The lab was steeped in an unnatural stillness, broken only by the faint hum of the artifact cradled in Daichi's hands. Its soft, otherworldly glow cast long, uneven shadows across the sterile walls, bathing the room in a pale, haunting light.
I stopped at the doorway, my breath hitching in my throat. The sight of him standing there, illuminated by that eerie glow, sent a shiver through me—a strange mix of awe, fear, and something deeper I couldn't quite name. Maybe guilt. Maybe regret.
I didn't mean to linger. I had only come here to clear my head, to find some quiet after everything that had happened. But there he was, lost in thought, his expression unreadable as he stared at the artifact. I should've left. I should've turned around and walked away.
Instead, I stepped inside.
"You want some coffee?" My voice came out too light, too casual, like I was trying to pretend that nothing was wrong. That I wasn't hiding something.
Daichi didn't look up. His fingers tightened around the artifact, the pale glow reflecting in his eyes. When he finally spoke, his voice was calm, but there was an edge to it—sharp enough to cut.
"Why did you lie to me?"
I froze mid-step, my stomach twisting. My fingers curled slightly at my sides.
"What… what do you mean?" I tried to keep my voice steady, but the tremor in it betrayed me.
Slowly, he turned to face me. His eyes—usually so steady, so unwavering—held something else now. Something I wasn't ready to see.
Hurt.
Disappointment.
"You knew," he said, lifting the artifact. The glow flickered slightly, casting shifting patterns across the room. "You knew what this was the moment you found it. The key to undoing the Vanishing. And you didn't tell me."
My heart pounded so loudly I could barely hear his words. I felt lightheaded, like the air had been sucked out of the room.
"I…"
I opened my mouth, but the words wouldn't come. My hands were shaking.
Daichi took a slow step forward, his voice softer now, but no less insistent. "Why, Izumi?"
My grip on the coffee mug slipped. It fell to the floor, shattering into a dozen sharp pieces. The sound echoed through the lab, but I barely noticed.
All I could see was him.
And the way he was looking at me.
"I…" I swallowed hard, gripping the edge of the table to steady myself. "Because if I told you, you'd—"
The words caught in my throat. I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing them out.
"You'd sacrifice yourself again."
Daichi stiffened, his expression flickering.
Tears burned behind my eyes, hot and stinging. "And I can't—I can't lose you again." My voice cracked. "Not again, Daichi."
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
The lab felt suffocating. Too small. Too filled with everything I couldn't say.
"You think I don't know what's at stake?" My hands clenched into fists. "I know. I know better than anyone. But there has to be another way. There has to be."
Daichi set the artifact down on the table. The glow dimmed slightly, as if it, too, had been holding its breath.
He took a step closer.
"Then we'll find one." His voice was gentle now, steady. "Together."
His words sent a tremor through me. My fists tightened. "Promise me."
"…Izumi—"
"Promise me, Daichi!" My voice rose, raw and desperate. "Promise me you won't leave me unless there's no other choice!"
The silence that followed felt like an eternity.
Then, finally, he nodded.
"I promise."
The tension in my chest loosened—just slightly. But as the artifact pulsed faintly in the corner of my vision, I couldn't shake the feeling that time was slipping away from us.
And that promise…
It might not be one he could keep.