The journey to the shrine was treacherous. The mountain winds howled through the ancient peaks, carrying whispers of forgotten secrets. Aiko and Ryou moved in silence, their bond humming beneath their skin with every step. Mei trailed behind them, ever watchful, though even she seemed uncharacteristically quiet.
By the time they reached the ruins, the moon hung high, casting silver light upon the crumbling stone. The shrine was old—ancient—its once-proud pillars now eroded by time. But despite the decay, power still lingered here. Aiko could feel it, thrumming beneath the earth like an echo of something lost.
She stepped forward, drawn to the faded markings on the central archway. Her fingers brushed the symbols, and at once, warmth spread through her palm—an unmistakable recognition.
Ryou tensed beside her. "Aiko—"
The ground shuddered.
A rush of energy swept over them, dragging them into something else—a space between time, between memory. The world around them blurred, and when it settled, they were no longer in the ruins.
They stood in a past long forgotten.
The shrine was whole, bathed in golden fire. Figures moved around them, translucent yet full of life. And at the center of it all—
A woman with nine radiant tails.
Aiko gasped as the vision unfolded. The woman stood before a man cloaked in deep shadows, his presence both powerful and sorrowful. His hand reached for her, desperate, aching.
"Please," he whispered, his voice laced with emotion. "There has to be another way."
The Kyūbi shook her head, sorrow in her golden eyes. "There is no other way. If I do not divide my power, the world will fall to ruin."
Aiko's breath caught. Divide?
The vision continued. The Kyūbi lifted her hands, and the air cracked with energy. Her power split—part of it flowing into the man before her, the other fading into the world itself. But as the energy left her, she staggered.
The man caught her, cradling her against him. "You are giving up too much."
She smiled, though tears gleamed in her eyes. "I am giving up only what is necessary. So that one day… we may be whole again."
The vision shattered.
Aiko gasped as she was yanked back into the present. Her knees buckled, but Ryou caught her, holding her steady. Her heart thundered in her chest.
"The Ninth Tail…" she murmured. "It wasn't just sealed. It was split."
Ryou's grip tightened. "And the other half…"
Aiko turned to him, realization sinking deep into her bones. "It was passed down. Through your bloodline."
Silence stretched between them, thick with the weight of the truth.
Mei let out a slow breath. "So what you're saying is… you two were meant to find each other."
Aiko met Ryou's gaze, and for the first time, the bond between them made sense.
They weren't just connected by fate.
They were the missing pieces of a power that had been searching for itself since the beginning of time.
Ryou swallowed hard, his thumb brushing against the back of her hand, almost unconsciously. "Then what happens now?"
Aiko exhaled. "Now? We figure out how to make ourselves whole again."
And for the first time, the Ninth Tail purred inside her—not with chaos, but with something dangerously close to peace.