After the attackers disappeared into the shadow, Aiko didn't know what to think. She stared at Kuro, who stood calmly, as if nothing had happened. His aura was strangely strong, yet peaceful. The shadow he had created seemed alive, like something that didn't belong to this world.
"How did you do that?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Kuro lowered his hand, and the shadow withdrew, returning to his figure as if it had never existed. He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he approached Aiko and stood a few steps in front of her.
"Call me your guardian," he replied coldly. "And don't ask about my power. It's not yet time for that."
Aiko didn't know what to think. He was mysterious, and his words didn't reassure her. Moreover, she still felt the sharp pain in her chest from the loss of her Flame. Everything seemed too illogical. How could he be her guardian when she didn't even know what was going on? Kuro looked like someone who could carry the weight of the world on his shoulders, but at the same time, he was so cold and distant.
"Why did you find me?" she asked softly, feeling she had no choice but to ask. "And what does all this mean?"
Kuro shook his head and then lowered his gaze. "Your question has too many answers, Aiko. Too many. But the most important one is this – you are the key. The key to something much bigger than you and me. And that's not the end."
Aiko looked toward the door, as if trying to avoid looking at Kuro. She was just an ordinary girl, powerless, hopeless. How could she be the key? And what would that even mean?
"I don't want to be any key," she whispered.
Kuro was now standing beside her, his eyes devoid of compassion but not disdain. Only a pure understanding of something Aiko still couldn't grasp.
"In that case," he said softly, "running won't help. You have no choice. We must travel together. Towards the truth."
Aiko felt the weight of those words. They weren't threats, they weren't calls to action. They were simply facts.
At that moment, the door to the inn opened again, but this time it wasn't an enemy. An older man entered, dressed in simple clothes that bore the marks of a long journey. He was tired, but his eyes were sharp.
"Did I hear right?" he asked, glancing at Aiko and Kuro. "Are you the ones? The ones everyone talks about?"
Aiko didn't know who he was talking about. What rumors? Who were "they"?
Kuro glanced at the man and nodded. "Yes, we are the ones. Though we would rather not be."
The old man sat down across from them at the table. "This is for you," he said, pushing a small, dusty box toward Aiko. "Inside it is information that you must understand."
Aiko cautiously opened the box, and inside was an old parchment map, covered in strange symbols. Her eyes narrowed in uncertainty.
"What does this mean?" she asked, but no answer came. Only more questions.
"That's a map that leads to your past life," the old man said, looking at her seriously. "Your magical heritage, your origin. It's been with you all along, but you forgot."
Aiko thought the old man was crazy. A past life? Forget something? She stared at the map. She had never known anything about her past life. No one knew. There were no stories about her parents, her childhood. All she knew was that she was born in the Tetsuo Valley and that she was just an ordinary girl until fate turned its back on her.
"How is that possible?" she whispered, feeling even more confused.
"Because you are more than you think," Kuro replied, still watching her. "Your power is twisted, Aiko. Your past is not a coincidence."
Aiko didn't know what to say. Everyone was talking about her fate, about past lives, about wondrous power. But to her, it all sounded like an abstract idea. What really lay behind those stories? And why was she the only one who didn't know anything?
Kuro stood next to her, and his shadow was ever-present, as if it itself existed in the space.
"The journey begins now," he said, looking at Aiko with seriousness. "The first step is to understand who you are. Then, we'll have to face things you cannot even imagine. And if you decide to refuse, the consequences will be severe."
Aiko didn't have much time to think. Maybe she was confused, maybe she didn't understand everything that was happening, but something in Kuro's gaze told her it was time for action. They weren't alone in this game. The world was bigger and more dangerous than she could ever have imagined.
With a deep sigh, Aiko closed the map and looked at Kuro.
"Let's begin," she said firmly. "I don't know where this path leads us, but I can't run anymore."
Kuro nodded. "Welcome, Aiko Tsukino. Your fate is now tied to mine."
Together, they left the tavern and headed into the night. The world lay ahead of them, dark and unknown. Aiko felt that, for the first time in months, maybe years, she had found something worth exploring.