"Echoes of the Past"
Scene 1: Whispers in the Light
The academy courtyard buzzed with gossip as Saki leaned closer to Wanderer, her cheeks pink. "Is Eri…your girlfriend?"
Wanderer paused, a faint smirk tugging his lips. "Straight to the point, huh?" His golden eyes glinted mischievously. "Embarrassing questions deserve evasive answers."
Saki recoiled, flustered. "I—I didn't mean to pry! We're still friends, right?"
"Relax." He flicked her forehead playfully. "Friends don't crumble over curiosity."
Nearby, Eri materialized like a shadow, looping her arm possessively through his. "Jealousy's unbecoming, Saki," she purred, earning glares from envious classmates.
Soul connection:
Nero: We're in public, Eri. Tone it down.
Eri: Make me.
Scene 2: The Unseen Shield
Battle practice erupted in the training arena. Ayumi dominated the field, her sword a silver blur, but all eyes soon turned to Wanderer—slouched against a pillar, feigning disinterest.
"Wanderer!" the instructor barked. "Your turn."
"I'm…not much for combat," he drawled, earning snickers.
Forced onto the field, he raised a single hand. A translucent barrier shimmered to life. His opponent lunged, strikes ricocheting harmlessly off the shield. The crowd roared as Wanderer "won" without moving a muscle.
Ayumi's grip tightened on her sword. That barrier…identical to Nero's.
Scene 3: Strings of Truth
Sunset painted the academy gardens in amber. Wanderer sat beneath a cherry blossom tree, a guitar cradled in his arms. Melodies wove through the air, drawing sparrows to his shoulders and foxes to his feet.
"You play beautifully," a voice interrupted.
He didn't look up. "Following me, Ayumi?"
She stepped into the light, her gaze sharp. "You're searching for someone too, aren't you?"
The music halted. "And who haunts you, princess?"
"Nero Almik." Her voice cracked. "He murdered my mother."
Wanderer's fingers froze on the strings. I'd remember that. Wouldn't I?
Scene 4: Shadows of Doubt
Later, alone in the woods, Nero tore off his illusionary charm, his horn gleaming under the moonlight. Why would she think I killed her mother? Memories flickered—slums, hunger, his own mother's corpse—but nothing of Ayumi's past.
Eri's voice slithered into his mind: Lies have roots, Nero. Dig deeper.
Meanwhile, Ayumi stood in the training arena, slashing at dummies with frenzied strikes. "How did he survive the Moonlight Dagger?!"
"Princess." Daiki, a broad-shouldered senior, approached cautiously. "You're asking about Nero?"
She whirled. "Tell me everything."
Daiki sighed. "To us, he was kind. Poor in coin, rich in loyalty. They blamed him for the monster attacks, but…" He clenched his fist. "We never believed it. Not for a second."
Scene 5: The Fractured Mirror
Ayumi stared at the stars, Daiki's words echoing. A kind person… Yet the Nero she'd fought was a storm of rage and power.
Soul connection:
Eri: Trouble?
Nero: Just ghosts.
He strummed his guitar again, the melody darker now. Who's rewriting my past?
Ayumi's resolve hardened. She'd unravel this mystery—even if it meant carving the truth from Nero's heart herself.