- Midnight of the same day. Owls singing in the branches, skittering of bugs across in the dirt. Inside the house is totally silent. As Ryusui is sleeping in his room -

  - Suddenly, his perspective shifts. He finds himself standing in a place where darkness grasps everything. There is no ground, no sky, and no end—only an endless void leading toward nothing -

  Ryusui: "Huh? Where am I?!"

  - Suddenly, a voice pierces through the void, coming from directly in front of him, even though no one stands there -

  Unknown voice: "Ry—! A storm of vast danger is approaching you! You have to become stronger and stronger if you want to protect someone precious to you and —!"

  As the voice echoes in his ears, Ryusui's face tightens. His breath gets stuck in his throat, as his eyes widen in a combination of pure fear and spine-chilling shock -

  Ryusui: "Ry—?! Who are you?! Where are you speaking from?! Do you know me?! Some of your words are cut out!"

  Unknown voice: "Don't be afraid. I am not here to harm you."

  - Ryusui composes himself a bit, his breathing slowing steadily, though the impression of fear is still clearly visible on his face -

  Unknown voice: "The time shall come when you can see me and hear every word I say. But until then, you have to survive—for the sake of your precious person and —."

  Ryusui: "How?! Can—can I really become stronger?! Strong enough to protect her."

  Unknown voice: "There is a —— hidden in a red box deep within the mountain. A box only you can see."

  Ryusui: "A red box?"

  Unknown voice: "Before I leave, I will grant a shard of my Spirit Energy to your core. Even if it is not much, it will at least help you to survive the upcoming danger!"

  Ryusui: (Thinking: "What is this danger that everyone keeps talking about?") "Spirit Energy?!"

  Unknown voice: "The moment you regain your ——, I can reclaim my ——."

  Ryusui: "Hey! Wait! I couldn't hear those words!"

  Unknown voice: "Alas... it is still not the right time!"

  - Suddenly, the unknown voice vanishes into the darkness. Ryusui shouts into the void, his voice cracking as he implores the voice for an answer -

  Ryusui: "Who are you, really?!"

  - No answer is given. Only a dense, hefty silence remains. Ryusui's eyes snap open, and he finds himself back in his room, lying in the bed -

  - Confusion flashes across his face as he scratches his forehead, trying to figure out what has actually happened -

  Ryusui: "Huh?! What... what was that?!"

  - He stays still for a minute, drifting into deep thought. The silence is now filled with the small, grounding sounds of the night: the skittering of bugs across the floor, the distant chorus of insects outside, and the eerie song of the owls -

  Ryusui: (Thinking "Whose voice was that? Spirit Energy... what is even that? And that box... I'll search for it in the morning.")

  - As the sun rises, the morning rays illuminate the house with a soft, golden glow. Retsu approaches Ryusui's room, carrying her usual gentleness and calmness, ready to wake him up from his deep sleep. But as she pushes the door open, she stands perfectly still -

  - The curtains have been pulled wide, inviting the bright morning light to illuminate every corner of the room. She looks toward the bed, and a flash of deep concern crosses her face. The sheets are neatly tossed aside, and there is no sign of Ryusui -

  Retsu: "Ryusui, Ryusui?! Where are you?!"

  - Carrying a look of deep concern, her eyes search for him. She looks out the open window and into every corner of the room. Suddenly, her gaze falls upon a piece of paper lying on the middle of the bed -

  Retsu: "A paper?! What is it doing here?"

  - Retsu moves away from the window and approaches the bed. Her fingers tremble slightly as she picks up the paper. There is something written on it. She begins to read the note -

  [ Note: Because of Ryusui's memory loss, he couldn't read or write at first. But thanks to Retsu's seven days of effort, he can now read and write, though his handwriting is barely readable. ]

  Retsu: "This is... Ryusui's handwriting!"

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  - On the paper, the message is short and firm -

  "Take your breakfast and don't worry. I'll be back by noon."

  Retsu: "Ryusui, fool! Where did you go that you couldn't even tell me directly?!"

  - On the west side of the mountain, birds chirp among the branches as a slow, gentle breeze passes through the trees and bushes. Behind the thick greenery, a silhouette moves slowly. It's Ryusui, his eyes scanning every bush and the base of every tree as he searches for the red box -

  - He looks determined, his face hardening as if he won't leave until he finds what he is looking for. His tone grows lower as he speaks to himself in a resolute voice -

  Ryusui: "I will find that box... at any cost."

  - Two hours later, he has searched every corner area, but he hasn't found anything on the west side of the mountain -

  - A flash of disappointment tightens his face as he punches his palm with his right hand -

  Ryusui: "Damn! Even after searching for this long... I still can't find it! I think I have no choice but to search the other side as well."

  - Ryusui approaches the East side of the mountain. A narrow shortcut connects the West and East slopes, but the path is shattered and dangerous. Without hesitation, he chooses the treacherous route. After battling the crumbling rocks and the shattered path, he reaches the East side in twenty-five minutes -

  [ Note: During their time together, Retsu had told him about every path and secret pathway of the mountain so that he wouldn't get lost. ]

  - Without taking a break, he begins his search. After searching for three straight hours, the result is still zero. Ryusui is almost exhausted, his chest heaving as he breathes heavily -

  Ryusui: "Huf... Huf... It's not there either! One last try! This time, I'll head for the top of the mountain."

  - Ryusui approaches the summit of the mountain, but this time, there are no shortcuts. It takes him a harsh hour and a half to reach the top. His body is completely exhausted, sweat pouring from his skin as he breathes in heavy, ragged gasps -

  Ryusui: "Huf... Huf... Finally! I am... here!"

  - Despite his exhaustion, he refuses to take a break. Ignoring his limits, he immediately begins his search -

  - After a relentless search totaling seven hours and fifty minutes, luck is still not on his side. The sun is slowly dipping lower as a flock of birds flies overhead, beginning their journey back to the nests. The wind begins to pick up, and the fading, golden hue of late afternoon falls across the ground -

  - Ryusui's body finally crumbles. His voice drops to a whisper as a flash of deep sorrow lurks across his face -

  Ryusui: "Retsu... I am sorry. I couldn't keep my word..."

  - Ryusui slams a trembling fist into a tree, his face filled with a resentful frustration -

  Ryusui: "Damn it! I broke my promise for this... for this shit box... And I still can't find it!"

  - He doesn't want to give up, but his body refuses to help him. His strength has finally reached its limit. Having no choice, he finally gives up. Bearing the weight of failure on his shoulders, he slowly walks toward his house on the north side of the mountain -

  - After walking for five minutes, he glances to his left and notices a strange light glowing from behind a tree -

  Ryusui: "Light!? Why is there a light coming from behind that tree?!"

  - He ignores his exhaustion, forcing his trembling legs and weary body to rush toward the light -

  - The moment he reaches the spot, he sees it: the Red Box. His face bursts with a combination of shock and pure excitement -

  Ryusui: "Whattt... This is it! It's really it!"

  - He punches the air in a surge of enthusiasm, as if he has forgotten his exhaustion momentarily -

  Ryusui: "Finally! Finally! I found it! Alright... let's see what's inside!"

  - He slowly, breathlessly, opens the lid. As the box clicks open, he finds a beautifully sheathed sword—a prominent combination of crimson-red and obsidian-black with a note resting quietly alongside it -

  Ryusui: (His voice barely a whisper) "I should unsheathe it... I need to see the blade."

  - With slightly trembling hands, he grips the hilt and draws the blade. He holds it diagonally in front of him, the gleaming steel serving as a pure mirror that reflects his worn, sweat-drenched face -

  - The blade features a perfect curve along its top edge, its subtle sharpness advancing seamlessly toward the peak. A wave-like pattern ripples across the entire ninety-centimeter length of the steel, escorting the edge to the tip -

  - The guard bears a striking blend of light yellow and crimson red, shielding the hilt. A thin black line wraps around the sky-blue grip like a serpent, embedded with three gray circular markings. Lastly, at the pommel rests a flame symbol, encased in a deep black border -

  Ryusui: "Hmm... I think I have seen it somewhere before."

  - As he tries to remember where he saw it, he scratches his forehead. After a few minutes of deep thought, he finally remembers where he has seen it -

  Ryusui: "Oh... This is the sword that I saw in the shop. Its beauty and craftsmanship still send chills through my entire body!"

  - Finally, he notices the note lying inside -

  Ryusui: "Paper?!"

  - Ryusui picks up the note. The moment he raises it, the box begins to fade, slowly disappearing into the air. He stands still, holding the sword in his right hand and the note in his left hand. There is something written on it in beautiful handwriting -

  "If you want to unlock its full potential, you must practice hard. By mastering it, you can also utilize the Spirit Energy I gave you utterly."

  Ryusui: "Got it! From now on, I'll train hard and become stronger so that I can protect someone precious to me."

  - Ryusui's voice is firm, echoing across the empty summit. As the words "someone precious to me" leaves his lips, an image of Retsu flashes in his mind -

  - Suddenly, a violent headache strikes him. He lets out a sharp scream of agony. His grip loosen and the sword falls onto the ground. He collapsed to his knees, clutching his head with both hands -

  Ryusui: "Ahhhh... not again!"

  - As the agony peaks, the world around him becomes blurry. In the deep darkness behind his eyes, two distorted silhouettes emerge. One belongs to a woman with long, flowing hair, standing beside a man whose hand rests gently on her shoulder. Their lips move as they speak -

  Woman: "Ry—, thanks for being born."

  Man: "This — sword now belongs to you, Ry—."

  - Ryusui screams toward them. He reaches out as if he could grab hold of the shadows, but even as he calls out, the figures begin to dissolve. They fading into the mountain air like smoke in the wind -

  Ryusui: "Who are you?!"

  - As the traces of the silhouettes vanish into the mountain air, Ryusui's violent headache also disappears -

  - Ryusui picks up the sword lying beside him. He stands tall, the mountain air rustling his hair across his face. Slowly, he sheathes the sword on his back. He lets out a whispering voice: -

  Ryusui: "Who were they?!"

  - Ryusui notices it's almost evening -

  Ryusui: "Shit... I need to head home right now!'

  - Without wasting another second, he turns and begins to rush toward the house as if he has completely forgotten his exhaustion -

  - Meanwhile, in the house, Retsu is sitting on the sofa, clasping her palms together. Her face is pale as concern flashes across her features -

  Retsu: "It's already so late, Ryusui... You are not like this. You have never been someone to break a promise twice! Where have you gone?! Please... just come home..."

  - Suddenly, Ryusui's voice from outside echoes through Retsu's ears. It is loud but shaky. As soon as she hears his voice, she rushes to the main door. She throws the door open with a desperate force -

  Ryusui: "Retsu..."

  - Retsu's breath catches in her throat as the light of the late golden hour falls upon her. She sees Ryusui standing there. Dirt is coated all over his clothes, and he is bathed in sweat. Raw exhaustion flashes across his face, but his eyes remain fixed on her. And there, a sword rests sheathed on his back -

  Ryusui: "I am back. Sorry for being late."

  - The sun is in its final stage of setting. Retsu stares at Ryusui; her eyes narrow, and her face softens. For her, everything loses its motion, color and sound; her eyes are locked only on Ryusui -

  - She rushes toward Ryusui, her long hair rustling as tears fall with every step. She throws her arms around him, pulling him into a desperate hug. The moment she touches him, the sun finally disappears behind the horizon; instantly, the world around her becomes lively again, overflowing with the sounds of the night -

  Retsu: "Wel—come back."

  - Ryusui is shocked to see her this vulnerable, but he masks it immediately. He softens his face and his voice -

  Ryusui: "Sorry... I made you worried! But I'm back to where I belong."

  [ The flower that hadn't bloomed for a decade. Today, it has bloomed with dignity ]

  Next Chapter: Wednesday