The training grounds were empty again.
Too empty.
The presence from before, the watching eyes, the strange light, all gone.
But the silence they left behind remained.
Mira sat down first this time, not on the edge, but on the ground.
Aditya stood for a moment longer, then joined her.
No words at first.
Neither of them knew where to start.
"…that wasn't normal," she eventually said.
"…no."
"…and you don't know what it was."
"…no."
A pause.
"…but it wasn't random."
Mira looked at him.
"…you felt that too."
He nodded.
"…it reacted."
"…to us."
The word lingered between them.
Us.
Mira leaned back slightly, looking up at the sky.
"…that's not comforting."
"…I know."
A faint silence followed.
"…does it change anything?" she asked.
Aditya didn't answer right away.
Because it should have.
It should have made things complicated.
It should have created distance.
But instead,
"…no."
Mira glanced at him.
"…you're sure?"
"…yeah."
A pause.
"…whatever that was…"
"…it doesn't change this."
He didn't need to explain what "this" meant.
She understood.
Mira exhaled slowly.
"…good."
A small silence followed.
Then—
"…because I'm not stepping back."
Her voice was quiet, but firm.
Aditya looked at her.
"…I didn't ask you to."
"…I know."
She turned her head slightly.
"…just making it clear."
A faint breath escaped him.
"…you're stubborn."
"…you noticed?"
A small, almost-smile.
It didn't last long.
Something else settled in.
Something quieter.
"…what if it gets worse?" Mira asked.
"…what if whatever that was—"
She stopped, not finishing.
Aditya knew what she meant.
"…then we deal with it."
Simple.
Direct.
Mira shook her head slightly.
"…you make everything sound simple."
"…it isn't."
A pause.
"…but it doesn't have to be complicated either."
She looked at him again.
"…that doesn't make sense."
"…it doesn't have to."
That made her exhale softly.
Not frustration, but something lighter.
"…you're impossible sometimes."
"…I've been told that too."
Another pause.
The tension eased.
Not gone, but quieter.
Mira shifted slightly, closer.
Not as close as before, but enough.
"…you're still thinking about her."
It wasn't a question.
Aditya didn't deny it.
"…yes."
"…and now you think she's me."
"…not exactly."
A pause.
"…but connected."
Mira looked down at her hands.
"…I don't remember anything."
"…I know."
"…so what if it's just you trying to make sense of it?"
He didn't answer right away.
Because that was possible.
But,
"…it didn't feel like that."
Mira nodded slowly.
"…that's what I was afraid of."
Silence settled again.
Not heavy.
Just… real.
"…does it change how you see me?" she asked quietly.
Aditya turned to her.
"…no."
No hesitation.
"…are you sure?"
"…yeah."
A small pause.
"…if anything…"
He stopped.
"…what?"
He looked at her for a second longer.
"…it makes it harder to ignore."
The words landed softly but stayed.
Mira didn't respond immediately.
She just looked at him.
Then—
"…good."
The answer came quietly, but it carried something deeper.
Something that didn't need explanation.
Aditya shifted slightly.
"…what about you?"
"…what about me?"
"…does it change anything?"
Mira thought about it.
Actually thought.
Then—
"…no."
A pause.
"…but it makes me think more."
"…about what?"
She looked at him again.
"…about how this ends."
That was something he didn't have an answer for.
So instead,
he reached out.
Not sudden.
Not hesitant.
Just natural.
His hand found hers again.
This time, she didn't even pause.
Her fingers closed around his like it was expected.
"…then don't think about the end yet," he said quietly.
"…why?"
"…because we're not there."
Mira held his hand a little tighter.
"…you're really bad at planning ahead."
"…maybe."
A faint pause.
"…but I'm good at staying."
That made her smile.
Small, but real.
"…then stay."
"…I will."
This time, neither of them questioned it.
Because whatever was coming, whatever the past held, whatever the world itself had started to notice, right now, they were still here.
Together.
And for the first time, that felt like enough.