(POV: Haru / Ema)
Haru sat alone in the practice room, flute in hand. Each note she played felt like a fragment of memory dissolving, memories she didn't even realize she had lost.
Ema entered silently, hearing the faint green threads shimmer with every note. "Haru… what are you doing?"
Haru stopped. "Every time I play… I forget someone I love. Something I cared about. The music… it takes it from me."
Ema frowned, understanding now how dangerous the academy truly was. "We all pay something… but your cost… is more cruel than most."
Haru's eyes glimmered. "I just want to play without losing myself."
Ema placed her hand on the silver piano. "Perhaps… together, we can survive it."