another word. The parents felt the sincerity in Solara's words and were soothed. Tears began to rise in each of them — discreetly at first, then less and less restrained — because the hour of departure was drawing inexorably closer.
Solara climbed back into the ship, leaving Nozomi, Aria, Kael, Shinrei, and Harris to say their goodbyes each in their own way. The atmosphere was charged — heavy with everything they wanted to say and couldn't find the words for. No one wanted to speak first. Saying something would make the departure real. So they let the silence exist a little longer.
Seeing the sadness on Kael's face — he who was usually so confident — his father said to him simply, his voice firm and tender at once. "See you soon, son. Take care of yourself in the meantime."
After those words, Kael lifted his head. Before him, his parents stood side by side — his father holding his mother in his arms, both on the verge of tears but looking at him with absolute pride and trust. Kael collected himself. He smiled at them — a sincere smile, his own. "See you soon."
Aria, for her part, let every tear in her body flow — without restraint, without shame, expressing through them all the love and all the sadness she felt. Her parents held her in their arms, comforting her and showing her in return all the love they bore for her.
Harris's mother was very worried. She said to him, her voice trembling but determined. "Harris — don't be reckless, eat well, listen well, and don't cause trouble for your brothers and sister."
Harris stepped closer and hugged her, whispering softly. "Don't worry about me — and wait for my return." His father joined them without a word. He was simply there, a silent spectator of his son's maturity, his eyes shining with a pride he didn't know how to express in any other way.
Shinrei, so calm and thoughtful as a rule, felt that this time he would not be able to contain his emotions. He said, his voice softer than usual. "Take care of yourselves. And don't worry about me — I can manage on my own." His parents drew closer and took him in their arms. His mother murmured against his shoulder. "We know you can manage on your own. But don't ask us not to worry about you."
Nozomi approached his mother in silence. It was she who broke the calm first. She held out her hand, holding something carefully folded. "Take this jacket with you — it is yours now."
It was the jacket he had given his father, the one he had worn the day he defeated Reimu. It was clean as new — his mother had washed it and folded it with care. But looking closer, one could make out fine stitches where the fabric had been torn, mended by hand, with patience. His mother had taken the time to repair every tear, one by one. Without a word, Nozomi took the jacket and put it on.
His mother looked at him with a proud gaze and murmured. "He would be very proud to see you today."
Nozomi took her in his arms one last time, without a word. Then he stepped back and looked her in the eyes. "It's time. Take care of yourself — and watch me from afar. I will become someone you'll be proud of, Mom."
As he walked away, his mother didn't move. She stayed exactly where she was, her feet planted in the grass, and watched his silhouette recede — shoulders straight, her husband's green and black jacket on his back, larger than him but so well worn. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks without her trying to wipe them away. And in the silence, she thought. "Since you came into our lives, I have never stopped watching over you — and that will not change. My son, keep moving forward, looking ahead, as you have always shown me."
Once everyone was aboard, the ship's door closed with a dull and final click. The engines roared to life with a deep rumble and the ship lifted off the next second. The parents watched the ship rise into the sky, climbing higher and higher, growing smaller and smaller — until it was nothing more than a point of light among the stars, carrying away the children they had adopted and raised with all their hearts for ten years.
On board, no one spoke. They gathered naturally before the viewports and watched in silence. The spherical form of the Earth took shape through the glass — the blue oceans, the green and beige continents, the white clouds slowly turning. It shrank bit by bit, carried off by distance, until it resembled a marble suspended in the darkness of space. Ten years ago, their biological parents had sacrificed their lives for them — without hesitating to die if it meant offering their children a future.
Upon arriving on Earth, they had grown. Learned to cry, to laugh, to be angry. They had experienced life and everything it brings — joy, pain, loss, pride. They had met wonderful people, and others less so. All of these experiences and discoveries had forged what they had become.
Now, watching the Earth shrink behind them, they were saying goodbye to it in silence — to this planet that had welcomed them and helped them grow. Now, a new path was opening before them, with an entirely different destiny. No one knew what the future held for them. But it was the path they had chosen.
They were saying goodbye to the home that had welcomed them as babies, to explore new horizons and become what they truly wished to be. Just as on Earth people had saved them, it was now their turn to save those in need.
In Reimu's dimension.
Walking down a calm and silent corridor, Shion followed his older brother ahead of him. Since their father's defeat, the situation between them had become complicated. Shinsei stayed locked in his room, already preparing his revenge — no longer only against Nova and Luna, but also against their descendants. His rage and anger had only grown. He was losing his footing more and more, obsessively attached to those who had taken everything from him, unable to see beyond it.
For his part, Shion had had a conversation with his younger brother Kuro. Against all expectation, Kuro had no intention of revealing to their father what had happened during the invasion of Paris. By his own words, his silence was proof that they had once been brothers. But from now on, he was cutting all ties with Shion and Shinsei. He was ready to do anything to reach his goals — and would no longer show any mercy. He made it clearly understood to Shion that if another opportunity arose, he would no longer hesitate.
Shion accepted his decision. He understood his feelings and his words. He was no longer blinded as before — he saw Kuro as he truly was now. He didn't say a word and made no attempt to change his mind. Because he intended to save him later — once he was strong enough to achieve his goals.
As they walked quietly, Shinsei asked Shion. "Your eye — you could have a new one implanted."
Shion answered, his voice calm and assured. "I don't wish to have a new one implanted. This scar, this missing eye — they remind me of the ignorance I lived in all those years. They allow me to see better, so that I never again lose my way by thinking only of myself."
Shinsei said nothing. He accepted his brother's choice in silence. Then, after a few steps, a slight smile formed on his lips — fleeting, but there. His way of showing, without saying it, that he was proud of him.
Shinsei spoke up to tell him what was to come. "I was able to speak with Father. And I managed to convince him."
Shion looked at him, head slightly tilted, surprised and curious at once. "Convince him… of what?"
"He has agreed to let you go on a journey." Shinsei had thought carefully about the future. It was absolutely necessary to get Shion away from their father, for his safety. Moreover, no one must discover that Shion had awakened his Shugan — and above all not that it was blue, a color the world had not seen in years. Shion had to grow stronger, far from the eye of the Hikarizuki clan. The journey was the best way to achieve that — to go away, discover the world, forge his values, and grow.
It had also been discovered that the closing of the portal had not been total. It had been carried out precisely to hold Reimu in. That meant he could not leave the dimension until the door was fully opened. But anyone else imprisoned could come and go freely. Reimu was taking advantage of Solara's exhaustion — she hadn't had the strength to close the portal properly — to quietly prepare his return. Shinsei used it as an exit for his younger brother.
Shion asked, a hint of hope in his voice. "So I'm going on a journey — with you, big brother?"
Shinsei, looking sorry, told him. "I'm sorry… but I have to stay here. However, I've found someone who will look after you and become your master."
They arrived before a door. Before opening it, Shinsei wanted to say one last thing to Shion. He turned toward him and said, his gaze serious. "Shion — this person will be responsible for you from now on. For five years, you will live at their side. You can trust them completely — more than anyone. Even more than me."
He opened the door. And before them stood a man with silver hair and a black cape, waiting for them. Shion stayed back, hesitant. Shinsei stepped forward and shook his hand. "I entrust my little brother to you."
The man answered with a simple. "You can trust me — I will take good care of him. In exchange, do not forget our agreement and our promise."
He stepped toward Shion and stood before him. Shion looked up — and in this man's gaze, he saw the Shugan. Silver. White as the moon, yet of an unfathomable depth, as if behind that color lay something immense that no word could quite describe. A color no one had ever seen in history. Shion was struck speechless for a moment, his eyes slightly wide. But looking deeper into that gaze — beyond the color, beyond the power — he understood. It was the gaze of a man who had lost everything, and who had nonetheless found the strength to stand back up and rebuild himself. Something in that silent truth resonated deeply within him.
The man deactivated his Shugan and placed his hand on Shion's head with a kindly smile. Then he lowered himself to his level, his voice calm and reassuring. "Pleased to meet you. From now on, I will be your master."
He straightened and held out his hand. "My name is Sirius Yuutaka. Pleased to meet you, Shion."
Reassured by a simple look and a few words, Shion took his hand with joy. His long journey at the side of his new master could now begin.