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Yuki sat near the edge of the void clearing, knees drawn to his chest. The echoes of training still lingered in his muscles, but his mind was louder than anything else. The words—Aiko's warning, Ren's pressure, Himari's cold gaze—kept circling.
A soft rustle of movement broke his thoughts.
He turned and found her again—the girl with the unreadable eyes. Her silver-white hair shifted gently in the windless space, and she stood at a distance, watching him like she always did.
"…You keep showing up," Yuki muttered.
She tilted her head slightly. "Because you keep needing someone."
Yuki narrowed his eyes. "Who even are you?"
There was silence for a beat. Then, for the first time, she moved closer—close enough that he could see the subtle glow of her aura. It was calm. Not cold. Not empty. Just… still.
"I've been called many things," she said softly, kneeling beside him. "But if you're asking for a name…"
Yuki looked up, locking eyes with her. "Yeah. I want your name."
She paused, just for a moment. Then, with a breath barely above a whisper:
"Himari."
The name hung in the air like the soft shimmer of light breaking through storm clouds.
Yuki repeated it under his breath. "Himari…"
She glanced at him with a faint, almost unseen smile. "Don't wear it out."
He chuckled quietly, tension leaving his shoulders for the first time in hours. "Thanks… Himari."
But before the calm could settle fully, Ren's voice broke in from the other side of the void.
"Enough resting."
Yuki sighed, rising to his feet. "Duty calls."
Himari stood too, her expression returning to that calm unreadability. But something had shifted.
She had a name now.
And names… meant connections.
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