The sterile silence of the infirmary weighed heavy, broken only by the faint beep of machines and the soft, shuddering sobs coming from Eri.
She sat on the floor between the two beds, her knees pulled close to her chest, trembling, her face buried in her arms. "I… I love them both…" she whispered through her tears. "How could they leave me… again?"
Ryuu sat in a corner, unusually quiet. His eyes were locked on the floor, fists clenched. For once, there was no cocky smirk, no bitter sarcasm—only a deep, brooding silence. His mind burned with memories of fighting alongside Tetsu and seeing Hana laugh. And now… gone.
The door creaked open quietly.
Kyoushiro stepped outside into the night, the sound of his boots crunching against the stone echoing faintly.
A moment later, Kaede followed, his eyes sharp with suspicion and curiosity. "Old man," he called.
Kyoushiro paused but didn't turn around.
"Who are you, really?" Kaede asked, stopping a few steps behind him. "You're not just some wandering warrior, and I think it's time I knew the truth."
Kyoushiro stayed silent for a long moment. Then, slowly, he turned. His eyes—so aged yet intense—met Kaede's.
"You really want to know?" he asked softly.
Kaede nodded. "Yes."
"Then promise me one thing," Kyoushiro said. "You won't tell Kael. Not yet. He's not ready."
Kaede hesitated, then said, "Alright. I promise."
Kyoushiro looked up at the stars and exhaled deeply. "My real name… is Raizen Kurai."
Kaede's eyes widened in disbelief. "Raizen?! The Raizen who defeated Kurojin thirty years ago? But… but he died. Everyone says he died of old age years ago."
Kyoushiro—Raizen—nodded slowly. "That's what I wanted them to believe. I vanished, left behind the name, the reputation… the weight of it all."
"But why?" Kaede demanded. "Why disappear? Why now? And why come back?"
Raizen's expression turned somber. "Because I had a family."
Kaede blinked.
"I left them," Raizen continued. "Kael's mother. My daughter. And his grandmother. I knew Kurojin would come for me—or anyone connected to me. I disappeared to protect them. If they thought Raizen was dead, Kurojin would stop hunting. Or so I hoped."
Kaede's mouth fell open slightly. "So that means… Kael is…"
"My grandson," Raizen confirmed. "He doesn't know. No one does. Not even Kael's mother knew who I really was in the end. I stayed hidden… until now."
Kaede took a shaky step back. "So… the boy I've trained, fought beside… he's the heir of the man who once defeated the greatest enemy this world ever faced…"
Raizen nodded.
Kaede's thoughts swirled, heart pounding. "Why didn't you tell him?"
"He's not ready. Not for that truth. And not for what it means," Raizen said. "When the time comes, he'll need to know. But not a moment sooner."
Kaede stared at him for a long moment, then nodded solemnly. "…I understand."
Raizen placed a hand on Kaede's shoulder. "You'll learn more, in time. The past… has a way of catching up."
Then, without another word, Raizen walked off into the night, his figure slowly vanishing into the shadows—leaving Kaede stunned, reeling from the weight of what he had just learned.
Inside, Kael still hadn't returned.
And in the stillness of the infirmary, Eri's quiet sobs echoed like a haunting melody of love and loss.