Ayame drifted in and out of slumber, her head against Kael's chest, his steady heartbeat grounding her more than any magic could. The celestial runes around them had dimmed to a soft twilight hue, like stardust exhaled by a sleeping god.
For the first time in days—maybe weeks—there was peace.
Then her stomach growled.
Kael chuckled quietly, his breath ruffling her hair. "Is that the sound of the cosmos unraveling, or did someone forget to eat dinner?"
She groaned and buried her face deeper into him. "Apparently, regaining lost memories burns calories. Who knew?"
He grinned. "You're lucky I still have an energy bar from like… two universes ago."
She peeked up. "What flavor?"
"Galaxy Grape."
Ayame made a face. "That should be illegal."
He handed it to her anyway, and they split it, chewing in silence as the temple hummed around them. The calm felt almost unnatural after so much chaos, like the eye of a storm pretending to be a vacation.
Ayame broke the silence first. "Do you think… in one of those other lives, we actually had time? Like, real time. Ordinary time."
Kael's expression turned thoughtful. "I hope so. I like to think we had a small apartment, a lazy cat, and a broken toaster that kept starting fires."
"That toaster again?" she laughed.
"It's canon across lifetimes," he said solemnly.
Her smile faded gently as she leaned her head back against the stone wall. "What if we can't break the cycle? What if it's all written in the stars already?"
Kael tilted his head. "Then we grab a pen."
---
The peace didn't last.
A tremor rippled through the temple. Subtle. Like the air holding its breath.
Ayame sat up fast. "Did you feel that?"
Kael was already on his feet. "Yeah. And I don't think it's just indigestion."
The Custodian appeared in the doorway, her expression far grimmer than before. "You must leave. Now."
"What's going on?" Ayame asked.
"The echoes… they weren't destroyed. They've multiplied."
Ayame felt cold. "But I—"
"You suppressed them," the Custodian cut in. "Not eliminated. And now, something older has awakened with them."
Kael moved protectively in front of Ayame. "What is it?"
The Custodian looked at them both.
"Your destiny."
---
Outside the temple, the sky had changed.
No longer endless purple, but shifting streaks of blood-orange and violet. Stars blinked erratically, some falling too fast, burning out before they could make a wish.
Ayame held her head. "I feel… weird. Like the world's tilting."
"It is," the Custodian said. "The Veil is cracking. Realities are folding."
Kael frowned. "Is it because Ayame unlocked her memories?"
The Custodian hesitated. "Partially. But also because… something else wants to use her power. You unlocked more than just memory."
Ayame stared at her hands, glowing faintly even though she wasn't casting.
"I didn't mean to."
"Intent doesn't change consequence," the Custodian replied gently. "But it's not too late."
---
The trio moved quickly now, the landscape bending unnaturally as they ran—trees twisting like spirals, ground flickering between stone and stardust. They reached the edge of the temple's influence.
A familiar voice echoed behind them.
"You always run."
Kael turned sharply. His own face stared back.
But this time, the Echo wasn't just a reflection. It was taller. More defined. And its eyes were empty.
Ayame grabbed Kael's hand. "Run!"
But the Echo raised a hand—and time fractured.
For a second, Kael saw dozens of versions of himself, frozen mid-motion, their expressions twisted in confusion, agony, love. Then all of it snapped back into one moment—his.
He stumbled.
"Kael!" Ayame screamed, catching him.
The Echo grinned. "You can't outrun yourself."
---
They didn't fight.
Not yet.
The Custodian opened a glowing door from thin air, shoving them through.
They landed in a sun-drenched field—warm, golden, and humming with peace.
Ayame blinked. "Where…?"
Kael groaned. "Ow. My everything."
The Custodian stepped through, sealing the door. "We're in a temporal pocket. Safe—for now."
Kael looked around. "It's beautiful."
Ayame nodded slowly. "I know this place."
He turned to her.
"I dreamed of it. The field where you kissed me… right before everything ended."
Kael froze.
"You remember that?"
She took his hand. "I remember *you.*"
---
They sat in the tall grass as sunset melted into stars.
Ayame leaned into him. "This place… it feels like home."
Kael pulled her closer. "Then maybe it is. For now."
Their faces were close. Too close to ignore. She smiled, teasing.
"You're staring."
"You've always been worth staring at," he murmured.
She flushed. "Cheesy."
"True."
And then, finally, with the quiet all around them, and the universe momentarily forgetting to pull them apart…
They kissed.
Softly.
Slowly.
Like remembering a song.
---
But even here, under stars that held their breath for them, shadows gathered at the edge of the field.
Because nothing hidden stays asleep forever.
And not all echoes are content to be forgotten.
---